# 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:** 9
**Author:** ![Fubaya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c2a13f/32.png) [@Fubaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fubaya)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2017, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/162 "2017-04-20T19:15:24Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > Twitter rumors are either an extra-marital affair or Russian _kompromat_ (which might be about an affair). I dunno about these rumors. Seems pretty outlandish to think anyone would fuck that guy. ---
**Author:** ![Lobohan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobohan/32/79_2.png) [@Lobohan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobohan)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2017, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/163 "2017-04-20T19:21:04Z")
> [@Fubaya](#): > > I dunno about these rumors. Seems pretty outlandish to think anyone would fuck that guy. I dunno. For Utah he’s pretty much Jack Sparrow. ---
**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:** [April 20, 2017, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/164 "2017-04-20T20:08:38Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > Twitter rumors are either an extra-marital affair or Russian _kompromat_ (which might be about an affair). Another rumor: campaign finance irregularities. ---
**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:** [April 20, 2017, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/165 "2017-04-20T20:17:33Z")
Latest rumor, then I’ll stop: job offer. ---
**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:** [April 20, 2017, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/166 "2017-04-20T20:28:35Z")
One other possibility is that what’s being reported is actually true. :eek: That he’s sick and tired of spending most nights sleeping on a cot in his Washington office, far away from his family in Utah. (And that now that Republicans have the White House, the Oversight Committee is not as big a focal point of Republican power as it was previously.) Some people are like that. ---
**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:** [April 20, 2017, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/167 "2017-04-20T20:31:10Z")
Most people know when they are getting tired of a job _they don’t run for re-election._ November wasnt that long ago, FP. Unless you’re Sarah Palin, that is. I think it’s most likely a job offer. ---
**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:** [April 20, 2017, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/168 "2017-04-20T20:33:05Z")
Trump was not expected to win. Once he won, things changed, as noted above. ---
**Author:** ![Airbeck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/airbeck/32/6574_2.png) [@Airbeck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airbeck)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2017, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/169 "2017-04-20T20:34:41Z")
> [@Fotheringay-Phipps](#): > > Trump was not expected to win. Once he won, things changed, as noted above. So too much winning for him then? ---
**Author:** ![k9bfriender](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k9bfriender/32/3283_2.png) [@k9bfriender](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/k9bfriender)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2017, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/170 "2017-04-20T20:36:59Z")
> [@Fotheringay-Phipps](#): > > Trump was not expected to win. Once he won, things changed, as noted above. True, he was expecting to oppose a competent president, not have to support an incompetent one. ---
**Author:** ![Crybaby\_Boobie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crybaby_boobie/32/545_2.png) [@Crybaby\_Boobie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crybaby_Boobie)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2017, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/171 "2017-04-20T20:37:20Z")
Kind of sad that there’s less need for oversight if your own party wins. But whatever. Clearly, it would hurt your own political prospects if you have to censure your own party members. So better to cut and run. ---
**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:** [April 20, 2017, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/172 "2017-04-20T20:45:17Z")
> [@Crybaby\_Boobie](#): > > Kind of sad that there’s less need for oversight if your own party wins. But whatever. Clearly, it would hurt your own political prospects if you have to censure your own party members. So better to cut and run. That’s the way it is (with both parties). But it’s more than that. Even if Chaffetz were to treat Clinton and Trump exactly the same, he’s a much bigger deal if the Republicans are out of executive power and he’s a leading voice for the Republican opposition, than he is when the Republicans have executive power and his Oversight business is a much smaller deal. The same goes for other positions as well. Schumer and Pelosi are more important with Trump in power than they would be in those minority leader roles with Clinton in power. Etc. ---
**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:** [April 20, 2017, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/173 "2017-04-20T20:48:59Z")
> [@k9bfriender](#): > > True, he was expecting to oppose a competent president, not have to support an incompetent one. An incompetent person Chaffetz said he wasn’t going to vote for… then voted for him anyway. ---
**Author:** ![septimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/septimus/32/410_2.png) [@septimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/septimus)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2017, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/174 "2017-04-20T21:52:06Z")
> [@Sam\_Stone](#): > > That seems a bit like confirmation bias. Trump’s ‘anti-NATO’ position is better described as browbeating NATO into increasing their defense spending. That’s not in Putin’s interest. And Trump has been a huge proponent of fracking and more oil drilling, which affects Russia’s bottom line directly. Putin also can’t be thrilled with Trump’s plan to heavily invest in expanding the U.S. military, nor can he be particularly happy with Trump’s strong Israel positions or the apparent shift towards a more aggressive policy towards Iran, > > For every thing Trump has said or done that would seem to benefit Russia, there are multipke others that are a direct threat to Russian interests. So it’s very hard to see why Putin would want Trump over Hillary, whose state department watched fecklessly as Russia gained territory and power around the world. If your argument is that Putin had no motive to help Trump, it has several flaws, most notably that _Putin didn’t expect Trump to actually win_. His operation would have been a big success if severely-weakened Hillary became Potus — Trump’s victory was just an unexpected bonus. (U.S. disorganized, pro-Israel, and anti-NATO are all very good for Putin, dwarfing the impact of slightly lower gas prices.) ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2017, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/175 "2017-04-20T21:59:11Z")
> [@Fotheringay-Phipps](#): > > One other possibility is that what’s being reported is actually true. :eek: > > That he’s sick and tired of spending most nights sleeping on a cot in his Washington office, far away from his family in Utah. (And that now that Republicans have the White House, the Oversight Committee is not as big a focal point of Republican power as it was previously.) > > Some people are like that. That’s a pretty normal reason to not run again. But to quit in the middle of a term (just a 2 year term!)? Or to quit in a matter of days? That’s pretty damn unusual. Possible, sure. But I think it’s likely that there’s a non-family reason, if he does indeed leave shortly. ---
**Author:** ![Fubaya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c2a13f/32.png) [@Fubaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fubaya)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2017, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/176 "2017-04-20T22:03:12Z")
> [@Fotheringay-Phipps](#): > > One other possibility is that what’s being reported is actually true. :eek: > > That he’s sick and tired of spending most nights sleeping on a cot in his Washington office, far away from his family in Utah. (And that now that Republicans have the White House, the Oversight Committee is not as big a focal point of Republican power as it was previously.) > > Some people are like that. I mean, I _guess_ it’s possible -in theory at least- for a republican to tell the truth, but extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence. ---
**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:** [April 20, 2017, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/177 "2017-04-20T22:19:21Z")
Odd that all these people who are charged with investigating the administration are blowing up, blowing off, or recusing themselves. Nunes. Sessions. Chaffetz. But I’m sure they all just want to spend more time @ home. (BTW, Chaffetz just posted some puff-piece about his wife on Twitter. In related news, odds that he is resigning because of an affair has skyrocketed.) ---
**Author:** ![Mighty\_Girl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7bcc69/32.png) [@Mighty\_Girl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mighty_Girl)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2017, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/178 "2017-04-20T22:24:39Z")
“Spending more time with the family” has to become the new euphemism for cheating on the spouse, or something (like “discussing constitutional matters” after a Danish MP became ill under very suspicious circumstances while in the company of a fellow MP). ---
**Author:** ![Fiveyearlurker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/da6949/32.png) [@Fiveyearlurker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiveyearlurker)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2017, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/179 "2017-04-20T22:34:50Z")
Not sure how this fits in, but the US is [seeking to arrest](http://www.cnn.com/2017/04/20/politics/julian-assange-wikileaks-us-charges/index.html?adkey=bn) Assange. ---
**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:** [April 20, 2017, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/180 "2017-04-20T22:44:40Z")
War with Ecuador is more winnable than a nuke exchange with N Korea… ---
**Author:** ![oft\_wears\_hats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/7993a0/32.png) [@oft\_wears\_hats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/oft_wears_hats)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2017, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/181 "2017-04-21T20:05:57Z")
Looks like [Yates, Clapper, and Brennan are being invited to testify once again](http://www.politico.com/story/2017/04/21/house-intel-committee-sally-yates-testify-237459). It’ll be interesting to hear the results of their testimony. > [@](#): > > The House Intelligence Committee is working to reschedule a hearing on Russia with members of the Obama administration, including former acting Attorney General Sally Yates. > > The committee announced Friday it has invited Yates, along with former CIA Director John Brennan and former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, to testify before the panel. The open hearing would be scheduled after May 2, the committee said. > > The three had been scheduled to testify in March, but Intelligence Chairman Devin Nunes (R-Calif.) abruptly canceled the session after the Trump administration raised concerns about it. Nunes has since stepped aside from leading the Intelligence Committee’s investigation into Russia’s meddling in the presidential election, with Rep. Mike Conaway (R-Texas) taking the helm. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799.md?page=8) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799.md?page=10)