The Trump Administration: A Clusterfuck in the Making

[Defensive_Indifference]

Philip Gourevitch via Twitter:

a summit is a hight point - what we’re seeing in Helsinki is a Trump-Putin Nadir

A good quip, but I don’t think we’re close to the nadir yet. It’s going to get even worse, somehow.

[Happy_Lendervedder]

@bobot

HELSINKI (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump emerged from a meeting with Vladimir Putin on Monday saying he saw no reason to believe Russia had hacked the 2016 U.S. presidential election, and the Russian leader “was extremely strong and powerful” in denying it.

Wait, I think I get it: Trump’s playing 17-dimensional chess. 17. That’s the version where he allows Vladimir Putin to penetrate his anus in front of the world.

Set your TiVo’s everybody! It’s gonna be an historic afternoon!

[RickJay]

@BobLibDem

Even if he is guilty of treason, we should not execute. His followers are fucking nuts enough as it is, we can’t give them a martyr.

The decision not to buy a lot of rope and stretch a lot of necks after the Civil War seemed like a good idea at the time. In retrospect, was it? Leaving the South unpunished led to the Lost Cause nonsense and generations of lynchings, hatred, national division, and backwardness, aside from the fact that a lot of deserved justice wasn’t meted out.

After WWII the Allies and Soviets hanged lots of war criminals. That worked out fine.

It’s become clear Trump is really, honestly a traitor. He should hang. Treason is the one crime I think the death penalty is merited for.

[Steve_MB]

@The_Tooth

And Trump, starring in what should be the Democratic Party’s first presidential election ad, just said he trusts a former KGB agent over his own law enforcement agencies. That’s beautiful.

I’d go with a quick series of clips: FDR’s “day of infamy”, JFK’s “bear any burden”, GWB’s “stand together against terrorism”, and then a sample of the Trumpoltroon’s fatuous flatulence.

[Steve_MB]

@RickJay

The decision not to buy a lot of rope and stretch a lot of necks after the Civil War seemed like a good idea at the time.

It certainly wasn’t a good idea to buy a lot of rope for the purpose. A few yards would suffice; rope is reusable.

[scr4]

@asahi

All I can say is that when this nightmare of Republican misrule is over, a lot of people need to go to jail.

Don’t you mean “if this nightmare ever ends”?

[BobLibDem]

@RickJay

The decision not to buy a lot of rope and stretch a lot of necks after the Civil War seemed like a good idea at the time. In retrospect, was it? Leaving the South unpunished led to the Lost Cause nonsense and generations of lynchings, hatred, national division, and backwardness, aside from the fact that a lot of deserved justice wasn’t meted out.

After WWII the Allies and Soviets hanged lots of war criminals. That worked out fine.

It’s become clear Trump is really, honestly a traitor. He should hang. Treason is the one crime I think the death penalty is merited for.

I think the difference is that the World War II war criminals did not have 30% of the country thinking that they were not only innocent, but completely infallible as well. If our traitor hangs, you’re going to have a lot of people burning the country down and shooting up the place.

Of course on top of all that, I oppose capital punishment in all cases. IF I were to support it for anyone, it would be for Donald but even for him, I do not sanction murder conducted by the state.

[Chefguy]

@bobot

HELSINKI (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump emerged from a meeting with Vladimir Putin on Monday saying he saw no reason to believe Russia had hacked the 2016 U.S. presidential election, and the Russian leader “was extremely strong and powerful” in denying it.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-russia-summit/trump-and-putin-to-hold-first-summit-talks-as-twitchy-west-looks-on-idUSKBN1K601D

So, what does the Faux say? Probably sounds more like a parrot.

Also reported in the NYT. In addition to his treasonous and cowardly remarks, he began harping on Clinton’s emails again. Congress needs to start impeachment hearings immediately and make a determination on Trump’s fitness to govern. The man is clearly unstable and incapable of making rational decisions. Not to mention being a traitorous coward.

[ThelmaLou]

Is this outrageousness finally going to bring some Pubs out of hiding? Even Paul Ryan managed to locate one gonad. (Bold is in the original)

What lawmakers are saying

**Sen. Ben Sasse (R-NE):** "This is bizarre and flat-out wrong. The United States is not to blame. America wants a good relationship with the Russian people but Vladimir Putin and his thugs are responsible for Soviet-style aggression. When the President plays these moral equivalence games, he gives Putin a propaganda win he desperately needs."

**Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC)**: "Missed opportunity by President Trump to firmly hold Russia accountable for 2016 meddling and deliver a strong warning regarding future elections. This answer by President Trump will be seen by Russia as a sign of weakness and create far more problems than it solves. ... if it were me, I’d check the soccer ball [that Putin gave Trump] for listening devices and never allow it in the White House."

**Sen. Jeff Flake (R-LA)**: "I never thought I would see the day when our American President would stand on the stage with the Russian President and place blame on the United States for Russian aggression. This is shameful."

**Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA)**: "For the president to cast doubt is not unreasonable ... Having said that, Putin is an evil man."

**Rep. Pete King (R-NY**): "* strongly disagree" with Trump's statement that Russia did not interfere in the 2016 election. "[I'm] disappointed, not flabbergasted." King added that having Russia cooperate with Special Counsel Robert Mueller "would be like bringing ISIS into a joint terrorism task force."

**Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI)**: "There is no question that Russia interfered in our election and continues attempts to undermine democracy here and around the world. That is not just the finding of the American intelligence community but also the House Committee on Intelligence. The president must appreciate that Russia is not our ally. There is no moral equivalence between the United States and Russia, which remains hostile to our most basic values and ideals. The United States must be focused on holding Russia accountable and putting an end to its vile attacks on democracy."

…
Source

Ted Cruz is hiding out until he sees what the other kids wrote on their papers.

[jsc1953]

Oooo Vlad, you’re so strong and powerful…!

[ThelmaLou]

The Atlantic summed it up beautifully.

There are exactly two possible explanations for the shameful performance the world witnessed on Monday, from a serving American president.

Either Donald Trump is flat-out an agent of Russian interests—witting, unwitting, from fear of blackmail, in hope of future deals, out of manly respect for Vladimir Putin, out of gratitude for Russia’s help during the election, out of pathetic inability to see beyond his 306 electoral votes—whatever the exact mixture of motives might be, it doesn’t really matter.

Or he is so profoundly ignorant, insecure, and narcissistic not to realize that, at every step, he was advancing the line that Putin hoped he would advance, and the line that the American intelligence, defense, and law-enforcement agencies most dreaded.

Conscious tool. Useful idiot. Those are the choices, though both possibly true—the main question is the proportions.

…

Trump himself manifestly cannot help himself. This is who he is.

Those who could do something are the 51 Republican senators, and 236 Republican representatives, who have the power to hold hearings, issue subpoenas, pass resolutions of censure, guarantee the integrity of the Mueller investigation, condemn the past Russian election interference, shore up protections against the next assault, and in general defend their country rather than the damaged and defective man who is now its president.

For 18 months, members of this party have averted their eyes from Trump, rather than disturb the Trump elements among their constituency or disrupt the party’s agenda on tax cuts and the Supreme Court. They already bear responsibility for what Trump has done to his office.

But with every hour that elapses after this shocking performance in Helsinki, without Republicans doing anything, the more deeply stained they will be by this dark moment in American leadership.
…

This is the end of today’s Republican Party, and I say *good riddance! * It has morphed into something shameful, destructive, short-sighted, and indifferent to the well-being of American citizens. It needs to die. This, I believe, will be the one good, major accomplishment of the thump administration: presiding over the end of this version of the Republicans.

[Rick_Kitchen]

@mistymage

What the hell is that noise? No, not Rump talking nor the Russian words … but the sounds of clutter and clatter in the background. https://www.cnn.com/2018/07/16/politics/donald-trump-putin-helsinki-summit/index.html

Camera shutters.

[CurtC]

@BobLibDem

Of course on top of all that, I oppose capital punishment in all cases. IF I were to support it for anyone, it would be for Donald but even for him, I do not sanction murder conducted by the state.

I also am opposed to capital punishment, always. However, if I were to make an ordered list of the people I want NOT to be executed, Trump would be near the bottom of the list.

[drm]

@RickJay

The decision not to buy a lot of rope and stretch a lot of necks after the Civil War seemed like a good idea at the time. In retrospect, was it? Leaving the South unpunished led to the Lost Cause nonsense and generations of lynchings, hatred, national division, and backwardness, aside from the fact that a lot of deserved justice wasn’t meted out.

After WWII the Allies and Soviets hanged lots of war criminals. That worked out fine.

It’s become clear Trump is really, honestly a traitor. He should hang. Treason is the one crime I think the death penalty is merited for.

I try to live my life trying not to go to extremes, ie call for the death penalty, compare people to Nazis/Hitler (not done here, just an example, and things like that.

Trump, however, is trying my patience…

Part of me has always wondered if he’s trying to bring down the Rep. party from within and this is some kind of performance art. Unfortunately, I’ve come to the conclusion that he’s just not that bright.

Incidentally, if pressed, do you think Trump could accurately define Treason? Doesn’t matter, I suppose.

[Happy_Lendervedder]

And now for a small break from teeth-ghashing and banging our heads against the wall:

He Is the Very Model of A Very Stable Genius. By Randy Rainbow.

[JohnT]

I don’t crosspost much, but…

Guys and gals, if you’re not calling your Senators and representatives today,* you are failing Democracy as much as the Republican enablers.

*or ASAP for those of you @ work or otherwise indisposed.

[MindsEye_Watering]

@JohnT

Guys and gals, if you’re not calling your Senators and representatives today,* you are failing Democracy as much as the Republican enablers.

What do I say to Senators/Representatives that are Pro Trump? It is my Senators/Representatives that are enabling this orange filth.

I would love to send a letter (not email or phone call) to my republican “leadership”, but the task of word-smithing such a letter is daunting.

[JohnT]

I have Cruz and Cornyn in my state. I tell them that I demand action, not statements, but action. I tell them that the voters are watching. I tell remind them of their oaths… to Texas, to the citizens, to the Constitution. I also mention that Reagan led the winning fight against Communism and it would be a tragedy for his own party to capitulate to a KGB agent who has vowed his revenge.

With Cruz this is real easy as I also mention that he is working in the service of a “New York City millionaire” who insulted his wife and father.

Just… call. Don’t give yourself excuses not to. Write a statement and read it to them.

I’ll be glad to write something, but it’ll be in a few hours as I’m going into some meetings @ 3pm.

[Nava]

@Happy_Lendervedder

And now for a small break from teeth-ghashing and banging our heads against the wall:

He Is the Very Model of A Very Stable Genius. By Randy Rainbow.

Thank you!

[Aspenglow]

Tell them their continued inaction in the face of such overwhelming evidence of Trump being compromised by the Russians is wholly unacceptable; that if they fail to act, you will not only be voting against them and all their cohorts in the upcoming elections, but you will make sure that as many of your friends and family members do the same.

Tell them that they swore an oath to defend their country against all enemies, both foreign and domestic and that you, as their constituent, expect them to honor that oath.

Tell them that they are not fit to govern in any capacity if they continue to not act on the in-our-faces collusion between Trump and the Russians.

Tell them you expect them to act and vote in accordance with the things Chuck Shumer called on Congress to do in his public statement made to Congressional Republicans today.

And tell them their place in history as a traitor to our nation is assured if they now continue to fail to act.

It’s not hyperbole. It’s the truth.