Trump Being Treasonous on Television

[_Kevin Graham]

Where are all the Republican "patriots"?

[_EAllusion]

Huh?

[_EAllusion]

Sure, in the words of Popehat, "Watching a press conference with a dead-eyed amoral lunatic who will do anything to advance Russian power, and also Putin"

Trump is rather overtly covering for a Russian attack on the US regardless of whether he participated in it (spoiler: he probably did). That's waving Russia in to do it again with giant flags. This is quite bad, and I think abetting Russian aggression on the integrity of the US's democracy is sufficient to call it traitorous. But it's also what he's been doing for a while, so it isn't new. It also isn't treason in the more formal sense because we're not at war with Russia. Maybe that's too pedantic. I appreciate when people say, "treasonous" they mean something like "traitorous," but I think this word choice plays into the hands of people squirming for any out they can get.

[_Kevin Graham]

Former intel chiefs condemn Trump's news conference with Putin

Washington (CNN)Former US intelligence chiefs expressed astonishment and condemnation Monday in response to President Donald Trump's comments at Monday's news conference with Russian President Vladimir Putin, with former CIA Director John Brennan calling the US President's performance "nothing short of treasonous."

Following his one-on-one meeting with Putin in Helsinki, Finland, Trump declined to endorse the US intelligence community's assessment that Russia interfered in the 2016 election over Putin's denial, saying the Russian President was "extremely strong and powerful" in his denial.

"Donald Trump's press conference performance in Helsinki rises to & exceeds the threshold of 'high crimes & misdemeanors.' It was nothing short of treasonous," Brennan, a frequent critic of Trump who served as CIA chief from 2013 through January 2017, tweeted during the event. "Not only were Trump's comments imbecilic, he is wholly in the pocket of Putin. Republican Patriots: Where are you???"

Former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, who served during the Obama administration, called the news conference "truly unbelievable."

"On the world's stage, in front of the entire globe, the President of the United States essentially capitulated and seems intimidated by Vladimir Putin. So it was amazing and very, very disturbing," Clapper, a CNN national security analyst, told Anderson Cooper Monday afternoon.

Former CIA and National Security Agency Director Michael Hayden, who led the NSA during the final years of George W. Bush's presidency, also expressed dismay over the President's performance.

In one tweet, Hayden expressed agreement with an analysis that Trump believes Putin more than American intelligence agencies. And when another user tweeted "holy f****n s**t" following the news conference, Hayden responded, "I agree."

[_Water Dog]

Haha

[_EAllusion]

You'd of thought that Trump would've tossed in a few inconsequential criticisms of Russia. You know, for show. Go hard or go home, I guess.

[_Kevin Graham]

Remember when Trump said Putin wished Hillary had gotten elected because he knew how hard he'd be on him? Well, Putin said he wants Trump in office.

The fact is this is unprecedented. We have a President on the world stage standing beside a dictator, our biggest threat, whose military has been attacking the integrity of our country's democracy. Virtually all of our tax funded intelligence people have concluded this to be the case. But what does our Chief Executive do when given this information? He says he doesn't believe them. He believes Putin, because he told him he didn't do it.

If this happened under Obama, Republicans would be going apeshit and Trump would be saying how he never would have tolerated it if he were President. This is going to go down as one of the worst diplomatic embarrassments in our history.

Trump is President, a reality show star who thinks success in life is about lying to get whatever you want. All of this is happening on his watch. And he has a choice to stand behind the country he has sworn to protect and serve, or take the side of our #1 "geo-political enemy." Trump chose the latter because to do anything else would bruise his ego, which is clearly more important than our democracy. Babbling about HC's emails is all he knows how to do anymore.

What a tragedy. What an embarrassment.

[_Maksutov]

https://www.theatlantic.com/internation ... _test209_3

This Is the Moment of Truth for Republicans
The GOP can either defend the United States or serve the damaged and defective man who is now its president.

..............

Maybe Trump is frightened by Putin. After all, Putin made it personal...

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/wor ... 385216002/

Cadet Bonespurs would be one of the first to cut and run.

[_EAllusion]

This is a minor thing, but there was a whole Republican narrative for years about president Obama going on "apology tours" for America and generally being a weak representative for America for constantly apologizing to foreign powers for it. This was born out of a preemptive attack on Obama to prevent a truth and reconciliation era after the disastrous Bush years on foreign policy. Obama never really did any of that apologizing we heard so much about, but it was a theme that lasted for years. Some people, like Ajax, like Japanese soliders stuck in a bunker in the 1950's unaware that WW II is over, still continue to hit on that idea from time to time.

This was far more overt "apologizing for America." You don't expect any intellectual consistency out of that crowd, but the hypocrisy levels could power a small city for years.

[_EAllusion]

https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2018/07/moment-of-decision/565289/?utm_source=atlfb_test209_3

This Is the Moment of Truth for Republicans
The GOP can either defend the United States or serve the damaged and defective man who is now its president.

I think much of the GOP would welcome Russian assistance maintaining power if they thought they could get away with it. They're covering for Trump covering for Russia, after all. Trump, being a giant man-baby, is just making subtext text as is his wont.