# 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:** 214
**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:** [May 2, 2018, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/4264 "2018-05-02T23:02:00Z")
> [@enipla](#): > > If Trump said that, I’d be looking for cocoons and pods on the White House Lawn. > I was wrong earlier. Trump is Trump. He will drive it right into the wall. Nothing will sway his base. Yeah, but what I’m saying is _ **'it’s the racism, stupid.** _’ (Playing off of the 1992 Democratic unofficial slogan ‘it’s the economy, stupid,’ of course–not commenting on your own cerebral capacity.) ---
**Author:** ![LAZombie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b38774/32.png) [@LAZombie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LAZombie)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2018, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/4265 "2018-05-02T23:19:57Z")
> [@enipla](#): > > On the other hand Trump admitted to firing Comey (on national TV no less) because of his investigation in the ‘Russian Thing’. Or Trump and his ties to the Russian interference in the election. For purposes of discussion, let’s substitute Martian for Russian as in little green men. In Trump’s mind, Russian collusion is same as Martian collusion a figment of butthurt Democrat’s imagination for losing the election. Would anyone disagree with Trump if he fired Comey because he trying uncover collusion with the Martians? Of course not because it shows that Comey is unfit to be FBI director. A year and half has gone by and nothing has been found to suggest collusion by the Russians or Martians. It has always been an unfounded accusation. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2018, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/4266 "2018-05-02T23:23:01Z")
> [@LAZombie](#): > > A year and half has gone by and nothing has been found to suggest collusion by the Russians or Martians. As far as you know. Are you afraid to let Mueller finish his investigation lest that change? ---
**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:** [May 2, 2018, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/4267 "2018-05-02T23:35:01Z")
> [@LAZombie](#): > > For purposes of discussion, let’s substitute Martian for Russian as in little green men. In Trump’s mind, Russian collusion is same as Martian collusion a figment of butthurt Democrat’s imagination for losing the election. Would anyone disagree with Trump if he fired Comey because he trying uncover collusion with the Martians? Of course not because it shows that Comey is unfit to be FBI director. A year and half has gone by and nothing has been found to suggest collusion by the Russians or Martians. It has always been an unfounded accusation. [Donald Trump Jr respectfully disagrees.](https://twitter.com/DonaldJTrumpJr/status/884789418455953413) ---
**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:** [May 2, 2018, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/4268 "2018-05-02T23:45:48Z")
> [@LAZombie](#): > > That’s it!? I thought you guys had something like destroying 30,000 emails like Hillary did. Now that’s obstruction of justice. > > There are several legitimate reasons to fire Comey including leaking classified information and the fact he admits to making decisions based on Hillary’s anticipated win. The other issues involve Trump executing his duties as POTUS. In his mind and the minds of many reasonable people, this Russian probe is nothing more than government financed harassment. However, the President stated that the reason for firing Comey was “the Russian thing”. And you know this, so don’t come in here and act like you don’t. ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2018, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/4269 "2018-05-02T23:48:20Z")
> [@LAZombie](#): > > For purposes of discussion, let’s substitute Martian for Russian as in little green men. In Trump’s mind, Russian collusion is same as Martian collusion a figment of butthurt Democrat’s imagination for losing the election. Would anyone disagree with Trump if he fired Comey because he trying uncover collusion with the Martians? Of course not because it shows that Comey is unfit to be FBI director. First of all, Trump believes he’s competent, so using his frame of mind as a basis for anything is objectively flawed. Second, if you’re being investigated for something that didn’t happen, just cooperate and settle the issue. Easy peasy! Third, notice how even Hillary, who was clearly under criminal investigation, agreed to an interview with the FBI? If Trump is as innocent as he pretends to be, why hire so many lawyers to get out of an interview with Muller? To say it another way, both Trump and Hillary had high stakes in talking to investigators. Did Hillary quite simply have more balls than Trump does to sit down and take questions? Sure seems like it. ---
**Author:** ![Lance\_Turbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lance_turbo/32/6156_2.png) [@Lance\_Turbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lance_Turbo)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2018, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/4270 "2018-05-02T23:52:49Z")
> [@LAZombie](#): > > A year and half has gone by and nothing has been found to suggest collusion by the Russians or Martians. It has always been an unfounded accusation. You really must not be paying attention. There is lots and lots of evidence of collusion. Not proof mind you, but evidence. Here’s an incomplete list of people for whom we have evidence of collusion. George Papadopoulos Carter Page Paul Manafort Rick Gates Roger Stone Michael Caputo Sam Clovis Donald Trump Jr. Jared Kushner Michael Cohen Michale Flynn K. T. McFarland I’m sure I’m forgetting someone. Probably a couple folks over Cambridge Analytica. We don’t have proof that any of these people committed a crime (except for those who have pleaded guilty). We do have evidence of collusion connected to each of these people. ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2018, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/4271 "2018-05-03T00:01:31Z")
> [@LAZombie](#): > > For purposes of discussion, … Oh, hey. You’re back. So what’s this classified information that Comey leaked? It was your claim, after all. ---
**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:** [May 3, 2018, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/4272 "2018-05-03T00:13:55Z")
> “Breaking: After being interviewed by #specialcounsel, fmr Trump aide Michael Caputo told CNN: “It’s clear they are still really focused on Russia collusion.” He added, “They know more about the Trump campaign than anyone who ever worked there”” Or, need I add, everyone else here. Including you, LAZ. ---
**Author:** ![Lance\_Turbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lance_turbo/32/6156_2.png) [@Lance\_Turbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lance_Turbo)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2018, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/4273 "2018-05-03T00:17:47Z")
More from Caputo… ”The Senate and the House are net fishing,” Caputo said. “The special counsel is spearfishing. They know what they are aiming at and are deadly accurate.” ---
**Author:** ![LAZombie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b38774/32.png) [@LAZombie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LAZombie)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2018, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/4274 "2018-05-03T00:18:38Z")
> [@Lance\_Turbo](#): > > You really must not be paying attention. There is lots and lots of evidence of collusion. Not proof mind you, but evidence. Here’s an incomplete list of people for whom we have evidence of collusion. > > George Papadopoulos > Carter Page > Paul Manafort > Rick Gates > Roger Stone > Michael Caputo > Sam Clovis > Donald Trump Jr. > Jared Kushner > Michael Cohen > Michale Flynn > K. T. McFarland > > I’m sure I’m forgetting someone. Probably a couple folks over Cambridge Analytica. > > We don’t have proof that any of these people committed a crime (except for those who have pleaded guilty). We do have evidence of collusion connected to each of these people. Give a theory of what happened. Someone? With all this evidence, surely you can explain how this collusion happened. How was this collusion undertaken? ---
**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:** [May 3, 2018, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/4275 "2018-05-03T00:22:54Z")
> [@LAZombie](#): > > That’s it!? I thought you guys had something like destroying 30,000 emails like Hillary did. Now that’s obstruction of justice. From what I understand, Clinton has said that she ordered her legal team to turn over as much relevant material to the investigators as possible. As part of that process, her legal team removed about half of the emails as “personal” and not relevant to the investigation. While this may sound shady, apparently that seems to be the usual legal process. Maybe not the deletion part, but at least the “not handing over things that have been deemed by the defendant’s legal team to be irrelevant”. With everyone testifying that all actionable materials were handed over and a paper trail between Clinton and her legal team specifying that they should be extremely forthcoming, there’s not much room to proceed, minus some indication of nefarious intent. This is the problem with white collar crime - most white collar criminals are smart enough that it’s hard to catch them doing something illegal. Even if you’re 100% sure that they’re guilty of something, you still need evidence to that fact in order to bring something against them. If Clinton’s lawyers are criminal lawyers and know what to do, without being told to do it, and they undertake the process without it being witnessed, then tough luck to the FBI. Trump was dumb enough to say things publicly, in interviews, to write stuff down, to hire people who are blabber mouths and incompetents, etc. If Trump goes down it won’t necessarily be because he’s more criminal than Bill and Hillary Clinton, it will be because they’re smart and he’s stupid, and they employ competent people where he employs morons that stroke his ego. If you’re going to vote for a criminal, vote for the one smart enough to get away with it. ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2018, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/4276 "2018-05-03T00:33:47Z")
> [@bobot](#): > > Oh, hey. You’re back. So what’s this classified information that Comey leaked? It was your claim, after all. Oh no. I think is like when I deal with people who foster big brother conspiracies about Elites. As soon as I ask for a little simple info, they clam up like Trump attached to a polygraph. ---
**Author:** ![Lance\_Turbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lance_turbo/32/6156_2.png) [@Lance\_Turbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lance_Turbo)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2018, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/4277 "2018-05-03T00:34:10Z")
> [@LAZombie](#): > > Give a theory of what happened. Someone? With all this evidence, surely you can explain how this collusion happened. How was this collusion undertaken? OK. Here’s the theory… The Trump campaign and and Putin along with assorted Russian oligarchs had the common goal of defeating Hillary Clinton. Furthermore, in addition to working toward this goal, they were also secretly cooperating to achieve this goal. They did this by exchanging information using various methods. It’s not complicated and there’s a lot of evidence that this is exactly what happened. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2018, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/4278 "2018-05-03T02:07:59Z")
Alternative Foundation: the POTUS doesn’t have the good sense God gave a goose. No one who has such a blessing would trust him with a secret, much less an ongoing conspiracy. There was likely some collusion between members of the campaign and Russians. Even if there were not, the Russians already had their own set of priorities. Number one was getting that Exxon Arctic oil deal back, maybe numero two-o was Ukraine. They might very well have proceeded with various and nefarious plots without Manafort, Flynn, and others. And the CEO of Exxon is SecState! Shit, slap us across the face with a dead fish, we won’t catch on… So, might it have all swirled around him like a vortex around a black hole of ignorance? What can I say, he’s not that stupid? ---
**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:** [May 3, 2018, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/4279 "2018-05-03T03:00:40Z")
Sigh. > **[Giuliani: Trump fired Comey because he wouldn’t tell Trump he wasn’t target...](https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/385962-giuliani-trump-fired-comey-because-he-wouldnt-tell-trump-he-wasnt/)** > > Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani (R) said Wednesday that President Trump fired former FBI Director James Comey because Comey wouldn’t tell Trump that he wasn’t a target of the FBI investiga… ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2018, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/4280 "2018-05-03T03:09:17Z")
> [@Sage\_Rat](#): > > Sigh. > > [Giuliani: Trump fired Comey because he wouldn’t tell Trump he wasn’t target in Russia probe](http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/385962-giuliani-trump-fired-comey-because-he-wouldnt-tell-trump-he-wasnt) Jesus…not even the ones with some degree of experience or competence seem to know better. It’s like the second they touch Trump (or vice versa) all of their brains just ooze out of their ears. ---
**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:** [May 3, 2018, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/4281 "2018-05-03T03:43:34Z")
I wonder if there’s some form of “pathological liar” defense that they can use to defend Trump, as a mental illness. ---
**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 3, 2018, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/4282 "2018-05-03T04:13:15Z")
[![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=66tZuQw_Sr4) This is the whole rudy interview. I can’t take my eyes of Fox nowadays. It’s out off of this world. ---
**Author:** ![McDeath\_the\_Mad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a3d4f5/32.png) [@McDeath\_the\_Mad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/McDeath_the_Mad)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2018, 5:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/4283 "2018-05-03T05:13:59Z")
Is this one of those situations where the lawyer thinks he’s so smart (even though he hasn’t really practiced law in like a decade) and thinks that by saying this it makes it look like Trump didn’t do anything wrong, but in fact makes things look even worse? I hope it’s one of those situations. I wonder if Rudi will end up like the “Mooch”? Out like a bang after only 10 days. I can hear Trump now “Rudi’s a great guy, the best. You don’t see lawyers like this everyday. But you know we only brought him on board to right the ship, he’s done great work, tremendous work for us, but he’s got to get back to successful law practice.” MtM [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799.md?page=213) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799.md?page=215)