# 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:** 23
**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2017, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leaked-report-of-russian-blackmail-of-trump/776846/441 "2017-02-12T02:38:57Z")
I do not understand why President Trump could be blackmailed. All he has to do is say “Publish and be damned.” There would be some excitement. It would blow over. Hundreds of other people would also be freed from the chains of Russian blackmail. And the Russians would pay a price for generations. ---
**Author:** ![drad\_dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@drad\_dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drad_dog)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2017, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leaked-report-of-russian-blackmail-of-trump/776846/442 "2017-02-12T03:18:00Z")
> [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](#): > > I do not understand why President Trump could be blackmailed. All he has to do is say “Publish and be damned.” There would be some excitement. It would blow over. Hundreds of other people would also be freed from the chains of Russian blackmail. > > And the Russians would pay a price for generations. Everyone has something they could be blackmailed for. donnie is not a special breed of human. Maybe it’s criminal, impeachable or is a betrayal of his base, whatever. Also do you think that donnie has a personality to not worry about something? Why do you think he is so strangely amenable, and pliable about russia? ---
**Author:** ![E-DUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/e-dub/32/403_2.png) [@E-DUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-DUB)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2017, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leaked-report-of-russian-blackmail-of-trump/776846/443 "2017-02-12T03:33:18Z")
What we’re missing here is the simple fact that trump has NO shame. He would just deny it. If the Russians release video tape, trump’ll just say it’s Alec Baldwin and his base will eat it with a spoon. ---
**Author:** ![alphaboi867](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alphaboi867/32/3898_2.png) [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2017, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leaked-report-of-russian-blackmail-of-trump/776846/444 "2017-02-12T03:59:51Z")
> [@Bayard](#): > > Can a President be tried by a regular court for bad stuff he did before taking office? In another thread, I scoffed at the idea of Trump quitting or the Republicans ever abandoning him. But if the CIA turns up overwhelming evidence of illegal interaction with the Russians prior to the election, what then? Honest questions. He can’t be tried in criminal court while in office, but once he’s out of office he can be tried like any other person. The kicker is that he could grant himself a full pardon for any federal crimes he may have committed immediately before he leaves office. Even if he were to be impeached there would still be a window of time between the House impeaching him and the Senate voting on removing him from office (Clinton’s trial took weeks). If however VPOTUS & Cabinet went behind his back and invoked Section 4 of the 25th Amendment he wouldn’t be able to exercise any presidential powers while Congress is deciding what to do with him. ---
**Author:** ![drad\_dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@drad\_dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drad_dog)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2017, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leaked-report-of-russian-blackmail-of-trump/776846/445 "2017-02-12T04:06:01Z")
> [@E-DUB](#): > > What we’re missing here is the simple fact that trump has NO shame. He would just deny it. If the Russians release video tape, trump’ll just say it’s Alec Baldwin and his base will eat it with a spoon. For someone with no shame he is pathologically thin skinned about an encyclopedia of things. ---
**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:** [February 12, 2017, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leaked-report-of-russian-blackmail-of-trump/776846/446 "2017-02-12T04:38:36Z")
ABC News: Top Flynn Aide Denied Security Clearance by CIA for NSC Position. > [@](#): > > A senior administration official tells ABC News that Robin Townley, National Security Adviser Mike Flynn’s pick for the NSC’s senior director for Africa, had his request for special security clearance denied by the CIA. Donny is not going to like this. ---
**Author:** ![Okrahoma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/90db22/32.png) [@Okrahoma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Okrahoma)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2017, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leaked-report-of-russian-blackmail-of-trump/776846/447 "2017-02-12T04:40:42Z")
> [@alphaboi867](#): > > If however VPOTUS & Cabinet went behind his back and invoked Section 4 of the 25th Amendment he wouldn’t be able to exercise any presidential powers while Congress is deciding what to do with him. For exactly 23 days, after which unless 2/3 of Congress votes to remove the President, he resumes his power. You are daydreaming about doomsday. It is not going to happen. But I guess whatever keeps some people away from being suicidal and off the streets is good. Keep daydreaming. ---
**Author:** ![Belowjob2.0](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Belowjob2.0](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Belowjob2.0)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2017, 5:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leaked-report-of-russian-blackmail-of-trump/776846/448 "2017-02-12T05:38:37Z")
> [@Okrahoma](#): > > For exactly 23 days, after which unless 2/3 of Congress votes to remove the President, he resumes his power. > > You are daydreaming about doomsday. It is not going to happen. But I guess whatever keeps some people away from being suicidal and off the streets is good. Keep daydreaming. Looks like Trump will throw Flynn under the bus in hopes of cutting his losses. This will only suffice in the short run. Trump will have to go too, I’m guessing via resignation in exchange for pre-emptive pardon. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2017, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leaked-report-of-russian-blackmail-of-trump/776846/449 "2017-02-12T15:53:33Z")
Apparently, the Democrats have found a law which will force Trump to hand over his tax return. It looks like there are a few Legislative Committees that can put in the request - though it has to be done by the chairman - so if any one of those chairmen is willing, it could happen: [26 U.S. Code § 6103 - Confidentiality and disclosure of returns and return information | U.S. Code | US Law | LII / Legal Information Institute](https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/26/6103) Section (f)(1): > [@](#): > > **Committee on Ways and Means, Committee on Finance, and Joint Committee on Taxation** > Upon written request from the chairman of the Committee on Ways and Means of the House of Representatives, the chairman of the Committee on Finance of the Senate, or the chairman of the Joint Committee on Taxation, the Secretary shall furnish such committee with any return or return information specified in such request, except that any return or return information which can be associated with, or otherwise identify, directly or indirectly, a particular taxpayer shall be furnished to such committee only when sitting in closed executive session unless such taxpayer otherwise consents in writing to such disclosure. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2017, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leaked-report-of-russian-blackmail-of-trump/776846/450 "2017-02-12T16:06:48Z")
Well, they can’t really move on that until they thoroughly investigate Russian interference with our most recent election. Which is on hold untll they come up with a “repeal and replace” health care plan which is totally better than the ACA. So, it could be a while. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2017, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leaked-report-of-russian-blackmail-of-trump/776846/451 "2017-02-12T18:52:50Z")
> [@Sage\_Rat](#): > > Apparently, the Democrats have found a law which will force Trump to hand over his tax return. It looks like there are a few Legislative Committees that can put in the request - though it has to be done by the chairman - so if any one of those chairmen is willing, it could happen: > > [26 U.S. Code § 6103 - Confidentiality and disclosure of returns and return information | U.S. Code | US Law | LII / Legal Information Institute](https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/26/6103) Section (f)(1): And if the president claims executive privilege and refuses? It’s unclear to me that Congress has the authority to demand the president turn over his personal tax returns unless there is some overriding government interest. And note that even if he were to comply, the law requires that the info be kept confidential. ---
**Author:** ![Ibn\_Warraq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e19b73/32.png) [@Ibn\_Warraq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ibn_Warraq)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2017, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leaked-report-of-russian-blackmail-of-trump/776846/452 "2017-02-12T19:35:44Z")
> [@drad\_dog](#): > > If you catch her show the first 20 minutes is usually an essay going deeper into stuff that is being ignored everywhere else. She has her eye on the ball. > > It’s really lazy to call her network the “opposite” of fox. Her network also employs Joe Scarborough so yeah, claiming they’re the Left-wing version of Fox News is ridiculous. ---
**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:** [February 12, 2017, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leaked-report-of-russian-blackmail-of-trump/776846/453 "2017-02-12T19:52:12Z")
> [@drad\_dog](#): > > Everyone has something they could be blackmailed for. donnie is not a special breed of human. Maybe it’s criminal, impeachable or is a betrayal of his base, whatever. > > Also do you think that donnie has a personality to not worry about something? Why do you think he is so strangely amenable, and pliable about russia? That’s my guess (the bit in red). I doubt that Trump is being so obedient out of fear of a video showing him with prostitutes (though his pride WOULD be hurt by the implication that he had to pay. He’d probably claim that they offered him a freebie because they were SO into him.) What’s keeping Trump obedient is more likely to be a tape of him musing about blowing up an American city so that he could ‘declare an emergency’ and exercise power unrestricted by the Legislative and Judicial branches, just like his idol Vlad. Such a tape would not be easy for the GOP to ignore. They’d _have_ to impeach. ---
**Author:** ![drad\_dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@drad\_dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drad_dog)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2017, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leaked-report-of-russian-blackmail-of-trump/776846/454 "2017-02-12T20:15:13Z")
> [@Sherrerd](#): > > That’s my guess (the bit in red). I doubt that Trump is being so obedient out of fear of a video showing him with prostitutes (though his pride WOULD be hurt by the implication that he had to pay. He’d probably claim that they offered him a freebie because they were SO into him.) > > What’s keeping Trump obedient is more likely to be a tape of him musing about blowing up an American city so that he could ‘declare an emergency’ and exercise power unrestricted by the Legislative and Judicial branches, just like his idol Vlad. > > Such a tape would not be easy for the GOP to ignore. They’d _have_ to impeach. Maybe musing about how advantageous it would be if a terrorist act happened, like to get the dems to shut up? I don’t know if it was you but someone said that if there was a tape of him plainly stating feelings of contempt for, and attempts to manipulate his base, that would be critical. ---
**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:** [February 12, 2017, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leaked-report-of-russian-blackmail-of-trump/776846/455 "2017-02-12T20:38:10Z")
> [@drad\_dog](#): > > Maybe musing about how advantageous it would be if a terrorist act happened, like to get the dems to shut up? I don’t know if it was you but someone said that if there was a tape of him plainly stating feelings of contempt for, and attempts to manipulate his base, that would be critical. Yes, I and others here have basically said that. I’ve written that what would make Trump eager to please Putin, would be anything that would cut him off from the waves of love he believes come at him in his rallies. So if (for example) he talked about the rubes in the flyover states being complete suckers, that would be a tape he’d do anything to suppress. Trump has expressed callousness during interviews at the prospect of a housing meltdown\*–it didn’t harm him with his fans because they simply put their fingers in their ears and ignored it. But if he expressed callousness about actual American _deaths_, they might start paying attention. Possibly, he might have been taped in conversation with any Russian operative at any time–including during the period after the November 8 election–expressing callousness about a possible terrorist attack in the US. The Russian could have said ‘so, you’ll be in charge!’ and Trump might have expressed envy of the dictatorial powers of Putin. All the Russian would have had to do would be to say ‘well, if a terrible event happened in the US and you had to declare martial law, then you would be able to outlaw criticism of you and you wouldn’t have to deal with Congress or courts–you could do whatever you felt was necessary.’ And then if Trump replied ‘that would be beautiful!’ then he’d be on tape blithely being “fine” with Americans being killed by terrorists. And that would certainly make his next rally rather…awkward. - [PolitiFact | Hillary Clinton says Donald Trump rooted for the housing crisis](http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2016/sep/26/hillary-clinton/hillary-clinton-says-donald-trump-rooted-housing-c/) ---
**Author:** ![Fiveyearlurker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/da6949/32.png) [@Fiveyearlurker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiveyearlurker)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2017, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leaked-report-of-russian-blackmail-of-trump/776846/456 "2017-02-12T20:48:28Z")
An interesting quote in [this article in the Observer](http://observer.com/2017/02/donald-trump-administration-mike-flynn-russian-embassy/) (bolding mine): "What’s going on was explained lucidly by a **senior Pentagon intelligence official** , who stated that “ **since January 20, we’ve assumed that the Kremlin has ears inside the SITROOM,” meaning the White House Situation Room, the 5,500 square-foot conference room in the West Wing where the president and his top staffers get intelligence briefings. “There’s not much the Russians don’t know at this point,” the official added in wry frustration**. None of this has happened in Washington before. A White House with unsettling links to Moscow wasn’t something anybody in the Pentagon or the Intelligence Community even considered a possibility until a few months ago. Until Team Trump clarifies its strange relationship with the Kremlin, and starts working on its professional honesty, the IC will approach the administration with caution and concern." ---
**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:** [February 12, 2017, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leaked-report-of-russian-blackmail-of-trump/776846/457 "2017-02-12T20:51:00Z")
> [@Fiveyearlurker](#): > > An interesting quote in [this article in the Observer](http://observer.com/2017/02/donald-trump-administration-mike-flynn-russian-embassy/) (bolding mine): > > "What’s going on was explained lucidly by a **senior Pentagon intelligence official** , who stated that “ **since January 20, we’ve assumed that the Kremlin has ears inside the SITROOM,” meaning the White House Situation Room, the 5,500 square-foot conference room in the West Wing where the president and his top staffers get intelligence briefings. “There’s not much the Russians don’t know at this point,” the official added in wry frustration**. It’s just plain bizarre that GOP Senators and Reps are fine with this. Utterly, freakishly bizarre. ---
**Author:** ![marshmallow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df705f/32.png) [@marshmallow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/marshmallow)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2017, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leaked-report-of-russian-blackmail-of-trump/776846/458 "2017-02-12T21:26:02Z")
> [@Sherrerd](#): > > It’s just plain bizarre that GOP Senators and Reps are fine with this. Utterly, freakishly bizarre. It’s not bizarre if Putin is blackmailing the GOP too. Lord knows how many of these dudes are closeted gays. Or the Republicans just want Trump to rubber stamp their legislation, then they impeach him, and then blame him when shit hits the fan. He wasn’t even a “real” Republican, they’d say. ---
**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:** [February 12, 2017, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leaked-report-of-russian-blackmail-of-trump/776846/459 "2017-02-12T21:37:38Z")
> [@marshmallow](#): > > It’s not bizarre if Putin is blackmailing the GOP too. Lord knows how many of these dudes are closeted gays. Or the Republicans just want Trump to rubber stamp their legislation, then they impeach him, and then blame him when shit hits the fan. He wasn’t even a “real” Republican, they’d say. The latter seems more likely to me, but surely the level of shit is getting high enough that even the most dim-witted Senator (or Representative) will realize they won’t be able to stay clean. There is going to come a point of no return. There is going to come a point at which the GOP congress members will fear for themselves. Yes, they want their stuff passed…but not at the cost of losing their seats.\* \*Which by 2017, represent financial security, lifetime top-quality medical care, generous pensions, and an existence characterized by lucrative sinecures and kowtowing from all and sundry. No one gives that up voluntarily. (I do think it likely that Putin has something on Tillerson, though. Anyone who’s spent as much time in Russia as Tillerson has will have said or done something blackmail-worthy. Senators and Representatives, though? Maybe, but I wouldn’t assume it.) ---
**Author:** ![drad\_dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@drad\_dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drad_dog)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2017, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leaked-report-of-russian-blackmail-of-trump/776846/460 "2017-02-12T22:10:26Z")
If you’re on here saying trump is a strongman who doesn’t have to buckle to anyone you are deluding yourself. He is a weak weak little man who is vulnerable in myriad ways to pressures, and it can happen without him even having a clue about it. This is stupid America. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leaked-report-of-russian-blackmail-of-trump/776846.md?page=22) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leaked-report-of-russian-blackmail-of-trump/776846.md?page=24)