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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsDaily Kos: Trump Will Not Act Against Russia Because He Is Very Likely Being Blackmailed By Russia.
Daily Kos: Trump Will Not Act Against Russia Because He Is Very Likely Being Blackmailed By Russia.
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Conducted political intelligence-gathering activities in the United States;
Hid their activities by setting up virtual networks in America that masked their extra-American communications;
Influenced the American election by using false personas to organize rallies for Trump, criticizing Muslims and spreading allegations of voter fraud by candidate Clinton;
Stole American identities to create controlled accounts; and
Destroyed evidence of their activities.
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In fact there are many, many options a normal Administration would take to isolate and punish the Russian state.
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None of Trumps tweets expressed anger or alarm about the Russian intervention, which Muellers charges said involved entry into the U.S. by Russians collecting intelligence for the plan.
A White House spokesperson went even further Saturday, suggesting that Democrats and the mainstream media deserve more blame than Russia for political division in the U.S.
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Chait arrives at this conclusion indirectly, as none of us except for Trump and possibly a few others in the Kremlin could possibly confirm it, but Trumps behavior pattern towards Russia has been remarkably telling. There is no good reason for Trumps grotesquely fawning relationship to the Russian state unless it derives from a benefit to Trump himself. Thats simply the kind of man he is. Whether that benefit is related to his finances, of which he is astonishingly secretive, or of his personal sexual habits, which have recently been revealed as equally clandestine, Trump has shown himself to be obligated for some reason to the Russian state. And the news in recent weeks has confirmed that Trump is possessed of the type of character that is ripe for blackmail.
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2018/2/17/1742323/-Trump-Will-Not-Act-Against-Russia-Because-He-Is-Very-Likely-Being-Blackmailed-By-Russia?detail=emaildkre
Scarsdale
(9,426 posts)ban people coming here from "shithole" countries such as RUSSIA? tRump seems to have many Russian friends, and he comports himself like a mafia figure. Is ICE looking into the status of some of the Russian gangsters in NY and FLA? If not, why not?
Pepsidog
(6,254 posts)dalton99a
(81,598 posts)BumRushDaShow
(129,524 posts)At this point, Russia could reveal everything they are "blackmailing" him with and nothing would happen. That's the sad state of affairs we are in.
woundedkarma
(498 posts)There are two things trump could have done that might finally loosen the GOP's bowels:
Putin has Trump on tape with children
OR
Putin has Trump on tape with his daughter
I don't think anything short of that could be used to blackmail trump.
I'm not even going to read the article.. but all trumps fawning just means he's getting something out of the deal.. which is the presidency.
BumRushDaShow
(129,524 posts)See Roy Moore and his adulation by their "base", as well as the non-existent to weak response by the GOP leadership.
volstork
(5,403 posts)That's what his " modeling agency" actually is: a sex trafficking enterprise, buying and selling desperate young women for sex.
Timmygoat
(779 posts)So now Trump is whining and saying Obama should have stopped the russians, why does no-one tell him that he is president now and it is his job to stop them and why has he not imposed the sanctions on Russia that Obama ordered?
BigBearJohn
(11,410 posts)sexcapades mean nothing to Trump.
Sam McGee
(347 posts). . . that he is the target of a classic influence operation.
In the 1980's, before the Soviet Union collapsed, the KGB decided to put in place an operation to identify and get close to Americans who either are, will be, or could become influential in American life. While the Soviet Union collapsed, the fundamentals of Russian statecraft remained.
Trump is one of those identified by the KGB -- now the FSB -- as possibly becoming influential and as being worth getting close to.
He is tied tightly to Russia by two elements:
(1) his ego. For 30 years, Russians have kissed his ass, told him how great he is, and generally ingratiated themselves with him.
(2) he owes them a mountain of money. Russian money has kept and is keeping his failed real estate empire afloat -- and he knows it.
None of this is secret, it's all laid out in several places.
http://billmoyers.com/story/trump-russia-timeline/
https://www.bloomberg.com/view/articles/2017-06-21/trump-russia-and-those-shadowy-sater-deals-at-bayrock
https://www.alternet.org/election-2016/donald-trump-was-bailed-out-bankruptcy-russia-crime-bosses
https://themoscowproject.org/explainers/trumps-business-russia-russias-business-trump/
https://newrepublic.com/article/143586/trumps-russian-laundromat-trump-tower-luxury-high-rises-dirty-money-international-crime-syndicate
unblock
(52,329 posts)I dont doubt that Russia has kompromat on Donnie, he would be so easy to get it on and even think he won when they did it.
But I seriously doubt theres any part of him saying damn, I wish I could punish Russia but theyve got the goods on me so Ill have to pretend that I like them and block anything bad happening to Russia.
No, hes more than happy to defend Russia because Russia has helped his business, Russia has helped his campaign, Russia has helped steal the election, Russia has helped him make money, and Russia promises to help make him more money.
The stick may be there, but there is soooo much carrot there that the stick hardly matters. They may have it, but I see no evidence that theyd ever need to even threaten to use it.
duforsure
(11,885 posts)Just a matter of time before its all exposed what Trump and Putin are doing.
Laura PourMeADrink
(42,770 posts)Been forgotten.... remember how Jared was asking for an under the radar way to communicate with the Russians? This seemed SO odd and SO incriminating and never hear it mentioned.
malaise
(269,182 posts)Mueller will soon explain it all
Gothmog
(145,581 posts)Botany
(70,588 posts)Putin is from the KGB.
From wiki:
In Russian politics, kompromat, short for "compromising material" (компрометирующий материал , is damaging information about a politician or other public figure used to create negative publicity, for blackmail, or for ensuring loyalty. Kompromat may be acquired from various security services, or outrightly forged, and then publicized by use of a public relations official. Widespread use of kompromat has been one of the characteristic features of the politics of Russia and other post-Soviet states.
Trueblue Texan
(2,443 posts)He is shameless about anything he has ever done, no matter how vile. He can dodge any public relations bombs. He just won't hold a press conference until the storm is over. His supporters already know he has no morals, uses women like toys, doesn't care if they are children or grown women. Nothing sexual will embarrass him. But clearly, he is scared shitless. Putin has something on him that will hurt him a lot more than a pee tape. Its something bigger than just him losing all his money. A con artist can always lie, cheat and steal his way back into cash. No, it's something that really sends chills. The Russians have something on him that will send him to prison for life. They literally OWN him. They are running this country. That's why he doesn't have to pay attention to details. Putin tells him his next move. His only hope is to appease Putin and to hope he'll be whisked to the safe harbor of Russia before he's in shackles.
Cha
(297,693 posts)he's being treasonous in plain sight.
Chicago SunTimes: Donald Trump and Benedict Arnold
"Instead of mobilizing forces to our nations aid, the president, like Benedict Arnold at West Point, has allowed our defenses to crumble."
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We cannot trust the president, not because of what he may or may not have done in secret in the past, but because of what he is clearly doing or, rather, not doing, right now: defending our country against foreign enemies."
https://www.democraticunderground.com
Botany
(70,588 posts)But whatever it is, Trump is either trying so hard to hide it or is so naïve about Russia that he is ready to not only resist mounting a proper defense of our democracy, hes actually ready to undermine some of our most important institutions, the F.B.I. and Justice Department, to keep his compromised status hidden.
That must not be tolerated. This is code red. The biggest threat to the integrity of our democracy today is in the Oval Office.
Cha
(297,693 posts)getting out all over the place.
Benedict Donald is not defending our country against foreign enemies.
Mahalo, Botany
kentuck
(111,110 posts)After all, Russia was the only place he could get money to run his businesses.
Meanwhile, Congress sleeps. No legislation to prevent another mess like this from happening again.