# Leaked report of Russian blackmail of Trump **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [January 10, 2017, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leaked-report-of-russian-blackmail-of-trump/776846 "2017-01-10T23:59:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 21
**Author:** ![Sherrerd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sherrerd/32/8_2.png) [@Sherrerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sherrerd)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2017, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leaked-report-of-russian-blackmail-of-trump/776846/401 "2017-01-16T20:49:03Z")
> [@tomndebb](#): > > Alternatively, the Democrats may see Trump as such a clueless, directionless buffoon who will continually disagree with his own advisers and scuttle his own proposals, that they may consider Pence the more objectionable because his odd beliefs are more in line with the extreme Right of the GOP, thus making his agenda more likely to be pursued if he hot into the White House. > [@Face\_Intentionally\_Left\_Blank](#): > > The thought has crossed MY mind. Congress and his advisers may prevent the buffoon from doing as much damage as he might if left to his own devices. Also, through incompetence and lack of interest/attention, he may fail to push the right-wing agenda as effectively as Pence would. Wise Democrats will prefer Pence to Trump because Pence doesn’t have 20 million fanatical followers. (Number approximate, but you get the idea.) Pence would try to do things Democrats will hate. But he lacks the Teflon armor of Trump–that is, the fear that Congressional Republicans have of incurring the wrath of Trump fans by voting against Trump’s wishes. Pence has no such fanbase. GOP Senators and Representatives will feel relatively free to stand up to him, should they be so inclined. (And they’re not all Bible-thumpers like Pence, intent on getting the gays and the womenfolk back into line. A lot of them care much more about gutting Medicaid and the like.) ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2017, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leaked-report-of-russian-blackmail-of-trump/776846/402 "2017-01-16T21:00:27Z")
> [@Sherrerd](#): > > Wise Democrats will prefer Pence to Trump because Pence doesn’t have 20 million fanatical followers. > > (Number approximate, but you get the idea.) > > Pence would try to do things Democrats will hate. But he lacks the Teflon armor of Trump–that is, the fear that Congressional Republicans have of incurring the wrath of Trump fans by voting against Trump’s wishes. Pence has no such fanbase. GOP Senators and Representatives will feel relatively free to stand up to him, should they be so inclined. (And they’re not all Bible-thumpers like Pence, intent on getting the gays and the womenfolk back into line. A lot of them care much more about gutting Medicaid and the like.) Good points. Add to that Pence’s lack of fealty to Russia and Putin (as far as we know). ---
**Author:** ![Sherrerd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sherrerd/32/8_2.png) [@Sherrerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sherrerd)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2017, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leaked-report-of-russian-blackmail-of-trump/776846/403 "2017-01-16T21:59:31Z")
> [@davidm](#): > > Good points. Add to that Pence’s lack of fealty to Russia and Putin (as far as we know). Yes, he’s shown no signs of being in Putin’s pocket (so far). There’s also the “opportunities lost because allies and potential partners can’t stomach paying off Trump” factor. The Righteous, though not guaranteed to be free of corruption, are at the very least not as _openly_ corrupt as Trump. ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2017, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leaked-report-of-russian-blackmail-of-trump/776846/404 "2017-01-16T22:06:12Z")
Although, if Trump is in bed with Putin to the extent it appears he may be, it seems hard to believe that Pence isn’t aware of it (and thus complicit by his silence). Even us clueless bystanders have had suspicions for quite a while! ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2017, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leaked-report-of-russian-blackmail-of-trump/776846/405 "2017-01-16T22:30:53Z")
> [@davidm](#): > > If you’re inviting both supporters and detractors, there might be a lot of disagreement as to what constitutes success. [Well, I guess it’s worth a shot.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=816504) ---
**Author:** ![Sherrerd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sherrerd/32/8_2.png) [@Sherrerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sherrerd)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2017, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leaked-report-of-russian-blackmail-of-trump/776846/406 "2017-01-16T22:53:19Z")
> [@davidm](#): > > Although, if Trump is in bed with Putin to the extent it appears he may be, it seems hard to believe that Pence isn’t aware of it (and thus complicit by his silence). Even us clueless bystanders have had suspicions for quite a while! Pence is clearly willing to put up with almost _anything_ to get what he wants (namely, the chance to make all his dreams of repression come true). Look at him anytime he’s in Trump’s company. The self-control it must take to keep that worshipful expression on his face is genuinely impressive. So, yes. He may well be aware that Putin runs Trump. But if he has any problem with that he’s willing to swallow it, in exchange for being able to put the Goats (basically, all those who fail to be white straight Christian males) back in their proper place. ---
**Author:** ![monstro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@monstro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monstro)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2017, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leaked-report-of-russian-blackmail-of-trump/776846/407 "2017-01-16T23:53:19Z")
[Anonymous is threatening to expose Trump’s “Russian secrets”](http://metro.co.uk/2017/01/16/anonymous-just-threatened-to-expose-donald-trumps-supposed-russian-secrets-6384704/) I’m kinda doubting they have anything. Unless they just want to create suspense right before the inauguration, why not release the secrets now? What’s the point in issuing a threat? ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2017, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leaked-report-of-russian-blackmail-of-trump/776846/408 "2017-01-17T00:11:49Z")
Anonymous is still a thing? I thought they’d proved themselves to be pretty toothless. ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2017, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leaked-report-of-russian-blackmail-of-trump/776846/409 "2017-01-17T01:50:33Z")
I’m not sure what to think of this. “Business Insider” is not exactly a known and trusted source. Is this being mentioned anywhere else? I know that the dossier is being reported in more reliable sources, but is this specific allegation? > **[Explosive memos suggest that a Trump-Russia quid pro quo was at the heart of...](https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-gop-policy-ukraine-wikileaks-dnc-2017-1)** > > An unverified dossier alleges that Donald Trump "agreed to sideline" the issue of Russian intervention in Ukraine during his campaign. Here's what happened. > [@](#): > > An unverified dossier provided to US intelligence officials alleges that President-elect Donald Trump “agreed to sideline” the issue of Russian intervention in Ukraine during his campaign after Russia promised to feed the emails it stole from prominent Democrats’ inboxes to WikiLeaks. > > The dossier was part of an opposition-research project conducted by a former British spy, Christopher Steele, at the behest of anti-Trump Republicans and, later, Democrats. Steele was the former head of the Russia desk in Moscow for Britain’s Secret Intelligence Service, also known as MI6. The memos he wrote made their way to US intelligence officials sometime last year. ---
**Author:** ![Fair\_Rarity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fair_rarity/32/153_2.png) [@Fair\_Rarity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fair_Rarity)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2017, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leaked-report-of-russian-blackmail-of-trump/776846/410 "2017-01-17T02:39:38Z")
> [@Sherrerd](#): > > Pence is clearly willing to put up with almost _anything_ to get what he wants (namely, the chance to make all his dreams of repression come true). Look at him anytime he’s in Trump’s company. The self-control it must take to keep that worshipful expression on his face is genuinely impressive. > > So, yes. He may well be aware that Putin runs Trump. But if he has any problem with that he’s willing to swallow it, in exchange for being able to put the Goats (basically, all those who fail to be white straight Christian males) back in their proper place. There are two questions that really get to me the most. The first you bring up… What’s Pence’s deal? Is he really on Team Trump, a true believer? Or is he really on Team Pence, putting in a good show to ultimately further his own personal agenda and ambitions? Is it a mix of the two, like turning a blind eye on the bad stuff to push forward his own beliefs when and where he can? I just can’t get a good read on if he really believes in Trump and the things he says. The second thing that I can’t quite resolve is if Trump is doing and saying the things he does and says on purpose or by accident. Is he a clownish buffoon or a master manipulator? Does HE really believe the things he says or does he say them to get more attention? ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2017, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leaked-report-of-russian-blackmail-of-trump/776846/411 "2017-01-17T02:50:35Z")
> [@](#): > > …by a former British spy, Christopher Steele, at the behest of anti-Trump Republicans… _Business Insider_! Yeah, that’s where I got it! Herbal tea, hacky-sack, _Business Insider_, pretty much the standard morning, ---
**Author:** ![up\_the\_junction](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/f1d935/32.png) [@up\_the\_junction](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/up_the_junction)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2017, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leaked-report-of-russian-blackmail-of-trump/776846/412 "2017-01-17T16:00:45Z")
I said it several times now but Putin does make me laugh, sometimes a real belly lqugh - a properly dry sense of humour: [‘our prostitutes are the best in the world, but I doubt Donald Trump would fall for them’](http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/01/17/russia-calls-british-author-donald-trump-dossier-runaway-swindler/) ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2017, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leaked-report-of-russian-blackmail-of-trump/776846/413 "2017-01-17T16:09:48Z")
> [@up\_the\_junction](#): > > I said it several times now but Putin does make me laugh, sometimes a real belly lqugh - a properly dry sense of humour: > > [‘our prostitutes are the best in the world, but I doubt Donald Trump would fall for them’](http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/01/17/russia-calls-british-author-donald-trump-dossier-runaway-swindler/) Is he…is he channelling Borat? ---
**Author:** ![MikeF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@MikeF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MikeF)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2017, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leaked-report-of-russian-blackmail-of-trump/776846/414 "2017-01-17T20:18:24Z")
Has anybody seen the Worriker Trilogy on Netflix? Interesting parallel to current events. Former MI6 agent tries to bring down the Prime Minister due to his very shady business dealings and lying to the public about national security issues. The non-mainstream press plays a critical role in asking uncomfortable questions of those in power. Said questions being supplied by the MI6 guy. Pretty good viewing. ---
**Author:** ![Sherrerd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sherrerd/32/8_2.png) [@Sherrerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sherrerd)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2017, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leaked-report-of-russian-blackmail-of-trump/776846/415 "2017-01-17T23:49:39Z")
> [@Fair\_Rarity](#): > > There are two questions that really get to me the most. The first you bring up… What’s Pence’s deal? Is he really on Team Trump, a true believer? Or is he really on Team Pence, putting in a good show to ultimately further his own personal agenda and ambitions? Is it a mix of the two, like turning a blind eye on the bad stuff to push forward his own beliefs when and where he can? I just can’t get a good read on if he really believes in Trump and the things he says. My guess is that Pence has talked himself into believing that Trump is The Instrument of The Lord. Thus Pence can ignore the actual fact that Trump is an objectively-awful human being–which is a very inconvenient fact given that Pence’s own self-interest is tied to Trump’s being President. Pence has (I believe) effectively brain-washed himself so that when his eyes behold Trump, he sees NOT Trump, but instead “the hand of the Lord in action” or some such thing. This aids in keeping on his face that expression of reverence that Trump finds so reassuring and pleasant. > [@Fair\_Rarity](#): > > The second thing that I can’t quite resolve is if Trump is doing and saying the things he does and says on purpose or by accident. Is he a clownish buffoon or a master manipulator? Does HE really believe the things he says or does he say them to get more attention? Trump is scarcely a master manipulator, though he is good at sensing what people want to hear (and then saying it). That IS an actual skill (to be fair). Whether it’s a skill that will advance the interests of the nation of which he’ll be President, though, is another question altogether–saying any old thing because it will make people applaud and cheer does not make for consistency in policy positions. The resultant swings in positions Trump takes could lead to fairly serious problems. ---
**Author:** ![Fotheringay-Phipps](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/d9b06d/32.png) [@Fotheringay-Phipps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fotheringay-Phipps)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2017, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leaked-report-of-russian-blackmail-of-trump/776846/416 "2017-01-18T00:07:35Z")
> [@Sherrerd](#): > > Trump is scarcely a master manipulator, though he is good at sensing what people want to hear (and then saying it). That IS an actual skill (to be fair). I don’t know if that’s the case. Trump has said more things that people most definitely did not want to hear than your average 10 politicians. It happens that at this time there is a core constituency that wants a guy who says things that a lot of people don’t want to hear, so Trump has ridden that wave. But many individual statements he made were unpopular on their own (as he himself is, for making them). ---
**Author:** ![Sherrerd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sherrerd/32/8_2.png) [@Sherrerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sherrerd)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2017, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leaked-report-of-russian-blackmail-of-trump/776846/417 "2017-01-18T00:25:26Z")
I should have specified that I was talking about people actually in Trump’s presence (as being those he’s good at pleasing by saying what they want to hear). I can see how my remarks could have been taken to mean I was claiming Trump makes universally-pleasing statements, but it wasn’t my intent to say such a thing. Trump’s own inclinations are always ‘me first’ and then ‘my kind first’—and that translates into the sort of thing that pleases white supremacists, since Trump’s kind are white. It translates, too, into the sort of thing that pleases rich people, since Trump comes from money. And it translates into the sort of thing that pleases entitled people–not always the same thing as ‘white’ and/or ‘rich’!–since Trump feels entitled to…pretty much everything. So when he’s in a venue filled with people who have come to see him, he’s likely to be speaking to Entitled-feeling people, many of whom are also white-supremacist (or white-supremacist-adjacent) and well-off. A lot of those people tend to have the same sort of reactions to public and political life and events that Trump has. So he’s good at saying things they want to hear. ---
**Author:** ![Fair\_Rarity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fair_rarity/32/153_2.png) [@Fair\_Rarity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fair_Rarity)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2017, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leaked-report-of-russian-blackmail-of-trump/776846/418 "2017-01-18T02:30:55Z")
I basically can’t tell if they’re Hufflepuffs, Slytherins, or one of each. How much fumbling around are they doing in true Hufflepuff fashion or how much is pure evil and/or ambition on PURPOSE. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2017, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leaked-report-of-russian-blackmail-of-trump/776846/419 "2017-01-18T03:21:55Z")
> [@Fair\_Rarity](#): > > I basically can’t tell if they’re Hufflepuffs, Slytherins, or one of each. How much fumbling around are they doing in true Hufflepuff fashion or how much is pure evil and/or ambition on PURPOSE. Beginner-level Tiddlywinks, if played with enough confidence and randomness, can look a lot like fourth-dimensional chess. ---
**Author:** ![aurora\_maire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aurora_maire/32/328_2.png) [@aurora\_maire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aurora_maire)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2017, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leaked-report-of-russian-blackmail-of-trump/776846/420 "2017-01-18T03:59:26Z")
> [@up\_the\_junction](#): > > I said it several times now but Putin does make me laugh, sometimes a real belly lqugh - a properly dry sense of humour: > > [‘our prostitutes are the best in the world, but I doubt Donald Trump would fall for them’](http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/01/17/russia-calls-british-author-donald-trump-dossier-runaway-swindler/) Putin keeping the story in the headlines right before Trump’s big day. That’s what best friends are for! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leaked-report-of-russian-blackmail-of-trump/776846.md?page=20) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leaked-report-of-russian-blackmail-of-trump/776846.md?page=22)