Trump's 'missing' DNC server conspiracy theory is way, way nuttier than you realize

[applegrove]

Trump’s ‘missing’ DNC server conspiracy theory is way, way nuttier than you realize

BY JONAH GOLDBERG TRIBUNE CONTENT AGENCY

https://www.kansascity.com/opinion/opn-columns-blogs/syndicated-columnists/article236662088.html

"SNIP....

The first part of the favor is far less controversial. Trump asked Zelensky to look into the status of the DNC email server that the FBI and former special prosecutor Robert Mueller say was hacked by the Russians ahead of the 2016 election. Remember, this is the same Mueller whom the president cites for his “total exoneration” from the Russian collusion allegation.

According to the rough transcript released by the White House, Trump said, “I would like you to find out what happened with this whole situation with Ukraine, they say CrowdStrike … I guess you have one of your wealthy people … The server, they say Ukraine has it.”

This favor is less controversial because Trump’s defenders don’t controvert it. It’s central to their defense. They concede Trump asked for this favor, contending that by the time he got to the “other thing” he wanted from Zelensky — an investigation of Biden — he was no longer asking for a “favor” at all. Trump would never ask for a quid pro quo to smear a political opponent, they insist. But asking for an investigation into the server? That’s entirely appropriate. After all, there’s an official investigation into how the FBI launched its Russia/Trump probe in the first place. Asking for help with that is wholly legitimate.

In White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney’s disastrous press conference last week, he admitted there was an attempted quid pro quo with Ukraine. (“Get over it,” he exclaimed.) But in Mulvaney’s version of events, it didn’t have anything to do with Biden. It did, however, have to do with “the corruption related to the DNC server.”

.....SNIP"

[blm]

1. It's total BS to create a fall guy in Ukraine for Russia's DNC hack.

So Republicans canlift all sanctions on Russia.

[applegrove]

2. And undo the Magnitsky Act.

[blm]

3. Yup. Putin's agenda. And Barr is trying to CREATE evidence in

Other countries. So what does Putin have on all these American fascists?

[stopbush]

4. Every European leader will tell Barr there's nothing there,

and then Barr will come back and say they all said there was something there.

[Lock him up.]

5. What they don't get is a quid pro quo is not even required.

Just asking for help to dig up (fake or not) dirt on a potential political opponent from a foreign head of state is against the law.

Asking is an impeachable offense.