The Former Trump Presidency Thread

malchior · Post by **malchior** » Wed Jan 11, 2017 12:31 am

Is there legit reason to believe some or even most is gossip? Sure. This was opposition research. It had a lower bar of evidence. It is practically brainstorming. You need to run down the leads and see if they pan out. But that some of the assertions line up to a concrete action the US took over Russian hacking does indicate some of it might have lined up to something that was corroborated by our own agencies. It stands to reason some of it is plausible (not the gross stuff perhaps) but that there was dossier floating around that showed there was a motive towards the Ukraine changes in the platform -- is interesting to say the least. This is going to probably stick around a bit as the net gets cast wide.

Also - this was happening but Comey felt he needed to send a letter about 'dem emails. Talk about good judgement.

Rip · Post by **Rip** » Wed Jan 11, 2017 2:56 am

Rip · Post by **Rip** » Wed Jan 11, 2017 3:02 am

malchior wrote:A taste of the incompetence ahead. This feels more like a purge than a transition. It isn't a transition if you leave key posts unfilled...because...who the fuck knows anymore.

Oh - and to preempt Rip but Obama did something nonsense:
But appointees in key positions—like the people who make sure our nukes work—are often asked to stay on in their roles until a replacement can be found and confirmed by the Senate, helping ensure a smooth transition and allowing our government to continue functioning. In fact, for the entirety of Obama’s first term and into part of his second, the NNSA Administrator remained a Bush appointee.

Correction, 1/9/17, 11:03 p.m., : Another NNSA official, speaking on background to Gizmodo and Defense News, has disputed this report as “inaccurate” while confirming that “there have been no discussions between the president-elect’s transition team and any of NNSA’s political appointees on extending their public service past Jan. 20.” In other words, the Trump transition team has not asked the top two NNSA officials to stay on until they can be replaced.

After speaking to our source for clarification, we have updated the story and headline to reflect that, while Klotz and Creedon have submitted their resignations, intend to depart on January 20, and have not been asked by the Trump transition to stay past that date, the Trump team has not explicitly instructed them to leave or “clean out their desks,” as we reported. According to our source, both officials “have expressed [to the Trump team] that they would likely be willing to stay to facilitate a smooth transition, if asked,” as is the tradition for key officials, and have received no response.

Their goodbye party is scheduled for next Thursday.

Kraken · Post by **Kraken** » Wed Jan 11, 2017 3:25 am

YellowKing wrote: And what does it say about your character when the news is met not with "that's impossible!" but "Yeah, that sounds about right."

Hah. That was my reaction too. I'm skeptical that it's true, but truth is an afterthought nowadays. Thanks, Trump!

Zarathud · Post by **Zarathud** » Wed Jan 11, 2017 7:41 am

So sad that the only defense of the Trump administration is that they did nothing. Incompetence or intent?

hepcat · Post by **hepcat** » Wed Jan 11, 2017 8:33 am

I love watching the Trump team on the other end of conspiracy theories.

malchior · Post by **malchior** » Wed Jan 11, 2017 8:46 am

Zarathud wrote:So sad that the only defense of the Trump administration is that they did nothing. Incompetence or intent?

Who the hell knows. Nice that it was that they simply have not responded to a request from a key position. They are only responsible for the nuclear stockpile after all.

I'm also enjoying the twitter meltdown from the baby-in-chief - "one last shot" - "easily won an election" - the man is mentally ill.

Paingod · Post by **Paingod** » Wed Jan 11, 2017 9:10 am

So is Russia in direct communication with him again? Where's he getting his Intel on Russia's denial?

This should be comical, at least. I imagine he's in a sputtering rage, and ALL CAPS statements must be true.

malchior · Post by **malchior** » Wed Jan 11, 2017 9:15 am

He is blaming the intelligence agencies in the last one - paranoid moron. This was opposition research - it has been circulating Washington for months.

Skinypupy · Post by **Skinypupy** » Wed Jan 11, 2017 9:24 am

The more info that comes to light, the more skeptical I am that any of it is true. Still, it's amusing/sad to watch him work himself into a frothing rage rather than deal with it like an actual adult. Especially when it's a page straight out of his own playbook. "Are we living in Nazi Germany?"

He's in for a long 4 years.

Holman · Post by **Holman** » Wed Jan 11, 2017 9:25 am

malchior wrote:

"One last shot at me?"

What, are the intel agencies going away after January? And are they somehow Trump's longtime nemesis?

He sounds like a lunatic, or Michael Flynn, or both.

malchior · Post by **malchior** » Wed Jan 11, 2017 9:45 am

Skinypupy wrote:The more info that comes to light, the more skeptical I am that any of it is true.

That's the trouble - while it is entertaining in its own way Buzzfeed made it easy for them to dismiss verified reports from other reporters like Farenthold or Eichenwald. In fact, Farenthold has already contradicted one of Trump's tweets by tweeting out a link to an article from June that detailed...his Russian business dealings.

Skinypupy · Post by **Skinypupy** » Wed Jan 11, 2017 9:48 am

malchior wrote:
Skinypupy wrote:The more info that comes to light, the more skeptical I am that any of it is true.
That's the trouble - while it is entertaining in its own way Buzzfeed made it easy for them to dismiss verified reports from other reporters like Farenthold or Eichenwald. In fact, Farenthold has already contradicted one of Trump's tweets by reprinting an article from June that detailed...his Russian business dealings.

Agreed. They were so eager to get the "scoop" that they didn't bother verifying, well, any of it. It's going to make it that much harder to prove when actual issues (and there seem to be plenty) do come to light.

malchior · Post by **malchior** » Wed Jan 11, 2017 9:55 am

I don't know if it was the scoop. It might have been there 'fuck it' with this guy attitude combined with lax controls. On the other hand, I can understand the consternation in a punk way. It does seem wrong that this dossier is floating around Washington and journalist inboxes for months. It potentially details ties that have more than a whiff of plausibility to them. Plus the chance that the President might have committed treason. This feels like another power to the people moment in a time where traditional norms are breaking down.

Grifman · Post by **Grifman** » Wed Jan 11, 2017 10:03 am

Press conference today is going to be fun, and undoubtedly an utter disaster. Trump will get asked hard questions, and based upon his tweets so far, this is going to be very confrontational.

hepcat · Post by **hepcat** » Wed Jan 11, 2017 10:06 am

malchior wrote:

We'll have to wait and see, won't we?

malchior · Post by **malchior** » Wed Jan 11, 2017 10:06 am

Grifman wrote:Press conference today is going to be fun, and undoubtedly an utter disaster. Trump will get asked hard questions, and based upon his tweets so far, this is going to be very confrontational.

I'm ready to go at 11 A.M. It is probably a coin flip whether it happens or not though.

TheMix · Post by **TheMix** » Wed Jan 11, 2017 10:14 am

Personally, this all sounds perfectly plausible to me. This is a guy that has proven time and again that he will do whatever it takes to win. He's also shown that he is both an extremely poor loser as well as an extremely poor winner.

Did anyone else notice the comment that the hotel was not a safe zone? It has video and audio recording devices. I'm betting that the Russians have more than just some corroborating witnesses. The question is what will win out, his need to look good or his unwillingness to be blackmailed by Russia. One of those is going to give eventually.

wonderpug · Post by **wonderpug** » Wed Jan 11, 2017 10:18 am

Prediction: The first time a tweet finally does go too far and gets him into trouble, the next tweet will say that there's no proof he was the one who wrote it.

"I would NEVER write something like that. Twitter conspiracy guilty of forgery and putting words in my mouth. MORE LIES from CROOKED HILLARY. SAD."

hepcat · Post by **hepcat** » Wed Jan 11, 2017 10:24 am

wonderpug wrote:Prediction: The first time a tweet finally does go too far and gets him into trouble, the next tweet will say that there's no proof he was the one who wrote it.

"Bad Barron, bad! How many times has daddy told you not to threaten the UN security council?! Don't make me take one of your r's away!"

Grifman · Post by **Grifman** » Wed Jan 11, 2017 10:28 am

malchior wrote:It does seem wrong that this dossier is floating around Washington and journalist inboxes for months.

Responsible journalists don't print unsubstantiated rumor and innuendo. That's why the MSM did not report on this - there was no way to confirm it. It's being reported now because it became part of an intelligence report to Obama and Trump. Note that CNN did not report on any of the details of the report, other than rather broadly. Buzzfeed did something they should not have done because they cannot substantiate any of it.

YellowKing · Post by **YellowKing** » Wed Jan 11, 2017 10:31 am

Buzzfeed is also the "news" outlet that shows up in my Facebook feed telling me 15 SHOCKING THINGS YOU DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT HARRY POTTER - YOU WON'T BELIEVE #7!

I think it's kind of funny anyone is expecting them to suddenly behave like a respectable news source.

Ralph-Wiggum · Post by **Ralph-Wiggum** » Wed Jan 11, 2017 10:33 am

malchior wrote:
Grifman wrote:Press conference today is going to be fun, and undoubtedly an utter disaster. Trump will get asked hard questions, and based upon his tweets so far, this is going to be very confrontational.
I'm ready to go at 11 A.M. It is probably a coin flip whether it happens or not though.

I'll actually be pretty surprised if he still holds the press conference; or, if he does hold it, that he allows more than a few questions from someone other than Sean Hannity.

malchior · Post by **malchior** » Wed Jan 11, 2017 10:55 am

Grifman wrote:
malchior wrote:It does seem wrong that this dossier is floating around Washington and journalist inboxes for months.
Responsible journalists don't print unsubstantiated rumor and innuendo. That's why the MSM did not report on this - there was no way to confirm it. It's being reported now because it became part of an intelligence report to Obama and Trump. Note that CNN did not report on any of the details of the report, other than rather broadly. Buzzfeed did something they should not have done because they cannot substantiate any of it.

I get that - but I could see someone going all punk and saying why do the elites control what I hear. As an adult I get why they didn't publish it. As a citizen I would have wanted to know there were serious doubts about the man (beyond what we could plainly see).

Sepiche · Post by **Sepiche** » Wed Jan 11, 2017 11:31 am

PEEOTUS wrote: Russia has never tried to use leverage over me

Interesting wording there. First, he doesn't deny there is leverage, just that it's never been used. Second, and this actually lines up with what's in the report, that Trump and his cronies have been so compliant and helpful to the Russians that there's been no need to release any information.

They can complain all they want, but there are a lot of leads floating around out there now for anyone to follow and if there's any truth to anything in there it's going to start unraveling at some point.

Exodor · Post by **Exodor** » Wed Jan 11, 2017 12:00 pm

The temper tantrum from Trump is pretty funny after years of stuff like this:

Classic bully - can dish it out but can't take it.

Ralph-Wiggum · Post by **Ralph-Wiggum** » Wed Jan 11, 2017 12:07 pm

Exodor wrote:The temper tantrum from Trump is pretty funny after years of stuff like this:

Classic bully - can dish it out but can't take it.

Oh man - at first I didn't notice the date and thought he had just tweeted that out. I got pretty excited for a second...

malchior · Post by **malchior** » Wed Jan 11, 2017 12:15 pm

It's happening!! Priebus opens with Buzzfeed bashing and calls CNN pathetic. Guessing he is trying to throw shade and undercut the questioning. AKA using Buzzfeed as a shield against the actual CNN report about Trump being briefed about the allegations.

Now Pence is at it. Talking about media bias. Fake news. Wow they really are reeling from this - shocked they held this.

Unagi · Post by **Unagi** » Wed Jan 11, 2017 12:22 pm

Wow. He slaps the Intel Agencies - and repeats high-high praise of any news station that didn't report it. That was so weird.

4 years of this.

malchior · Post by **malchior** » Wed Jan 11, 2017 12:24 pm

Yep - I heard Rick Santorum saying this will all go away once the politicized leadership of the intelligence agencies are replaced. Not a chilling statement at all. I am guessing they will have to start watching a whole lot more garages in DC now.

I am going to be the greatest jobs creator that God ever made

Narcissism for the win!

Is this guy really going on about how awesome he is? WTF? This guy is flat out nuts.

Smoove_B · Post by **Smoove_B** » Wed Jan 11, 2017 12:28 pm

So he hasn't held a press conference since July and this is his first shot? Apparently whatever he was being schooled on for the last 5+ months didn't take. Oof.

EDIT: "We have much hacking going on."

I could listen to him talk cyber all day. It's like listening to my parents try to describe to me how to use a computer.

TheMix · Post by **TheMix** » Wed Jan 11, 2017 12:30 pm

He's made the presidency about ratings, not about governing. Image is going to be everything. Governing will be largely (or completely) irrelevant.

Blackhawk · Post by **Blackhawk** » Wed Jan 11, 2017 12:31 pm

There was much hacking.

Smoove_B · Post by **Smoove_B** » Wed Jan 11, 2017 12:32 pm

He's still taking shots at Hillary. Amazing. Absolutely amazing. I imagine the press just sitting there and excitedly eating popcorn.

Paingod · Post by **Paingod** » Wed Jan 11, 2017 12:32 pm

Did he just admit that there are horrible things in the RNC servers but because Russia couldn't get in (because of his Hacking Defenses), they couldn't be released?

*Edit: Nobody is tougher on Putin than Trump!

malchior · Post by **malchior** » Wed Jan 11, 2017 12:33 pm

His ability to weasel out of questions by just dissembling is pretty solid.

Blackhawk · Post by **Blackhawk** » Wed Jan 11, 2017 12:33 pm

Hacking's bad! M'kay?

He then goes on to justify the hacking because of something about ends justifying means.

Exodor · Post by **Exodor** » Wed Jan 11, 2017 12:33 pm

He's still talking about Hillary getting the debate question(s).

This is like listening to an unprepared 9 year old trying to bluff their way through a book report on a book they didn't read.

Defiant · Post by **Defiant** » Wed Jan 11, 2017 12:35 pm

Quinnipiac is the first high-quality pollster to poll on Trump twice since the election. And while its poll in late November showed his favorable rating rising from 34 percent to 44 percent, that number has dropped back to 37 percent, which is about where it stood for much of the campaign. That’s tied for Trump’s worst favorable rating in a poll since his election. And a majority — 51 percent — now have an unfavorable view of him.

link

Paingod · Post by **Paingod** » Wed Jan 11, 2017 12:36 pm

He's a germaphobe? Not a problem - urine is sterile!