# Trump associates may have coordinated with Russians, according to US officials **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [March 23, 2017, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799 "2017-03-23T00:28:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 17
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2017, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/322 "2017-05-27T12:59:30Z")
> [@lazybratsche](#): > > [Russian Oligarch with close ties to Putin and Manafort requested immunity](https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/26/us/politics/oleg-deripaska-paul-manafort.html?_r=0) in exchange for testimony to congressional intelligence committees. Congress has declined to grant immunity, because they don’t want to interfere with criminal investigations. > > I don’t even. What? I hope this means they learned from Iran Contra. Last thing we need is another North. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Tooth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c67d28/32.png) [@The\_Tooth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Tooth)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2017, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/323 "2017-05-27T16:39:22Z")
> [@lazybratsche](#): > > Planning it with [repeated secret phone calls and meetings since last April](http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-fbi-kushner-exclusive-idUSKBN18N018), apparently. Kusher’s just that good at planning ahead. I’m curious to see how he has planned for being found out. ---
**Author:** ![Fiveyearlurker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/da6949/32.png) [@Fiveyearlurker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiveyearlurker)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2017, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/324 "2017-05-30T13:08:05Z")
CNN reporting that intercepted information from Russia discusses having blackmail on Trump and his aides that are [financial in nature,](http://www.cnn.com/2017/05/30/politics/russians-trump-campaign-information/index.html) and that they could influence the administration through this information. I sure hope that McCain and Graham tell us how disturbed they are by this information before doing absolutely nothing about it. ---
**Author:** ![crucible](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/5f8ce5/32.png) [@crucible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crucible)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2017, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/325 "2017-05-30T13:54:07Z")
> [@Fiveyearlurker](#): > > CNN reporting that intercepted information from Russia discusses having blackmail on Trump and his aides that are [financial in nature,](http://www.cnn.com/2017/05/30/politics/russians-trump-campaign-information/index.html) and that they could influence the administration through this information. > > I sure hope that McCain and Graham tell us how disturbed they are by this information before doing absolutely nothing about it. yes, the R’s who are worried that they will be tainted by Thrump can always point at McCain and Graham, maybe the boy scout from Florida, and say, "we (R’s) expressed our outrage at the revelations about Thrump being in bed with the Russians! We held hearings! We forced them to behave! We deserve reelection! Well, won’t they? ---
**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:** [May 30, 2017, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/326 "2017-05-30T13:56:02Z")
Is there anything specific that you feel McCain, Graham etc. should have done (at this point) that they’ve not done? ---
**Author:** ![crucible](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/5f8ce5/32.png) [@crucible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crucible)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2017, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/327 "2017-05-30T14:22:31Z")
> [@Fotheringay-Phipps](#): > > Is there anything specific that you feel McCain, Graham etc. should have done (at this point) that they’ve not done? From my POV, I think every senator should go on record that they will welcome articles of impeachment from the House and will proceed swiftly to settle this matter completely, one way or the other. If the President only represents the opinion of about 1/3 of the electorate, fewer than that if you could get cogent answers from many of his supporters, the House and Senate have it in their power to shake things up. If we leave the Paris accords, don’t expect the reaction in the USA to be sullen silence. Expect something much more extreme. ---
**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:** [May 30, 2017, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/328 "2017-05-30T14:31:55Z")
But that’s not a criticism specific to McCain & Graham specifically. To my knowledge no senators have gone on record in favor of impeachment. ---
**Author:** ![Fiveyearlurker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/da6949/32.png) [@Fiveyearlurker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiveyearlurker)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2017, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/329 "2017-05-30T14:39:07Z")
Both [McCain](https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/congress-trump-score/john-mccain/) and [Graham](https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/congress-trump-score/lindsey-graham/) have been unabashed supporters of Trump in action while making mild expression of concern in word. Even to a greater degree than one would expect based on their politics. ---
**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:** [May 30, 2017, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/330 "2017-05-30T14:50:24Z")
OK, so you’re apparently saying that McCain and Graham should vote on issues and appointments not based on what their opinion is of those issues and appointments themselves, but based on how they align with Trump. I don’t agree with this approach. (Though I suspect it’s a pretty common attitude in certain circles.) ---
**Author:** ![Fiveyearlurker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/da6949/32.png) [@Fiveyearlurker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiveyearlurker)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2017, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/331 "2017-05-30T14:58:41Z")
If Obama had attacked the press, it would have been my duty to full throatedly support free press. If Obama had hired his family into positions of power that they had no business holding, it would be my obligation to express absolute disdain for such appointments and demand that they be removed from their posts. In other words, if Obama had had anything close to this level of corruption, it would be my duty as a Democratic senator to withhold all support to the leader of my party until such time that he, at a minimum, released all of his financial information and divested all of his conflicts of interest to appropriately explain the data. As a Democratic senator, it would be my duty to burn the Democratic party to the ground if it became the party of something akin to Trump the way the GOP has become. ---
**Author:** ![Tzigone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/839c29/32.png) [@Tzigone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tzigone)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2017, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/332 "2017-05-30T15:03:27Z")
> [@Fiveyearlurker](#): > > CNN reporting that intercepted information from Russia discusses having blackmail on Trump and his aides that are [financial in nature,](http://www.cnn.com/2017/05/30/politics/russians-trump-campaign-information/index.html) and that they could influence the administration through this information. I’m definitely interested in this. But it has to investigated whether the intercepted information is legitimate or planted for the US to find (as [seems to be the case](http://www.cnn.com/2017/05/26/politics/james-comey-fbi-investigation-fake-russian-intelligence/) with info that Comey used as part of the basis for his decision on Clinton in a decision that still doesn’t work for me, given my limited info). I mean, we have to admit, once the trend starting going against Trump, Russia’s had plenty of motivation to further the destabilization, regardless of whether or not they worked with anyone in his campaign to get him elected. Presuming destabilization of politics in the US is a goal of theirs. ---
**Author:** ![Fiveyearlurker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/da6949/32.png) [@Fiveyearlurker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiveyearlurker)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2017, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/333 "2017-05-30T15:52:31Z")
> [@Tzigone](#): > > I’m definitely interested in this. But it has to investigated whether the intercepted information is legitimate or planted for the US to find (as [seems to be the case](http://www.cnn.com/2017/05/26/politics/james-comey-fbi-investigation-fake-russian-intelligence/) with info that Comey used as part of the basis for his decision on Clinton in a decision that still doesn’t work for me, given my limited info). Agreed. By itself, this is just a single data point. Unfortunately for Mr. Trump, since there are numerous other data points supporting this, and since he has spent the past 40 years as a corrupt liar, it is not a particularly extraordinary claim. ---
**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:** [May 30, 2017, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/334 "2017-05-30T16:07:29Z")
I tend to be a big skeptic of charges of Trump-Russia collusion. But it wouldn’t be surprise me if the Russians have (or think they have) dirt on Trump. Trump has done business with Russia-affiliated people over the years, and if there was anything at all sleazy in any of those deals then it’s very likely that Russian intelligence would know about it. That said, it’s been suggested that Trump’s mentality doesn’t really lend itself to being backmailed. He tends to be in denial of any possible shortcomings or wrongdoing on his own part and more apt to react by lashing out than by caving in. > [@Fiveyearlurker](#): > > If Obama had attacked the press, it would have been my duty to full throatedly support free press. If Obama had hired his family into positions of power that they had no business holding, it would be my obligation to express absolute disdain for such appointments and demand that they be removed from their posts. In other words, if Obama had had anything close to this level of corruption, it would be my duty as a Democratic senator to withhold all support to the leader of my party until such time that he, at a minimum, released all of his financial information and divested all of his conflicts of interest to appropriately explain the data. > > As a Democratic senator, it would be my duty to burn the Democratic party to the ground if it became the party of something akin to Trump the way the GOP has become. That doesn’t surprise me. As I said earlier, “I suspect it’s a pretty common attitude in certain circles”. Though I also suspect that that attitude would not be common in those same circles, if it were a Democratic Trump. But it’s not, so that’s where we are. ---
**Author:** ![Fiveyearlurker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/da6949/32.png) [@Fiveyearlurker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiveyearlurker)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2017, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/335 "2017-05-30T16:36:15Z")
> [@Fotheringay-Phipps](#): > > That doesn’t surprise me. As I said earlier, “I suspect it’s a pretty common attitude in certain circles”. Though I also suspect that that attitude would not be common in those same circles, if it were a Democratic Trump. But it’s not, so that’s where we are. I guess I don’t understand the alternative. Particularly in the case of Graham and McCain; these guys joined the GOP (as I did, by the way) at a time when the party stood for fiscal/personal responsibility and a role for the United States on the world stage as an agent of good. The GOP, as evidenced by their leader, no longer believes in these ideals, so why stick with them? I support the ASPCA, but if they start bombing research labs, I don’t have to stay with them. I cast my first presidential vote for Bob Dole, and my second for GWB. Between 2002 and 2006, I realized that the party had shifted, and I didn’t want to go with them (I shifted on social issues as well, admittedly). And that was well before any of this nonsense. I can, perhaps, understand allegiance to a party when you believe that party has better ideas. But, at this point, can anyone make the argument that the party of Trump is one with good ideas? You join the party to help the country, but when the party is no longer beneficial to the country, then you leave the party behind even if that brings in an era of Democratic party dominance. The only exception is if you truly believe that the party of Trump is better for the US, than the Democratic party. To that end, I have more respect for true believers than the opportunists. ---
**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:** [May 30, 2017, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/336 "2017-05-30T16:40:33Z")
The alternative is that you believe the GOP is not “the party of Trump”, that there are ideals that the GOP stands for (more or less) which you believe in. It also happens to be saddled at the moment with Trump, but that’s the choice of voters in the primaries and general election. Trump may or may not support a given GOP ideal, but you can support the GOP ideals without supporting Trump as to his other issues and actions. If he happens to support a given ideal, then you’ll be nominally in support of Trump, but that won’t be the basis of your support. ---
**Author:** ![Fiveyearlurker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/da6949/32.png) [@Fiveyearlurker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiveyearlurker)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2017, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/337 "2017-05-30T16:47:26Z")
If the GOP were not the party of Trump, he would not have won the nomination, and he would not currently be the leader of the party. Old guard GOP are not saddled with Trump, he is saddled with them. ---
**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:** [May 30, 2017, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/338 "2017-05-30T16:48:50Z")
OK. I’m not going to bother arguing about this. ---
**Author:** ![Defensive\_Indifference](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/defensive_indifference/32/6502_2.png) [@Defensive\_Indifference](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Defensive_Indifference)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2017, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/339 "2017-05-30T17:11:45Z")
Trump’s personal attorney and all around creepy asshole Michael Cohen is now a subject of the investigation. Cohen confirmed to ABC news that > [@](#): > > House and Senate investigators have asked him “to provide information and testimony” about any contacts he had with people connected to the Russian government, but he said he has turned down the invitation. Investigators were apparently unamused. > [@](#): > > After Cohen rejected the congressional requests for cooperation, the Senate Select Intelligence Committee voted unanimously on Thursday to grant its chairman, Sen. Richard Burr of North Carolina, and ranking Democrat, Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia, blanket authority to issue subpoenas as they deem necessary. > **[Congress expands Russia investigation to include Trump's personal attorney](https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/russia-investigation-expands-include-donald-trumps-personal-attorney/story?id=47646601)** > > Michael Cohen has been one of Trump's closest confidants for years. My birthday is tomorrow. I asked my wife not to get me anything. All I want is for yet another Trump toady to show up in the news as a “subject of the investigation”. ---
**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:** [May 30, 2017, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/340 "2017-05-30T17:41:49Z")
> [@Fotheringay-Phipps](#): > > …That said, it’s been suggested that Trump’s mentality doesn’t really lend itself to being backmailed. He tends to be in denial of any possible shortcomings or wrongdoing on his own part and more apt to react by lashing out than by caving in. > > That doesn’t surprise me. As I said earlier, “I suspect it’s a pretty common attitude in certain circles”. Though I also suspect that that attitude would not be common in those same circles, if it were a Democratic Trump. But it’s not, so that’s where we are. Could you be more naive? This kind of mentality is ripe for the picking. Blackmail isn’t at the pleasure of the blackmailed. Ignorance and narcissism aren’t great protections. The russians will say to donald, (Through the “private server” in the russian embassy I suppose. See, if only hillary had known about that option…What would fox news talk about while the country burns?): “If you don’t do this then your son in law is going to go to jail” or “Your national security advisor is going to be tried for treason”…and on and on. How about “You will go to jail”? Does that work for you? ---
**Author:** ![Fiveyearlurker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/da6949/32.png) [@Fiveyearlurker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiveyearlurker)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2017, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/341 "2017-05-30T17:49:09Z")
"The Post was first alerted in mid-December to the meeting by an anonymous letter, which said, _ **among other things,** _ that Kushner had talked to Kislyak about setting up the communications channel.” I think this sentence in the [WaPo](https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/russian-ambassador-told-moscow-that-kushner-wanted-secret-communications-channel-with-kremlin/2017/05/26/520a14b4-422d-11e7-9869-bac8b446820a_story.html?utm_term=.32d43ce5acfc) is interesting. For starters, they received this information in December and took months to authenticate it. Sort of flies in the face of the MSM is out to get Trump with shoddy intelligence. Secondly, the bolded part (my bold) lays out that there is more to come. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799.md?page=16) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799.md?page=18)