Russia Collusion Scandal (aka A Leftist fantasy)

[Julio3000]

And, indeed, suddenly there were the 11 days of Anthony Scaramucci.

Scaramucci, a minor figure in the New York financial world, and quite a ridiculous one, had overnight become Jared and Ivanka's solution to all of the White House's management and messaging problems. After all, explained the couple, he was good on television and he was from New York — he knew their world. In effect, the couple had hired Scaramucci — as preposterous a hire in West Wing annals as any — to replace Priebus and Bannon and take over running the White House.

There was, after the abrupt Scaramucci meltdown, hardly any effort inside the West Wing to disguise the sense of ludicrousness and anger felt by every member of the senior staff toward Trump's family and Trump himself. It became almost a kind of competition to demystify Trump. For Rex Tillerson, he was a moron. For Gary Cohn, he was dumb as ****. For H.R. McMaster, he was a hopeless idiot. For Steve Bannon, he had lost his mind.

Most succinctly, no one expected him to survive Mueller. Whatever the substance of the Russia "collusion," Trump, in the estimation of his senior staff, did not have the discipline to navigate a tough investigation, nor the credibility to attract the caliber of lawyers he would need to help him. (At least nine major law firms had turned down an invitation to represent the president.)

This has always been my opinion, even before the Russia thing heated up. I figured that Trump would stumble into obstructing justice or covering up whatever the first mess of his administration was.

Nothing in his private sector toolkit (having money, mostly) will protect him, as a public official, from a determined and competent federal investigation.

[nsacpi]

As telling, with his daughter and son-in-law sidelined by their legal problems, Hope Hicks, Trump's 29-year-old personal aide and confidant, became, practically speaking, his most powerful White House advisor. (With Melania a nonpresence, the staff referred to Ivanka as the "real wife" and Hicks as the "real daughter.") Hicks' primary function was to tend to the Trump ego, to reassure him, to protect him, to buffer him, to soothe him. It was Hicks who, attentive to his lapses and repetitions, urged him to forgo an interview that was set to open the 60 Minutes fall season. Instead, the interview went to Fox News' Sean Hannity who, White House insiders happily explained, was willing to supply the questions beforehand. Indeed, the plan was to have all interviewers going forward provide the questions.

As the first year wound down, Trump finally got a bill to sign. The tax bill, his singular accomplishment, was, arguably, quite a reversal of his populist promises, and confirmation of what Mitch McConnell had seen early on as the silver Trump lining: "He'll sign anything we put in front of him." With new bravado, he was encouraging partisans like Fox News to pursue an anti-Mueller campaign on his behalf. Insiders believed that the only thing saving Mueller from being fired, and the government of the United States from unfathomable implosion, is Trump's inability to grasp how much Mueller had on him and his family.

[nsacpi]

Donald Trump's small staff of factotums, advisors and family began, on Jan. 20, 2017, an experience that none of them, by any right or logic, thought they would — or, in many cases, should — have, being part of a Trump presidency. Hoping for the best, with their personal futures as well as the country's future depending on it, my indelible impression of talking to them and observing them through much of the first year of his presidency, is that they all — 100 percent — came to believe he was incapable of functioning in his job.

[thethe]

All this 'controversy' and yet we are in a great spot as a country and getting better.

I suppose many long for the 'scandal free' Obama administration.

As Trump is a business man results mean more than anything. Process is obviously of great importance but ultimately the results speak for themsleves. 2017 was a real good year.

[nsacpi]

At Mar-a-Lago, just before the new year, a heavily made-up Trump failed to recognize a succession of old friends.

[thethe]

At Mar-a-Lago, just before the new year, a heavily made-up Trump failed to recognize a succession of old friends.

And this is the whole point of the book. THe left realizing that collusion was a fake and now they are trying to use the 25th amendment.

[nsacpi]

And this is the whole point of the book. THe left realizing that collusion was a fake and now they are trying to use the 25th amendment.

Are people like Tillerson, Cohn, McMaster, Bannon, etc, etc part of this conspiracy?

[thethe]

Are people like Tillerson, Cohn, McMaster, Bannon, etc, etc part of this conspiracy?

Nobody is on record saying anything. It's all sources.

[Julio3000]

And this is the whole point of the book. THe left realizing that collusion was a fake and now they are trying to use the 25th amendment.

Seems like he could shut that talk down by giving a cogent long-form interview or a press conference or something.

[thethe]

Seems like he could shut that talk down by giving a cogent long-form interview or a press conference or something.

There is nothing to gain - WHatever Trump does will be twisted by the left.

The results of his actual policies will speak for themselves. You know when more americans have jobs and are getting paid more. Those things count right?

[Julio3000]

Nobody is on record saying anything. It's all sources.

Just fwiw, Tillerson has never denied calling him "a ****ing moron."

[thethe]

Just fwiw, Tillerson has never denied calling him "a ****ing moron."

And has never confirmed - Did he say it? Probably but what we throw around as facts is absurd lately.

[thethe]

Trump is not an intellectual. I think that much is clear. That doesn't mean he isn't a smart man that knows how to get a job done. The results are the results. America is getting healthy again.

[bravesnumberone]

Nobody is on record saying anything. It's all sources.

Actually this guy apparently has taped recordings. But by all means...

[thethe]

This outrage is so fake IMO. Its all about results.

The majority of people in this country are closer to Trump then they would be to a fake politician like Obama/Romney/HRC/etc...

[bravesnumberone]

And this is the whole point of the book. THe left realizing that collusion was a fake and now they are trying to use the 25th amendment.

The whole point of it is even if collusion/financial ****ery/obstruction case doesn't turn up results, it's a historically bad presidency with amateurs running the show and a national embarrassment that we elected this.

[thethe]

The whole point of it is even if collusion/financial ****ery/obstruction case doesn't turn up results, it's a historically bad presidency with amateurs running the show and a national embarrassment that we elected this.

Historically bad presidency? Wow. Those Americans being safer and having more jobs/money is historically bad. What a travesty.

Please explain why its been historically bad.

[bravesnumberone]

Why waste my breath on the ignorance of half the country?

We'll wait and see on the more money/jobs. Highly skeptical.

Safer? Hardly and not just from threats abroad.

[thethe]

Why waste my breath on the ignorance of half the country?

We'll wait and see on the more money/jobs. Highly skeptical.

Safer? Hardly and not just from threats abroad.

You are denying there are more jobs and higher wages/earnings? What world are you living in?

Illegal immigrants commit more crimes as a percentage of their population than americans do. This is a FACT. Less illegals coming into the country than ever before means more safety. That is a FACT.

ISIS has been dealt an almost death blow. That is a FACT.

NK built up these capabilities under the last three presidents. Trump unfortunatley is the one that has to resolve it. That is a FACT>

BTW - this is all just in the first year.

You shouldn't waste your breath if you are not dealing in reality. Obama was arguably the worst president of all time.

[Julio3000]

You are denying there are more jobs and higher wages/earnings? What world are you living in?

Your claims about the economy are generally pretty hyperbolic. I'd assume that whatever growth we're seeing because of expected tax policy and corporate confidence would have happened under a generic Republican. If given the choice, I'd take the generic Republican economic regime and a lower chance of an international incident based on a Twitter beef.

Illegal immigrants commit more crimes as a percentage of their population than americans do. This is a FACT. Less illegals coming into the country than ever before means more safety. That is a FACT.

No, they don't. No, it isn't. No, it doesn't. No, it isn't. Source?

ISIS has been dealt an almost death blow. That is a FACT.

Was the offensive against ISIS planned and implemented after January 20, 2017?

NK built up these capabilities under the last three presidents. Trump unfortunatley is the one that has to resolve it. That is a FACT>

Yeah, fingers crossed there.

You shouldn't waste your breath if you are not dealing in reality. Obama was arguably the worst president of all time.

Hoo boy.