# 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:** 19
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2017, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/362 "2017-06-06T05:04:10Z")
> [@](#): > > …Correction: June 6, 2017 > The headline on an earlier version of this article incorrectly described the charge that Reality Leigh Winner is facing. It is for leaking, not espionage. [https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/05/us/politics/reality-winner-contractor-leaking-russia-nsa.html?\_r=0](https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/05/us/politics/reality-winner-contractor-leaking-russia-nsa.html?_r=0) Her name really is Reality Winner? Man, parental _issues!_ Permanent therapy! ---
**Author:** ![Fubaya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c2a13f/32.png) [@Fubaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fubaya)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2017, 5:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/363 "2017-06-06T05:37:58Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > [https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/05/us/politics/reality-winner-contractor-leaking-russia-nsa.html?\_r=0](https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/05/us/politics/reality-winner-contractor-leaking-russia-nsa.html?_r=0) > > Her name really is Reality Winner? Man, parental _issues!_ Permanent therapy! The most disappointing part is that her middle name is just Leigh. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2017, 5:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/364 "2017-06-06T05:39:47Z")
> [@Fubaya](#): > > The most disappointing part is that her middle name is just Leigh. Right? You’d think her parents would have been all-in at that point and gone with Show. ---
**Author:** ![Fiveyearlurker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/da6949/32.png) [@Fiveyearlurker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiveyearlurker)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2017, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/365 "2017-06-06T17:51:38Z")
Linday Graham was quoted as saying, “I don’t think @POTUS colluded with the Russians because he doesn’t collude with his own staff,” which, credit where credit is due, is a pretty funny line. ---
**Author:** ![Fiveyearlurker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/da6949/32.png) [@Fiveyearlurker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiveyearlurker)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2017, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/366 "2017-06-11T17:37:57Z")
Mueller [appears](https://lawfareblog.com/worst-thing-happened-donald-trump-week) to be [staffing](https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/top-criminal-law-expert-joins-special-counsel-robert-muellers-russia-probe/2017/06/09/daafb86e-4d45-11e7-bc1b-fddbd8359dee_story.html?stream=top-stories&utm_campaign=sendto_newslettertest&utm_medium=email&utm_source=newsletter&utm_term=.a119e36bbdea) up for a criminal case. ---
**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:** [June 11, 2017, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/367 "2017-06-11T19:46:46Z")
The scorpion always stings the frog. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2017, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/368 "2017-06-12T13:47:59Z")
I keep asking Trumpists this question: **What would it take?** At what point, looking forward, do you admit Trump might not be a great President? I’ve never gotten a Trumpist to answer the question - to actually place conditions, or a line, when they’d admit Donald Trump was a bad choice. I think that’s in part because they know he IS a shitty choice, and that he will probably disappoint them, so it’s psychologically easier not to set a standard at all; they way any future behaviour can be excused, handwaved, claimed to be Fake News, or whatever. If 3 months ago you had said to a Trumpist, “Suppose Donald Trump pressured the Director of the FBI to shut down a legitimate investigation into a member of his own staff and then will fire the Director for refusing to do so, and would say, on several occasions and at least once on national television, that he did so; would that be enough?” I don’t think they would have said “oh, yeah, that would be over the line, but Trump won’t do that,” which is a fair (if proven wrong) answer. I think they would have refused to answer, or would have talked about Hillary Clinton’s email server or Muslims. But I am nothing if not stupidly persistent, so, Trumpists, what would it take? If Donald Trump fired Robert Mueller for refusing to drop the investigation? Would that be enough? If one or more major cabinet members, White House staff, or other insiders testified under oath that Trump planned to fire Comey for not dropping the Russia investigation, or fired Mueller or another agent of the Department of Justice, for the same reason? If Trump testified before Congress, under oath, and several of his claims in that testimony were proven to be lies, would that be enough? I mean, people can add questions if they like - you can get more extreme, like “Trump sold military secrets to the Russians,” or whatever, I’m trying to limit myself to stuff that could very plausibly happen soon. What would it take? ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2017, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/369 "2017-06-12T13:54:16Z")
Again, said before and will say until this idiocy is over: One of every 11 Germans alive on September 1st, 1939 were dead by May, 1945… and Hitler _still_ had to remove himself from power. Don’t expect Trump supporters to be any different. ---
**Author:** ![Channing\_Idaho\_Banks](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/channing_idaho_banks/32/250_2.png) [@Channing\_Idaho\_Banks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Channing_Idaho_Banks)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2017, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/370 "2017-06-12T15:29:02Z")
Someone put the bat-signal out for Stranger. He is the best at describing what Loser Donald could get away with. ---
**Author:** ![Fubaya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c2a13f/32.png) [@Fubaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fubaya)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2017, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/371 "2017-06-12T15:56:44Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > I keep asking Trumpists this question: > > **What would it take?** At what point, looking forward, do you admit Trump might not be a great President? At this point in his presidency, Obama was being criticized for using Dijon mustard on a hamburger. So, using that logic, I think the only way his supporters would abandon Trump is if he were black. ---
**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:** [June 12, 2017, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/372 "2017-06-12T16:01:22Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > I keep asking Trumpists this question: I can’t speak for Trumpists, but if someone had posed an open question like that about Obama a few years ago, I wouldn’t have bothered to answer, even though I was an Obama supporter. But that wouldn’t mean there was no line Obama could cross where he’d lose my support. It just would have meant that the question looked like a game not worth playing. ---
**Author:** ![simster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/simster/32/1047_2.png) [@simster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/simster)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2017, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/373 "2017-06-12T16:27:15Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > I keep asking Trumpists this question: > > **What would it take?** At what point, looking forward, do you admit Trump might not be a great President? > > I’ve never gotten a Trumpist to answer the question - to actually place conditions, or a line, when they’d admit Donald Trump was a bad choice. I think that’s in part because they know he IS a shitty choice, and that he will probably disappoint them, so it’s psychologically easier not to set a standard at all; they way any future behaviour can be excused, handwaved, claimed to be Fake News, or whatever. > > If 3 months ago you had said to a Trumpist, “Suppose Donald Trump pressured the Director of the FBI to shut down a legitimate investigation into a member of his own staff and then will fire the Director for refusing to do so, and would say, on several occasions and at least once on national television, that he did so; would that be enough?” I don’t think they would have said “oh, yeah, that would be over the line, but Trump won’t do that,” which is a fair (if proven wrong) answer. I think they would have refused to answer, or would have talked about Hillary Clinton’s email server or Muslims. > > But I am nothing if not stupidly persistent, so, Trumpists, what would it take? > > If Donald Trump fired Robert Mueller for refusing to drop the investigation? Would that be enough? > > If one or more major cabinet members, White House staff, or other insiders testified under oath that Trump planned to fire Comey for not dropping the Russia investigation, or fired Mueller or another agent of the Department of Justice, for the same reason? > > If Trump testified before Congress, under oath, and several of his claims in that testimony were proven to be lies, would that be enough? > > I mean, people can add questions if they like - you can get more extreme, like “Trump sold military secrets to the Russians,” or whatever, I’m trying to limit myself to stuff that could very plausibly happen soon. > > What would it take? Trumpists - as a rule - dont believe anything in MSM - and everything in secondary (generrous) sources is that there is a shadow govt run by obama and everything is stacked against trump. Therefore - Trump is right and is fighting the shadow govt, and even impeachment and removal (or even resigning) will be due to the swamp. ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2017, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/374 "2017-06-12T17:33:40Z")
> [@Fubaya](#): > > At this point in his presidency, Obama was being criticized for using Dijon mustard on a hamburger. So, using that logic, I think the only way his supporters would abandon Trump is if he were black. That would explain the orange paint. ---
**Author:** ![Fiveyearlurker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/da6949/32.png) [@Fiveyearlurker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiveyearlurker)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2017, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/375 "2017-06-21T13:23:01Z")
[Bloomberg](https://www.bloomberg.com/view/articles/2017-06-21/trump-russia-and-those-shadowy-sater-deals-at-bayrock) is reporting some past shady business between Trump and Russian mobsters. Let’s say that the FBI investigation doesn’t turn up any collusion on the election, but turns up decades of money laundering and illegal financial dealings on the part of Trump; I think the odds that Trump has a history of illegal behavior is roughly 100%, but let’s say that this is beyond reasonable doubt and vast in scale. What then? Would Republicans still back the leader of their party? ---
**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:** [June 21, 2017, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/376 "2017-06-21T16:13:21Z")
> [@Fiveyearlurker](#): > > What then? Would Republicans still back the leader of their party? Yes. Yes, they would. At least until they repeal the ACA and reduce the marginal tax rate to, oh, about 2%. ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2017, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/377 "2017-06-21T16:55:55Z")
> [@Fiveyearlurker](#): > > [Bloomberg](https://www.bloomberg.com/view/articles/2017-06-21/trump-russia-and-those-shadowy-sater-deals-at-bayrock) is reporting some past shady business between Trump and Russian mobsters. Let’s say that the FBI investigation doesn’t turn up any collusion on the election, but turns up decades of money laundering and illegal financial dealings on the part of Trump; I think the odds that Trump has a history of illegal behavior is roughly 100%, but let’s say that this is beyond reasonable doubt and vast in scale. > > What then? Would Republicans still back the leader of their party? Could the… say DA of NY bring charges against trump?? Or is the only way to prosecute through impeachment. ---
**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:** [June 21, 2017, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/378 "2017-06-21T16:59:55Z")
I doubt if the NY DA (or anyone else) can bring charges against Trump. But I assume he could prosecute his corporate entities, which would make life quite difficult for Trump, if that’s his goal. ---
**Author:** ![Okrahoma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/90db22/32.png) [@Okrahoma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Okrahoma)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2017, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/379 "2017-06-21T17:00:35Z")
> [@enipla](#): > > Could the… say DA of NY bring charges against trump?? [No.](https://biotech.law.lsu.edu/blaw/olc/sitting_president.htm) ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2017, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/380 "2017-06-21T17:13:12Z")
> [@Fiveyearlurker](#): > > What then? Would Republicans still back the leader of their party? \ “That’s just good business! Trump is a genius and you libtards are all just jealous!” \ For the 27% core, there is nothing, literally nothing that would make them change their support of Trump. Everything can be explained away as either a good thing, or a fake thing. ---
**Author:** ![snoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/43a26b/32.png) [@snoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snoe)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2017, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/381 "2017-06-21T17:25:36Z")
> [@Okrahoma](#): > > [No.](https://biotech.law.lsu.edu/blaw/olc/sitting_president.htm) That opinion’s never been tested in court, so “probably not” would be more honest, and “nobody knows until someone tries” would be more accurate. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799.md?page=18) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799.md?page=20)