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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsSteve Bannon Is Making Sure There's No White House Paper Trail, Says Intel Source
If there was any question about who is largely in charge of national security behind the scenes at the White House, the answer is becoming increasingly clear: Steve Bannon, the former head of Breitbart News, a far-right media outlet, and now White House advisor.
Even before he was given a formal seat on the National Security Councils principals committee this weekend by President Donald Trump, Bannon was calling the shots and doing so with little to no input from the National Security Council staff, according to an intelligence official who asked not to be named out of fear of retribution.
He is running a cabal, almost like a shadow NSC, the official said. He described a work environment where there is little appetite for dissenting opinions, shockingly no paper trail of whats being discussed and agreed upon at meetings, and no guidance or encouragement so far from above about how the National Security Council staff should be organized.
The intelligence official, who said he was willing to give the Trump administration the benefit of the doubt when it took office, is now deeply troubled by how things are being run.
They ran all of these executive orders outside of the normal construct, he said, referring to last weeks flurry of draft executive orders on everything from immigration to the return of CIA black sites.
After the controversial draft orders were written, the Trump team was very selective in how they routed them through the internal White House review process, the official said.
Under previous administrations, if someone thought another person or directorate had a stake in the issue at hand or expertise in a subject area, he or she was free to share the papers as long as the recipient had proper clearance.
https://foreignpolicy.com/2017/01/30/steve-bannon-is-making-sure-theres-no-white-house-paper-trail-trump-president/
beachbum bob
(10,437 posts)corruption and law breaking really won't be that hard to find or prove...2018 is coming
avebury
(10,946 posts)Will be the fall guy for Bannon's action. Who is signing everything? Trump
weissmam
(905 posts)throw him away like the piece of garbage he is
NanceGreggs
(27,813 posts)That's why the PTB in the GOP have to take Trump down - and soon.
He is already tarnishing the Republican "brand". Try as they might, they can't blame this weekend's events on Obama - they're having to own it. Trump's approval ratings are already dropping like a stone. People who actually voted for him are turning against him. The more chaos he ignites, the more the Repub party will be blamed for putting him in the WH.
Seeing how much damage Trump has done in less than two weeks, I'm sure those PTB who want to protect the GOP brand are shitting themselves. What would be left of the GOP brand after two years of this?
beachbum bob
(10,437 posts)....lasting destruction of the conservative brand...but WE have to take the actions now, we have to contribute now and we have to mobilize ALL our voters...NOW...the pressure must remain in palce every single day
and hope for liberal versions of the Koch Brothers step forward. We NEED to take back state govt....that is IMPERATIVE
tclambert
(11,080 posts)It's an expression of hope (for us) and at the same time a dire threat (for Trump). I like it so much, Ima gonna make it my sig line.
MrModerate
(9,753 posts)tclambert
(11,080 posts)Sure they put Joffrey on the throne. But in the long run, bet on the Starks, and, of course, the Mother of Dragons. (I lost track of how this analogy is working. But I think the J in Donald J. Trump must stand for Joffrey.)
MrModerate
(9,753 posts)Which is not to say that they may turn out to be the real survivors after all.
On the other matter, there's got to be some way to work the 'Joffrey-Trump' meme in. You've set me to thinking.
tclambert
(11,080 posts)Didja hear the theory that the original white walker might be a Stark?
MrModerate
(9,753 posts)The White Walkers postdate the Children of the Forest right? I wonder where they come from.
Turbineguy
(37,212 posts)slime trail.
Barack_America
(28,876 posts)Two Americans in Yemen, and counting, no doubt.
The ineptitude of this administration is (already) shocking.
HopeAgain
(4,407 posts)and amateurs is what the got. Unfortunately the inept can do a lot of damage in the most powerful office in the world, especially when they are also mentally unstable.
Pacifist Patriot
(24,647 posts)Does anyone really have any doubts anymore that this is what we're talking about. I feel like I'm living in a Robert Ludlum novel!
bucolic_frolic
(42,677 posts)BlancheSplanchnik
(20,219 posts)the Garbageman knows how to commit crimes, clearly.
He scares me.
dhill926
(16,234 posts)unwise to underestimate them...
BlancheSplanchnik
(20,219 posts)Vinca
(50,170 posts)criminal activity that would force him out of there. He's the root of the problem. Trump is the puppet.
metalbot
(1,058 posts)I don't see anything that would force or shame him out. I think he'd have to publicly criticize Trump in order to get fired, and I'm willing to give him credit for being smart enough to do that.
He makes Dick Cheney (who played much the same role with Bush despite having a different title) seem like a happy moderate.
blueseas
(11,575 posts)Someone like him must have a lot of enemies.
Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin
(107,111 posts)LanternWaste
(37,748 posts)He would make Martin Bormann proud.
justiceischeap
(14,040 posts)He learned lessons from Nixon scandal.
tbbnf
(12 posts)Administration started out as a joke and a disaster they will concoct a false flag event and war to then fully cover up their corruption and put their takeover into overdrive. Mark my words 6-12 months we are at war.
7962
(11,841 posts)hack. Mark my words DB and put them in my face if I am wrong...
7962
(11,841 posts)And a lot of 1/2 truths at best. Bullshit at worst
GliderGuider
(21,088 posts)In fact, based on my analysis and interpretation, I'm predicting a major "terrorist" event very soon, to cement Trump's powers and unleash the mobs. In fact, my short odds are on it happening in DC, this weekend when Trump's in Florida.
Desert grandma
(802 posts)My hope is that there is an investigative reporter (s) that will uncover and expose the ties Trump has to Putin. If there is any truth to the "dossier" we heard about and if there is factual and proven information that Trump and his campaign were aware of Putin's attempt to sway the election, then both Trump and Bannon are gone. I think this is the one thing that would push Republicans to make Trump resign or impeach him.
mr_lebowski
(33,643 posts)Hi Y'all .. long time lurker, was at one time (or two) a poster here, but lost all my acct info and access to old emails ... apparently I must reply before I can start threads, so I begin here establishing my bona-fides ... and this thread seems a good place to start!
Re: the article ... THIS IS NOT OKAY!!
Now, what I told my buddy:
"I, for one, hope you stay engaged, making a point to objectively view news sources from both sides (keeping in mind, sadly, not many sources of news are truly neutral ... they pretty much all serve their corporate overlords) and educate yourself as best as possible. Arguing on FB is of course pointless and I don't blame you for signing off ... I do the same ... mostly I just say my piece, and move on ... rarely sticking around to actually 'argue'. But I do try from time to time try to steer people towards solid reportage, what seem to be 'facts', and encourage independent thought.
That said, I honestly don't see how anybody viewing what's gone on the past 10 days could not at least be ... alarmed ... this stuff is totally unprecedented. And just because something is 'different' in the way Trump is acting, and we all 'hate politicians' ... doesn't make what he's doing 'okay', just because it's 'different'. This is not okay.
It may seem that way, if you've not paid attention to the way 'things are normally done', but I HAVE paid attention, my whole life ... and this is really not acceptable Presidential behavior, what we've seen. In fact, it very much appears that an extremely unstable individual ... literally a malignant narcissist, to use Psych 101 terms ... has been handed the levers of power, and now holds the fate of the ENTIRE WORLD in his hands.
For example ... did you SEE his 'tweet' about House Minority Leader (former Majority Leader) Pelosi having problems with the microphone at an event she was speaking at? Can you imagine ANY other POTUS stooping SO LOW as to ridicule the opposition's leader of the House or Senate ... VIA A FUCKING TWEET, like Teh Donald just did today? Hell, even 'W' wouldn't have dreamed of demeaning himself in this way.
Seriously, how does EVERYONE not realize that this man has NO BUSINESS holding the office of POTUS? What's next, Republicans? You got President Hector Mountain Dew Camacho lined up for 2020?
Look, I understand thinking one or two things the dude has done appear on their face to be 'good ideas' (I, for one, am no big fan of the TPP, for example), but even the 'good things' aren't being done for the right reasons. Drumpf hates the 'trade deals' like TPP and NAFTA because they're assc'd with his political enemies (Obama and Bill, respectively). He has absolutely NO IDEA what these Agreements mean, what's in them, why they were passed, nor what will happen if they're just unilaterally ignored.
Mark my words: Drumpf is power-hungry CHILD ... in a 70 year's body, and he has NOBODY'S 'best interest' in mind ... but his own.
Anyone failing to see that is simply a willing mark for a master con-artist. Period. He literally has the sophistication of 'thought' that you'd see when an upstart young Chimp defeats the Elder Patriarch of the family in a contest of strength, and inherits the harem. And guess what? ALL the rest of us ... are the 'defeated', in this egomaniacs mind. Unless you're literally willing to lick the mans boot. Then ... you might be alright by him ...
So by all means, step away from FB. But don't stop educating yourself. What's going on is NOT normal, and it's not OKAY ... at least not if you're a decent, loving human being, and a lover of this Great Nation!!!"
Zing Zing Zingbah
(6,496 posts)So other people can take over and just do whatever. That's not right. Our law makers have been doing a shit job for decades now so I guess I can see why this is happening.