Is Trump blackmailing the Senate Republicans?

[canetoad]

It's not like he hasn't done this before and true to Trump form, by using sexual accusations to get his own way.

Michaels told Connolly this was because Trump was threatening to embarrass the Forbes family by claiming that publisher Malcolm Forbes, who had died a few months earlier, ordered a hit piece because Trump had supposedly blocked the 70-year-old magazine owner from bringing two male companions under the legal drinking age into the Plaza Hotel bar. (A gay news magazine had outed Malcolm Forbes shortly after his death that February, though the claim was not widely circulated; Trump possessed a much louder megaphone with which to humiliate the Forbes family.) Stern does not recall this and believes that editors simply feared a Trump lawsuit.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/posteverything/wp/2019/06/14/feature/how-donald-trump-silenced-the-people-who-could-expose-his-business-failures/?utm_term=.78dc16749513

H/t to Octoberlib for his post in DetlefK's thread

Over two and a half years ago, on March 30, 2017, three men testified before the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence. The topic of the hearing was: Disinformation: a Primer in Russian Active Measures and Influence Campaigns.


The three men were Roy Godson, Eugene B Rumer and Clint Watts. I happened to watch it live on CSpan. One short exchange, close to the end of the hearing gave me shivers of apprehension. The video is available but I needed to double check what I'd just witnessed, so found the transcript. I've uploaded a copy here.

After Clint Watts had spoken for a while on computers, cyber security and hacking, this exchange followed:

Senator King. You have mentioned several times, and I think
the Russian term is, ``kompromat.'' I think it's interesting
that they have a Russian term which is compromising
information. This is active in the sense that not only can they
take things off your computer, they can put things on your
computer that will compromise you. I think that should send a
shudder through all Americans, that this isn't only taking--you
can be very careful in your emails, but something can show up
on your computer that's fake and you could be in a lot of
trouble.

This is one of their techniques, is it not?

Mr. Watts. Yes. Americans should look to Europe, where this
has happened quite a bit more frequently.

Angus King was visibly concerned that something could be 'put on' your computer and this, I believe is the key to the obsequious obedience from Lindsay Graham and others. Have they been threatened that gay and/or child porn will be found on their computers?

[Liberty Belle]

1. Could well be, or perhaps Russia is blackmailing them all.

Many of them took a lot of money from Russian interests. What did they do for that money?

[True Blue American]

2. Very good point!

Last edited Sun Jun 16, 2019, 05:33 AM - Edit history (1)

I have mentioned this before. The camera was on Lindsey Graham at John McCain’s funeral. I noticed how nervous he was, his eyes darting all over the place, fidgeting in his seat.

I wondered why. Then I saw he had invited Jared and Ivanka. They got no special treatment, had to sit with the crowd. John and his Family had made it clear they wanted no Trump’s there. After that Lindsey did a complete switch, played Golf with Trump, sucked up to him.

Before that he had called Trump all kinds of names. Even his tirade at the Kavanaugh hearing at Democrats seemed phony. Something happened.

[madaboutharry]

7. I think that Graham 's flip came before McCain's death.

I’ve heard this discussed various times on news shows with people opining it occurred after he played golf one day with Trump. I think the takeaway is that people think Trump threatened him in some way. Overnight Graham turned into a sycophant.

[True Blue American]

8. You are right.

That is why I mentioned his actions at the funeral. I was interested in why Lindsey was so nervous. It was not the normal reaction being at your best friends funeral. Then I found out he invited them even though he knew how his best friend had despised Trump.

The Golf game was just Lindsey going public, not his turning point. Something happened before.

[dchill]

3. Putin's got them all by the short hairs.

[democratisphere]

4. Russian hackers didn't hack just Democrats.

I'm sure the Kremlin has files on most rethuglicons that will keep them in line for the foreseeable future. Many rethuglicons have been acting stranger than their normal strange for a very long time.

[NanceGreggs]

5. No.

As Vlad figured out eons ago, you never rely on a boy to do a man's job.

Anyone who thinks the Russians only hacked the DNC and not the RNC is a fool.

Putin is in possession of all kinds of kompramat on Republicans - from sexual deviance to off-shore bank accounts with balances that can't be accounted for.

Vlad is far too smart to expect Trump to blackmail anyone - he knows he'd fuck it up if he tried.

[True Blue American]

9. Putin is not even happy with Trump.

His actions in Helsinki made it clear he was happy, Trump was not. His hound dog face gave him away!

[Maraya1969]

14. There is a general belief that Lindsey is a closeted gay man. I'd bet that proof

of that is held by the Russians and/or Trump and used to keep him in line.

[NanceGreggs]

15. If Miz Lindsey is living in fear ...

... of being outed as a gay man, I can put his mind at ease. There are very few people - even among his staunchest supporters - who haven't known that for years.

At this point, Lindsey being declared gay would have the same impact as Generalissimo Fransisco Franco being declared dead.

I think Miz Lindsey fears being outed for something far more than what could be politically damaging - but rather something that could make him liable to criminal prosecution.

[MBS]

6. Someone must have something on them.

And I’d sure as hell like to know what it is. So many of them seemingly so willing to burn up their political reputations, kamikaze-style, and take our country down with them - for WHAT?

[True Blue American]

10. Short term preservation.

[Quemado]

11. Trump is essentially a mafia boss.

It's pretty clear that not only Senate Republicans, but also members of the Cabinet, and others, are being blackmailed.

[global1]

12. When Trump Became The Repug Nominee He Was Taken In To Their Confidence......

He learned a lot of inside secrets about the Party (i.e., how they cheat, suppress votes, fix elections, you name it, etc). With that info - as he became president - that knowledge was power.

I'll bet he told them - 'if you try and take me out I'll take down the Party'. So I'm thinking this is why the Repugs walk on eggs around Trump. He's not really one of them - and he really doesn't care about the Party. He'd take down the Party in a second.

The other thing going for Trump is that - even if he doesn't have dirt on the Repug Party - it's not beyond him to make some 'dirt' up about them or the Party - to take them down.

Who's father was it that was involved in the Kennedy Assassination? He's made things up before - hasn't he?

Think about it. Why else would they be so afraid of him?

I always thought, however, that there is power in numbers. If the Repugs banded together to take him down - he can't primary all of them at the same time. He can't be making up stories about every Repug.

It seems obvious to me that he's got something on the Repug Party. Some bits of knowledge that - if he used it - it would be the end to the Party. If he doesn't - he's still the consummate con man - and he's conned them into thinking he could take them down.

I like what Nancy said a month back or two. Trump will self-impeach. Give him enough rope and he'll hang himself. The other day - with his ABC George S. interview - was a good example.

He's getting desperate now - hence - the war drums are beginning to beat. We're getting into a very dangerous time. Pretty Scary!!!!!!!

[DeminPennswoods]

13. Much simpler explanation - Rs agree with Trump's agenda

They believe Trump is an exceptionally flawed messanger, but on his agenda, they are 100% in agreement.
If the GOP could actually pass legislation, Trump would sign it with no hesitation.