Classified Material on Human Intelligence Sources Helped Trigger Alarm
Documents related to the work of clandestine sources are some of the most sensitive and protected in the government. F.B.I. agents found some in boxes retrieved from Donald J. Trump’s home
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When F.B.I. agents in May went through the 15 boxes of material turned over to the National Archives by Mr. Trump in January, a year after he left office, they quickly determined that they contained 184 documents marked as classified, including some labeled HCS — an especially troublesome revelation in the eyes of intelligence experts.
“It is among the most sensitive information relating to human intelligence sources and very tightly held at the C.I.A.,” said George Jameson, a former senior C.I.A. officer and lawyer. “A compromise could result in harm to the source and the source’s information.”
An intelligence document marked HCS will contain details about the source of the information. Often such descriptions are very general, noting if a “clandestine source” has direct or secondary knowledge of the intelligence presented. But sometimes there are more direct descriptions to help policymakers properly assess the information, details that could allow people reading the document to identify the source — a prime reason the spy agency seeks to tightly control HCS documents.
The HCS designation is “used to protect exceptionally fragile and unique” human intelligence operations and methods “that are not intended for dissemination outside of the originating agency,” according to a 2013 directive from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.
The documents theft and its threat to national security is definitely an issue that “undecideds” will factor into their decision. So, yes, don’t let it wither on the vine. Besides, it’s some very serious shit.
I don’t see a downside to the DOJ acting immediately. Not saying to make this appear to be a vendetta or anything - just ordinary pursuit of criminals (and traitors.) Ok, the first judge was in the bag for the defendant, let’s pursue whatever our options are.
Give the press plenty of opportunity to focus on Trump’s negatives.
I’m of the opinion that they have likely done all this and more. They just have not told us about it. Which is pretty much the # 1 rule of spycraft: Don’t talk about your spycraft.
I would hope that allies have plans in place in the event Trump gets into office again. Plans that include shielding sensitive information from the US, and assuming that any information going to Washington will be in Putin’s hands within minutes.
Sure but those that think those issues are the most important are already voting for Harris. Or against her if they want to stack conservatives on the Supreme Court.
Whether or not she 100% agreed with Biden’s policies she has to run as if they were her policies. The incumbent has to go on the offense but also has to play defense on the issues that came up during the administration. Two subjects that the other side will hammer her on are the economy/inflation and the border. Those subjects remain high on the list of concerns to voters. You have to have a simple message that hits the voters. Lots of economic numbers mean nothing if the voter can’t buy a house or got crushed by inflation. Saying Trump obstructed the border plan is important but you also have to show that you know what you are doing. You can’t just ignore the concerns of the voters and only pick a couple of talking points.
To bring it around to the thread’s subject, there are more personal things voters care about more than what Trump had in his bathroom.
That is possible. But do you know WHAT is important to the undecideds? Maybe they don’t know that they SHOULD care about these issues.
I personally have a hard time getting my mind around why a semi-sentient registered voter would not have their mind good and made up by this point. Lacking that insight, I’m having a hard time guessing what might appeal to them.
The border is an easy one - Congress was poised to address it until Trump put the kybox on. (How the HECK do you spell “kybox”? I’m having a heckuva time trying to google it.) Would be helped by adding Kelly to the ticket - “That’s TWO of us from states on the border!”
The economy is a tough one. And I doubt the intellectual approach - stressing successes/trends, while (empty) promising to address housing/food prices is unlikely to be successful with undecideds.
How do you persuade idiots to care, or figure out what they care about, or to vote one way even if they DON’T care?
The border issue can be brought around to the documents. When there are any questions about the border, Harris can say something like,
There are two things that need to happen immediately to keep our country safe. First, the bipartisan border bill must be passed. It was on track for passage until Trump told Republicans to vote against it. He told them not to vote for it because he wanted to keep the border insecure, thinking that would help his re-election chance. That sort of dangerous, self-centered politicking will have no place in my administration, and Republicans should stand up to it and pass this bipartisan bill today.
Second, and more broadly, we need to hold people accountable when they endanger US interests abroad. My opponent stole classified records from the White House, and soon afterward, US intelligence assets and operations started going silent. Not only should he not be allowed within a hundred miles of any national security issues, he, and anyone else who endangers US interests abroad, should be held accountable.
What alternatives are there to “Here’s where we did well, and here’s how we’ll build on that success”?
I think the idiot demographic is small and already covered by Trump. I really don’t think there are a lot of people who can’t decide. There are a lot of people who believe that all politicians suck and only care about themselves. Those are the potential voters who are most likely to vote due to how the last four years effected them. They might listen to the fact that Trump blocked the border bill but you better convince them you have an actual plan. They are the ones that will care more about their grocery bill than what was in a box in Florida.
*I’m not deluding myself. There are lots of idiots who vote Democrat too. There will always be people who vote a certain way because that’s how they always voted without putting much thought into it.
That’s fine. We disagree - possibly WRT terminology, more likely WRT our feelings towards “undecideds.” (I know people have objected to my use of the word “idiot” around here before, but I still consider it a useful term.)
I would likely use a word stronger than idiot to describe “people who believe that all politicians suck and only care about themselves.” But I do not feel “idiot” is entirely inaccurate. For better or worse, there are countless flavors of idiots…
This might be a good one to hammer home, as it ties into the stolen documents at Mar a Lardo.
Why did Trump have a secret meeting with Putin? What was discussed? Why has Trump kept it a secret? What was promised? What is Trump getting in return? People are asking these questions.
I suppose all trump has to do is claim that conspiring with Putin to sell out the country is an official act, and he can’t be prosecuted for it. But it can sure as hell be made into a political ad.
Just make the claim in an ad that Trump’s meeting with Putin was about giving Alaska back to Russia. Make the son of a bitch deny it.
This is a difficult one. I mean this case makes so frekkin mad, like spitting blood. He was caught on tape admitting major crimes against the nation and its security, it’s an open and shut case that should have sent him to prison for the rest of his life. The only reason he’s not in prison is he appointed the judge trying the case, by the end even judge Cannon was barely pretending this wasn’t the case. Its so frekkin maddening
But it’s hard to distill into sound bites that would would work on a median swing state voter. Even the description in the OP would instantly result in the GOP (and the media unfortunately, without a hint of irony) piling on the Democrats for revealing state secrets for political gain (the details of the documents have been officially hidden, even though there are compelling reasons to think they are as described in the OP)
Personally I’d work the other angle, the elephant in the room here. Right now one of the main reasons Trump wants to be president is to avoid going to prison. The first act of his presidency will be to subvert justice to avoid criminal convictions for crimes against the security of the US and it’s democracy. That’s a sound bite. The Democrats need to the harp on this point: “don’t let Trump escape justice! His whole life he’s used his privilege, wealth and power to escape the consequences of his actions. Don’t let it happen again!”. (Along with the even simpler sound bite “Trump is a felon and a rapist”).