Among the lessons of Watergate were:
- understanding the role of money in election
campaigns
- the importance of good, old fashioned
journalism
- how the American system of checks and
balances plays its constitutional role
If Donald Trump, with Congress' blessing, can so corrupt the role of the Justice Department, I can't help but wonder if we are witnessing the birth of a new Gestapo.
1
The so called patriots of America have shown they are nothing but all talk, no action, and cowards. Here's this man who has shown no respect for the US Constitution, has shown no regards for the rule of law, who has said "maybe we should try it, President for Life", and is using the Justice Department as his personal political "hit squad" to go after his opponents and anyone who defies him. Where are YOU so called Patriots that wave the flag at parades and who who stand and pledge allegiance to our national anthem? Where are you when this man is showing his true colors and his intent at destroying our democracy to fashion it as a dictatorship. What President has ever defiled our nation, our laws, our precious nation and democracy for which many thousands sacrifice their lives for? Yet, this sick and mentally deranged man, drunk with power and a super bloated ego is doing exactly that, taking control of what America once was and stood for. He has disgraced our nation, he has disgraced the Office of the President, and more importantly, he has disgraced every single true American patriot who loved what this nation has given them...liberty, freedom, and so much more. All this unfit guy sells is hate and division. Give him time and you will see the free press gone, opposition people jailed, and you'll see the new Putin/Un/Maduro. Is this what you folks call making America Great, the end of it? This your America too, protect it, and never allow a demagogue to end it.
6
This Trump guy sure doesn’t quit. He’s like a broken record. The faults of others are outrageous, and his own faults are insignificant. He simply is never wrong. When enough people get truly tired of him, you’ll be able to knock him over with a feather.
2
Perhaps the FBI was just looking for signs of “intelligent” life in the Trump campaign.....and they obviously didn’t find any.
4
In 2017 Trump tweeted that Obama "a bad (or sick) guy" had "wire tapped" Trump Tower." In a court filing, the DOJ declared that both the FBI and NSD confirmed that they had no records related to wiretaps. His latest demand for another investigation of surveillance under the Obama administration gives him another opportunity to malign his nemesis. Hopefully the DOJ will rule against the real "bad guy."
4
The prez doth protest too bigly.
3
Trump has in the past rejected FBi conclusions, e.g. that Clinton didn’t commit crimes or that the Russians supported Trump. Given that, he has no moral right to call on the FBI to investigate, planning to reject the results if he doesn’t like them.
7
There will be no justice of any kind in this nation until Trump and his Republican enablers are thrown out of office ASAP. The absolutely required action for the restoration of fairness and honesty in America is to get out the vote like never before and say: "We are madder than blazes and we are not going to take it any more! "
Everything else is, as they say, commentary.
7
It is not--repeat, not--"his" Justice department. It is the United States Department of Justice. Please, let's not promote Trump's fantasy and agenda through cavalier choice of words.
9
Though it has attempted to isolate itself in recent years, it is still an Executive Branch office..
GB Trudeau’s Doonesbury joked during either Reagan-Bush or GW Bush about people in line for “Archies”, awards for Justice Department honesty, staff facing a Presidential “You’re Fired” like prime Saturday Night Massacre victim Archibald Cox, the man wanted out of the DoJ by Richard Nixon wanted, as “a cancer was growing on the Presidency” over several Watergate investigations he was stonewalling.
Nixon discharged his Attorney General, then his Deputy AG, before he found some willing to fire the Special Prosecutor and becomes Acting Attorney General.
The laws are stronger now, but the GOP-controlled Congress has shown willingness to look the other way, cutting obvious prime witnesses from the House Judiciary Committee investigation and closing it down, writing its report not in session, but in a party caucus.
The reason we need a good House and Senate cleaning has been the majority party’s utter willingness to pot partisanship ahead of good government.
When Senate leaders refused to even CONSIDER President Obama’s choice for the Supreme Court until Trump was inaugurated with his own candidate, declaring they would not move until “the people spoke” and gave Clinton a 3 million popular vote, the “ people” were replaced by the Electoral College.
Remember, the last two Republican presidents have started off with popular vote losses
Donald Trump took an oath to preserve and protect Donald Trump.. alone.
4
Donald Trump is a criminal and like so many criminals he wants to blame law enforcement for his problems.
8
Step out of your liberal silo for a sec, and read from TheHill (the online news organization that BOTH parties read up on Capitol Hill) about why Ttump may be right that the Obama administration used the FBI to try to sway an election:
http://thehill.com/opinion/judiciary/388549-stopping-robert-mueller-to-p...
3
They did sway an election. FBI Director Comey defeated Hillary Clinton with his unprofessional and unsupported claims of potential new evidence against her days before the election when Trump was going down like a stone after his offensive comments promoting sexual misconduct..
8
The thing the president doesn't understand is that sometimes a witch hunt turns up witches.
7
Forget collusion, Trump. The only collusion I have seen is Congressional Republicans conspiring to allow our Dept of Justice go down in flames.
You, however, are committing obstruction of justice daily, in front of millions of American witnesses.
6
So now he wants a Russia investigation? He seems to have forgotten he won the election; if his campaign was infiltrated then it didn't work.
Instead, he acts guilty by constantly shifting stories, blasting the facts and investigators and claiming it's his right to do whatever he wants and anyway, it's his predecessors fault.
Maybe Sean Hannity is a little birdie in his ear, who stokes his ego to rail against his enemies knowing Trump will tweet out enough bluster to keep his ratings up. Trump is a simpleton, anyone can play him including his base who've found the perfect patsy to ply their anger.
5
Yes, Republicans and real Americans should get tough on the scam that is the Trump presidency, and begin the necessary steps to remove him from office.
4
It's a witch hunt because there's witches
2
How is it that we have ended up with a President who feels so sorry for himself, despite the indisputable fact that he won the presidency fair and square, that he creates disputes where there are no disputes and whines like a little boy who only got a little bit of what he wanted?
During the campaign Trump was a private citizen just like any other. If the FBI suspects the citizenry of criminal activity or in this case enterprise corruption their mandate is to investigate. And that is what they did. Just as they did with Secretary Clinton. Meanwhile, while Trump issues pathetic Game of Thrones commands, the SDNY works quietly in the background.
5
Mr. Trump,
I am a real American, and am not in favor of ending this thing you call a witch hunt. I know it's already cost us almost 7 million, but this is really a drop in the federal bucket when you consider your cabinet members have been milking department dollars for luxurious perks and that the federal budget is gargantuan relatively. There have already been an number of indictments from this investigation, and Mueller seems to be revealing some rather self serving characters from your campaign. You should consider him a hero for his contribution to fighting illegal foreign influence and the erosion of our democracy. Please let it continue, just chill out and let Mueller take the investigation where it leads. He really is looking out for our country.
9
Seems to me, Trump wants to know FBI source(s) so as to adjust his testimony accordingly.
6
L'enfant Terrible again casts his smoke and fog to obscure the light of truth. Devin Nunes, chief henchman and sycophant will lick his boots and grovel for morsels of power.
7
If trump would just shut up all of this would go away. But he keeps bringing up things to try to get our attention away from Mr. Mueller's special investigation.
He can try his best but the investigation will go on until Mr. Mueller deems it closed.
trump could end it sooner if he would agree to a meet with the special council. His lawyers, though, are afraid of what he might say.
The claim is that Mr. Mueller will try to trap him into perjuring himself. That is something I really don't understand. How can council "trap" a person into perjuring himself? They ask the questions and he gives the answers. Nobody's forcing him to lie under oath.
7
When ever I see Alan Dershowitz commenting about the Mueller investigation, I'm reminded how he got OJ acquitted. Now Trump wants the investigators investigated just the way OJ claimed the L.A. police department was tainted and Furman planted the bloody glove on his property. Never mind the evidence: a blood trail to his home and now the trail of Russians into Trump tower.
6
Imagine if the FBI investigated Hillary Clinton for 20 months, leaking about it all over the place, even when they admitted privately that they "weren't even close" to indicting her ?
I bet she would lose some votes.
2
You must be forgetting. Hillary Clinton was investigated for several years regarding the Benghazi embassy attack by numerous republican led congressional committees (7). Also the FBI investigated her use of a private server all during 2016 right up to days before the election. All along there were leaks used to attack her yet in the end no criminal charges were issued. Some believe that it was the FBI investigation and Comey's reopening of it in October 2016 that cost her the election.
2
This tops it. Of course his campaign was infiltrated and under surveillance, by the Russians, who were brought in by his own people. As Jeff Sessions basically said during his Senate confirmation, 'How was I to know that Russian was with the Russians?'.
4
Donald,you don't understand. The criminal investigation in the SDNY is where your problems are. Good luck with that.
5
Be careful what you wish for Mr. Trump.
2
Our president, with an asterisk, has always been a bully. Sorry Melania about irony But in the real world where people live without trust funds, fraternity brothers or other help are now tired of this joke. Midterms are coming, and I'm not voting for anyone who supports you.
8
Fascinating. The president of the United States of America is challenging the behavior of the government. Of course, this is another example of Trump’s paranoia. As the Muller investigation heats up, Trump will do whatever he can to discredit the legality of a lawful investigation.
10
The president is emotionally disturbed and should retire. He is headed toward war at home and abroad and doesn’t know what he is doing. He is the most frightening American president I have ever watched over many a year. The Republican Congress is fully
Aware of the danger but has done to save America from disaster. Why?
17
"As a former DOJ public corruption prosecutor: I see no harm and some possible benefit from a DOJ OIG investigation.... If nothing is found, that will clear the air."
That must be the commenter's nostalgia talking. In today's system, it does not matter to Trump and all the little Trumpists if "nothing is found." Just as a passle of rumours, or nothing at all, can lead to faked congressional memos against and calls for investigations into the FBI, the same anything or nothing can cause Trump to claim any conclusion.
This is the Alice-in-Wonderland Era where "fake news" is frighteningly real and the false news the president favors poses as Truth. The facts just don't matter to these people, and to achieve their ends, they'll justify it with any means.
The real question is, What comes next after Trump says his DOJ found the FBI investigation into him was politically biased? Will there be real-life faked charges? How far are Trumpists willing to take this?
If a president's son can meet with -- and that president can serve the needs of -- foreign leaders so the two profit personally, how firm really is the rule of law? If for political purposes, a president and his party can gin-up accusatory memos and create criminal investigations against American law enforcement and justice, how far can our country be from a corrupt autocracy?
10
That is enough. Either DOJ stands up to Trump or the Democracy built here over 100’s of years is dead. Who in their right mind would sacrifice this country for a loud mouth low life who only serves himself?
21
Wasn't his tweet, "I hearby demand"? He's such an idiot.
19
Can we get serious here, please? First, I am buying Twitter and shutting Trump's account down. Second, all by myself, I am changing the qualifications for the presidency - one must be capable of basic spelling, know the difference between HIV and HPV and cannot lie 7x a day, every day.
Last, I am impeaching and convicting Trump on the grounds that he is not a U.S. Citizen.He was actually born, yes, believe it or not, in Kenya disqualifying him from the presidency.
The man is an absurdity and a stain upon the truth, the rule of law and our democracy. Perhaps it's time to use his own tactics to keep him so busy that he can't do as much damage as he's doing now.
14
American Ideals are under attack by far right people.
It is time to stand against this.
11
My fear now is that Rosenstein will find nothing of substance in this latest goose chase " demanded" by Trump.
That will lead Trump to deem him incompetent and not fit to continue in his position.
Mission accomplished?
3
We constatly hear of Trump's demands. It is another thing that characterizes people with personality disorders. What are we doing here letting someone with this illness rule the country?
19
If the Congressional Republicans are like the proverbial frogs in the slowly heating water, adjusting over and over, then we need to fill the pot with ice water. Shaming can be powerful, especially if done with all of them in a public fashion. These legislators are not just "do nothing," they are doing nothing in the face of a man who wants to subsume democracy in favor of a Trumpacracy, which is a dictatorship. They are failing their pledge to protect the Constitution. Is there not some body in government that could make this judgment?
9
Genius plot FBI. Embed a spy to gather dirt and then say nothing about the dirt. I get why Trump says this but how could his supporters be so dumb?
7
The entire country is caught in the hurricane of this guy's ego. All of his "lashing out" and foot stomping is because he demands to be adored. In the process, he is doing something to the civil relations we have to our government, our institutions, and our neighbors that will take a long time to heal. But he is a wall street guy who has lived a crooked life. Of course it would be his undoing. Of course it would come to light. It is a different stage. But the most egregious thing of all is not 45; it is the GOP and the Americans who refuse to call a spade a spade. He is a con-man. They prey on the weak-minded. That is what they do. But ideology aside, these GOP politicians are not weak-minded. They are choosing to allow this to persist. They are choosing to allow the government to function under the auspices of someone who clearly needs psychological intervention. They are choosing this every day. If you ask me, these Republican congressional do-nothings and the 47% non-voters are the real concern.
13
Do you think they also received Russian funding?
1
I do. Primarily because this is how Wall Street does business. It is all backroom deals and things that walk the line on ethics and frequently cross over into illegality. I think what scares him the most is what could potentially be revealed. Our country gives Wall Street licenses to do a lot of improper things as long as money is being generated. In 45's real estate career, he has probably engaged in some things as a businessman that can create problems for him now. It is clear that he does not want anyone looking at him in investigative fashion because who knows where it will lead. But the truth of the matter, it seems, is that any inquiry into Russia or Saudia Arabia, etc. will invariably lead to him. I do think they took money. I do.
1
Much has been said about Trump' s concern about his base. His demands to the DOJ is more than just a distraction from the fact that the FBI, according to the Washingto Post, tried to proyect him.
This is Nixon all over again, only in pubic, not behind closed doors.
The base might want to give some consideration to today's Scotus ruling re; class action suits by union members, as this will largely impact them.
But then, they applauded when Gorsuch took his stolen seat.
Stay tuned; more to come..
5
To anyone that believes that Mr. Mueller's investigation is a necessity, then that same person must agree that an investigation into whether the FBI surveilled a presidential candidate and his agents is also a necessity.
9
What a ruse! control the media so we are not watching all the China, Korea, and Russian issues.
5
Go ahead and start a separate investigation. If it doesn't pan out, (which we all suspect), then use the results to help prove obstruction of justice against Trump. He hates investigations, and this will backfire on him.
10
what should be investigated is why trump has not been in jail with his parents for the last 50 years for defrauding the veterans administration and violating civil rights laws. in addition to his life of crime and treason.
11
No Justice Department official should resign over an inappropriate demand from the office of the president. Would a resignation not make it possible for Trump (or Sessions, acting on Trump’s behalf) to install someone more to his liking, strengthening efforts to derail Mueller?
Instead they should force a (inappropriate) dismissal and see where that takes us.
5
I'm certain that the DOJ and FBI will have justifications regarding what we already know as fact: they were spying on candidate Trump and his campaign. Wiretaps and embedded agents. This is a significant step up from Watergate crimes. It suggests an attempted coup. They will, of course, persists with this Russian nonsense, claiming they needed to see if Mr. Trump was colluding.
7
I will have more empathy for President Trump if the Russian lawyer Manafort, Kushner and DJT, Jr. was a DoJ/FBI asset, or Wikileaks is found to a US government operation, or used memory erasing drugs capable of causing a U. S. senator to forget meeting with the Russian ambassador.
1
What are you afraid of Donald. You claim you are innocent of collusion and obstruction of justice. Of course you also claimed you didn't know or pay off Stormy Daniels. You also claimed that you knew nothing of the Russian claims of "dirt on Hillary". You also claimed Mexico would pay for a wall. You also claimed that you would restore American industrial jobs. I could go on but why bother, you're innocent, right.
15
Golly whiz - why would the FBI want to know anything about a presidential candidate's hush-hush meetings with representatives of foreign governments. Happens all the time, right? What, like never? In the past "candidates" either turned down invites from foreign powers to little conclaves like these out of apparently some twisted sense of loyalty to the U.S. feeling that going buddy buddy before an election for perks was oh, let's say. err... treason. The word has not been said nearly enough yet - but the concept and the reality may yet merge. Oh, and it is and continues to be. Treason.
14
It looks like Trump is panicking going towards November elections, plus the expansion of investigation into Saudi money involved. And, Trump doesn't have sufficient legal council. He couldn't get it.
In a way, that is the organs of American society hanging the president out in the breeze.
Something is dawning on Trump. He's in real trouble. And to think he thought this job was going to be a lark, a walk in the park.
9
Typical opinion piece masquerading as a news report... First sentence, NYT describes Trump's "demand" to the DOJ as a "... follow(ing) through on his frequent threats to intervene in the special counsel inquiry as he targets those he views as political enemies." This is an INTERPRETATION of intent or motive. It has become gospel throughout corporate media that anything Trump does that could undermine the efforts of the special counsel is done for THAT very purpose. This is conjecture presented as if it were fact. (Trump would probably call this 'fake news'.) It is plausible that Trump would like to have the FBI/DOJ investigations of Hillary's campaign or his own campaign in 2016 investigated for how they were conducted - for their own sake - without regard for Mueller's current investigation of Trump-Russia collusion. After all, he promised on the campaign trail to re-examine the Hillary email investigation. Even if it's a reasonable assumption - it is an assumption - and should not be presented as 'the case', i.e. news.
8
First sentence of Trump’s Tweet: “I hearby DEMAND...” Perhaps this is why the Times called it a demand, which so offended you.
9
He’s the POTUS and as such heads the Executive Branch, meaning that he can direct — even demand and order — whatever may be needed, I his discretion, to ensure that any suspect activities or conduct is properly investigated and remediate did nececessary...
This is so sad. Whenever a new disclosure of Trump behavior is uncovered, the "president" hurls another salvo of accusations at the wall. Whichever stick, he rides them until they peter out, anything to obfuscate, delay or distract the probe zeroing in on his clearly illegal campaign. Any unaffiliated lawyer will tell u, they already have him cold on obstruction. This is about a conspiracy entered into by his people. And what do we get? Oh, the Obama people, the DOJ, the FBI, the courts, etc. etc. etc. It fuels cable news, but it's all window dressing in a court or impeachment hearing.
6
“This demand puts DAG Rod Rosenstein in a difficult position. He can’t open an investigation based on a political demand, but if he refuses and is fired or resigns, he loses control of the Mueller investigation. Maybe just what Trump wants.”
^
That to me seems to be the crux of this action by Trump. He is trying to kill the Mueller investigation by proxy. How are more people not outraged by this?
12
The FBI in 2016 would have failed in its responsibility to ensure that campaign finance regulations about foreign money and contributions in kind to campaigns were not made to any candidate in 2016 if it failed to investigate Trump.
It is unfortunate that Trump will be able to distract and play the victim for failing to keep his campaign staff--including his eldest son--from meeting with Russians and those with connections to Russians. Trump should have known better that the rumors all of his financing was coming from Russian banks and venture capitalists would put him on a watch list for campaign violations.
Trump always seems to think he can bully, lie or confuse his way out of situations. The media must stop promoting his lies that there is something wrong with the FBI investigating him after the meetings his campaign staff had with Russians and other foreigners. If Sec. Clinton's campaign manager had the Russian connections and took the actions Paul Manafort took while he was Trumps campaign manager, the FBI would have looked at her. If Carter and Trump Jr. had been on the Clinton campaign and met with the Russians they met with, the FBI would have been looking at the Clinton campaign.
Trump's lazy vetting and inability to understand he must follow the same laws as every other person are the reason the FBI was looking at his campaign.
Trump will take this distraction as far as the media will let him. Be truth-tellers. Stop repeating Trump's lies.
7
The Democrats desperately need their own media champion. And they need that champion now. Right now they have no one who is countering the blather and lies from Trump and the Republicans. This a not a question of right or wrong. This is a question about who will win the hearts and minds of the the American public. And right now the Democrats are in last place. They must stop being "reasonable" and be just as ruthless and nasty as the bad guys. Democrats must also realize that they carry the fight for many non Americans around the world who will lose this fight without any opportunity for direct participation. Stand and deliver!
9
What we tend to forget is that the people who do not care about any of this, the people who (in mid 2018 after all the piles upon piles of evidence against him have started to surface) still believe that this treasonous boor is doing a good job, happen to be people who see him as (good grief, of all things...) a role model.
Drum this phrase into your heads, and the reason that our country has devolved in the eyes of the civilized world will start to become clear: "People who like Trump are people who ARE like Trump." Yes, one third of all adults in the United States may very well, deep down inside, wish to emulate this vile grifter.
9
When Papadopulos and Carter Page were indicted by Muller, Trump and his henchmen dismissed them as "coffee boys" who had no role in his campaign. Why now the sham outrage that they were "surveilled? Trump is destroying all our constitutional institutions and our Republican congressmen cover in fear.
7
Let's take a poll: Who do you trust most, the FBI or Trump?
6
Mr.. Trump should be grateful to the FBI for assisting him in winning the election. Director Comey's unprecedented intervention in the last days of the contest certainly took the momentum out of the Clinton campaign and may have accounted for the President's very narrow margin of victory. Instead, the seemingly paranoidal Mr.. Trump finds enemies lurking under every shrub including the FBI so the nightmare continues. The only beneficiary of everything Trump is doing is Vladimir Putin who must be delighted at the departure of America's allies, security and reputation. Perhaps the FBI might take a look at Trump as the Russian agent instead of Carter Paige. Remember "The Manchurian Candidate"?
13
Trump has ordered an investigation into whether the investigation into him and his campaign was politically-biased, despite the fact there's not a drop of evidence of such, rendering this one into his investigators a politically-biased investigation.
It's the precise definition of, as Trump likes to Twitter, a WITCH HUNT!!!There was no collusion!!!! as another presidential phrase keeps repeating.
Of course, there's not a single scrap of paper with the evidence to conclude there was a politically-biased Witch Hunt, so when the results are released, we won't have to worry about any stacks of reading materials choking our computers or desks. It'll be Empty! Empty! Empty! much as is the so-carefully-coiffed head of our politically-biased president.
6
Mr. Trump is the proverbial fox asking that he be allowed to guard the chickens.
Trump wants the constitution and the rule of law to apply to the poor and powerless so they will be held accountable for their actions.
When the shoe is on the other foot, and Mr. Trump is forced to be accountable, he becomes an anarchist and demagogue.
His demands about anything from the Justice Department about his campaign's misconduct is simple insanity, if not pure obstruction of justice.
10
The President is a bit slow on noticing the obvious. How did he miss the FBI investigating Hillary during the election? The rest of us knew. And after the inauguration, did he think the heads up he received from Sally Yates (re Flynn) and Comey about the splash at the Ritz were just pulled out of thin air with no investigation? Not too bright that guy.
10
Not too bright is too kind.
6
The FBI was not investigating Hillary's campaign. They were investigating her handling of classified emails while Secretary of State.
4
What about the sanctions against Russia passed by both houses of Congress and as yet have not been implemented by Trump, who refuses to comply with Congress? Why?
That refusal and with what has been uncovered so far by Mueller's investigation is irrefutable evidence that this president has colluded with Russia in order to win the election. Now there is new evidence that Saudi Arabia and the Emirates and perhaps Israel also interfered in the election. Never have we had an election where so many foreign countries have tried to influence our election.
This serial liar is doing everything he can to tear down our democracy. I'm not even sure he knows what a democracy stands for. Worldwide oligarchs are playing Trump for a fool at our country's expense.
8
" I hereby demand that my paranoia be addressed immediately!
7
Funny, the president wants to investigate FBI while all signs are that he and his campaign operatives were meeting with KGB. Why he never wants to investigate KGB? go figure.
6
Now THIS is a witch hunt, soon to be a Fox hunt.
5
The Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung reports today that Putin paid for a round-trip on a private plane from Frankfurt to Moscow in Feb 2017 for Frauke Petri, her husband Markus Pretzell and a third top party official of the far-right German party AfD. Petri was at that time the leader of that far right party. We know that a delegation from France from the French far right Party National Front and its leader Marine LePen had been paid for by Russia at about the same time. Both Petri and LePen have had their wings clipped in the meantime. We recently heard that Saudia Arabia made similar payments to the Trump campaign. Why would Russia and other nations want to do that? Because common to all these far right developments in the Near East, in Europe and in the USA aim to promote Russia, weaken the EU and weaken NATO. Putin's goal is to weaken the West in principle. Now of course the question is why Putin would not want to financially and otherwise strengthen the American par right Trump endeavor as well? That he has done that for Manafort, that Manafort, the former Trump campaign manager, was a Russian agent during the Trump campaign, appears increasingly likely. But Manafort was only small fry in the American orbit for Putin in comparison to Trump. During the campaign Trump always spoke positively of Moscow. Sisliak, Lavrov and other top Russians were even celebrating in the Oval Office after the election. Truth is emerging. Trump wants to stop that from happening.
9
The best defense is to go on the offense. And this is exactly what Trump is doing. Unfortunately the unwashed masses of American society will fail to recognize the tactics Trump is using. In the end though he will fall just as Richard Nixon did. Those who lack morals and ethics will one day meet their demise.
5
The amount of ersatz legal analysis being spouted by poseur pundits on cable news or in the print media is impressive. It is not a "constitutional crisis" every time POTUS, whether Trump, Obama, or a Bush, fires someone in the executive branch. Which, just a reminder, is what the DOJ is part of - it is not a super special Fourth Branch of Government, despite the breathless claims of some cable news show hosts. Easy to fact check, it's actually written in a thing called The Constitution. Nor is such a firing "obstruction of justice," now presented as an increasingly elastic, one-size-fits-all crime that seems to cover anything that runs afoul of what police and prosecutors want (and who themselves are now incongruously lionized as infallible truth-seekers by the left). Whatever this three-ring reality TV circus may be, it is a long way from the sort of brazen obstruction of justice that defined Nixon's actions in the wake of the Watergate break in. Our misguided groupthink zeitgeist has gone so far off the rails here in MA that there is now a ballot initiative afoot to "repeal" the US Supreme Court. Heaven help us. It used to be that "uninformed liberal" and "intelligent conservative" were oxymorons. To see those terms reversed as they are today pains any of the remaining, dwindling number of old-school liberals.
2
VOTE 2018! Let’s put an end to this madness!
9
This administration is taking a mental, emotional, and physical toll on the citizens of this country. No one seems to be addressing the consequences of Trump's shenanigans, tweets, corruption, lies, on OUR health. I wish I could sue him for the two months long episodes of very serious health issues I have experienced in the last year. I am not alone, from what I hear from my doctors.
9
So now the plan is to have the DOJ investigate the FBI to determine if the FBI was investigating the Trump campaign. If the DOJ doesn't get the results Trump expects in a timely manner, he can enlist the CIA to investigate the DOJ's investigation of the FBI. Gina Haspel has ways to get answers from suspects under investigation. Maybe we'll find out what Trump has in mind when he avocates methods "much worse than water boarding."
15
By mid-summer, Trump will be demanding an investigation of the investigation of the investigation of the investigators.
Let's get rid of this master clown of dissent.
19
Unless Republicans are routed in November, this traitor will serve out his term. The resulting damage will be catastrophic because Republicans are a party of traitors who ruthlessly pursue power in complete disregard of the consequences for our democracy.
19
A responsible POTUS would try to help resolve any election interference from foreign countries or from within the country. A responsible POTUS would try to clear up any suspicious charges against him. A responsible POTUS would not be willing to expose undercover assests potentially killing the assests.
11
Since it appears that Trump disregarded the law in many ways, it would make perfect sense that he now argues that he is beyond the law, and that the law applies only to others who might question him and his behavior.
7
Swap Clinton for Trump and your comment still stands. Those were our choices.
1
What law did Hillary break? Classified information on a personal computer and emails on that machine? Only a handful of documents fit that characterization. Nothing in that charge even vaguely compares to the seriousness of conspiring with foreigners (including security violations identifying people to the Russians). Colin Powell ' s use of a private server might not be equivalent but it does challenge the level of outrage. If there is something more let it be a detailed evidence-based challenge, not just a repetition of unsubstantiated charges. All the rest is noise (e.g., Russia ' s purchase of a portion of uranium options [not uranium], donations to the Clinton Foundation (despite open reporting), etc.).
4
And what’s next? Mr. Trump insists that DOJ investigations have certain findings, of course. History shows that the enemies of freedom know no shame or boundaries.
8
Unfortunately for the FBI/DOJ, shoes keep dropping. Anti-Trump text messaging by FBI and Justice personnel charged with investigation, McCabe fired for lying to investigators, use of a dubious dossier to get a FISA warrant, now use of a confidential informant/spy that was accused of engaging in opposition campaign espionage in 1980 presidential campaign. You can't make this stuff up.
5
No, but Faux Noise does!
10
First it was attendance at the inauguration. Now the idiocracy will investigate the investigation. I think it’s called redirection by proxy using ready fire aim logic.
It got the idiocracy vote that started all this so its got to work again!
4
trump is always the victim - he does have to try everything now - unload the playbook - he knows that he is in a deep hole - he is facing the rest of his life in JAIL. I would add his family - but I don't really think that he cares if they go to jail.
8
More obfuscation and psychological projection from the Liar In Chief.
8
That Rod Rosenstein agreed to expand an existing inspector general inquiry to mollify Trump is a deft strategy, seeking to buy time for Robert Mueller to finish his job.
It is most likely that he knows what the outcome of the ongoing investigations will be. So it is important to keep Trump and his lackeys in Congress at bay for a while.
Rosenstein made a compromise that seemingly gives Trump what he wanted, knowing an inspector general’s inquiry could be lengthy. Nevertheless Rodstein serves the country. He is not supposed to be at the constant whims of a mendacious and autocratic president.
16
Let'snot forget Trump is the party under investigation and the party that has refused to be forthright, has history of lying to Americans, has engaged in shady business practices, has cheated on multiple wives, uses his position to line his own pockets, uses his position to attack individuals and companies he doesn't like.
The FBI and our Justice Department uses informants when required as part of their investigation into corruption or breaches of national security. There is zero evidence that anyone placed a spy into Trump's political campaign. If you operate or associate with people who operate unethically or corruptly, then you should not be surprised when you are the subject of a FBI or law enforcement investigation.
Mr. Trump has a history of making assertions that were later shown to be totally false. This claim will also be shown to be another preposterous claim made to undermine and discredit the Mueller the investigation. Any demand by Trump or his Republican allies to reveal the informant is simply intended to interfere with the investigation and must be refused.
15
Who are these guys tapping Russians when they are speaking to me? Investigate and fire everyone involved.
2
There's an old saying: Where there's smoke, there's fire. Well, there's been a whole lot of smoke pouring out from you, your administration and your campaign. Enough smoke to make us all wonder if you are a crook. Let Mueller do his job. If you're not, you'll be absolved. If you are, then it will be up to Congress to figure out next steps.
To be clear, most of us are not the slightest bit concerned about what Hillary or Obama did or din't do. They're history. We ARE concerned with you and the considerable and growing evidence of corruption and malfeasance. We are concerned about the possibility of obstruction, collusion, money laundering and racketeering.
This entire mess is YOUR fault. It was YOUR campaign that communicated with Russians, then tried to cover it up with denials, lies and fake stories. It was YOUR campaign that relied on operatives (Carter Page, George Papadopoulos, among others) already under investigation. It was YOU who hired Paul Manafort to act as your campaign manager. It was YOU who threatened and railed against the U.S. Justice Department, as if somehow you're above the law. It was you who lied about paying off Michael Cohen, your "fixer."
You only have yourself to blame for this mess you're in, sir.
28
Of course this happened: it's the reason Mr. Trump won the election -- something even he didn't think was possible.
3
This strikes me to be rather like Al Capone asking the Chicago police to investigate Eliot Ness and his Untouchables, or more proximally, to Nixon asking John Mitchell to investigate Archibald Cox or Leon Jaworski. As far as I know, those things did not happen.
I believe that what Trump and his cronies are trying to do is to undermine a legitimate investigation that Trump realizes is uncovering facts that, when revealed, will damage him severely and lead to his impeachment and eventual indictment for criminal activities. In other words, this is just another example of obstruction of justice by Trump.
15
Our Democracy is in crisis. Trump has to be fully investigated along with Kushner. They are setting us up for a major war while enriching themselves at the same time. Don't forget that the Country of Quatar has opted to bail Kushner out on his failure with 666 Park Ave. We are really in deep trouble and those who enable Trump will have to answer someday. Mueller has to be protected and we the People deserve to know the full truth.
10
This is how dictatorships start.
9
It’s a good thing Trump is not obstructing justice while obstruction of justice is being investigated.
Of course .....We are fully assured those meetings with DOJ and the FBI today are nothing of the sort.
I feel assured, don’t you ?
4
There are so many important matters that effect the country and the rest of the world on which the President needs to focus. If he's innocent of collusion with a foreign government or of obstruction of justice, why is he spending so much of his precious time on these investigations (and golf)? Wouldn't these inquiries simply evaporate as they are discovered to be inconsequential?
He's acting as if he's guilty of something; it's hard not think that he is.
7
Donald Trump is falling off the cliff, foot by foot.
11
HT, Rosenstein. It's like giving the hostage taker what he wants before the good guy takes him down. Think I'll make more popcorn.
2
Again, what is Trump so afraid of?
6
I wish a reporter would ask him this question.
7
I must say the majority of the commentariat is loony tunes. They don't care about facts. It is simply the figment of their imagination -- that Trump is evil, criminal, guilty of treason, collusion with a foreign party, money laundering for the mob/Russia and who knows what else. Oh yeah, there's this They disagree with him politically.
So what we know/don't know?
1) no evidence of any crimes committed by Trump or collusion with Russia by him or his campaign.
2) Someone in the FBI ordered an asset to spy on the Trump campaign. We don't know who and we don't know when. And we don't know on whose higher authority.
3) We do know that the FBI obtained FISA warrants on Trump campaign officials.
4) We don't know when the FBI launched it's investigation into Trump-Russia collusion. We have a very unbelievable excuse from them plus a flimsy time line.
5) We do know that many high level FBI's were politicized and heavily anti-Trump during 2016 campaign.
6) We know the FBI won't provide congress relevant documents.
7) We don't know the exact nature of the relationship between FBI and foreign agent Steele. And we don't know when the FBI received the Steele dossier.
8) We do know the Steel dossier was paid for by DNC & HRC and contained unverified info obtained from Russian sources -- the same Russia that was apparently determined to undermine our election.
Don't we want to know the answer to all the questions and what really happened in 2016?
6
We DO know there have already been indictments. ...you forgot that one
11
We still don’t know the answer to the question what’s in Trump’s tax returns...
3
Anna -- a candidate isn't required to disclose their tax returns.
But the one that was leaked doesn't seem out of order does it?
Do you expect line items like a 1099 from Vlad Putin for a zillion dollars in return for services rendered?
Or something from a mafia don -- a 1099 for a few mill for laundering money and maybe allowing a few bodies to be stowed in the foundation of Trump tower?
Be serious.
1
This will go down as the greatest display of "corrupt intent" by a subject of an ongoing FBI investigation into obstruction of justice.
8
"“This demand puts DAG Rod Rosenstein in a difficult position,” Barbara L. McQuade, a former United States attorney in Michigan, said in a post on Twitter. “He can’t open an investigation based on a political demand, but if he refuses and is fired or resigns, he loses control of the Mueller investigation. Maybe just what Trump wants.”
Why would DAG Rod Rosenstein resign? If Trump fires him, Trump would be see as trying to tyrannize the DOJ. His position would become closer to impeachment.
2
Let them investigate. I am sure that Trump will wish he had not asked for this when he realizes that having opened this "pandora's box" he can't close it again.
8
Trump is just trying to change the narrative to deflect from him. If in fact he conducted himself lawfully and correctly he should not have anything to worry about. As a country we do have to get to the bottom of what the Russians did to interfere in our free elections. How dare anyone impede the investigation of this very serious breech.
5
Wasn't it established a while ago that they were tracing foreign agents and others involved in shady stuff? Anyone associating with them is bound to be impacted. Why would a candidate for a job that used to be the highest in the land be associating with shady and foreign characters? Guilt by associations works on us serfs why not on self declared moguls?
6
The FBI is in place to enforce federal laws, apprehend wrongdoers and catch traitors and spies. What do we do if the traitor is the President of the United States? I always wondered that. Now I know, at least when the president and the congress are Republicans. Nothing. Absolutely nothing.
9
This is a very risky play for Trump. Opening an investigation about the FBI's justification for looking at Trump campaign operatives vis a vis various foreign entities (including more than just Russians). Trump complained about the Obama administration's lack of determination in dealing with the Russian threats; here they actually were looking into it and now he wants to see the evidence - wonder what it will show?
He doesn't know the answer, so he doesn't know the risks. His (smart) lawyers must be apoplectic - of course, there don't seem to be any smart lawyers left on his team.
8
Trump's fear is on full display here, he knows he is in very deep - maybe treason - and he needs to find someone/something/anything to blame for his choices and actions. This will not end well for him in any scenario.
9
Another person who watches too much CNN. A year into this and...nothing.
6
Yes! The FBI also embedded an informant at my work to spy on me as well! I demand an investigation!!
See how I did that?
3
We saw him beg for help from Russia during a campaign rally . If any one asks for help that is collusion. He and his party are very warped in their behavior it needs to stop .
7
He doesn’t see his own place in an obvious conspiracy but he sees conspiracy all around him.
Now he wants to use the justice department like his personal secret police. Just like the dictators he admires.
His autocratic behavior is a warning signal to every citizen.
8
Since when can the subject of an investigation demand that the investigators be investigated during the investigation?
8
An investigation, of an investigation, of an investigation! It's Looney tunes time in America!
4
This is starting to make more sense. The vitriol directed against this president is the worse ever, worse than that directed against Nixon during Watergate. The establishment was against a Trump presidency from day 1, and has been trying to discredit him by throwing anything and everything at him, and especially regarding all things Russia.
It seems that the Democrats, knowing that they had something to hide, took the position that the best defense is a good offense, by peddling Russian interference and collusion; whereas, it looks like instead that there may have been interference and collusion by the Obama adm. The American people deserve to know if this is indeed the case or not.
If the inquiry is launched and confirms this, expect the Democrats to keep losing even more elections. Their policy positions such as open borders and sanctuary cities were losing anyway, but that was without an alleged abuse of power the likes of which the US has not seen before.
8
The vitriol directed at this president is well deserved. His lies and insults are legendary.
5
If Trump disses it out he should be able to take it. Like: Lying that Obama wasn’t born in the USA or sicking the “Second Amendment People” on his opponent and begging the Russians to hack her emails. If he can’t stand the heat he should get out of the kitchen!
4
Um...four convictions, 17 individual indictments and 3 corporate indictments as of February (there may be more now) would indicate that Mr. Mueller's...ahem... "witchhunt" has turned up an abundance of witches. I see no reason to stop now and neither would any honest person.
19
none one of which establish coordination between Russia and the Trump campaign . . . And the Russia indictments (the vast majority of those Mueller has made) are entirely for show. He never expects to have to prosecute them because he has no jurisdiction over them.
5
At what point do th Republicans find their integrety and block this president from interfering with this investigation? At what point does the Democratic leadership of this country hit the front pages with true conviction of principles and call out Republicans for facilitating abuse of power and breaks in the oath to their office by all of those who are contributing to out Justice system being attacked? At this point I am not liking Chuck Schumer any better. Why is he not providing strong leadership as the minatory leader? The same goes for Nancy P. It is time for someone with guts to stand up with daily denunciations and to put up a real fight for our country and our Constitution. Time for new blood.... My concern is that we see what happens when popular new blood shows any potential... So who really, is fighting for justice and the voters? https://www.vox.com/2018/4/26/17285576/steny-hoyer-levi-tillemann-the-in...
5
Every time Trump pulls a stunt like this (remember the Obama wiretaps) he is trying to cover up something. Could it be how the Chinese and North Koreans are making a fool of him? Could it be that Mueller is ready to throw an indictment at his son in low? Time will tell.
7
Spend some time learning about the Inspector General law before you opine on all this. You clearly don't understand how the statute works and are misleading your readers. A backgrounder on the concept would be helpful. The president cannot order the IG to conduct an investigation, nor can the AG or DAG.
1
Corrupt Donald is going to continue to fight harder and harder, dirtier and dirtier, because he is guilty. All his life, he has gotten away with crimes by bullying anyone who challenges him, and he obviously believes he can bully the American people into allowing him to create an American dictatorship.
9
It now appears that various countries were taking numbers to see if they could assist the Donald, and that his son was all ears when this subject came up. The questioning by an informant of members of Trump's campaign has little to do with infiltrating or surveilling the campaign, but seems to have a lot to do with an active investigation and sounds like a fairly routine step to take. Aside from Trump publicly ordering an investigation, which is only different, I suspect, from previous Presidential actions by being public, the real danger here is that the results will be immaterial to reality. Trump and Friends will twist every finding and selectively interpret the results in order to repeatedly tweet that it was Obama that started all of the trouble, and he was in league with all those left wing FBI agents and DOJ lawyers.
2
So what will happen if it is revealed that the FBI was attempting to protect Trump from being compromised? Will Trump be able to acknowledge this or will he twist this finding around to claim that the FBI was and is out to get him?
1
I think what Rod Rosenstein and the DOJ should be investigating are the reports that Trump more than once pressured the Postmaster General to raise postal rates on Amazon.com, for purely personal reason's against Jeff Bezos, something that sounds illegal.
12
It's funny how the whole mechanism of government is given over to the protection of a man whose dealings with Russia are probably as criminal as those of his subordinates. If the whole mechanism of government is to protect Trump Co. from his foolish self then I don't want my taxes to contribute to abetting his crimes.
7
President Obama was everything Trump is not, ethical, honest, truthful, decent, intelligent, educated. Through the last months of the campaign, with enough compromising info on Russia interference, did everything possible to make sure that the Democratic process remained impartial. What Mr. Trump is suggesting is something I could certainly imagine him doing.
3
You left out incompetent.
2
Ha ha! Jgrau...at first I thought you were serious! Good one.
He'll go down as a true lightweight who was in well over his head.
2
Its not that I disagree with Trump as far as this being investigated , but his indignation is over the top. Any legitimate leader who has had no circus show since day one ok. But him? Please! The simple fact someone had to go in and check to see if his buddy was involving his government in our elections tells us things are wrong in Trumpland. He actually told him to do it , just like telling us he could shoot someone and get away with it. what leader says that? This one does! Good,investigate, hope they shake things up. He doesn't realize what he is asking for. They will probably find his collussionists. That is if they are looking for the truth.
It's like John Gotti calling for an "investigation" of the FBI!
6
Such an irresponsible windbag who always puts himself before society. One of history's all-time villains.
7
Aside of this situation, the Trump narrative will shift to the Australian government donations for the Clinton Foundation through the infamous now Ambassador who also warned the FBI in relation to Papadoupoulos.
With this, Trump supporters will have more ammo against the FBI. And moreover, the GOP will play the story of Cambridge professor involvement in the Jimmy Carter's spying as a political spying narrative to create more damage and distrust in the DOJ.
I hope the FBI gets to break the riddle in M Cohen's case that surely would lead the investigation to the next level of Trump's real financial foggy dealings with the Chinese, with the Saudis and finally with the Russians
1
"I hereby demand that the DOJ find some sort of evidence to back up my wild accusation!"
Yup, sounds pretty much like Trump in a 'nut'shell. Someone needs to remind this guy that he's directing talking to the Department of Justice, not the Gestapo.
5
This should be about as helpful as Trump's "investigation" of election fraud.
2
Trump demanding an FBI investigation would be like Al Capone demanding an investigation of his mafia associations...ridiculous.
3
Well we see out God Emperor is not pleased. Good. Let him eat Trump Steaks.
1
When King Donald (in his own troubled mind) issued this latest decree, was he wearing his crown? Or did he issue the edict bare-headed except for that blond hair facsimile?
2
Investigate the Guiliani wing of the NY FBI leaking to him info on the Clinton investigation.
6
Trump blobs his way to impeachment and life in prison , at least most of his family will join him fo the next 50 years.
2
Crickets from the Republicans. This is not normal, there are no checks and balances. We need to get our country back in November 2018.
8
Stock market up. Unemployment low. JV team whipped. N Korea coming to the table. Iran deal shredded.
No, we're back.
2
Just resign already, Trump.
You've betrayed your country, you're incompetent and the world's leaders are going to humiliate and fleece you.
Get out now while the gettings 'semi-good.'
8
Trump is starting to look like a greater threat to our democracy than Nixon was. And his wild, zigzag and impulsive approach on critical matters like trade, Iran, and North Korea are equally as scary (and the opposite of Nixon).
5
Why do I suspect this demand could come pack and haunt Trump? Let's say it was true that the FBI had reason to believe there were illegal acts being committed by member/s of the Trump team (not a real leap based on what we know so far). Could it be possible they caught wind of Jr.'s many meeting with foreign governments and willingness to accept cash for favors? Grabbing the popcorn....!
3
What is truly worrisome is Trump's abuse of power that the system of checks and balances was designed to prevent: it is a fundamental principle of the American government that powers and responsibilities are divided among the legislative, judicial and executive branches. The authors of the Constitution must be turning in their graves.
5
Why do you so fear a little investigation into possible FBI abuses? Subverting the FBI and Justice department for political ends is the real threat.
4
It all depends on who's writing the checks and calculating the balances.
1
Trump should be more careful.
Who knows what another investigation might uncover, possibly even more criminal activities by his campaign?
5
Trump thinks the FBI was "spying" on him.
No, the FBI was investigating possible illegal behavior, just as they do with the mafia and every other group who operates on the questionable side of legal behavior. They are allowed to do that, and the American people expect them to do that. Even if they found no illegal behavior, the FBI still has the right to investigate, and that's what they did. But Trump and his Congress cronies will take the Benghazi approach, drag out an inquiry for 4 years, until they've twisted the facts to the point that no one even remembers the objective, in another of their efforts to distract from and avoid acting on the real issues facing this country.
7
Next step, Donald Trump will accuse the FBI of infiltrating his brain for political purposes.
But until then, he practices serial projection. That's a psychological defense mechanism. It means he blames others for what he himself is doing or planning to do. He sees his own own deviousness in every Tom, Dick and Harry, so to speak. And that of course includes President Obama. (As if his years of humiliating Obama claiming he was an illegitimate president wasn't enough.)
Also, unable to think clearly, Narcissist (a disorder; not an insult) like this occupant of the White House, believe that every one thinks the way he does. Everyone has the same pathological intentions, as he does. And that's why he trusts no one. He sees himself in all others.
Moreover, his over the top psychological baggage is costing us and our country and our cherished institutions dearly. And the election of someone as dysfunctional as is he to our highest office begs that a mental status exam be required and passed by anyone seeking the presidency. That's a necessity that's never before been as plan to see. A country, our country, is a terrible thing to waste.
5
Our portly monarch, in his own inflamed mind, has made another demand. Or was it a decree or an edict?
6
Trump’s demand isn’t going to trigger a confrontation with the Justice Department. According to the Washington Post, the Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein reacted by expanding an IG investigation “to include determining whether there was any impropriety or political motivation in how the FBI conducted its counterintelligence investigation of persons suspected of involvement with the Russian agents who interfered in the 2016 presidential election.”
2
PITIFUL
The needy little brat points to the sun and takes credit for the sunrise and then screams when he does not get his way on China or Mueller or Iran or, soon, North Korea, and then shouts about who to blame on Twitter.
Really? REALLY? This is America? THIS is America? 42% of the country agreeing with this nonsense? No they are not racist—but that black Obama was born in Kenya! No they are not misogynist—but that evil Hillary runs a child sex ring in a pizza parlor! No we are not stupid—but that evil Hillary runs a child sex ring in a pizza parlor! No we are not gullible—but a bankrupt con man is the way to revive the economy! No we are not spineless—but our brat is the greatest leader in the history of the multiverse!
In the mean time, destroy, destroy, destroy! Knock down all the blocks. Bam! Bam bam bam bam bam bam bam! THERE! If I can’t have it neither can you! But this time the brat is the president and the crib is the country and Putin is laughing while the house burns down because nobody can see the flames on the roof for the flames on Reality TV.
We get what we vote for—and what we vote for we deserve.
14
I'm tired of Trump whining like a big cry baby. Whine, Whine, Whine!!!! If you don't have anything to hide, then let everything you whine about unfold. Just shut up!
10
This guy is wasting all of our time with his tantrums. Get off the stage, loser! Just go away!
7
“I hereby demand, and will do so officially tomorrow, that the Department of Justice look into whether or not the FBI/DOJ infiltrated or surveilled the Trump Campaign for Political Purposes ....”
--- Yesterday's Trump Tweet
O.K.
And I hereby demand that the Justice Department investigate you
for:
your wholesale lying to the American people,
failing to pay your rightfully-owed taxes,
your repeated gross violations of the Emoluments Clause of the U.S. Constitution,
being infatuated with Vladimir Putin,
causing the appointments of the most unprincipled and ignorant group of cabinet officers and senior officials ever assembled in the history of the U.S.,
repeated violations of the Mann Act,
molesting women,
consorting with porn stars,
turning the U.S. into the laughingstock of the civilized world by your misspelled, mispunctuated and wholly ridiculous tweets,
conspiring with Attorney Michael Cohen to deprive American voters from receiving information rightfully due them concerning hush money payments designed to protect your dubious reputation,
sullying the reputation of brave and patriotic FBI and CIA officials and Frederick Douglass,
continually wearing a black overcoat and neckties that are six inches too long,
tossing paper towels in the direction of residents of Puerto Rico while they were attempting to recover from a hurricane,
being the father of Donald Trump, Jr,,
etc., etc., etc.
and may G-d have mercy on your soul.
14
Trump hired a crook for a campaign manager. He hired a crook for a National Security pick. He IS a crook who paid for fraud against his customers. His son met with foreign gov reps to dig dirt on Clinton. He lied about showing his taxes. He tried to twist a loyalty oath out of an FBI guy.
Not sure why he should not be expecting there to be an entire army of FBI guys looking into his "business"- then OR now.
Throw him an anchor.
6
this man needs to show humility and honor, he is not the bowling alley "greaseball" that he projects, rather president of the USA..All the the things that we stand for are at risk of being discarded and a lower common denominator could take their place..this man needs to lead with respect for humanity, woman, the rule of law and universal acceptance of other cultures.. and all this before he goes to jail!
2
So much evidence pointing toward foreign assistance and his best defense is "you sent spies to figure me out once you had reason to suspect wrongdoing"??? LOL!!!
As most liars do, 45 re-implicates himself again and again with each variation of protest.
5
MORE Obstruction of Justice. Law enforcement agencies routinely use "flippers" to get more information about crimes. Trump has flipped more people than McDonald's has flipped hamburgers.
This BULL about partisan investigators from the FBI is stinking up the place. Trump does not understand the idea that someone can be from a political party and investigate and prosecute crime objectively. Or they can work for OUR national intelligence agencies and do objective analysis or recommendations.
Does your political affiliation affect the outcome of your work in your job? Would you falsify facts to fit someone else's ideal of right and wrong? If so, Trump has a job for you.
3
More smoke screen. Accuse accuse and like he said about his wrong statements about Canada “I just make things up.” Exact words. We knew that. Many hundreds of lies factually add irrefutably delineated over and over and growing daily. This from the first president who wouldn’t condemn the actions by racist neo nazis in Charlottesville standing on a sabbath across the street from a synagogue as storm troopers sending a fearful congregation of seniors out the back door. Couldn’t condemn their supporter who killed a young woman with his car intentionally. Investigate the DOJ? We should investigate every one in the administration! We should question under oath they lying dr Jackson who said perfect health. Haha. His bribe was the VA appointment but unlike Mulvaney and Pruitt who don’t pass the smell test he evaporated unqualified and creepy. The prior VA head Shulkin was highly qualified, brilliant and had run a major medical center. This typical accusatory Trump tactic along with bat s crazy Rudy is a big stinky corrupt GOP/NRA (now one body) ploy. Like the tax bill just more protecting their interests for personal gain and power old guys unaware the planets in peril. In case you don’t get it, it’s all connected and this President and associates don’t care about you or me.
3
OUT: Trump's a Liar and Lunatic For Saying Obama and Brennan Spied on Him
IN: Of Course Obama and Brennan Spied on Trump; It Would Have Been Dangerous NOT To!
Holy shifting goalposts Batman!
1
We are watching a president decompensate in real time.
2
A failing and flailing president.
4
Candidate Trump - 'I'll drain the swamp.'
President Trump - 'I'll drain my personal cesspool into the swamp.'
Trump's legacy - 'I degraded 'Washington the swamp' into 'Washington the sewer.'
3
It really is time this goon was removed from office (and that's an understatement). He is beyond repair and will remain so for the rest of his life.
4
President Donald J. "I demand" Flim-flam is headed for a fall. Nothing he can do to escape his fate. Punishable pride, indeed.
3
Wait a second. The New York Times is holding back. Trump exerting political pressure on Rod Rosenstein is a story. However, there's a giant gaping hole in the explanation behind Trump's spy accusations. The right-wing publication "The Daily Caller" recently outed a longstanding intelligence informant for the US government because the informant provided information on Trump campaign affiliates to the FBI. Now Trump is calling on the DOJ to investigate the justification for maintaining the secrecy of intelligence sources while putting pressure on the leader of his own DOJ investigation. Theoretically, the effort is aided by none other than Devin Nunes. Does anyone else see a problem here?
We can safely assume someone in Trump's orbit outed the informant intentionally which also underwrites the current attack on Rosenstein. Why isn't the Times reporting on the connection? The only reference I've seen was one paragraph in a long form article about the Mueller investigation's origins. The Times knows something they're not telling us.
1
When he is impeached from office, Americans need to demand that all judges appointed by this administration are removed and all rulings involving Neil Gorsuch are revisited.
5
It is obvious with this latest lashing out by Trump that he is very concerned about his son Donald, Jr. and the recently released information about junior meeting with OTHER governments besides Russian operatives.
And why would the FBI need to "infiltrate" his campaign when he and his circus act do everything in the open like - discussions with Prime Minister Abe in front of waiters recording, attorneys drinking too much and talking loudly at Washington, D.C. restaurants, staff who can't wait to get on t.v. and run their mouths - who needs special operatives when you have Rudy, Omarosa, and Scaramouch?
4
This bogus claim by Trump is another attempt to undermine and interfere with the investigation into whether he colluded with foreign powers to win the election.
The FBI did not use a "spy" and did not insert anyone into the Trump campaign organization. The FBI asked someone who knew Carter Page to ask him about his contacts with Russian officials and to inform the FBI of Page's answers. That is standard operating procedure for the FBI and has been for decades.
Trump is only able to get away with such interference into the investigation because Republicans are protecting him and also engaged in a cover-up. They need to listen to what should be the real meaning of what Trump said “Republicans and real Americans should start getting tough on this Scam,”
3
This threatened inquiry of the inquiry is the equivalent of "I know you are, but what am I?" More playground tactics from Donald Trump.
3
Trump will have ample opportunity to challenge the admissability of evidence during a trial.
Meanwhile, isn't Trump saying all evidence gained in this manner, in any matter across the country, is illegitimate? So much for law and order.
3
Innocent people respect efforts by law enforcement not try to kneecap it.
4
Interesting. So, as I understand this, if the FBI gets some information, they cannot investigate in secret (or at all, maybe).
Ah, but the "demands" are all part of the game to constantly remind his base that "they" are out to get us. Oh, and it feeds the news cycle. All Trump All the Time.
1
Mr Trump spends most of his time spouting about the one thing he knows least: himself.
1
It's important find out if there was any impropriety when the counterintelligence probe was opened. Unlike criminal probs, counterintelligence probs exist almost soley to 'learn stuff.' Russia was mucking around and Trump, like most tycoons, is associated with unsavory characters. Why not have a look around? If the FBI violated procedures then, they can do it again in the future elections; against a Democrat.
2
Just read that 100 lawmakers proposing J. Jordan as successor for Ryan.
So, I herewith request that given the facts that the US admin has completely lost its marbles, Norway assumes complete power of attorney over the US in all key matters, including access to nuclear capabilities.
That way we will avoid complete disaster.
America, what happened?
2
Donald better be careful what he asks for, because he may get it. What would he do if the FBI points to direct intel threats, solicitations and communications between the campaign and the Russians, Ukrainians, Qataris, Saudis, Emiratis, Israelis or others?
One thing we must avoid is applying differing moral and legal standards to both political parties and to law enforcement efforts.
Still, when it comes to spies and national security, I prefer that government errs on the side of safety.
5
What American would ever refer to what the FBI does as spying, except for the Russians or colluder? I think Trump is having a Freudian slip moment.
1
Argument ad hominem.... is that thing anymore?
Back in the day, Trump's behavior would have been cited as a modern example of this logical fallacy in introductory logic classes.
Trump attacks people, never the facts. Doesn't deny the meetings with foreign agents took place. Doesn't deny his staff and family members were in those meetings. Instead everyone questioning the motivation behind these facts is a hack, is corrupt, is spreading fake news or is part of the evil left wing liberal agenda-- whatever that is.
The FBI was likely watching the foreign agents, and began to take interest in the Trump campaign when Trump's started having meetings with them.
3
Interesting, a politically motivated investigation because of concern of a politically motivated investigation
Time to once again remind everyone that there has been nothing presented anywhere that exonerates either the President, his election campaign, nor is company for that matter, of potential charges of collusion and obstruction of justice. This is little more than "working the refs", which is not something an innocent party is inclined to do.
1
Wowie, Zowie, Batman! Prince Harry and Megan Markle's wedding on Saturday sure took a lot of attention away from that narcissist president of the U.S. He had to tweet a really far-fetched, wild conspiracy theory on Saturday about his victimized little self, to grab back some headlines.
Everybody knows he doesn't know how to govern. There is no infrastructure plan. No foreign policy other than bullying. No discussion of gun violence. No healthcare policy, no science, no plans for education, no environmental policy, no housing plans, nothing! Just like Nothing but "look at me" and "let's divide America so it will fall."
Holy red herring Batman! ". . . I find mr. trump to be odious, abhorrent, and insegrevious."
3
By ordering to investigate the FBI for his own interest - while he demand to shut down Mueller's one, it is absolutely clear that - Trump is putting his own selfish & narcissistic interest ahead of our national security.
From what we see - neither Mr. Mueller, nor anyone else in his organization ever mentioned - or even hint that, his main objective is to "get Trump". Only to find out the extend of Russia's involvement with our election.
Had Trump been forthcoming with legal authorities and during the Transition period, sit with heads of CIA, NSA & FBI and disclose all his dealings with Russians & other foreign businessmen - by now he would remove the cloud hanging over his head.
1
All that Trump fans can say when confronted with Trump's clear misuse of office for his own personal benefit in violation of the Constitution is .." Well what about Bill and Hillary, or that Muslim from Africa, Obama.."
This tells us what we face as a nation: a closed-minded minority that supports the most ignorant and unscrupulous racist, Donald Trump, to ever occupy a major US office vs. the an up-to-now silent majority of voters that cannot afford to remain silent at the polls for even one more election anywhere, anytime.
4
It is interesting that Trump is so interested in getting the findings on some issues, but only allowing the GOP to see them. Nunes will not share the information with the Democratic members as he has shown in the past. If people can't see the obstruction going on, they are blind. Trump is openly encouraging (and supporting) people like Nunes to do their bidding for them. This is an issue for the people, not just the GOP.
The President ought to be more concerned with how Russia infiltrated our election than whether the FBI infiltrated his campaign. But what else would we expect from our massively egotistical "leader"? And given how amateurish he and his organization are, it's not as if some deep undercover sting was required - basic media inquiries have uncovered much of their misdeeds.
But because he's so powerful, and backed by powerful forces, simple truth and justice are no match for the deception and subterfuge he can throw up to stymie and entangle any investigations. Add to that the complicity of Republicans, both in Congress and the SCOTUS, and removing him from office will be almost impossible.
Our democracy has been well and truly hijacked.
3
I think trump is starting to sweat. Mueller is finding too many witches.
5
Sorry, a Russia inquiry is what happens when you meet Russians (and other countries Reps) in Trump tower before the election!
5
Perhaps if Trump hadn't surrounded himself with shady characters an informant wouldn't be necessary. I'm hoping that Justice is approaching this case from a RICO perspective in addition to obstruction of justice. The president is overseeing a criminally corrupt organization. The campaign was corrupt and the administration is corrupt.
15
1640 -- that probably is one of the silliest comments I've read. What criminally corrupt org are you referring to? The democratic party? The FBI? The IRS? Our intel agencies under Obama?
2
well...Americans can believe what they read in the New York Times or what they hear on Murdoch's Fox News. Unfortunately, this may have a tragic ending, as Americans are not looking real sharp these days.
2
“Things are really getting ridiculous...” Well, I can agree with Trump there. Having known two personalities similar to the president's, bravo to Rod Rosenstein! As the ridiculous tantrums of the child-in-chief reach screeching and hazardous decibels, the Deputy Attorney General threw him a pacifier. How long will it last?
8
Who are these “real Americans” Trump is begging for help. The man lives in a paranoid fantasy where the REAL is buried in his sick lies.
3
"Real Americans" is TrumpCode for the Russian intelligence community...
2
This is ridiculous. If Donald Trump has nothing to hide, he why isn't he sitting down and speaking to Mr. Mueller?
He is making the simple action of answering questions into creating one distraction after another.
Sit down and tell the truth Donald, and cut your shenanigans out.
8
If he tells Robert Mueller the truth (not likely) he'll have to admit that he committed crimes.
If he sits down with Mueller and lies he'll be committing perjury.
I guess this explains Trump's behavior. He's been caught.
5
Dear Mr. President: The DoJ is doing its job. If you weren't so Captain Queeg-like, and, if you oriented yourself to how the US Government works before your presidency is over, you'd know that. If you were being presidential about this, you'd request Hillary Clinton's campaign be investigated for DoJ surveillance, too. We all understand your alarm, of course, because we already know you have had Russians crawling all over everything you've done for the last decade+.
8
I put this claim in the same basket with voter fraud by the millions and the largest presidential inauguration ever. Unfortunately if the Justice Dept. is forced into looking into this, it will cost millions of tax payer money that the Republicans so dearly cherish.
7
I'm surprised the NYT is not reporting here that this "demand" by Trump follows the directive by His Arrogance, Sebastian Gorka, just over a week ago on Fox News:
"FBI, DOJ should be investigated over alleged mole inside Trump campaign: Sebastian Gorka"
Published May 11, 2018 PoliticsFOXBusiness
It is beyond disturbing that Fox seems to be running our nation.
8
This is a Classic Case of Begging the Question (which, by the way, does NOT mean inviting the, or a, further question!!!). Begging the Question is the Fallacy of Assuming the very point that the Conclusion is seeking. In thinking that our Justice Department and our Intelligence Agencies had NO right to question or investigate anyone from the Trump Campaign assumes the very thing which we are attempting to conclude. DID anyone from that Campaign conspire to break the Law? When you get caught red handed you don't get to say that it broke the law to try to determine if another law was broken. Trump needs to shut up until we find out if his campaign was involved with Russian Meddling. AND there WAS Meddling.He does not get to tell the American People that since the was "NO Collusion", the "infiltration" was somehow illegal or unjustified.First there was no "infiltration". The FACT of the matter is that there were suspicious activities that started this train and you don't get to then say we had no right to follow through on investigating that activity. They do NOT get to conclude that since there was no conspiracy, any investigations are ONLY politically motivated, illegal activity.
3
The real story that needs to be told is how this man became President of the United States. Why was he not vetted and brought down long before he made it to a primary? That is the real charge against the FBI and the Justice Department.
8
It is our Justice Department's job to investigate any effort by foreign agents to infiltrate our government. As it is now proven that agents of Trump's campaign met with foreign agents offering to collaborate with his campaign in projecting foreign influence into our election, we know that it was in fact the justice department's duty to monitor the activities of Trump's agents. Why does Trump think that it's a bad thing for law enforcement to do its job? His anarchistic anti-police mindset is harmful to our country and his presidency is a threat to our national security.
5
Who are these “real people” Trump is begging for help? I am real and I don’t believe one word Trump says. My Republican membership has lapsed since this pathological lying president took office.
6
Where on earth are the Republican congressional leaders? This circus is so egregious as to threaten the republic and they sit on their thumbs and look the other way. The democrats should push for the censure of the whole lot. Their cowardice and collusion would make Nixon blush.
5
Donald Trump has not hesitated to turn the institutions of government against themselves to protect himself. He will do whatever it takes, including actions that tear this country to shreds, to preserve his image. It's venality and irrationality on a level that's difficult to comprehend.
2
Trump has wondered repeatedly why the Obama administration didn't do more to counter Russian election interference. Well, now it looks like the FBI did at least take some obvious investigative steps in that regard. So what's the problem?
Trump and his allies have said that law enforcement failed to investigate the "obvious" warning signs exhibited by the Parkland school shooter. Would it have been improper if the authorities had used an informant to learn about some of his threats or violent tendencies? Of course not.
So what gives here? It would have been negligence bordering on treason to not investigate the Trump team's interactions with known Russian operatives and other foreign representatives. Remember the context: there was a known, ongoing Russian influence campaign targeting the U.S. election, and there had already been the hacking of the DNC servers. And, as time went on, the U.S. participants in these meetings lied about them ever taking place, provided misleading statements, and failed to disclose the interactions in testimony as well as on multiple security clearance forms. NOT PURSUING OBVIOUS LEADS IN THIS REGARD WOULD HAVE BEEN AN ACT OF GROSS NEGLIGENCE.
6
Those who are most amazing are the Trumpists who refuse to acknowledge that the FBI has the right under the law to investigate justified suspicion of foreign interference in a US election. There were a myriad of smoking guns including inside leaks from the Trump crowd, ergo the legal investigation of Russian activities even by covert methods. These Trumpists are the same hypocrites that chanted "Lock her up!' referring to Clinton's possible server rule violations. If one is able to vote for Trump, one is able to believe anything and everything he says. Sad!
7
"No Drama Obama" failed to expose Russian election interference because he didn't want to be seen as partisan. He was as much at fault as Comey for not revealing to taxpayers what was happening and for not vigorously acting against our adversaries. Not being political is a political act.
3
He sure does act guilty, doesn't he?
4
today's guest attorney on NPR put it best: "he seems to have decided he's going to lose in a court of law, so he's trying very hard to take it to the court of public opinion."
2
Trump sure does act like he has something to hide.
3
Obama, as president, was, in a word, pragmatic. It occurs to me that if one were to pick a word that best describes Trump, for most of us, I think the word 'abuse' would be the first that would come to mind.
In this case we're seeing another example of his abuse of power. But if you think about it, abuse of the press comes to mind, abuse of women comes to mind. How about abuse of immigrants, abuse of members of his administration, abuse of members of congress, abuse of foreign leaders and dignitaries - and abuse after abuse after abuse.
How to put a stop to this? It's congresses job, but if anything, they'll just continue to be complicit in their role. We're just going to have to wait and do it ourselves - on Election day - that day (those days) can't come soon enough.
3
It seems pretty clear that the FBI had no interest in Mr. Trump's campaign. The FBI's interest was, however, legitimately focused on all the crooks and traitors who so prominently filled Trump's campaign ranks.
During most of my seventy years I've been a progressive. I marched against Vietnam and for the first Earth Day. However, there's no reason to be against Trump's call for an investigation of the Justice Dept and the FBI. I remember the abuses the FBI committed against progressives in the 60's and 70's. It wouldn't surprise me if the FBI committed abuses in the 21st century.
42
The only problem - do you trust Trump not to manipulate the investigation he is calling for?
34
Jim Comey handed him the election. We know the FBI has committed abuses in the past, Republicans have never had a problem with it as long as it wasn't against their own.
In the case of the informant, FBI was doing their job. Of course in Trumpland there is no rule of law. The FBI should have exposed the Trump campaign's ties to Russia before the election.
63
Yes there is. Trump is trying to destroy the rule of law. J. Edgar Hoover has been gone a long time now. The DOJ and the FBI are good guys.
30
I say let it all hang out, all the dirty laundry, no matter whom it hurts. I don't care whether it hurts Trump or his adversaries. The public needs to know who authorized the investigation into the Trump campaign, what the specific facts were that triggered and justified the investigation, and who in the Obama White House was told about it. We need to know all the facts in great detail. Trump's failure to date to declassify everything and order it all disclosed suggests that there's information there that he would find embarrassing or worse. I don't care. Let it all hang out.
47
maybe... but not always. we also need to learn greater sophistication and judgement when it comes to people manipulating "the attention economy". just because there's a specific phrase or question shouted/blasted out repeatedly, doesn't necessarily mean it's worth anyone's time. it might be counterproductive to give everything attention/amplification/oxygen just because it's there, without careful examination of its agenda, evidence, and merits.
if someone said to you, "how strong is the evidence connecting exercise to weight loss, really? I'm just asking questions and encouraging alternative views. If we let all sides be heard, we'll know more." it would be obvious it's agenda-driven. maybe it's about selling a specific diet shake; but it's also about crowding the airwaves, setting up a false equivalency where evidence vs. no-evidence is just "different viewpoints", and in the end making a world where it's easier to sell snake oil.
9
It will all come out. Watergate didn't fully unfold overnight.
15
...and in that case an equivalent investigation should be commenced, as to whether the GOP and its unofficial "partners" improperly surveilled his opponent's campaign.
2
We need to get rid of Trump or nullify his power as soon as possible. I do not mean we should impeach him which I fear is impossible under the constitution -- as we learned when the Republicans tried to impeach Bill Clinton.
We must impeach him by thwarting his power at every turn possible -- in the house and in the Senate and by holding marches and demonstrations at every opportunity until he chooses to resign in frustration.
That would be difficult but impossible.
1
Pajaritomt -- maniacal statement. So you want the president to fail. On what grounds? You don't the economy running well? You don't want to see peace in Korea? How about no more ISIS? Tax cuts? What exactly do you want to thwart?
2
The man in the White House sure gets himself worked up when things don’t go his way personally. Will he and his republican minions ever show this much passion, anger and resolution to ending gun violence and the continual slaughter of America’s children in our schools and streets? How about calling for the investigation of NRA lobbying?
6
This is getting old and tired. Nobody is above the law? Wrong, Trump is. Let's just admit it. As a once proud nation, we're toast. Embarrassed to be an American.
6
Investigation? Knock yourselves out. I'm confident that the only thing likely to be discovered is that the FBI was looking into how the Russians got into bed with Trump—literally and figuratively.
3
Trump, by clamoring for more investigation of his campaign, may be helping to expose the misconduct,of his own flunkies. I never thought we would have a President chosen with Russian help.
4
For Angry. The reason nothing was done to flip
trump till now is that there is no truth to his fury. The man is ill and lies.
3
Once again he acts like the guilty traitor he is: if the FBI did have a "spy" embedded in their campaign, that would clear up this whole collusion and conspiracy to undermine our elections, no? Just ask the "spy" what he saw, no collusion and conspiracy, right? Wrong! Because he and his criminal family and den of traitors are guilty of so much it's mind-boggling.
7
Do we really want bureaucrats taking sides?
1
Thinking adults have are painfully aware the utterly corrupt obama administration used American intelligence agencies to spy on, undermine the GOP, the Trump candidacy, protect criminal felon Mrs. Clinton and her unfaithful, immoral partner in crime (Bill). With two standards of justice in America, does one really expect the center to hold..? Is the political system beyond repair? Sadly, it appears so. Will this comment see the light of day?
6
Decades of partisan investigations into the Clintons found nothing culpable except Bill lying under oath about a consensual dalliance, and that wasn't for lack of trying. The double standard is being applied for sure, with the heaviest scrutiny on th Clintons, not on the proven fraud Trump (Trump University) who is in all likelihood being blackmailed by Putin, the only head of state he hasn't offended one time or another.
1
Exceptional claims demand exceptional proof. Provide it
1
As a real American, I look forward to the day when Trump and his family of grifters are marched off to prison. It may take some time to arrive at that conclusion but it will be worth the wait.
8
The FBI SHOULD investigate all suspicious activity that could cause national damage. The Trump team fits this criteria to a T.
6
Can you imagine what the Right would be saying if Hillary was President (or Obama for that matter) and opened an investigation into the Benghazi investigation led by Trey Gowdy and other members of the GOP?
3
The Justice Department should raise a back hand towards Trump, then slowly lower three fingers and a thumb - Just as he has done to everyone and everything since he started his political career based on racist fueled lies.
The man belongs in jail - Period.
4
The notion that the F.B.I., the same F.B.I. whose director torpedoed Clinton's campaign, was out to get Trump is preposterous.
8
No president in history, even Nixon or the teapot dome boys are bigger liars or more crooked than Trump and his team.
Hillary and Bill have done some very foolish things and Bill's peccadilloes are well documented. But they are small fry perps (if that) by comparison to Con Don. I'm not enthralled by everything Clinton, and certainly they are far from perfect. But...
To my knowledge, "crooked Hillary" hasn't declared bankruptcy five times and walked away with millions while (her) investors took the major losses (like Trump did). Nor did Bill or "crooked Hillary" repeatedly stiff contractors for legitimately billed work like Trump did MANY times. All well documented.
Just sayin.
3
And how about the Trump U fraud that cost countless young people their life savings. Trump settled out of court for $25 million shouting "I am guilty as charged!" at the same time.
2
Who else noticed that out of ALL the pre election Wikileaks and phony Facebook machinations NONE went against Trump. There were NO negative Wikileaks related to the Republican Party or to Trump.
I don't know about "you" but I'd bet my phony tax cut benefits that the Russians (et al) had and have plenty of dirt, hacked emails, etc. embarrassing to Republicans or worse, but decided NOT to use it. Since they clearly wanted to disrupt US and preferred the incompetent and easily manipulated Trump over Hillary Clinton.
Furthermore all of Trumps counter claims, and witch hunt whining are not the behavior of someone with nothing to hide. He's a self dealing crook who lies almost as much as he breathes.
WHEN are we going to see Trump tax returns. Answer: never if it's up to Trump. Why? Because no doubt they substantiate he's worth no where near what he claims AND there's likely info which might prompt further investigation into quasi legal deals and money laundering.
I urge everyone to read the New Yorker article from a year or so? ago about the deals Trump's organization was working on with corrupt arms dealers in Azerbaijan. I'm confident that you can find it via Google or on the New Yorker site. That article (among others) really shows you what Trump & his guys are capable of... and it ain't good!
2
He won. What does it matter what happened during the campaign? It evidently didn't help Hillary. The more he calls for these investigations the more likely they are to find something with which to crucify him (or Don Jr.). Of course Nunes is keeping things stirred up too. Hope Trump never stops suddenly or he will bring Nunes neck. Why can't he let all the past election stuff go & accept that he won & start acting like a man who won?
1
The president is a madman and must be legally removed immediately. It may already be too late to repair our battered, abused and insulted democracy.
8
The president is bonkers, a true paranoid. He needs medical care and he needs hospitalization before he causes a major war.
The Republican Congress has known this for sometime. In fact, many have already skipped town and retired. Those remaining are either too proud or leaning toward fascism (Nunes). No matter how you look at it the American government is in caos and the Republican Party has self-destructed and will never recover from this disaster they brought on themselves. Another Nixon debacle.
13
There is no point in attacking an imaginary creature with a real sword.
4
The Liar should check his «wires»!
Tha man is paranoid.
5
Just like any other two year old having a temper tantrum. Hey Don, it's your people who are leaking and informing on you.
5
Gee, does this idiot not thing that when your people are meeting with Russians 24/7, it would not attract the attention of the FBI? That's what they are supposed to do to keep our country safe and identify those that would collaborate with them to harm our nation. Maybe because he's compromised by them and will do their bidding, he cares nothing about protecting America first. This guy has no business as even a doormat in the WH, much much less as President. What an abomination.
5
can't wait for Trump's FBI and NSA to "eavesdrop" or employ "informants" on Liz Warren's campaign in 2020. let's see what the NYT thinks then...
6
Trump is completely out of control. that Paul Ryan and Mitch McConnell allow this Behavior to continue is anathema to the health of this country.
No President should be insinuating himself into the CIA or the FBI or the whole justice department. the Justice Department is supposed to be independent of the president. It is a branch of the government called the Judiciary! hello!
if Trump is innocent, he should act innocent but the fact is that he is using this government position to enrich himself and his company and his children. The fact that he has received many patents after the conference in China; the fact that one of his companies in Indonesia is now floating in cash after he retracted the tariffs against China ;the fact that the money that is coming from his hotel on Pennsylvania Avenue is making incredible profits that are supposed to be donated to charity according to Trump, but are not is very powerful statement that Trump is acting like a dictator not like a present president of the United States.
7
Go ahead and give Trump what he wants. The most likely result is a reaffirmation of whatever the FBI did, and an exposition of why the actions of the Trump election team were highly suspect.
3
The DOJ has been fighting to keep those documents secret for over a year.
3
The GOP-initiated special investigation in to Bill Clinton took over 4 and a half years and never included potential treason as the subject matter. Seems to me that we have more than enough reason to allow Mueller to be at least as thorough as the GOP paid Starr to be. The stakes are much higher here.
7
Were he still alive, Roy Cohn would have told Trump to throw dust in the face of his perceived enemies. This demand is dust and will not deter Mueller's team from getting to the truth about collusion. Trump's hysterics just make valid charges against him appear more inevitable.
4
Of course the FBI was going to investigate the people in Trump's campaign involved in suspicious activity with the Russians. So far there have been dozens of indictments against people from every echelon of his campaign. Willingly seeking information from a foreign adversary to influence a presidential election is a crime and something tells more indictments are on the way.
This is indeed a "which hunt," as in 'which' one of Trump's team will be indicted next.
3
With his ignorance of the rules of written English. Trump has now created a new entity: the Trump Campaign for Political Purposes.
(I don't know if this has already been noted in comments as there are too many to scroll through right now but thought this was worth mentioning. )
2
What does Trump think is the purpose of a political campaign if not politics?
@Dubious Self-aggrandization? To feed a colossal ego? Trump certainly isn't President because his sense of civic duty compels him
1
Little bits of truth are trickling down, despite all attempts to cover up the FBI's spying on the Trump campaign. These little bits of truth will eventually lead to Obama. Maybe he could seek asylum in Sudan?
6
I'm sorry but Fox news parrots wouldn't know the truth if it hit them and it's quite likely to very soon.
12
We'll see. Given how much lying Trump has done, he may need asylum, perhaps from his dear friend, Putin.
3
Trump is doubling down on his bluff and obviously thinks he can get away with it. I would like journalists, political pundits and past officials to state loudly, clearly and repeatedly that while Trump may not be indicted as President, there is no law to prevent him from being indicted when he is no longer President. And unless he plans to die while in office, he WILL be out of office (hopefully sooner rather than later). As much as I would like to see him rot in prison, it would be better for our country if he negotiated his resignation in exchange for some sort of immunity.
9
This is exactly what GUILTY bullies do. Go on the offensive when the investigation closes in.
Keep it up Mr. Mueller! The pig is starting to squeal.
23
For the president to demand an inquiry into whether the justice department was infiltrating or surveilled his campaign organization is part of the presidents plan to disrupt and discredit the Russia investigation.
The FBI was looking into whether a foreign hostile power, Russia, was trying to gain access to our highest office in our land and that needs to be continued to be investigated. There have been 19 indictments so far, 5 guilty pleas, and 2 criminal trials coming from the Mueller Russia investigation.
Why is the president continually attempting to discredit the Russia investigation? Because his personal lawyer Michael Cohen, his campaign chairman Paul Manafort, and his head of the NSA Mike Flynn have all been swept up in the investigation.
Let's not change our focus because the president is spreading more lies, false narratives, disinformation, and consistently trying to divert our focus from what happened during the campaign and after.
17
If 45's campaign was “infiltrated or surveilled” and HRC's was not, then there needs to be an investigation.
This story gets better and better. 44 will be in jail when this investigation is finally over!!!!
4
You seem to have forgotten that Clinton was under investigation during the campaign. It was in the news. And there is nothing illegal about counterintelligence agencies monitoring contacts with an unfriendly power. Some Trumpsters have already entered guilty pleas. A number of others are under indictment.
7
Right, President Obama forced all of Trump's cronies to meet with the Russians and then he forced them to lie about it over and over again.
7
Hillary's campaign advisors weren't communicating and meeting with Russian intelligence (and then lying about it.)
Also, I don't think that Hillary was planning to build a "Clinton Tower" in Moscow.
And Obama was more than a little cautious in not releasing any details of the investigation into the Trump campaign during the election.
2
I have always known not to do any meaningful business with anyone whom has nothing more to lose. Trump has nothing left and is going for broke. He does not care who goes down with him. He is relying on the fellow spineless and uninformed. I wish that I could accuse him of having vision. No evidence of that. Lack of vision is merely one of this man's pathologies. Support comes from the hopeless.
6
Trump is clearly not interested in protecting our democracy and his compassion and interest in the people of our country is zilch. It's so obvious that he is in this strictly for himself, so that he can add the job of President of The United States on his tainted resume. In my lifetime I have never despised a man who was our president, and that is saying something considering the reign of George W. Bush.
11
The only thing this insanely unintelligent and obscenely self-interested man can do is "chum the waters" with misinterpretations and obfuscations in an attempt to protect himself and his finances.
He continues to slander himself, our country and to defile the precepts of our Constitution.
His self-legend will allow for nothing but destruction, lying and the laying bare of his utter disregard for the rule of law.
He is malfeasance incarnate.
13
Wake up America. We may have the inside information & details of Trump's involvement that Mueller and his team of investigators do... but due to the powerful and hard work of investigative journalists at the NYT, Washington Post, Mother Jones & The Guardian, along with other print and online publications, all of us can have access to important information that illuminates Donald Trump's relationships with Putin, wealthy Russian Oligarchs and Russian Government and Business Leaders. To inform yourself requires reviewing information from sources other than Twitter or Facebook (neither which are known for accuracy or integrity) But to answer the question is our current President connected to Russia in questionable and nefarious ways? You bet he is! Start by finding and exploring this article which has appeared in the Washington Post early in this saga and has been updated earlier this year as more and more connections and informations bubbles to the surface... Google the Washington Post: Here’s what we learned about Team Trump’s ties to Russian interests By Bonnie Berkowitz, Denise Lu and Julie VitkovskayaPublished March 31, 2017 Updated Feb. 23, 2018. Read it, think about it and ask yourself. As a country, Is this WHO we really WANT TO BE? Read it and ask yourself... WHO is Donald Trump Really Serving?
6
Is trump really so remedial he does not know what the FBI or the DOJ do? They investigate, crooks, liars, criminals, elected officials, anyone who breaks the law. No one is above the law, including you trump!
7
Richard, despite your rich fantasizing of the evil Trump being brought low by the minions of Mueller -- when this spying or attempted spying, this asset of the FBI contacted Trump -- he Trump wasn't under investigation for committing any crime. And he still isn't under investigation for committing any crimes.
Face it: This was an attempt to spy on Trump & his campaign. As were the FISA warrants. Mueller is trying to keep his investigation going because he knows once he gives up(he'll have to) then the heat will shift to the FBI activities in 2016 re Trump and that investigation will certainly ask the question -- who ordered it, how high up were they, when did Obama know?
4
Becoming more clear by the day as the "dirt" surfaces from the belly of the FBI that there has been a concerted effort to undermine the Trump Presidency by both Demos and the FBI.
And now the poor NY Times who has fanned the smear for the last 18 months is forced to tell the tale of the "pot calling the kettle black"... Sad but terribly amusing..
7
Have you considered the possibility that Trump has brought all of this controversy upon himself? Do you think his campaign would have been subject to a counterintelligence investigation if he had not brought suspected Russian agents into his campaign? That would have been an easy way for Trump to avoid an investigation -- just don't hire people you think are connected to a foreign adversary...
3
We'll see. Judge not the play before the play be done. Note the guilty pleas and indictments of the Trump crowd.
FBI, CIA, NSA, Planned Parenthood, DEMs, probably also the Little Sisters, all in one conspiracy.
Sure.
1
Keep the investigation going! How else is Trump going to get re-elected? Negative media and the Russia investigation are the primary drivers for Trump's approval rating bump.
4
It is reality that Trump is and has been surrounded by Russian operatives long before Day One of his campaign. It is reality that Trump was bailed out multiple times with Russian laundered money when no other legitimate banks would lend him a dime. It is reality that it took two years of steady GOP obstruction prior to nailing Nixon for Watergate. It is also a reality that those who are primarily fans of Trump's racism and xenophobia and choose to live with their heads buried in the sand will continue to say like Trump: "..well there is just no proof "!!
2
Regarding Trump, the saying "Just because you are paranoid doesn't mean they are not after you" seems to apply. Let's be honest here, it is becoming apparent that during the last months of the Obama administration the intelligence apparatus of the US undertook unprecedented steps to surveil the Trump campaign. It is a legitimate line of inquiry to look into how, and especially why.
6
Few, maybe no other presidents, threaten and demand as much as Trump. He must not know the difference between president and dictator.
4
Apparently a lot of what President Trump has been claiming is true.
The liberal biased press has hidden the sins of the Obama administration for fear of denigrating his memory and achievements.
However if even 10% of this is true it would be cause for a complete reevaluation of the seperation of powers dictated by the constitution.
17
That's a good one. Here you have a president who barely speaks the truth 1/10th of the time, and you bang on about the "liberal biased press".
And as for the Constitution -- does the First Amendment ring a bell?
9
Unlike Trump's deliberate racist Birther lies, if he manages to say something that is true, it is merely by chance.
12
The junk you're peddling here is past retirement age; note that Obama is no longer president.
7
so the Justice Dept is supposed to investigate its own investigation?
2
In a sense, yes. The DOJ’s Inspector General will conduct an internal investigation to determine whether the FBI’s survelliance of the Trump campaign was politically motivated, and if so who gave the marching orders....
7
No, a a respected independent council should.
2
Incidentally, whoever gave the marching orders — even if it were to have been done with only a nod and a wink by a president, let us say — would have a lot to answer for....
It is amazing that the left thinks it's ok for a Democratic administration to place spies or "informants" as the NYTimes likes to say into the presidential campaign of a Republican candidate. What was the precedent? Who ordered it? Based on what?
Furthermore, a dossier funded by the Clinton campaign and the DNC, via a law firm, that was written by a British spy who spoke with high-level Russians was used to get FISA warrants on members of the Republican candidate. The dossier has never been confirmed, nor were the judges who signed off on it told who funded it.
Can you imagine if the roles were reversed, and Bush had done this to Obama's campaign? Heads would roll, and the NYTimes would be calling for impeachment.
Please read what Mark Penn, a Clinton staffer, has to say:
http://thehill.com/opinion/judiciary/388549-stopping-robert-mueller-to-p....
Disgusting.
15
That dossier was originally commissioned and paid for by Republican opponents of Trump as opposition research. Just sayin.
9
OK. That doesn't change anything, obviously.
So if the FBI receives credible evidence that Russians are meeting with the leaders of the Trump campaign to influence the outcome of the election they should do nothing. How much treason is sufficient to warrant FBI involvement?
3
You don’t need to work in the field to understand obstruction of justice. We know Trump fired Comey to relieve himself of the Russia inquiry BECAUSE TRUMP SAID SO HIMSELF. It is very much like the OJ case. We know OJ did it, regardless of how the justice system ultimately handled it. So corrupt and embarrassing. We are the laughing stock of the entire planet right now.
23
“You don’t need to work in the field to understand obstruction of justice....”
That may be true for some but not for you.
1
OJ case reminds me of this situation not because of obstruction of justice, but because of corruption. I don’t need your approval on whether I understand obstruction. My step-father is a retired chief judge of the Air Force. I can assure you - I understand how it works.
Lol, there will always be folks out there looking to energize themselves by talking trash. The OJ piece of my comment was obviously not related to obstruction of justice, more just an observation on America’s corrupt justice system.
1
With this story and that above on Mayor Giuliani reporting that "Mueller will be done by September" we see the strategy of the administration to seek relief from their legal problems in the court of public opinion. And, it could work, kinda! Except there's two problems. First, those who would be likely to buy this are only about a third of Americans, the same group who continue to say in polls that they approve of President Trump. And second, Director Mueller has yet to weigh in with the big stuff. The only one of two ways this strategy could even "kinda" work is that the investigation doesn't come up with much more of great significance, and so President Trump can then luxuriate in saying I told you so. Or, there is still some big stuff coming, and President Trump is trying to set up an option for a last-ditch Saturday Night Massacre of Director Mueller, and is prepping the pubic for that. Except I think that would doom his presidency, as it did for President Nixon, or at least any chance of reelection.
5
Even Nixon, John Gotti and Al Capone had what are loosely described as "principles". If anyone has studied the history of Donald Trump and how he conducted his business operations(4000 lawsuits) and the way he used people as a means to an end, principles are something that has never been in his vocabulary.
4
Isn't this by definition "obstruction of justice?"
6
Actually, it's abuse of power.
5
How many times does Trump have to confess to obstruction of justice before Republicans take it seriously?
1
@ Mnzr,
Of course using the FBI to spy on a political campaign is abuse of power, that is self evident.
Someone must be ready to become a state witness prompting all these suddeb media saga by Mr Guilian. I wonder who? Real Journalists should remain focused seek the facts and truth and don't be distracted by all these noise, which is always inherent if you need good information.
Why is Rosenstein acceding to this ridiculous 'demand ' ? If Trump campaign officials met with Foreign officials, particularly but not exclusively Russian, then it is the JOB of the FBI to investigate. Why doesn't he just SAY it. It's been reported again & again that the number of Trump associates meeting Russians worried the Brits and the FBI. How many times do we have to say this?
13
In the midst of this world wide political wake up the American media is engaged in a diversionary tactic to keep our attention away from the more critical issues that need to be addressed in this transformative light. It was the outside meddling of the latter Bush administrations that demonstrated a need for political reforms at the highest levels of our own government, and was the primary reason the political establishment of both parties were unable to bring a presidential candidate into office. Russia was not the cause of the crisis within our executive branch that allowed an inexperienced politician to usurp the 2016 elections. Even before the election the people had decided that decisive changes need to be made. Our real concern should be about restoring this office to where real leadership could operate once again unfettered and independently for what is best for Americans and the country.
According to reporting, the FBI asked a person who helps them out with counterintelligence investigations was asked by the FBI to talk to members of the Trump campaign who were known to have Russian contacts and figure out what, if anything, they were up to. After this contact is revealed, Trump says the FBI "infiltrated" his campaign.
From what I've read, Page and Pop had more contact with Russians than they did with this FBI "informant," so then it's clear the Russians infiltrated the campaign.
5
Correct me if I'm wrong, but I understand that some governmental agencies watch the campaigns very closely to prevent outside influence from other countries or political entities. Is this something tRump really wants? The term "shooting himself in the foot" would be an understatement.
7
Can we just agree that Trump's devotees and supporters would not have objected to FBI informants in the ranks of the Black Panthers, SDS, Weathermen, or any of the five crime families of NYC? The role of informants is to support justice and the rule of law, not to "spy" on innocents. If the Trump election campaign was a suspected target of Russian interference in the election, use of an informant within the campaign was not only justified, but was critical to protecting the campaign and the integrity of the election.
7
Well given that neither Carter Page nor Sam Clovis were ever implicated in any wrongdoing they certainly were “spying on innocents.”
3
This President and his cronies can't handle 1 year of an investigation, and is concerned it may have strayed away from the inquest into Russian influence? Talk to Bill Clinton who endured 5 years of investigations and was impeached for lying about an extramarital affair ! Or his wife who endured years of investigations into Benghazi with no indictments of her or any of her associates. Trump calls this investigation a witch hunt? Within 1 year there have already been multiple indictments and multiple convictions. This investigation needs to proceed to the end, as determined by the whenever the special prosecutor thinks it's finished.
15
Our current, so-called President, continues to use the techniques of his mentor, the evil bulldog, Roy Cohn.
Misinformation and lies, aggressiveness in response to evidence, and rabble-rousing tactics like speaking to an NRA convention.
This is all meant to intimidate opponents and undermine the rule of law.
While I recognize the the responsibility of the Times and other serious journalists to report this claptrap, I do believe this garbage should be consistently called out for what it is.
We are being prepared for a conflict of Trump's own making when whatever conclusions Robert Mueller reaches are finally presented.
5
There should be an inquiry. The guilty parties leaked to the NYT ahead of the Inspector General's report. They expected a sympathetic story and they got it. Suddenly, the NYT has developped its own dictionary with its own definition of spying. Thus the leakers weren't really spying, they were just collecting information inside an active Presidential campaign. Right. A major new low for the NYT.
17
The NYT is clearly wrong. A spy and an informant are both human intelligence. A spy has an active role to not only inform but other goals such as baiting the target(s) to act. This clearly is what happened since Mr. Carter and Mr. Page travelled to London to only be seduced and entrapped and prosecuted by Mueller. Obviously, the signature of a spy for the purpose of political gain in a heated campaign.
3
The president is consumed by paranoia. He is very ill and needs to be hospitalized. The job is too much for him and he can’t handle it.
15
On Saturday, awaiting the arrival of the Vancouver Island ferry, I fell into conversation with a mother and daughter from Orlando. The conversation varied across topics of weather, the ferry ride, eventually deepening into their fears and dismay at the progress of their country. From the shift of climate to the latest outrage and fear for their teenage daughter following the Texas school massacre, to Trump's administration, this was a family looking for alternatives, to find an escape before it all fell intolerably and irrevocably on them.
The word "escape" brought an air of embarrassment from them, the glance of shame and exposure seen on the faces of refugees of other torn countries. "How many of their friends shared their feelings?" I asked. "All of those we are still able to talk to." was their telling response.
21
Trump's as the President of the United States is obstructing justice when he threatens the Justice Department. I have no idea or even strong conviction that Trump's campaign violated the laws but when any President tries to use his office to prevent an investigation, that President has violated the Constitution. If Obama had tried to use Presidential power the same way Trump is using it, every Republican in the Country would be calling for Obama's execution and the Republican controlled Congress would have impeached him.
26
Read the Constitution. The POTUS is the Chif Executive —i.e, he heads the Executivee Branch. The DOJ is an EB deportment and the FBI is a DOJ sub-agency. Get the picture? The president has the right and the power to call upon a department of the EB to make it is and has been functioning properly, and if necessary to direct that the department’s IG conduct an internal investigation of any suspect activity or conduct. Politically motivated spying, if it occurred, is unacceptable....
1
It now seems that the President is Obstructing the Justice Dept. in real time, with the help of his friends in the "House Freedom Caucus" and FOX News.
And yet, the obstructors of justice are not called to task?
15
Mr Trump and Mr. Giuliani are playing a game. Rather than talk about what has come out of Mr. Mueller’s Investigation that they want to attack the Investigators. Hmm yet a year ago all this Republicians were singing praises of Mr Mueller...... I really believe Trump gets up each morning looks in the Mirror and Says "I'm the President" why can't I just fire everyone and make this all go Away? Trump really wants to show up in a Military Uniform stand in front of the Mike like the Dictators he admires.
8
This is the one thing Trump is a genius at - distract, deflect, obfuscate. If an investigation is getting too close to home, attack the investigators!
Trump has succeeded in removing the idea of objective truth from our political discourse, which is very scary indeed.
8
“This is a nakedly corrupt attempt on the part of the President to derail an investigation of himself at the expense of a human source to whose protection the FBI and DOJ are committed.” Quinta Jurecic and Wittes go into more detail in this Lawfare article.
Borrowed from another poster, but is so very pertinent to this article.
1
We the people demand to see his TAX returns request Justice Dept. to open an investigation immediately.
15
The most dangerous thing about Trump, is not hs stupidity,nor his appointment of industry hacks to regulate those industries, nor even his racist diatribes. the most dangerous think about Trump is that he is using his office to try to stop criminal investigation of him and his associates. It is only in a dictatorship, like Putin;s Russia and Hitler's Germany where law enforcement is a political agency.
18
Is the DOJ and the FBI Trump's personal legal team and police force? He certainly believes this to be true.
Trump is entering into the area of whether or not these actions or orders are attempts to block the investigation of Russian involvement in the 2016 elections and how they worked with various Trump campaign people, including Trump's family. Obstruction of justice was a felony before Trump took over.
Mueller is doing exactly what he is supposed to do under the law.
And, many hard-core Trump supporters in both houses of Congress are sympathetic to Trump and his outrageous claims.
If Trump has done nothing wrong or illegal and has nothing to hide, then why is trying so hard to end the investigation and weasel out of the mess? Only guilty people do that and plead the 5th Amendment.
IF the FBI investigated the Trump campaign, it was due to the links a few of the "higher-ups" in the Trump campaign had close Russian ties (Carter Page for one). Is it illegal or was it an effort by the Obama Admin to thwart the election? Well, they didn't interfere as the FBI and DOJ were doing their jobs.
If anyone suffered as a result of the 2016 elections, it was the American people as Trump ended up "winning".
10
If I recall correctly, Obama went to McConnell to discuss the situation and McC said to let it all play out. GOP knew all about it, and the CIA and FBI too. Deflect deflect deflect!
18
You do indeed, recall correctly.
3
And with the stroke of a virtual key on a smart phone, another boundary is smashed as the justice system bends to the will of the corrupt, burgeoning strong man. We are quickly descending to a dark place where Trump is not just above the law, he is the law.
4
When the constitution was written, there was a concept of a government with 3 branches:
1. Legislative
2. Executive
3. Judicial
It is a mystery to me, why anyone thinks that there is any reason, that the President should not control the Department of Justice, which is clearly in his domain.
Where in the Constitution does it say:
"The FBI should act like a bunch of Janissaries and do whatever they want to"
Nowhere, of course. We are supposed to be a Democracy, not a Police State.
Impeachment of the President has been made into a political tool. It is time for this to stop - regardless of which party the current President is from.
3
“This is a nakedly corrupt attempt on the part of the President to derail an investigation of himself at the expense of a human source to whose protection the FBI and DOJ are committed.” More detail in the Lawfare article.
3
If Hillary Clinton had people in her campaign who were communicating with Russian intelligence we would also want the F.B.I. to find out what was going on.
Aren't you curious about why there were so many ties to the Russian government with Trump's campaign? (And why everyone lied about them?)
There's supposed to be a wall between the Justice Department and the president despite the fact that they are both in the Executive Branch. That's what prevents the U.S. from becoming an authoritarian dictatorship. No one, including the president, is above the law.
2
Trump had ties to Russia because, as a business man, he was trying to do business with them - exactly what he was supposed to be doing. The United States went to great lengths to bust communism, and suck Russia into our sphere of influence.
As business people, his entourage lied because it was their habit to do so; but since Trump left the dirty work to others, he is not impeachable based on what his fired campaign manager or lawyer did. It is the American way.
No one, including the police, is above the law; but, in fact, police corruption is rampant in the United States.
People who have been rotting in jails for 20 or 30 years, are now found to be totally innocent via DNA evidence - evidence that was withheld from defense attorneys. Anyone who doubts corruption of police in American is naive. We have a special expression in our language - "he was framed".
Yes, there are exceptions, many of them, but overall, police on all levels, including Federal, tend to be corrupt in the United States - a mirror of our entire "money first" society.
The Supreme Court has ruled that it is OK for Governors to take graft - that should be sufficient evidence of our corrupt habits.
Well, I DEMAND that Trump release his Tax Returns. So there.
31
The paranoid president talks foolish nonsense. His enemies seem to include anyone who doesn’t kiss up. He has no time to do his job because he is devoted to paranoid fancies.
15
Paranoia begets paranoia. Thus our president, his mind set, the spending of our taxpayer funds.
This country, under Donald Trump has turned into a total farce, getting deeper and deeper every day, layer upon layer.
9
If the there was inside information from unnamed sources that Trump was colluding with a foreign power to win a federal election, why would not the FBI not be fully entitled to check this possibility out?
In addition, the direct connections between Russia and Trump were in plain sight. The Russians bailed Trump out for years with laundered money and they own him. It is no accident that Trump has been surrounded by Russian operatives. Trump has had numerous financial ties to the money laundering Bank of Cyprus, Deutsche Bank, and Russian investors in his property. There are strong links between Russia and Trump's cabinet members and associates including Rick Gates, George Papadopoulos, Wilbur Ross, Felix Sater, Roy Tillerson, Jeff Sessions, Mike Flynn, Carter Page, Paul Manafort (a paid Russian op running Trump's campaign!), Roger Stone etc., etc.. The strong Russian network surrounding Trump was never by chance.
Trump probably didn't even know it was illegal to work with a foreign power to win a US election. He doth protest too much. Lock him up!!
12
If the FBI suspected that a Presidential candidate was involved in activities that may involve collusion with a foreign government to break our laws ,in order to move their campaign forward, then of course they are duty bound to investigate. With this kind of thinking, if the FBI was constrained from investigating a political motivated crime, the public may never have been made aware of Watergate or the extent of the corruption of the Nixon White House. But that is the point of Trump and his GOP enablers in this-To thwart the Special Council , No?
6
Yes.
“This is a nakedly corrupt attempt on the part of the President to derail an investigation of himself......." Lawfare article.
1
Both Presidential candidates were under FBI investigation. Both investigations were politicized and royally screwed up. For those complaining about our precious institutions, they were trashed years ago.
3
Trump is terribly concerned that the public will discover what he's up to. Not an encouraging sign, and the public does have to wonder why.
12
“At what point does this soon to be $20,000,000 Witch Hunt, composed of 13 Angry and Heavily Conflicted Democrats and two people who have worked for Obama for 8 years, STOP!"
I suppose we should ignore the $60,000,000 Trump has spent to play golf. And the fact that much of it went directly into his own pocket.
Or the reality that virtually every senior official running the investigation is a Republican.
Pfffft! Reality, am I right?
30
This is just another tactic for trump to try to distract from the fact that he, his family and his campaign are guilty of allowing Russia to collude in the election so he would win. Trump is the most corrupt president in our history, he continues to profit financially from this "presidency," spend time personally attacking people, has taken more golf vacations than any other president, is constantly trying to distract the investigation with false claims of a "witch hunt," and has damaged the reputation of America, among so many other wrongs. He is a megalomaniac who is completely unqualified to put the interests of others ahead of his own.
24
Donald Trump is making demands of people in the DOJ. Those demands will require actions that some of those people may feel like they cannot do ethically. They will have to quit or speak up as loudly as James Comey has.
What Trump is really asking them to do is denounce Hillary Clinton, Obama, Mueller, Comey, Rosenstein, McCabe, the MSM, the FBI, Meryl Streep, and any personal or political enemy du jour. He is asking again for blind loyalty and carte blanche. He makes absolutely no sense at times and he is asking others to follow like lemmings without remorse.
Some people will, from the bottom of their hearts, not be able to do what he asks and have to make a stand and a choice. Next, he will be making demands of the Supreme Court.
15
Trump is the POTUS; as such, he is the Chief Executive, meaning that he “heads” the executive branch of our government. The DOJ is part of that branch and the FBI is a DOJ sub-agency. So you see, the Chief Executive does in fact have constitutional power to order the DOJ to engage in an internal investigation. In fact, that’s why the Department has an IG....
7
It appears that there was clearly the “insurance policy” justification. It would be a grave danger to our nation for the politicalized use of governmental human intelligence should it be warranted and directed by the FBI and CIA on Americans and based on a DNC campaign smear dossier to stand. The weaponization of any law enforcement agency for political gain is obviously unconstitutional. The Supreme Court will overturn the convictions of Carter and Page. Furthermore, the Justice Department and IG will be required to prosecute Comey, McCabe, Page, and Strzok after establishing their political intents and maybe those who directed them. The illegal use of informant(s) by the FBI & CIA who probably planted the idea of Clinton emails being in Russian hands and was likely upstream to the creation of the Steele Dossier bait and entrapment scheme would turn the tables 180 degrees. It would put Mr. Sessions or his replacement back in charge of this entire “witch hunt”.
5
How do you explain Jared Kushner’s meeting in the Seychelles Islands? Why won’t Trump release his tax returns and resolve a lot of questions, like: How did he fund the condos in Florida without bank loans when he was $400 million in debt? Why did Jared Kushner have to amend his FBI disclosure forms FOUR times - but only after “lying” Washington Post articles exposed his failure to disclose loans and contacts? How do you explain Jared Kushner’s convenient $250K loan a month before the election, which he forgot to mention on his FBI disclosure? How do you explain Jared Kushner’s meeting with the Arab Emirates and his request for a loan from Qatar and then sudden support of a blockade against Qatar, which was against our own military interests (we have a military base there)? And then suddenly a loan to Kushner from Qatar? How do you explain Trump’s head-spinning support for ZTE and Chinese jobs? And then the infusion of $500 million into a Trump project in Indonesia by the Chinese? How do you explain a man who has insulted everyone from John McCain to the POPE, but refuses to say one slightly untoward comment toward Putin? Clearly he’s afraid of Putin. That is obvious. Your answer is that All our good guys are bad and a bankrupt casino operator is the good guy. Well then why doesn’t he put his business into a BLIND trust as everyone else has done? And stop putting taxpayer money into Trump properties? He is CORRUPT.
9
If President Obama or FBI wanted to harm the Trump campaign they would've released Russia meddling evidence / Steele Dossier BEFORE the election.
Trump's desperate raving is simple deflection and obstruction.
23
Steele dossier, a political opposition research paper compiled at the behest of Hillary Clinton, was peddled to multiple media outlets in the waning months of 2016 prior to Election Day. They wisely ignored an unverified smear job by the DNC!
6
Charlie your information on the Trump-Russia dossier, often called the Steele dossier, is untrue. The dossier began at the behest the right wing group The Washington Free Beacon who abandoned the contract when Trump won the nomination. They were Republicans opposed to Trump's and wanted to expose his ties and willingness to work with the Russians. It was published in January of 2017, as is, before the information had been verified. Since that time every bit of information that's been scrutinized has proven to be true and Mueller has indicted many of the people in Trump's orbit including his National Security Advisor who has pled guilty to a felony for lying to the FBI. His campaign manager is wearing two ankle bracelets and his assistant campaign manager has also pled guilty to conspiracy against the United States. Not exactly a "smear job" or a 'witch hunt' if you ask me.
It appears the FBI really did "spy" on Mr. Trump's presidential campaign, using an informant.
I, for one, can't tell whether this is "business as usual" for the FBI, or if the Bureau overstepped its boundaries.
From my perspective, Mr. Trump is right to ask whether the bureau's actions were a legitimate inquiry into possible illegal activity by Russia, or inappropriate meddling in Mr. Trump's campaign.
The Times' coverage of this has been extraordinarily biased, with inappropriate headlines and article commentary, that are passing judgement and presenting such judgments as proven truth, before the facts are in.
10
I’m getting the disturbing feeling that as president, Trump thinks the US government and people are here to serve him and his whims.
19
With his constant attacks on the FBI and Justice Department to protect himself and his family personally, this man is doing more than any foreign military power ever could to destroy the United States of America, He is destroying it from within. He is creating a precedent for all future presidential campaigns that puts any campaign operatives and their activities off-bounds for legitimate criminal or national security investigations by the FBI. He is opening the door wide for the corruption of our elections and the takeover of our government by hostile domestic and foreign actors. If he succeeds, presidential campaigns will be a "safe space" for every white-collar criminal, foreign spy and anti-democracy subversive who can claim association, however tenuous, with a campaign. True American patriots must not let him succeed.
3
I cannot believe the Clintons don't start tweeting about their indictment experiences and do a side by side comparison. I think I would explode if I were them. But then again, we are supposed to go high, when they go low.
Ken Starr and his cronies were and still are the epitome of political persecution. Mueller was respected on both sides of the aisle. The GOP lovED the DOJ and the FBI. Clinton's impeachment started with ONE real estate deal, Whitewater. The pinnacle finding? Monica Lewinsky. Who was spied on by what's her name.
We are talking here about Russian interference in our Democratic System. Never mind Stormy Daniels and a worldwide web of questionable real estate dealings continuing before and during this administration.
The audacity of his tweets and the collusion of the GOP party are jaw dropping. The power of FOX news somehow gives them the bluster to carry on and ignore this treasonous behavior. God Help this nation and its uninformed.
7
The further demands an investigation of the investigation - ya vol - but who investigates the investigators of the investigation? maybe he will appoint giuliani.
3
Donald Trump has successfully
eluded any legal prosecution for over three decades. He and his businesses have been involved in 3,500 lawsuits in U.S. federal and state courts. The topics of the legal cases included contract disputes, defamation claims, allegations of sexual harassment, fraud like Trump University, and non-payment of taxes.Trump threatened legal action in the 3,500 suits.
Where there was a clear resolution, Trump won 451 times, and lost 38! His uncanny ability to skirt the boundaries of the law or settle disputes over his 30 year business career embolden him to continue to so with his unchecked powers as President. It will be a true test of our democratic process to break his "winning" track record and preserve the law of the land.
9
The irony of this “DEMAND” should not be lost on us: in order to ‘learn’ if Obama politicized HIS Justice Department…Trump now seeks to politicize his OWN Justice Department!
But this is ‘of a pattern’: whatever Trump accuses others of doing…he is ALREADY doing himself!
5
Trump ihas crossed the line with this request. If there were people in his campaign who were talking to Russian spies, then the F.B.I. was doing their job iinvestigating what was going on.
It could have been that Russian intelligence infiltrated the campaign without Trump's people knowing about it. But based on the president's behavior, and the mounting evidence of numerous meetings and conversations with Russians during the campaign, it's looking more like a conspiracy.
8
Earlier, President Trump demanded that "his Justice Department" do as he wanted. Wrong. It is my and our Justice Department. I hop that Jeff Sessions remembers that.
7
And the Donald has spoken. And the earth shuddered and the masses quaked. The Donald DEMANDS...
He demands an inquiry.
What a joke. The carnival barking showman, who has lied, cheated, and bankrupted while all the while protecting himself and screwing everyone else.
And he very likely has obstructed justice, and laundered money as well as committing other as yet unknown potential frauds and scams.
Everything is about Donald in his world and twisted mind, and he has manipulated and bullied the office he holds in every conceivable way to further his goals.
He is nothing more than a self serving sociopathic lout who is so beneath the office of POTUS that he is buried in the silt at the bottom of stagnant lake.
It will be a truly glorious day when he retreats in to his gold plated and embossed, engraved shell.
17
Trump and his handlers have apparently decided that the best defense is to go on the offensive -- and few can be as offensive.
3
I hope that by now even Trump's most ardent supporters recognize that their president puts his own self-interests above those of the country. He will say or do anything to elevate himself above all else. While not a psychologist, it seems to me that Trump stopped on the "esteem" level of Maslow's hierarchy of needs. It is all about ego for this man.
9
Erratic behavior befitting a tin-pot dictator.
No concern for protecting our democratic institutions against foreign criminal behavior, Trump's autocratic outbursts signal guilt far more than silence would. Innocent people have nothing to hide. All of this projection must be exhausting for him to maintain. A deluded corrupt man.
10
Any campaign staff with almost every member tied in to Russia in some way should be investigated, and completely so. So far even the public disclosures provides us with enough evidence that the Trump crowd was all tied up in meetings, correspondence, negotiations, and money exchanges with Russian figures. Were I on a jury panel today I would be compelled to vote guilty to collusion between the campaign and Russia.
6
With his demand that the Justice Department immediately launch an investigation into whether the department or the F.B.I. infiltrated his campaign with an intent to sabotage it, Mr. Trump demonstrates that he is a skillful and shameless con man. The idea that the F.B.I., of all organizations, intended to undermine the Trump campaign and help the Clinton campaign is manifestly preposterous based upon the history of what actually happened.
After all, even though the F.B.I. was indeed conducting an investigation of the Trump campaign's possible collaboration with the Russians, at no time during the long election season was there any public disclosure of this potentially extremely damaging information. On the other hand, F.B.I. director James Comey repeatedly notified voters of developments in the investigation into Hillary Clinton's mishandling of emails which obviously did very serious damage to her campaign.
So yet once again Mr. Trump proves his great skill at the "long con" by his elaborate construction of a fable with just enough superficial plausibility to persuade or at least distract the uninformed.
9
First, there were 8 or more years of "investigation" into Clinton. It would seem there would a long way to go to catch up to the money spent to discredit her. Hopefully this investigation will be as effective at discrediting Trump.
Secondly, there is a reason why investigators don't disclose details prior to trial. It is to avoid tipping of the subject of the investigation. As we all know Trump continues to try to spin every piece of information he gets to amend the truth.
Lastly, actions can become legal precedents. Should Trump be allowed to force the release of what is essentially details of the case against him, then law enforcement and the judicial system will feel the ripple in every case from then on.
4
It’s exactly these ‘Political motivations’ that make America Great! If we only allowed GOP members to investigate other GOP members we’d never uncover any wrong doing, and same goes for the Democrats. Our Democracy is all about keeping the other side honest. Show us the evidence and we’ll decide.
Will Trump stop investigating the Clintons because he’s a Republican? I think not.
1
The frightening thing and the threat to our democracy is that some news agencies are reporting this unproven fantasy as though it were a proven fact.
2
Quite lugubriously, Trump's obnoxious obloquy still may not qualify as an impeachable offense, unless Mueller digs up more malignant mumbo jumbo in his past, contributing to national apocalypse of some kind. This nihilistic and megalomaniacal man is probably beyond any redemption. His past misdeeds have made him a more of a teflon dude, rather than coming home to roost.
Harvard law professors themselves seem at odds, about the impeachability of Trump, with the current and existing set of incidences, as exemplified by divergent views coming from Lawrence Tribe and Alan Dershowitz. And a belligerent Trump continues to revel in lashing his tongue out, without both civility and humility.
His inveterate irascibility has become quite irksome, and he has turned, now, his ire towards the DOJ, and FBI. And his coterie? Their acquiescence has remained quite monolithic, resulting in omnifarious obstacles to governing, and passing legislations, etc.
One fondly hopes all these end someday. And that should not be too much to ask. Or is it?
4
I love that Trump tweeted, “Republicans and real Americans should start getting tough on this Scam,” because his choice of words seems to suggest that 'Republicans' and 'real Americans' are two separate groups.
15
If President Obama (or anyone in his administration) did call for surveillance of Trump's campaign he was totally within his rights. Trump seems to have forgotten that he publicly called for the Russians to interfere on his behalf during that campaign, and it was already known at the time that the Russians were suspected of hacking into the computers of the DNC.
Would that Comey had chosen to investigate the Russian interference into the election, and the suspected connection to the Trump campaign with more vehemence, rather than releasing his unvetted "October Surprise".
7
It is human nature to project your own thoughts and motives onto the actions of others.
Thus, by accusing Obama of using the FBI to spy on him, DJT is actually disclosing that he would use the FBI to spy on others.
Be careful, Big Brother will be watching you...
5
So, Trump has finally lost his nerves and is trying to use the Department of Justice to run his own personal agenda.
"May you live in interesting times" has just come true and yes, it is still a curse, one that now, after such a long time, has finally befallen Trump.
3
We need to know if the Obama administration was spying on a rival political campaign using the FBI. If so this goes way beyond Watergate.
4
It heartening to know that when Trump opens up an investigation with the DOJ and FBI into the next Democratic candidate for President in 2020 on a pretense, that so many readers here will accept this without question and find no need to understand exactly why that happened.
3
Someone with knowledge about how separation of powers is supposed to work needs to sit forty-five down and explain it to him, without pulling any punches. This is a looming disaster and his acolytes need to stop catering to his every whim. Despite his over-the-top narcissism, he cannot order Justice Department officials to do anything. Said officials--including Mr. Sessions--need to stop hand-wringing and start standing up to him. Getting fired should be seen as a badge of honor in this administration.
2
Sorry, Kathleen, but you’re the one who needs to do the studying. Trump is the POTUS. He is the Chief Executive and heads the Executive Branch, so in a sense everyone in that branch is under his command. The DOJ is an EB department and the FBI is a sub-agency of the DOJ. So you see, the President can indeed give the DOJ directives. In fact, if the POTUS suspects that one of the agencies in the EB has engaged in improper activity he has an obligation to find out who did what, when and why...
1
“I demand” - who is this completely incompetent , useless , dishonest and essentially worthless person to “demand” anything?
He hasn’t earned that much respect.
9
Robert Mueller III must be getting close. Squirrel! The POTUS distraction noise is getting louder and more frequent. I would expect the FBI to investigate any report or tip one presidential candidate's staff or representatives were meeting with Russians.
Trumps tweets ought to be immediately run through Politifact and immediately followed up with what little within them has an actual relationship with truth. It may give his supporters a moment to assess whether their blind allegiance is really worth it.
5
Dear President Trump,
Please shut up. You're embarrassing yourself and the rest of the nation. Your Twitter posts show you to be ignorant of due process, emotionally immature and intellectually lazy. They also suggest that you really do have something to hide.
I find it surprising that no one on your staff has pointed this out to you before.
You're welcome.
10
So it comes out that additional countries besides Russia with strong ties to Trump and his businesses were interested in helping Trump get elected, and this is his response? After representatives of those countries met with members of his campaign? Who does he think he’s kidding anyway? Apparently only himself.
4
Mr. President,
We can confirm that the FBI did surveil members of your campaign because of suspicious contacts with agents of the Russian government and Russian oligarchs and agents from other countries which were actively working to help you win the 2016 election. We will surely let you know what the investigation finds.
The FBI
3
When will the GOP stand up to this tin pot dictator from a third world country? (Sarcasm intended!)
5
It is quite amazing to read all the comments from people who will not accept that this man is their President. He wants the investigators investigated and many Americans agree with him, even those like me who were not Trump voters but never had ounce of trust for the previous administration. And after all he could have elected to declassify all.
The Obama Administration used the IRS to selectively deny conservative groups tax-exempt status when they sought to participate in the 2012 elections. There were few consequences for Lois Lerner and Co. Think of what happened to Bernie Sanders' campaign pushed aside to clear the path for Clinton. And don’t even try to tell us that was done without Obama’s benediction. We could write a book about the scandal free administration. With those precedents, the Obama people likely had few qualms about using the CIA and the FBI against their Republican opponent. Aided and abetted, of course, by illegal leaks to the eager partisans in the media.
Had Clinton won as expected we would know nothing about this and they were counting on it.
She would have felt extremely confident in continuing the trend spying and prosecuting political opponents.
8
There was never a plot by the Obama Administration to "selectively deny" conservative groups anything. Another fake outrage/conspiracy theory campaign by Republicans...add it to the list. Spend some time online reading and learning the "facts".
As to your "logic" about the Obama Admin's "qualms", let me know where the parking spot is for the 18-wheeler that anybody not stewing in "Bernie was burned" and/or Obama/Hillary derangement fantasies could drive through it.
4
Oh please, Bernie Sanders again???
Look. He's not even a Democrat, so of course he didn't get the full party backing as a candidate...BUT, he did get a lot of financial support from the DNC to mount his campaign.
And unless you're clairvoyant, you have no idea what Clinton would have done had she won, but she certainly wouldn't have employed the Russians to help her get to the White House. Get real.
4
The Trump campaign was infiltrated by the same person who infiltrated Jimmy Carter's campaign. This is well known now. Never Trump members of the FBI wrongfully engaged in political espionage. The Russian interference charge is completely bogus.
4
It's good to know that you're so sure of your asserions that you make them without including a shred of evidence. Just like Trump, just like Fix News, just like Breitbart, etc.
It doesn't matter how forcefully you say something and how many times you repeat it; that doesn't make it true.
Let's see what Mueller has on Trump, OK; then we'll decide.
6
I am starting to imagine the US as a failed democracy, like so many that litter the earth - it will be a long slow grind into disfunction, with the mentally ill and the poor increasingly homeless and living on the streets, gun violence ever more prevalent, environmental destruction unchecked, infrastructure neglected and crashing down in huge disasters every few months, and a cast of despair over most of our lands, except where the plutocrats live in their gold plated and fabulously wealthy dachas. Like East Hampton.
5
This article reasons from a denial of the truth of Trump's assertions. Okay, it's Trump, so it may all be lies.
BUT, what would we want if any of this was true?
Would it be okay for Trump to do these things to the next Democratic candidate?
4
Mark -- progs don't care about precedent. They live in the now and they want their needs and wants satisfied immediately if not sooner. If it worked against Trump, it's all good. The enemy of my enemy is my friend. Even if it means we can have a police state where agent provocateurs in suits can manipulate the outcomes of elections and crush those who disagree with their political views.
1
Mark, what "things" are you talking about? Are you talking about the legitimate and justified counterintelligence investigation that seems to have been run against three members of Trump's campaign? I propose that Americans should be much more worried if the FBI had failed to ask a source to look into Russian influence inside Trump's camp. Trump, by his own choices, brought all of the investigations upon himself and arguably deserves more than he's getting (see, for example, Trump's ongoing failure to release his tax returns).
1
Trump "sought to discredit Andrew G. McCabe, the former deputy F.B.I. director, by noting that his wife ran as a Democrat". Well I think it's completely obvious that Trump, is the one who spied on his own campaign! He says one thing, then contradicts himself again and again; He rants and raves like a lunatic -he's obviously schizophrenic. As proof - Trump used to be a Democrat and donated large sums of money to Hillary Clinton, Chuck Schumer , Charlie Rangel and Anthony Weiner, Well, OK, we can all understand his affinity for Anthony Weiner.
4
Cry all you want, but there is more hard evidence of the Obama administration using the FBI to try to influence the 2016 election in favor of Clinton than there is (to date) of any collusion between Trump and the Russians.
Liberals automatically assume guilt whenever anyone in the past year accused Trump of anything, but you all automatically give a free pass to anyone with a “D” after their name.
As you all are fond of saying, “let the facts lead where they may.”
9
Such as?
2
No, my namesake, you're wrong. Liberals that I know believe in the rule of law and want to see criminals prosecuted regardless of their political affiliations.
10
The liberals do not automatically assume guilt-that is the purview of the "president" to assume that guilt in demanding his own "witch hunt".
Second thought, can you provide proven evidence that Obama used the FBI to influence the election, or, is this just more dog-whistling from the comedy channel Fox "News", and empirical evidence that states Trump and his family did not collude with or have the Russians influence the election.
Lastly, the last bastion of defending what cannot be defended, meaning Trump, is to attempt to deflect, deceive and obfuscate, which is what Trump, his media supporters and fan club is doing and this makes me ask the question-who are the snowflakes now.
7
Another waste of Justice Department money. Justice did spy on the Russian spys working with your campaign., as well they should have.
17
Investigate the investigator? Sounds like the umpteenth chapter in this sorry narrative of perpetual deflection.
15
The kid makes himself great by blaming others - clearly a coverup as misdeeds are unearthed. He’s embarrassed and shamed by his “little Rocket man”, European sustain for his bullies - Pompeo and Bolton, and honorable men and women who serve with honor. His base may live his crude incompetence - the man who was caught by more than Stormy Daniels with his pants down.
2
Stop wasting taxpayer money. You were being investigated because you were being sought as a Manchuria candidate by the Kremlin. Their efforts seem to have been successful.
19
How is this guy operating differently than any other tin pot dictator?
Just scanning the comments section shows how much scary support he has. Americans have lost their way.
25
"Americans have lost their way."
Well, you might want to amend that because there are a lot of us who didn't lose our way enough to vote for him in the first place.
3
The POTUS should recuse himself from the investigation. It’s no secret that the POTUS is potentially involved in the insidious Russian attack on our democracy.
8
Distraction and deflection. While Trump claims "witch hunts", he sends America on "snipe hunts". He's wasting our time.
13
The "hereby demand" of a guilty man as the investigation picks up steam.
He should be addressing actual victims in Santa Fe, Texas instead of the fake one in the White House.
13
sadly there are many who think Trump is deranged.....I think he is sly and without morals. While it doesn't take very much to rile up the Trump-ettes and it only takes $$$ to get the Republican congress to protect him, Trump has a great strategy and look - it's working! He raking in money, his followers write slurs and rants, he is still in office with destruction following in his wake like a train. Europe is just hanging on with the elements of hope that we will survive this. If Trump gets a second term, we will be left behind like the banana republic we've become. We are not better than this, if we were this wouldn't be happening.
6
I read this news and I sigh and think: “When is this American nightmare, known as the Trump Administration, going to end?”
13
Every day, I hope that Congress has the strength to unseat the con man who has kidnapped our democratic system for his own personal gain and that the process will take down his misogynist sidekick along with him.
If the GOP is not defeated in November, what will free us from this tyrant?
6
'To announce that there must be no criticism of the President, or that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public.'
--Theodore Roosevelt
13
"... no crimes or wrongdoing." Trump lives in the propaganda world of Fox/Breitbart. He is is so narcissistic he may even believe what he said.
The facts are he violates the emolument clauses of the Constitution, has engaged in extortion of companies and governments for personal benefit, has engaged in obstruction of justice, and collusion with one or more foreign powers. Trump, the Criminal-in-Chief, adored by his racist and Evangelist base and supported buy the hypocritical GOP leadership that is busy destroying Social Security ans Medicare. That is what we are living with daily.
Mr. Mueller is our national hero..keep it up, sir, we need you now more than ever.
Get out the vote and throw these collective criminals and anti-patriots out of office starting in 2018.
17
I demand that trumpty:
1. Release his tax returns as promised.
2. Drain the swamp.
3. Tell the truth regarding his business dealings with Russia and others.
Since he works for me, I give him a deadline. November 5, 2018. If not, we will elect officials who will hold him accountable to these basics and if he fails, he gets fired.
It's that simple. Tick-tock.
9
You are just one of over 300 Million that Trump serves. Don't overestimate your influence.
Dear NYT:
The Times should applaud itself for reporting (with WAPO) that a UK-based academic publicly associated for decades with the CIA and the Bush family (who other media have reported to be Stefan Halper) was paid by the FBI to infiltrate the Trump campaign to probe its contacts with Russia.
Great work!
But your story also makes unsubstantiated claims about the propriety of this surveillance, and fails to explain the "probable cause" to launch the inquiry, despite previously running similar anonymous, multi-sourced reports that the investigation began with the Steele dossier, then claiming it began because of an Australian diplomat's report of a drunken conversation with Papadopoulis.
The story also repeats ominous FBI warnings that citing the CIA informant's name (rather than merely providing all the details to the public so they can figure out Halper's identity) somehow endangered the source.
Questions:
1. Are you correcting your earlier reporting now re the genesis of the Trump Russia investigation?
2. How could your story possibly endanger Halper, a man known to be closely associated for decades with the CIA and political dirty tricks?
3. And if the FBI did not pay an informant to snoop on the Trump campaign's Russia contacts, how could anyone be in danger? There would be no one to "out."
Please address these questions, which blemish otherwise solid reporting and enable critics to charge you are whitewashing questionable surveillance.
4
The "president" demands and little Jeffy will comply.
This is how authoritarians act when their little world is collapsing around them.
6
Does the term "grasping at straws" come to mind?
Trump is a scared little boy and is doing all he can to deflect from Mueller's special counsel investigation.
He must be stopped before he does any more damage to our once great country. There is only one way to do this.
All Democrats, Independents and anyone that has any morals, ethics and patriotism for this country, need to vote Trump and the GOP out in local and national elections. Sitting back and letting the “other” person do it is a sure vote for trump and the GOP. We must not let that happen.
MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN - DUMP TRUMP and all of his crooked sycophants in the GOP.
8
As ever regarding Trump: He who protesteth too much is ever guilty.
7
No matter what you think of royal weddings, Saturday was a wonderful day. I never saw Trump's face, or that of anyone remotely connected with him. I didn't know what he was doing or tweeting. I didn't watch anything on TV that uses vulgar language or sexual innuendo. I'm not a prude; I can swear like a sailor. But to have a day that was nothing but beautiful and had nothing to do with this ugly life was a welcome respite.
4
I agree completely. The marriage of two nice people who try to be good citizens and good representatives of their respective countries was a lovely thing to behold and celebrate.
So, another "letter" to Senator Rob Portman: "Hands off Robert Mueller!"
5
It would've been dereliction of duty to NOT send someone in to suss out any more that could've been gleaned from Page and Papadopoulous who were already on the radar due to their Russian contacts/comments. The only question left is will their 'water muddying' con enough of their supporters so as to give cover to the 'oversight unless HRC did it' challenged Congress.
Starting to think he may be able to 'shoot someone in the middle of 5th avenue' and still not be impeached.
Our system is not built to survive a branch of government abdicating their oversight responsibilities for partisan political reasons.
3
This man is obsessed with Obama. He sees Obama even under his bed. This indicates that the stable genius feels dwarfed by the accomplishments and the moral stature of his predecessor.
8
His Obama obsession kind of tickles me. I love the idea of Trump dying old and alone, a bitter failure forever having to deal with the fact that President Obama was superior to him in every way and will go down in history as a great man and a good President.
I call a foul on the NYT:
Last night's wording of the first paragraph: "following through on his frequent threats to use his own government to target his political opponents."
Today's wording: "following through on his frequent threats to intervene in the special counsel inquiry as he targets those he views as political enemies."
Last night's scripture was particularly appalling as it is now obvious to everyone that the prior administration and/or DOJ/FBI targeted Trump, that fact is no longer in dispute. That an administration would demand answers to why this was done under the previous administration is completely, utterly, sane and justified. If the media wants to be seen as unbiased truth detectives, this is a perfect test. This needs chased down no matter what side you are on, can we not agree on that?
The only question remaining is whether it was justified or not. I hope for the credibility of the media and the FBI that is was justified or there will be a reckoning for everyone involved and we will be seeing Trump until 2024.
4
They targeted Trump because there were multiple contacts between his team and foreign nationals offering to undermine the administration. If this was a concerted effort, why wasn't it leveraged BEFORE THE ELECTION? Why wait until the enemy was through the gates?
5
Wait, what? You're saying a newspaper can't ever improve the wording of a story to make it more accurate?
And by the way it's not at all obvious that anyone "targeted" Trump. The reporting so far suggests that three men with suspicious contacts with Russia were investigated by one American in England who serves as an FBI source. Trump should be ashamed to draw any attention at all to the fact that his campaign generated a counterintelligence investigation.
As always with this president it is either Obama's or Clinton's fault. As always according to trump life doctrine he is never wrong an to attack and blame others who have nothing to do with his problem.
The president should never order the Justice Dept to investigate anybody or anything at any time. It is not their job to be his secret police. Next he will be ordering the jailing of any one who opposes his wishes. All of this is just noise to to take attention away from what is really going on, the Muller probe. He is guilty and he knows it. Half a billion to a trump golf project in Indonesia from China after he drops the ban on the China phone company. The the complete turnaround on Qatar after they gave the Kushner family hundreds of millions for their failing property at 666 Park Ave. Now suddenly we tell the Arabs to end the blockade. This family is so dirty with ethics violations and money in their pockets. trump is a person who only cares about himself and the money he can make being president. He is the Fake News!
6
Working with Russians to tip the scales to empower a Republican stooge: OK.
Suspecting the same, and using normal methods of investigation to determine players & extent of corruption: CRIMINAL!
The Republican Party is officially un-Democratic & un-American.
7
Clever! He wants the people he is accusing to investigate themselves. They will say, "sorry, no evidence of infiltration or surveillance," and he will say, "you lie, don't trust anything coming from the Justice Dept. cause they are the deep state out to get me."
1
Let us all hope the sails and rigging our forefathers designed for so fragile a vessel as democracy can withstand the destructive maelstrom we’re trapped in.
3
Hillary was far too kind when she referred to Trump as being temperamentally unfit for office. This guy is way past that stage.
7
A paranoid Trump complains about someone watching him, and so he has decided to negotiate with the public to force it to come to his aid because he can't believe people don't like him. Have you noticed that Trump never actually has achieved a successful negotiation -- whether with the FBI, Russia, the CIA, Korea, TPP, NATO, Paris Climate Agreement, China, NAFTA, etc, etc. He's only used raw unilateral power to push his views. Whenever an act requires cooperating with someone for a mutually beneficial end, he fails. So he's now concerned someone is watching him. I've got news for Trump: everyone is watching him.
7
The best defense is a good offense.
And no one is more "offensive" than Tramp.
5
Trump continues his drive to turn the Justice Department into his personal political juggernaut. Our freedoms are in grave danger under this president, who constantly seeks to turn reality on its head.
When early evidence arose of likely illegal dealings between Trump campaign folks and Russia, it was perfectly appropriate for the FBI to take a look, assuming that agency procedural channels were followed. That's a far cry from false claims that the FBI planted a mole in Trump's campaign to subvert the election.
These false claims itself are laughable given Comey's hamfisted double standard in announcing the FBI's investigation of Hillary while staying silent about its investigaton of Trump.
5
Early evidence of likely illegal dealings? Christopher Steele's dossier was paid for, manufactured political dirt. And everyone knew it. Seriously, even Mark Penn has admitted this. This was not the type of independent, sourced intelligence that justifies the highly unusual step of conducting surveillance on political opponents. And by the way, they not merely "taking a look."
What Trump has done, publicly ordering the DOJ to investigate itself, pales in comparison to the surreptitious acts of the CIA/DOJ against a political opponent.
1
You need to actually read the Steele Dossier; as you do make a list of the raw intelligence it contains that's already been reported/confirmed. And to quote Trey Gowdy: "without the dossier there would still be an investigation; without the dossier there would still be the Trump Tower meeting..."...he goes on with a list of things that mandate Mueller's investigation having nothing to do with the dossier. (and, for a real eye full of Trump, read the transcripts of FusionGPS, Glen Simpson's testimony before the House and the Senate.)
2
Pat, the Dossier wasn't "manufactured." Steele reported accurately what his sources told him. You can doubt the knowledge or honesty of the sources, but we have no reason to doubt the idea that the Dossier itself is an accurate summary of certain Russians' claims about Trump's many well-documented connections with Russia. Even Trump's bodyguard Keith Schiller admitted that prostitutes were sent to Trump's hotel room in Moscow, though he claimed that he turned them away.
To call President Trump's actions Nixonian is charitable. To better understand where his path might lead, we need to look to German and Italian politics of the 1930s, and early 1940s.
8
Seems like the Trump team experiment in various ways to find out what they have on him before he has to face the accusers.
1
When will the Republican's in Congress wake up to the fact that Trump is nothing more than a crime boss who is making America look like a syndicate the world should be wary of. Oh, I forgot, Congress is on the take, and if you go against the boss, you will lose your perks.
5
"Republicans and real Americans should start getting tough on this scam"? As though those of us who see the hijacking of our election as a fundamental threat to our republican democracy are somehow second class citizens? That wanting to find out if our president is indeed a Manchurian candidate somehow makes us less patriotic, less truly "American," rather than more?
Yet again, our president is setting up the sides of the battle he seems certain to come--capital "R" Republicans and those who unquestionably support whatever he says on the one side versus small "R" republicans, those who resist his autocratic degradation of our republic and the rule of law on which it was founded, those who insist on independent verification of our election integrity, rather than relying on the word of a proven serial liar, on the other.
The coming intra-American "war" may not pit states against states like the one a century and a half ago, but it may well tear our country apart. And the man who is drawing the battle lines, who keeps reminding his supporters of their "Second Amendment rights," cares nothing so much for the consequences than the preservation on his own skin.
4
Every defendant in every criminal case should have the ability to mandate a separate investigation into whether the police are out to get them.
4
More to the point, every person who is being investigated must be made aware of that fact and kept apprised of any and all information/evidence the investigators gather.
Once again, Trump has trampled a norm that has provided a legal and ethical standard for the nation. But why should anyone be surprised? Violating such principles is not only how he has risen to power, it is also the way he has conducted his business and personal life. Moreover, he can't stop here for his survival demands that any further investigation into his affairs be halted immediately. In short, the man is a gangster who is as reckless as he is corrupt, and he is willing to destroy anything that gets in his way. But--let's be frank--everyone, even his supporters, knows this, and everyone who backs him now should be regarded as a co-conspirator and an enemy of the rule of law. We should remember this in November when congressional elections will be held.
5
Mr. Trump's paranoia is simply beyond the pale. The FBI only investigates potential crimes and/or foreign intervention in our country. While this is typical of Mr. Trump, the Republican Party needs now to be very careful how they proceed.
If they support Mr. Trump's calls for this investigation, they will begin looking very much like the party of Joseph McCarthy. The GOP continues to move down a road of no return with Mr. Trump unless they stand up to this emotionally unstable narcissist.
Mr. Trump however, will continue this paranoid ranting until the day he leaves office. One has to wonder how much damage he will have wrought on this nation prior to his departure.
3
Like many commenters, I am insulted by this president and keep thinking that something has to got to give. But then I think of people close to me who are Republicans. They, too, did not like Trump, and during the campaign, thought his candidacy was a joke. They said disparaging things about him, they knew he was not a true republican, they said they’d never vote for him.
That was then. Now, they follow him lockstep as though he is a true republican who is doing everything to make America great (again). They’ve become just as hateful as he, they no longer trust any news but Fox, they deride the DOJ and FBI, and they think congressional Democrats are running (ruining) the show. They don’t even acknowledge that all three branches of government are now conservative, but that that has meant no progress toward their own conservative goals. They don’t see “the swamp” continues to grow. And the people of which I speak are educated, white collar; not the purported Trump base.
To those who warn Trump that his days are numbered, I say you are being naive. This is not the Watergate 70’s. This is the new oligarchy of America fueled by fear and ignorance of the villagers. They do as they’re told because they’re scared of the changes happening around them, and they’ve been told to gather their pitchforks and torches (tikis at Home Depot for just $9.99!). And they’re doing as their told to do.
5
Trump knows what he did. He knows where he buried the bones (money laundered for crime bosses domestic and Russian). He's like a mob boss now who's been elected mayor with the Feds breathing down his neck.
Except that he is our President. The process is much slower to take him down and jail him. It's never been done before. So as the heat is turned up, he dances around in a panic, breaking the Presidential China (over 200 years of accepted behavior) as Mueller closes in.
I know we don't want this investigation rushed but I think we need further indictments soon that memorialize the events and give the American people the truth about this corrupt man who is running the country. I don't worry whether or not they bury Trump, I just don't want the truth buried because Mueller is being a boy scout earning his calligraphy badge by dotting every i and crossing every t...
We are entering new territory now, forget tapes being erased, Trump is threatening to erase the Justice Department.
5
Trump is not my president.
RESIST.
3
Right now the White House is testing the waters to see what it can get away with. Rudy Giuliani has been on a PR mission, that, along with Trump's absurd tweets, has attempted to delegitimize the Mueller investigation. They are attacking from all angles claiming corruption, bias, overreach and whatever else they can lob. It's a shotgun approach: shoot everything and hope something sticks.
By demanding this silly inquiry that has much merit as the Obama wiretapping allegations or Trump's claim that millions illegally voted for Clinton, I believe they are setting up something like a Saturday Night Massacre. This is what I fear.
Just in last two weeks the Trump team has been on TV and talking to reporters with the same message: it's time to shut down the investigation--as if they could possibly know if this is appropriate. I argue it is not appropriate because none of us knows where the investigation is. I further argue there is a concerted effort to obstruct justice by calling for this investigation to be closed.
If there were no guilty pleas to date and no more smoke, I would agree to wrap it up. But there have been guilty pleas; there are cooperating witnesses and there's enough smoke to rival an Idaho forrest fire.
They want it shut down for one reason: Trump is in big trouble (and much of the obstructionist GOP). Careers are on the line, so expect this all to get much nastier.
It's a stain on the country, but these people care nothing about the United States.
3
The key word is "Demand." Only dictators demand people to do things for them.
7
This is clearly abuse of power. It flies in the face of the foundation of the US Constitution-separation of powers.
4
Trump's wishes come true. He got angry at the roasting that President Obama gave him at the WHCD, then ran and won the presidency. He met with foreigners, accepted their money (to be proven) and has gotten the investigation that he doesn't like and wants a "do-over." Not going to happen. This isn't golf.
Trump already got his wish for an investigation: Mueller is conducting it.
3
Always blame others for what you are guilty of yourself. It confuses people, and you may be able to run out the clock.
Trumps Rule #1
I can see a few commentors have once again fallen for Trump's "Trumped up" charges..
4
Trump thunders about FBI infiltration and surveillance of his election campaign (which most observers would see as a measure of protection for their campaign against unlawful foreign interference) but he is actively trying to derail an investigation into actual Russian election tampering. Why this doesn't trouble the hyper-right wing of the GOP is a mystery unless they hope the Russians will do the same for them in the mid-terms. Co-opting the power of America's legal institutions to denigrate and prosecute political opponents is the stuff of fictional TV plots - except for the fact that this is actually what he wants to do.
1
Trump has repeatedly made many ham-handed attempts to stop or interfere with the investigations into possible campaign meddling by foreign countries, his various associates and himself. By his many attempts, Trump himself is making it very hard not to conclude that he isn't trying mightily to obstruct justice.
In civilian life, Trump never showed any evidence of respect for the law so his self-serving behavior isn’t a surprise. However, as President, he is flagrantly abusing the power of the office, endangering our democracy and potentially risking national security by the same self-serving behavior.
Trump’s behavior is not surprising, but the failure of the GOP to act to control it, for the good of the country, is alarming.
4
It's so painfully obvious that this 'man' is running scared. His vitriol increases every time investigators get closer. I hope to see him behind bars someday, but unless we vote out the do nothing GOP/Tea Party, we'll be in this stalemate forever. They would not impeach for any reason.
I'm still hoping to have a country again, someday. It's hard to claim the mess this man has made of what we once were.
1
It seems Trump truly believes he is being wronged.
Maybe he is being wronged. We don’t know. Yet. For sure.
He’s scared. He flails as the walls close in. He wants to discredit the whole investigation. Perhaps he thinks he can if he can show a single flaw, a single case of overreach, a single injustice.
The problem is he cries “witch hunt” and “fake” all the time. (There are true injustices in this world btw.) From the moment he awakens in the middle of the night until the end of the day, he feeds his paranoia.
Claims of persecution are often a weak man’s defense.
If he is ever prosecuted, he’d do better if it’s possible to argue the facts and the law.
1
Trump "suggested that the breadth of the inquiry was proof that Mr. Mueller’s investigation was a partisan exercise geared toward harming Republican congressional candidates." Where's the beef? Before launching a whole new counter-investigation shouldn't the President offer at least probable cause. The scope of Mueller's investigation is not probable cause.
3
Standard tactics. The accused puts the accuser on trial.
In the Court of Public Opinion, Trump and his team know they have the advantage. They can put Mr Giuliani on the Hannity show and say just about anything. In contrast, Mueller has to work in silence.
In the end, Trump will fail on this point. Reasonable people will understand that if any group has an unusual number of contacts with a foreign adversary, it is the FBI’s job to look into it. Only the delusional will regard it as bias against Mr Trump.
As best I can tell, about 35% of American voters are delusional when it comes to Trump. That means 65% are not.
Please vote!
6
I agree with President Trump's demand that an inquiry must be done to determine to what extent the Obama Justice Department infiltrated and spied upon his historic presidential campaign. I support the President. I support Trump. Thank you.
4
And I agree that an inquiry must be done to determine to what extent Donald Trump and his administration had dealings with the Russian government. I don't trust this president. I support Robert Mueller.
Thank you.
2
Normal people in a position like Trump and Associates would be shaking in their boots and expecting the police to come in with handcuffs.
Of course, normal people would never get themselves in such a position.
There is nothing normal about Trump and Associates.
4
I wouldn't call for an investigation. I'd just start using the same tactics on democratic campaigns. I'm sure most candidates for national office talked to a foreign national at some point in there lives. Better get a couple secret wire tapes. It's purely apolitical.
1
It's a strategy of "Shock and Awe" employed to divert attention away from the big picture of ongoing attempts at derailing the investigation with focus on minor details and outright fables. This is perhaps, Trump's greatest attempt at sabotaging the Russian collusion investigation.
1
Methinks DT protests too much. If there was interest in checking up on individuals within the Trump campaign because of their active connections with Russian and other suspicious foriegn interests, I can't imagine the truth will provide any comfort. Of course, facts or truth have never been an obstacle to Trump's fantasies. When will we be able to read "All the President's Riggers"?
1
Wow. Trump is acting guiltier and guiltier by the day!!
9
Unlike the ghastly shadow of a 'man' now trespassing in the oval office, and upon our values (and his disgraceful sycophants), I ('like' all righteous North Americans of the middle-North American realm) believe in the provisions of The Geneva Convention (but not as 'torturously' misinterpreted for the convenience of W, the evil Cheney and the neo-con horde).
Nevertheless ... my thoughts and my values stray in favor of a one-time resurrection of "extraordinary rendition" as a worthy and acceptable means to rid of us of tRUMP, the maniacal rudy g, nunes and, at the very least, a handful of other "conservative" (ha...ha) reprobates.
1
The President is wrong to lash out like this, especially when it looks like there’s going to finally be enough room in this narrative for the ordered by Obama FBI informant story to gain traction.
1
About that ‘red line’. I think that was it..... enough now? Can he please stop presidenting because he’s clearly not up to the job.
7
Another impeachable offense by Trump...abuse of power.
7
Vulgar Trump, amid his awful ignorance and arrogant stance, is a masterful distractor. Investigate the investigators, he says, in spite of having not one iota of suspicion of any personal vendetta. Trump seems desperate, in his constant twittering interference with the department of justice, in the hope his own shadow of collusion, obstruction of justice, and corruptive practice, may go away. No chance Mr. Trump, your behavior is despicable; you have no scruples, classic mafia-style. How long can this go on, without grave harm in erasing the necessary trust in democratic institutions?
4
A con man needs a new message every day, and the ignorant are key to his success. Trump is a shrewd facilitator when it comes to hustling his base: he sells, they buy.
Now to protect his criminal enterprise he wants to investigate the institutions of justice, a tactic that distracts even as it buys him time and headlines. The guy is a black hole of chaotic temperament and greed, but totally predictable. Or to be more precise he is an archetype, a right wing huckster - empty and shrill - the kind the Republicans have been turning to since becoming intellectually bankrupt.
13
Trump's "demands" would sound more appropriate being repeated by the Towne Crier:
"Here ye, loyal Citizens, the proclamation of our unimpeachable ruler on this 20th day of May in the 2nd year of our Lord Trump!* So sayeth our liege:
Whereas We have taken into Our Royal Consideration a most foul treachery committed against our Person, as well as against many guileless friends of the Crown, We hereby have seen fit to publish and declare to all Our loving Subjects, that We have (with sage advice of Our Privy Council Giuliani) issued a Royal Mandate to the palace Inquisitors.
Inquisitors Sessions and Rosenstein, if loyal Subjects they be, shall forthwith pursue and apprehend the false Citizens in their midst who have dared to question Our integrity and intrude upon Our private council. Lo, though We have lovingly held all Our Subjects to Our benevolent bosom, We shall suffer such insolence no longer!
Take heed, Our Subjects, that no power stands above the Crowne! We swear this day that We shall have satisfaction upon Our demand and woe unto any who give quarter to the unfaithful, for We are sorely vexed. Our Royal Courte and Inquisitors are charged to deliver Mueller, Obama, Clinton and the slanderous Press to face the Crowne's perfect Justice lest Our divine wrath and terrible vengeance fall upon them. By God We shall rule absolute or see this Land burnt to ashes before Us.
Hashtag MAGA. Amen."
*That's 2018 for the traitorous non-believers.
7
Trump demands "his" DOJ to investigate itself. Another big waste of our tax dollars. (does he even pay taxes?)
What a fool.
Sounds to me like just another in a long string of counter-narratives, created by the master of the tweet, to deflect attention from facts.
Nice try Donald.
The truth will out.
4
It is an absolute disgrace how this President, without a shred of evidence to support his accusations, disparages and undermines the Justice Department, the F.B.I. and the rule of law itself. It is a bigger disgrace to see his sycophants (Hannity, etc) lend their hearty support. But the most disgraceful of all are the Republican representatives, Senators and elders, who should and do know better, who acquiesce in this. Theirs is the greatest shame.
6
Mr. Trump you won the election and now you sir are the one under investigation. In fact, 5 people in your circle have already pled guilty and 2 are cooperating. You can't "investigate and investigation". This is just another one of your pathetic attempts to distract, derail, and disrupt the process. It's a shame that 40 million Americans are on your side still. It's infuriating actually.
7
the gov't intel agencies have been secretly monitoring opposition political party and the NYT is contorting itself to make the story go away??? the NYT doesn't want an investigation? The NYT wants less transparency and disclosure? what odd times.
9
A guy who believes he is an entitled royalty. All his life he surrounded himself with an army of lawyers and somehow managed to escape punishment or pay a price for his shenanigans. He lies with impunity. Nothing about him is honorable or noble.
Now the Feds are after him, he is freaking out and losing it. He colluded with Russians and just about anybody who will give him an edge to win the election. In his mind, only suckers and loser’s care about election integrity or the sovereign of our country.
He is waging a scorn-earth campaign to discredit the Mueller investigation. He believes if he screams hard and loud enough he will scare us into submission, and as usual, gets away with it.
22
"I hereby declare..." Those are not the words of a president but an autocrat, especially when applied to the justice system.
5
He is the epitome of what "royalty" in fact actually is.
He's a ludicrous buffoon. But, at the same time, he is dangerous. Dangerous because he is the cover the Republican party needs to complete its takeover of the US. Read the article in The Atlantic. 'The Birth of a New Aristocracy'.
8
Trump let himself get sucked into an Asian chess-game and now looks like a fool. Stupid.
7
I think that rudolf is not kidding, folks. I know, hard to believe.
1
Asian chess game?
I have heard it said by legal experts a number of times..."If I'm innocent there is no other investigator I want more than Robert Mueller. If I am guilty, he is that last guy I want on my case." This so-called president's constant whining, complaining, accusing, undermining makes his underlying guilt ring so loud and so true!
32
Abuse of power is one of the impeachment charges brought against Nixon. Demanding an inquiry trying to stop an inquiry into your own criminality is the greatest abuse of power there is.
33
We are now officially a Banana Republic, but without the benefit of having cheap, home-grown bananas.
19
But, but, but, we have our very own cheap, home-grown, Big
Banana Republican in the White House.
1
Suggesting "infiltrated" or "surveilled" from a set of interviews the FBI conducted because it had cause to think some folks in the campaign had contacts with Russians bent on undermining the integrity of our election is a LEAP.
The LEAP is to CONSPIRACY THEORY. The fact that our president orders Justice to investigate because the president subscribes to conspiracy theories put all Americans in danger: we are being led by someone who is UNHINGED from the facts.
15
He's not just unhinged from facts. He seems to have only tenuous hold on all of reality.
When I left the U.S., George W. was president. I didn't think we could get worse. Amazing.
4
The FBI warned Trump and also Clinton about foreign influencing attempting to infiltrate their campaigns. (July 19, 2016) It is standard procedure for the FBI then to embed informants to find out more. If Trump does not recall this, either the words they used were too big for him to grasp, or it's a sure indication he now has Alzheimers.
17
Let's put it this way, his base either has heard too much of the Fox News propaganda, or is part of the "deep state" that was formed by Trump for Trump.
3
Do you remember when he claimed out of left field that the election may be rigged and no one could figure out why? Then we found out about Russian interference on his behalf. Those of us who can add did so and realized that he must have been informed that our guys had found out and were looking into it so he advanced that claim as a kind of vaccination. I would guess so that he could claim the revelation if it took place prior to the vote was the rigging.
Well everything he has said since is more of the same kind of attempt at inoculating himself from reality with lies. He has rather effectively mainly because the Press has refused to do its job properly, created a coexisting with reality false storyline in which he the perpetraitor here, is the victim.
The idea that the president and Comey's FBI were at odds is so ridiculous as to beggar belief. The objective facts indicate that what Comey did during the campaign was helpful to the president and probably sealed his victory. I happen to think it was intentional.
The only thing our president has ever done well in his life is manage to get away with ambitious yet easily uncovered by minimal effort, lying. He avoids jail because he is good at creating noise and confusion that works on far more adult people than it should. His main shtick is a reliance on the minor petty corruptions so many of us engage in to give him a pass, nudge nudge wink wink as if he is on the same plain when his mendacity is on another planet.
10
Trump persistently insists that the special counsel has found no evidence of collusion. He is making that assertion based on what, exactly?
That meme is being repeated by many others who know even less than Trump. If Trump had an ounce of common sense then (aside from better hair) he would simply shut up. Yet he is accustomed to getting over everyone and presumes, I think, that he can change the landscape with tweets.
Through the looking glass - day by day...
9
"Trump persistently insists that the special counsel has found no evidence of collusion. He is making that assertion based on what, exactly?"
Based on the fact that there is no such crime as collusion. He has managed to create a false story line, "alternate facts" if you will, because no one in the Press has bothered to confront this glaring yet simple lie for the clever diversionary ploy that it is.
It could not work so well if our educational system was actually teaching children the things all Americans should know.
Rosenstein should be able to respond within a matter of hours -- after a few phone calls -- to either confirm or dispel there was some sort of "mole" and why and what that informant was doing there.
Will Trump accept the findings when they don't fit his narrative of misdirection?
Trump's entire defense is currently that it's a deep state conspiracy of fake news to hide the real "traitors," a rapidly growing amalgam of intelligence agencies, the media, Democrats, independents, never-Trump Republicans, and his own Justice Department.
This dog is feverishly spinning, about to eat its own tail.
7
The almost certain consequence of the investigation Trump is demanding:
The coup de grace of Obama's legacy.
There is by now little doubt but that Obama's administration, and Obama himself, were involved in this historic corruption of our government and the political process.
3
I very much doubt that. Submit your evidence
1
Years ago an habitual criminal told me that the strategy opposing a criminal prosecution was to delay trial for as long as possible. Cases tended to become harder to maintain over time. The less convincing the case, the better outcome for the defendant. The more controversy associated with the findings of Mueller, the less consequences for unfavorable findings will be faced by Trump.
3
The almost reflexive impulse of the mainstream press to explain away the use of an F.B.I. informant in a political campaign is the most amusing part of this story, as for example this sentence from this article, "In fact, F.B.I. agents sent the informant to contact Mr. Trump’s campaign advisers only after receiving evidence that two of the aides had suspicious contacts linked to Russia". Where did this information come from, or is that just what the 'Times' wants us to think? Considering this kind of concerted effort to destroy his Presidency from the permanent government and their cheerleaders in the mainstream press, I don't blame the President for fighting back, despite the furrowed brows of the legal scholars.
2
I believe the NYT and Mueller over Trump, who lies on average 6 times a day. The more Trump says there was no collusion, the more I believe there was! He behaves like a guilty man. And we still need to see his tax returns.
3
@David Godinez: "Fighting back?" Please.
The entire theory of Trump's "fighting back" hinges on a conspiracy so vast that it spans beyond Obama and right into the heart of Trump's own administration. We are to believe that Mueller, Rosenstein, Sessions, the court system, the FBI, the CIA, all non-Fox/InfoWars media, are all making things up out of thin air to frame Trump.
Rosenstein appointed Mueller after Trump flew into a rage and fired Comey. Now Trump is flying into a rage again and who knows what will come of it? The brows of legal scholars are furrowed because they are watching a constitutional crisis building up before their eyes. Textbooks on constitutional law will need to be re-written after the Trump administration in order to incorporate the ways in which he has abused his powers thus far. It would be a legal scholar's dream if it wasn't so dangerous (kind of like a historian living through the French Revolution).
3
"Innocent" President Trump is spending far too much time and energy in fightinting imaginary enemies. The American legal system, at least at the highest level of government, is thorough, impartial, and fair. But he is fearful that something, perhaps a small mouse out of a mountain, will appear out of Mueller's investigations and tarnish his image.
The President's image is already sullied enough in the mind of the public. Mr. Mueller will either affirm or reject this image.
It would be wise for the President to remain quiet and stop his daily rant about the witch hunt.
2
This is only the first of the many diversionary tactics sure to be employed by Mr. Trump, who excels at holding himself above the law.
It's already a foregone conclusion that whatever the findings are in any inquiry, he will readily blame the Obama administration of wrongdoing.
6
How can this guy demand anything? He's a hustler and will avoid any truths to save his brand. Has nothing to do with protecting the country, rather destroy the integrity of our national security.
5
Mr. Rosenstein just handed a piece of candy to the screaming child in the Oval Office by stating to look into the FBI behavior during donald's campaigning. Yes, lets look into this with the result being that if the FBI did find anything derogatory on donald, why was it not released prior to the voting, Nov 8th? Donald is a little late with his accusations, striking back with his fortunes as president in slow decline.
3
Trump can stomp his foot and demand all he wants, but all he's doing is adding to the mountain of evidence that proves collusion and obstruction of justice. And his Republican enablers should be prosecuted as accomplices.
9
"Stormy" weather ahead and behind for Trump and his co-conspirators.
10
The fatal flaw of Democracy is giving the Chief Exec unlimited power and greases the slippery slope to Autocracy. When the Pres decides by edict and no one can stop him, he is above the law. The last line of the epistle is a call to arms for his minions. "Getting tough" means roughing opponents up and using whatever force is necessary and inflicting maximum punishment, ratified by his say yes Courts. We watch in horror as the train wreck becomes obvious and we are still on board. We moan for someone to save us but the document we fought so hard for has already been torn up.
17
“I can’t think of a prior example of a sitting president ordering the Justice Department to conduct an investigation like this one,” said Stephen I. Vladeck, a professor at the University of Texas School of Law. “That’s little more than a transparent effort to undermine an ongoing investigation.”
That's like saying. . . I've never seen an apple fall, therefore this one couldn't have fallen off, someone had to have stolen it. Everybody thinks they're Colombo.
6
The stuff of despots.
Trump shouldn't worry too much about how Mueller's investigation will affect the mid-terms. He's taking care of affecting Republicans negatively himself.
14
Trump's tweet by itself is a direct threat to the Constitution of the United States. Impeachment and conviction won't be enough punishment for this man who, along with his VP, is subverting every rule of law in our history.
9
Trump clearly doesn't understand the relationship between the DOJ and the presidency. The civil servants in the DOJ work for the American people in the interest of upholding the laws and the Constitution. This president seems to work for anything but upholding our laws and the Constitution: he thinks the White House is just like any other business: if an "employee" doesn't do what the boss wants, that unfortunate soul is "fired." In our system of laws, that can be obstruction of justice.
To my way of thinking, Trump's "order" may constitute proof of more obstruction of justice, just as the firing of Comey may also constitute such proof.
In that case, the American people have three ways of "firing" Mr. Trump: through impeachment and conviction (unlikely) by this feckless Congress, through election of a more effectual Congress in 2018, or through voting this blot on America's integrity out of office in 2020. I'm working for B and hoping fervently for C.
10
Amazing how Democrats don't follow the same advice they have always given Trump regarding investigations of improper conduct:
"If you didn't do anything wrong, you have nothing to worry about."
Why the freak out here? Are they concerned an Obama appointed IG is going to manufacture evidence to implicate them in some wrongdoing?
3
The "freak out" is over the destruction of the rule of law by Trump, not over concern about actions taken/not taken by the Obama Administration. The real question is why Trump is "freaking out" so badly that he's turning the US into a banana republic..if he's done nothing wrong a thorough investigation will clear him.
3
Destruction of the rule of law? Sounds like Sally Yates talking points being echoed.
Our law, particularly executive power, is guided by the Constitution. Quite simply, the President has the power to order the DOJ to investigate something. The fact that this was quickly sent to IG Horowitz (the person who investigates DOJ malfeasance) suggests they are actually following the law.
I have no need to "echo" Sally Yates. I learned all about the rule of law at the same place she did: law school and in decades of practice. Trump's "demand" was quickly sent to the IG to avoid a full blown constitutional crisis. Rosenstein is privy to all reasons/evidence/steps taken/decisions made that led to the counter-intelligence investigation and the Mueller investigation. Think about that fact. And think about the logical conclusion of endowing a "president" with the kingly power to order or quash any investigation he feels may be detrimental to himself, his family, his friends, his political donors. Founding Fathers rolling in graves.
If the Justice Department did not investigate Carter Page or observe the Trump campaign for possible collusion with Russia, it would be malpractice.
Page met with Russians and is considered a possible agent for Russia. The multiple contacts between Trump people and Russians are far beyond the necessary probable cause to justify FBI investigation.
Talk about protesteth too much!
8
People always believe anything that is said by those they like, in this case, Trump admirers will believe his claim even without proof or if it is debunked. This effort to blackmail the investigators is most assuredly another attempt at obstructing the investigation.
Yes, Virginia, any President can initiate investigations of anything he wants, just as Barack Milhous Nixon promoted the spying on Americans who simply represented an opposition candidate.
Oh, there's NO WAY that these FBI & Justice Department lairs and politicalactivists would have stood there lying to the FISA judge without Mr. Obama's complete involvement.
Today Deep-Stater Joh O. Brennan, Tweedledum to Janes Clapper's Tweedledee pleads for NO MORE investigations now that his part is coming up for public review.
Brennan is being a friend to Clapper, who is likely to do much more time in stir that those who actually did the felonious lying to a judge - 4 different times. It is Clapper's coup d'etat.
2
Don't forget the IRS targeting conservative organization groups. Those liars in DC should be tarred and feathered. Nixon got ramrod for a third class breaking. Obama is out of office, but he probably the mastermind behind these actions. What is the punishment for an out of work former world apologist? The best way to debate with liberals is, don't do it. Would not be wise. Just laugh in their face and move on. They want our great nation to be a third rate banana republic or socialist paradise. Forget about it.... Stock up on seed, water, MRE, etc..... Ready for the REVOLUTION!!!!!
1
Peaceful, transparents is the sustainable way to go. Obama's macinations are disappearing because he hid everything and never asked Congress to make anything official law.
Trump's may be the most open administration in our history. So hom many million jobs will his economy be recorded as creating? Are we talking Reagan numbers?
trump's may be the most open administration in our history, and that's why the visitor's journal to the WH isn't public anymore, and the practice to release tax returns and disclose potential financial conflicts of interest doesn't exist anymore. Yes sir. Transparency power!
as for Obama not asking Congress anything, I remember Mr McConnell vowing to block him on every thing he could. I don't doubt Payl Ryan followed his footsteps.
“I hereby demand, and will do so officially tomorrow,.."
Yes, because you can't serve official notices to the Justice Dept. by Twitter. He's learning.
The best defence is an offence. And Trump certainly knows that.
Trump is like the drug dealer caught red handed with the drugs who wants to get off on a technicality.
3
If they were spying on the campaign for political purposes WOULDN'T THEY HAVE USED IT BEFORE THE ELECTION? This is just more Trumpian smoke an mirrors to distract people from admiring the bunch of soon to be convicted sleazeballs he surrounded himself with.
6
I’m afraid that this whiny adult baby will get his way just like whiny babies get their way with parents. His non-stop whining is already forcing justice department and judges to walk on egg shells and give him more leeway than normal to avoid any semblance of partisanship.
2
“Republicans and real Americans should start getting tough on this Scam”
The President will truly be happy to discover Americans getting tough on this scam on November 6 followed by Congress getting tough on Jan 3, 2019.
5
It would be such delicious irony if an investigation, he called for' provided further proof of his campaign's collusion with Russia. I say begin the investigation and give it a broad mandate. It will, eventually, confirm the same facts being collected by Robert Mueller's team and he will have called for it himself. Hoisted on his own dotard (ibid).
5
Like Caesar demanding an investigation onto Brutus' plan to kill him. Seems we've gone full circle. Please don't tell me that the whole cycle has now got to start all over again. I can't stand it, once was enough and that one time was too many as it was.
The president did not “apply pressure” to start an inquiry into illegal spying by the Obama administration on their political opponents (which now appears to have happened). He ordered it.
He can do that - he’s the President. Lots of Democrats (John Brennan, etc.) suddenly getting very, very nervous about an investigation. I’m sure if they did nothing wrong they’ve got nothing to worry about, right?
4
Except that does not appear to have happened.
There is no evidence that illegal spying on political opponents by the Obama administration occurred.
None. Zilch. Zero.
I am quite sure that all parties collect information on their opponents in preparation for debates and to market their candidates, but that is not spying.
3
you'll know they are nervous when they tweet nonstop about an ongoing "witch hunt".
1
The Donald's constant Twitter storms are the rantings of a guilty man.
If he is so picked on by the obvious to him deep state, and is "believe me" an innocent man, why all the histrionics?
Why? Because he knows he is guilty of high crimes and misdemeanors. And he's scared...
8
Careful what you wish for, Donald - all investigations seem to lead right back to YOU.
6
Right Kris. What happened to the 1.8 billion in cash to IRAN? Where was the money from? How about the 150 billion dollars for IRAN nuke and terrorist support network? Where is the investigation there? Did Nixon try to spy on his opposition? How can you impeach a former president, Obama? How can you bring to justice a former Secretary of State who sold out her country? How about President Bill Clinton sold us out to China? The Chinese caught up to us in Military tech and science in the 90s thanks to Bill. We are keeping the score. Our memory remember who sold us out. History will show who are the people that brought this country down. Enjoy the downward slide into the third world.
Who will hereby demand that this new trumpartisan investigation be investigated too?
I guess the fact that Russians actually "surveilled" and hacked the Democratic campaign and trolling Americans by his comrades is OK by trump.
4
As Reagan used to say.... "There you go again!"
Another "trumped up" phony charge by DJT to distract the whole world from his own growing legal issues.
3
Whose legal issues are you talking about? You make no sense.
Can someone explain separation of powers to the dotard.
5
Yes, the executive branch enforced the laws. As head of the executive branch the President is responsible for all wrong doing committed by the Justice Department which oversee the FBI. So if Obama ordered illegal spying of an opposition party for Hilary then how is he going to be punish? Technically he is just an ordinary citizen now. Best move ever by the Democrats. All you Republican should learn that move and use it for 2020. Ohh, make all the newly sworn in citizen promise to vote republican like the democrat are doing in CA and NY. The get free voter registration without proof of citizenship. Watch the popular vote go through the roof with 2020 with 30-40% illegal voters to help them! God Bless America!!! Can you smell the corruptions.
1
@L.L. NYT, we've got another troll in here spamming word salad.
2
Trump knows lies don't matter to his supporters.
The best defense is a good offense. As long as he and all too many nasty people are eager to deceive, he can keep it up.
He is the most unpatriotic, greedy, evil person I never hoped to have to see in all his inner and outer ugliness, day after day.
We are becoming ever more hated all around the world. The blamefest does not exempt those of us who oppose him: as far as they're concerned we're all responsible for every awful thing the US has done in all its history, starting with genocide of American Indians and going on through our various covert stupidities like installing the Shah of Iran and the Vietnam war. They aren't interested in finding anything good about us any more.
One more consequence of Trump's daily battering and stupidity. Endangering life on earth itself in so many ways.
Make America small and mean and dangerous.
5
Mr. Trump would find any piece longer than 250 words "long and boring" (as he cues his Twitter followers to not even bother reading it). He must be running out of gas. His "look at that shiny thing over there" moments used to have more creativity Remember the good old days of "Obama wire tapped Trump tower? That was real creative lunacy. This "have the DOJ investigate the DOJ" gambit just reeks of desperation.
19
"Hey, what's that over there? And over there. And there?" Question is how many will fall for his little game.
5
Rod Rosenstein did thread the needle. Rosenstein punted Trump's request into an existing probe where it will be buried for months before ultimately concluding Trump is full of malarkey again. Rosenstein gets to keep his job without provoking a constitutional crisis. A crisis Trump could very well win in our current political environment. The downside is Rosenstein just gave Trump credibility in this absurd narrative about spies infiltrating his campaign. It's complete and utter nonsense but Trump now has a talking point he can carry into midterm elections.
The good news: Information regarding Cockrum v. Trump is slowly trickling out. The case may very well reach the discovery phase. That means Trump may lose his favorite talking point "No Collusion!" in the very near future. If a judge decides a Russian conspiracy is even plausible, there's a legally credible reason to suspect the existence of collusion. The funniest part is Trump's lawyers appear to have shifted away from denying the existence of a crime to arguing there was an arrangement with Russia but it wasn't a crime. This is more or less in keeping with Giuliani's ongoing PR catastrophe. Alternatively, if the Trump campaign were going to commit a crime, they would have done a better job committing the crime.
Rosenstein is safe for now. The question, as always, is when the heck is Congress going to dump Trump. These episodes are beyond absurd.
8
“At what point does this soon to be $20,000,000 Witch Hunt, composed of 13 Angry and Heavily Conflicted Democrats and two people who have worked for Obama for 8 years, STOP!”
The $20,000,000 is a far cry from Trump’s personal travel costs to his properties and golf courses since
elected. This is coming from a president who has no ethics or morals when it comes to spending
tax payer dollars to promote his personal business enterprises. He has the audacity to talk about the
Mueller investigation and costs of maintaining a Democracy.
The President is not concerned about the dollars or costs associated with the Mueller investigation, far
from it. The President’s true concern is about the truth and the ugliness finally being revealed of what
he has done to the country. By the way…..whatever happened to his income tax disclosure?
14
In many of the essential requirements for a democratic society, we have fallen to the level of a failed state.
4
If the FBI "infiltrated" or monitored the traitor's campaign, they were looking for evidence of foreign interference (which is illegal). THAT'S THEIR JOB.
23
For a person who claims to be innocent, Trump sure acts like he's guilty.
9
"If they didn't actively collude with foreign interests, it wasn't because they weren't willing to. "
The minute campaign staffers and family welcomed the offers of foreign interference and money to "help' Trump, they colluded. Regardless of whether or not such money or information or promise of propaganda exchanged hands, eagerly taking such meetings and failure to report constitute collusion, probably conspiracy.
11
Republicans on the Senate Intelligence Committee have made it clear that there was most definitely Russian interference with the election.
That's kind of a major and huge
And it is TREASON if American citizen was part of it.
Why is our "leader" not trying to get to the bottom of this ?
What is he afraid of ?
What is he is he hiding ? (where are those tax returns anyway ....)
The counter-narrative he runs, with assistance for the state sponsored propaganda machine called Fox, makes him look guilty. Of something big.
10
If the Justice Department gives in on this, we have lost all independence. Trump is King and no one is helping. The Republicans in the House and Senate could care less. Perhaps the entire Justice department will walk out. Let Trump create his own FBI and CIA. He always said he could do it all himself. Then the Republicans might have a real reason to worry. But I would not count on it.
3
The FBI director in testimony required by a Republican congress handed the election to Mr. Trump in plain site.
Mr. Trump when running for President publicly requested that the Russians release Hillary Clinton's e-mails. They did.
The President appointed Michael Flynn to the position of NSA director. He pleaded guilty in a deal with willfully lying to prosecutors about his conversations with a Russian ambassador.
The President appointed John Bolton who hired Cambridge Analytica to use facebook data without permission for the purpose of obtaining data on millions of users without permission. Mr. Bolton has never been vetted regarding this data theft.
The State within a State seems that Trump is using as a defense against an independent investigation into Russian meddling is a pathetic effort to maintain the status quo that enabled him to use foreign agents to get elected.
7
Cue the earnest arguments that turnabout is not fair play.
4
I sincerely hope that at some point in all of this, an adult takes away a screaming president's phone.
7
"Political purposes"
Last we heard, the enquiry and investigations were looking into a "Criminal" matter ..........
Please bear that in mind, "Mr. President"
30
How long do Republican congresspeople plan to allow this corruption and conflict-of-interest to continue? At this point, can we consider them traitors? They'd rather expose intelligence agents than end rampant corruption.
You are not supposed to use the presidency to make yourself rich, to profit from your power.
You are not supposed to make foreign policy based on whether a country gives half a billion in loans to your son-in-law.
You are not supposed to use the Department of Justice for a political weapon against anyone who annoys you.
"“Today Trump demanded a counter-investigation into the legitimate, lawfully-predicated DOJ probe of his campaign, based on no evidence of wrongdoing, solely to undermine the special counsel — and he got it,” wrote Matthew Miller, a former Justice Department official. “The system is failing.”" —Leonhardt.
64
Trump needs to disavow himself of the notion that his cult followers constitute any part of the sane world. Only those benighted so-called Americans still support this odious man. Time for Mueller to dig even deeper. Trump is guilty as all get out.
34
Trump is more paranoid than Nixon was.
18
Well, he does have more reason to be concerned about his criminal vulnerability...so, maybe paranoid is not the right word.
6
Is it reasonable to conclude that DAG Rosenstein has intimate knowledge of why the counter-intelligence investigation was opened: has seen all the evidence, knows all the steps that were taken and why they were taken, especially considering that he was involved in renewing FISA warrants after trump's election and has laid out the parameters of Mueller's investigation? I think so; thus, his referral to the OIG is his attempt to shut up a delusional, cornered rat, who has zero respect for the rule of law, in the hopes of heading off a full out constitutional crisis.
32
"I hereby demand"? Who does he think he is the Burgermeister Meisterburger? You hereby demand. You work for us buddy. You can ask, cajole, request, plead, entreat or call for. You can't demand. That's above your pay grade. Don't let the coverage of the royal wedding go to your head. You're not the Monarchy, You're Mayor McCheese.
162
Although I agree w/you, who is going to stand up to him? Certainly not Congress. We, the people, have been shouting for more than a year and no one does anything.He can say and do whatever he wants because he can and always has.
20
Rick, beautiful response, you really made me laugh out loud with Mayor McCheese! But beyond laughter, who does he think he is? The bald-headed audacity ..... now that he's clearly getting cornered, plus given that he's allowing the clearly-demented Guiliani splutter incoherently on the all-too-many news outlets, he's stooping to new lows. He just needs to be reminded that he works for us, so no, his demands are worthless. I can only imagine the positively detrimental effects the Royal Wedding had on him. Imagine ...... he was excluded !
9
Right on and well said!
2
" I hereby demand..." That's a good one! I think I'll give that a try, too. I hereby demand that you stop talking, forever.
53
Now that suggestion is even better.
1
"[R]eal Americans should start getting tough on this scam"? Real Americans want their president to stand up for our republican democracy start getting tough on the hijacking of our elections.
20
He doth protest too much. If Mueller's investigation is a witchhunt and there's nothing there, Trump could relax and just ignore it, maybe even get on with doing his job.
But that's not the case, is it? Thus he spends most of his time on a campaign of obfuscation and diversion.
22
Barring all the stonewalling by the DOJ / FBI -there has yet to be any basis presented to the Congressional investigators as to why this investigation got started in the first place !? The Obama era DOJ/ FBI senior officials appears to have started "investigating" the presidential candidate of the opposing party (Trump ) for no reason. It now appears via the many leaks to the friendly press that those same shadowy figures are now admitting to spying !! ( oh I am sorry the spin is they were using "informants" ) This is the kind of behavior that goes on in Third World countries.. That would be like the mayor of a small town USA having the police chief "investigate" his political rival. All the spin in the world - from the friendly media ( this paper included) - will not prevent the embarrassing and ultimately criminal behavior from coming out. Stay tuned.. it is going to get interesting..
5
Agree. Stefan Halper was sent in to spy in the campaign before there was any “Russia” connection. And Alexander Downing, the Australian diplomat who claimed George Papandapolous was colluding with Russia, which was used as a phone pretect to launch the “Russia” drivel, was a well known Clinton donor who gave $25 million to the Clinton foundation prior to that.
The whole thing stinks to high heaven.
1
Alexander Downer's net worth (per net-worths.com) is $2.5 million. He was a member of the Australian parliament from 1984 to 2008. His political party is the dominant right wing party in Australia. He was appointed to his diplomatic post by that right wing party in 2014. The thing that really stinks to high heaven is the farcical lengths to which the Republican disinformation campaign is prepared to go.
Trump is betting upon his base buying the fiction that He is the victim of deep state conspiracy.
Meanwhile, we learn of shady meetings between Trump campaign members and Eric Prince and Middle East states' representatives.
Was our foreign policy regarding Oatar determined by financial interests of the Kushner/Trump clans?
Trump is such a greedy grifter it is no wonder that he would be open to all sorts of financial incentives from foreign agents. No wonder the FBI was 'interested' in what was going on.
21
When Trump starts demanding to know who took his strawberries (ala the Caine Mutiny), it's time to get out the butterfly net.
7
Trump doth protest too much. And in doing so he displays his own guilt. Despite this man's increasingly strident and thinly disguised machinations to kill the Mueller investigation, it is too late.
Mueller was initially hailed—by both D's and R's—as the only one capable of handing this investigation into corruption and election lawbreaking. Now, as he closes in on Trump himself, he squeals like a stuck hog. What Trump doesn't understand is that he's already on the spit. Soon, the fire will be lit.
10
Well jeez, I mean come on, Donald’s campaign and presidency is like some sketchy old casino buddy of Frank Sinatra’s somehow ending up running for President in the sixties. Of course you’d want some serious investigation.
5
The whiner in chief. nobody is nice to poor Donald.Everybody does and says bad things about him.
so sad
35
Snooping inside the Presidential campaign is a serious attempt at potential blackmailing of the candidate.
A state within a state,with unbridled powers to snoop is a dangerous trend & needs to be investigated vigorously in an bipartisan manner.
J Egdar Hoover’s long years at the helm is in no measures only due to his abilities beyond running FBI.
The President Donald Trump has the right to seek an inquiry into this sordid drama of spying on the candidate.
& this is the United States,land of free,really.
7
Because if the Snoopers following Russian gansters and crooks find them talking to, dealing with, and hanging out with guys running Trump campaign, they should ignore the Russians under surveillance and send the campaign a fruit basket? No One in the Trump campaign came forward to say -" Hey, we've been asked to commit some crimes with these friends of Vlad. You guys ought to take a look. We're patriotic Americans, and no matter how many hundreds of million in laundered rubles they offer us or Trump, we really believe in free and fair elections. We don't want to take money from those guys who toss dissenters off of balconies. Not us. "
30
That would be true if there was a shred of probable cause to support Mr. Trump's contention. But there is not.
23
I want to see Trump's tax returns!
5
Thought experiment: suppose (ignoring, for the moment, how this would-be decided) that Obama DID order the FBI to ‘spy’ on the Trump campaign. So what?
Giuliani is proposing some sort of Hail Mary Pass here wherein Mueller’s investigation would then be summarily closed?
No! NOT how it works! Giuliani is misleading Trump…playing on his desperation.
But no REAL lawyer will work for Trump…so he’s stuck with Giuliani.
16
The President can't order the FBI to investigate anyone.
3
''I hereby demand...'' You're kidding me.
57
It appears that the FBI, CIA, or both, used a human asset under their control to target members of a rival presidential campaign at home and abroad. This type of activity does not occur unless signed off at the highest levels--Comey, Brennan, Lynch, and ultimately, Obama.
The question is, what did President Obama know and when did he know it?
8
Well, If Trump and his campaign weren't engaging in transactions with guys and gals under surveillance for crimes, they wouldn't have been caught in the net.
Donald Jr can keep repeating 'it was all a out adopting Russian babies', but the hundreds of million funneled to his dad and cronies doesn't appear to have been spent on re-home little orphaned Russians. And some very nice people died in odd circumstances or in the care of Vlad's pals while the loot was being scrubbed.
15
"In fact, F.B.I. agents sent the informant to contact Mr. Trump’s campaign advisers only after receiving evidence that two of the aides had suspicious contacts linked to Russia." Nothing of what you suggest happened. Facts matter!
4
Liberty hound, The actual question is "What didn't Trump know and when didn't he know it?"
3
I hereby demand that Donald Trump disclose his personal and family income tax returns and business records to the American people. And unless he divest all of his assets into a blind trust that he resign.
165
I agree with your comment, Blackmamba.
The American people have wanted to see these income tax returns for over two years and Trump has FAILED to comply.
Let's treat Trump like the North Koreans have: Trump does what we ask him to do, then maybe we'll grant him the benefit of acting like we believe his lies.
Oh! Trump is such a GREAT negotiator. Are you tired of winning yet?
9
And let's have a legitimate MD. do a physical on this clown.His first doctor,Bornstein,admitted the dotard dictated the so called physical to him while trump waited in his car…his second physical sounds very like the first and that doctor was promised to be the head of the VA..in return for falsifying his report.I betcha, if a legit physical were done,it would prove trump unfit to serve.
So...who are we going to get to investigate Trump’s “investigators” of the investigation?
Notice the Russian “nesting doll “ nature of all this...it would be funny if it weren’t...so...SAD!
22
The anti Americanism of this proudly ignorant know nothing does not give cover to a do nothing Congress
Standing by doing nothing while the Constitution & rule of law are under daily assault by this shameful ignoramus only serves to demonstrate the lack of
viability & the moral and ethical bankruptcy of the GOP
It is past time to vote out of office every single republican:local state federal
They are beyond useless
They are treasonous and will bring down our form of government IF WE LET THEM
VOTE Nov 6 2018 to save the American republic from the assault of the republicans
It’s our last chance
62
These constant attempts to shift blame got old a long time ago. The infiltration that Donald's campaign should've been concerned about happened when foreign agents from multiple countries came calling with offers to help him. Much of his current trouble could've been stopped cold if they had notified the FBI at the time instead of welcoming these offers with open arms. If they didn't actively collude with foreign interests, it wasn't because they weren't willing to.
28
Two things are disconcerting about this article. The legal experts say that having the President push back is "unprecedented." Left unsaid, however, is that it is unprecedented that the intelligence community targeted a rival presidential campaign for both electronic and human surveillance.
It is also curious that the article says, "In fact, F.B.I. agents sent the informant to contact Mr. Trump’s campaign advisers only after receiving evidence that two of the aides had suspicious contacts linked to Russia." The Times can only make that assertion if it has seen evidence that the FBI/DOJ has refused to turn over to Congressional committees.
We all should be deeply worried when the intelligence community feels more comfortable leaking to friendly journalists than complying with Constitutional oversight.
6
Yes, we should always bee worried about our intelligence agencies becoming corrupt the way the FBI did under Hoover. On that we agree. And if this turns out as you suspect, I'll admit it. But the NYT doesn't make things up--I've learned that over decades of reading it. They do know about the two contacts. And the indications that Page was/is in bed with Russian intelligence are solid--they have recordings! The FBI must look into these kinds of things; it's their job.
3
My most sincere wish is that Trump gets everything that he has earned, including prison if serious crimes are proven. Also, a claw-back of his wealth proportional to any money laundered plus a very healthy penalty.
38
that is why he upports prison reform cuz he'llsoon be there
1
The country continues to be damaged by a president lacking the ability to lead or even to simply maintain the core components of his position. His cabinet and his party leaders clearly lack the will to openly defy him.
This chapter of American history will be filled with questions related to how and why this President was allowed to harm the office and the country.
Investigations into investigations...really? When will enough be enough?
720
Enough will be enough only if and when Trump is replaced with a legitimate President.
57
He was "allowed to harm the office and the country" because the GOP is completely complicit and filled with traitors who care more about power than the country. Every single GOP politician must be voted out of office, from county library board to the Senate.
I used to vote for the person I thought would do the best job. No more. I won't vote for another Republican in my lifetime. Ever. And my millennial children won't either.
127
"His cabinet and his party leaders clearly lack the will to openly defy him."
NO ....you do not get it-his cabinet, and about 50% of Americans totally and enthusiastically support him!
12
I would hope that the Obama Administration DID direct the FBI to investigate Trump and his team. Any suspected illegal activity which could harm the USA or its governance should be investigated by the FBI. Furthermore any political candidate who openly lies and promotes racism should be investigated. If the Obama Administration failed to have the FBI investigate these matters, it would have failed the American people.
576
Meanwhile, Hillary Climton sold U.S. Government decisions and policy to the highest bidders.
She had North American uranium shipped to Russia even though uranium is so rarae ours mucst be imported.
Of course, there's no $145 million payment to a corrupt Secreatary of State for helping the USA import uranium.
Subpoenaed information was destroyed repeatedly by Ms. Clinton in multiple ways totally tens of tousands of pieces of federal property. She then joked about her destroying the emails.
But no one should look into that? Comey decided never to indict Hillary WEEKS before she was even interviewed. THAT was a strictly political decision by Atty.Gen. Lynch.
8
No open lies and racism from Hillary Clinton. That's what I'm looking into everyday from Trump. He exudes both. The latter two Trump traits are what's destroying this country from the inside. I'm not privileged enough to ignore it like so many.
This has been debunked so many times it's not funny but scandal has to be created around the defeated Clinton to take eyes off of the unprecedented criminality of this mobster administration.
https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/hillary-clinton-uranium-russia-deal/
Watching Trump rage lefties selectively moan and wail is a phenomena of pavlovian significance. Is there really any question that the Obama machine politicized Justice, the FBI, the IRS, etc.? Is there really any question that the DNC and media are in the tank corrupt, see e.g., rigging the election in favor of the anointed candidate. Russian meddling? Putin in bed with Trump in bed with Stormy? ...seriously? So far lost...is the party of FDR and JFK, and heck I'll say it,... WJC too. Pardon the troll, but someone needs to woke any reasonable folks left on the left.
3
Someone needs to wake the complacent right and complicit GOP.
4
For context:
http://www.palmerreport.com/analysis/scared-roger-stone-arrest-trump/10253/
3
While it seems that the FBI's use of an informant as part of its investigation into Russian interference in our election was normal practice, Donald Trump is making this into a potential Constitutional crisis by threatening to "demand" perhaps "officially" an investigation of the FBI and Special Counsel by his Department of Justice (DOJ). This has more than the whiff of Nixon era "abuse of power" that resulted in the infamous "Saturday night massacre" if Mr. Trump actually follows through on his threat and does not accept a review offered by the DOJ's Inspector General, Michael Horowitz, as was just done in the case of Andrew McCabe. Let's hope that Mr. Trump calms done and let's the justice process continue.
210
It might help to look at this as YAS (yet another scam) by the President. It is readily obvious from the reporting that a confidential informant meeting with members of the campaign is a far cry from spying on the campaign. But it is an easy sell to turn "investigation" into "spying" for those who have been trained to be easily gaslighted. Trump knows that nothing will come of the investigation. Rosenstein has already used the key word "inappropriate" to tell us where this is going. But by "demanding" action, Trump looks tough and lays more groundwork for his "witch hunt" scam. If Trump really wanted to know if his campaign was spied on he could have had McGahn call Chris Way and handled it quietly, Trump will not calm down. Innocent people are calm. Guilty people grasp at straws like this one.
50
Trump will also be abusing power if he follows through with his threat to have the Postal Service charge Amazon more money for shipping simply because Jeff Bezos owns The Washington Post.
Trump's vindictive behavior is a danger to our democracy and is reminiscent of Richard Nixon's "enemies list." (Abuse of power is also an impeachable offense.)
33
Very true, sir. If he demands an "official" investigation of an investigation into his misdeeds, it's more PROOF of Obstruction of Justice. The president doesn't care what he says or what laws he breaks.
11
One thing is for certain; traitor Trump can't pay hush money to Mueller or his team. There are those whose respect for the rule of law supercedes greed and avarice.
25
“For political reasons”. This vile person occupying the White House without having genuinely won the vote sees anything as “political” if it might in any possible way harm or offend him. He politicises everything because he takes no action through which he doesn’t seek to enrich himself and his ego and also damage at least one other person or populace. If the FBI was engaged in surveillance of him, it was surely because he is so clearly suspicious and so clear and present a danger to the United States. I only hope their surveillance was successful and he will soon be removed by any means necessary.
25
By ordering an investigation into the Feds placing an "informant" into the Trump campaign in no way impacts the Muller investigation. The Authors are connecting dots that don't connect and using the false connection to infer obstruction of justice. Certainly the vast machinery of the Justice Dept. can handle two things at once.
5
Folks... these reports of a spy has come from congressional testimony. The NYTImes have admitted this is true, the DOJ and FBI has specifically requested not to look into this fact. Sending a spy in to entrap campaign members is a legit crime. Then using entrapped evidence to apply for official spying warrants.
Imagine if Kamala Harris were the Democratic nominee in 2020. And Sessions authorised a spy without any basis into the Harris campaign. Then got the spy to 'trick' a campaign member then using that trick to apply for secret spy warrants. Everybody here would be up in arms. This is your Republic. Please stop the bias from clouding the damage this type of stuff has done.
6
Nonsense. Trump’s campaign staff was full of shady characters who were already under investigation for their contacts to Russia.
A more apt analogy would be if an organized srime boss ran for office, then started complaining when his lieutenants got caught collecting shakedown money.
31
....except there was basis. Manafort, Stone, Page, Flynn, Don Jr, Kushner .... ALL have been shown to have made extremely questionable choices and in some cases indictable offenses.
Your hypothetical Harris scenario is not apropos, because there WAS in fact basis for surveillance of certain people in Trump's orbit. If people close to your hypothetical Harris had been in sustained and secret contact with foreign adversaries and lied about it, I would support the FBI 100%.
All this whining about the referees is extremely lame.
Where is the your indignant and righteous anger about the people the FBI are being scrutinizing, many of whom are actually really extremely guilty?
7
Entrap??? More like investigate foreign interference in our elections and treasonous compliance by anyone.
1
No, the investigation must continue because this is just getting interesting. Now that the false Russia collusion narrative has been exposed as a Clinton Machine dirty trick, perhaps we can get to the bottom of who in the Obama Justice Dept, FBI, and CIA authorized spying on a presidential candidate. Oh, wait! I forgot, it was just to ‘protect’ the appalling Donald Trump! The Democrats thought they could get away with this and they would have if the duplicitous and venal Hillary Clinton hadn’t blown a slam dunk election. (Trump, as foul as he is, is right. This IS worse than Watergate. Where is Nat Hentoff when you really need him? Stay tuned...)
44
What? Yes, it must continue until Don and his scions are in prison. Lock him up!
70
You've described "the false Russia collusion narrative," but what about the true collusion narrative? The real narrative, describing real events that actually happened in the world in which we are living, as opposed to Trumpland? The narrative I am talking about is the one that has Trump appointing Manafort as his campaign manager, Trump Jr. meeting with Russian agents, Papadopoulos talking of Clinton "dirt," Stone communicating with Wikileaks, Kushner seeking a secret back-channel to Moscow, and Trump himself asking Russia to provide emails that, if they had been available, would have been illegally hacked and stolen from a U.S. citizen by Kremlin agents, as Trump very well knew?
176
Whhhhat? How did a comment like this become a "Times Pick"? This is rambling gobbledygook, a complete disconnect with reality.
As the Fearless Leader tweets insanity, and misdirects attention away from reality, the bunkers just get dug deeper and deeper underground.
Putting together the latest reporting from the NYT, WaPo & BuzzFeed, it is excruciatingly obvious that the jig is up. Abramovich is stewing in Moscow while the UK holds off on renewing his visa (a blessing in disguise, perhaps, given that he will be more easily scrutinized by Western LE once he is back in London, or on his yacht). The BBC reports that the City is quite done sheltering Russian loot, now that a demented Kremlin is unable even to refrain from deploying nerve agents in Salisbury while simultaneously clubbing pro-democracy forces all over their own country, with cameras rolling. Meanwhile, check out the chummy ties of long standing between Michael Cohen's payer, Victor Vekselberg, & the UK's official "wealthiest Briton," Lenny Blavatnik, currently of Warner Music -- coincidentally a really close friend of Bibi. Kushner-pal Bibi also famously tried to take control of investigations into his own family's corruption, and failed in his attempts. Has the picture become clear yet? The whole world needs dishonest businessmen to stand down from political life, and honest politicos to actually care about the future of the planet a whole lot more than they care about lining their pockets with looted billions while their 'special forces' beat the destitute & desperate into submission. Let's reboot this little world of ours, shall we? Would be nice if it actually worked as originally designed to, for a change.
221
yup
4
I applaud your sentiment, Maria, but I've grown weary of the countless times I've thought "surely, this offense will do him in," only to watch him squirm away or for the collective attention span to move onto the next shiny object. I firmly believe Trump could shoot someone with no consequence, as much as it bewilders my sense of justice. At this stage, our best bet may be just to vote him out in 2020 and hope he doesn't kill us all before then.
9
Reasonable & widely shared. Assuming we get that vote. We thought we would, in 2016. Time's a-wastin', powerful people: there's no time like the present. Best get on with it!
This order seems imminently reasonable to me. If the Obama administration/DOJ/CIA ordered surveillance of candidate Trump, we need to know the details of that surveillance, including what the basis for the surveillance was and how it was conducted. Otherwise, we have become a banana republic that countenances potential political espionage by the government.
The other order that Trump needs to issue immediately is that the DOJ comply with all info requests by Congress and that any DOJ employee who fails to comply with the order is fired. Let's get all of this stuff out in the open and over with.
With the leaking of Halpers identity by DOJ and CIA staff and basically his outing by NYT and Wapo, I no longer find claims of national security credible as reasons not to release the documents being requested. After all, remember that his life would be in danger if his identity was revealed? Really?
I wish the Times would get off the partisan band wagon and on to the sunshine band wagon on this issue. The fastest way to destroy Trump's credibility with independent voters is to expose the underlying documents that lead to the surveillance and the subsequent appointment of Mueller. If there is clear evidence of collusion, it is far more important to present it to the American people than it is to build a legal case. Let the results of the 2018 and 2020 elections be the verdict. If, as Trump contends, this is all political and without a foundation of facts, we need to know. Now.
45
OK, I'm scratching my head as to why Trump's taxes aren't on your list for "sunshine".
182
Ralph Gibson
If you are emphasizing the need for transparency, we need to know is what is in Trump's tax returns. One cannot ask for transparency only in limited circumstances, especially when it interferes with an investigation relating to the person who is trying to weaken the justice department investigating him
.
143
Your response might seem reasonable, except for the fact that there is a corrupt agent in Congress named Devin Nunes running one of the committees, and a corrupt group of Republicans covering him as was shown in their review of his actions. He is clearly covering for Trump. Clandestine meetings at the White House in the middle of the night don't cry impartiality. So, now, let's not pretend that their calls for documents are on the up-and-up.
This is Trump is obstructing justice. He is doing so openly. He is making the case for impeachment.
33
"Experience hath shewn, that even under the best forms of government those entrusted with power have, in time, and by slow operations, perverted it into tyranny."
Thomas Jefferson
9
To quote from James Risen: "[I]f a presidential candidate or his lieutenants secretly work with a foreign government that is a longtime adversary of the United States to manipulate and then win a presidential election, that is almost a textbook definition of treason."
I think the reason Trump started throwing the word "treason" about his staff leaking last week is that someone has warned him about this.
These are scary times in this country, and they only seem to be getting scarier.
22
Must we indulge every paranoid fantasy of Donald Trump? I'm noticing an interesting habit of psychological projection from Trump and many Republicans. They scream accusations of criminality at their political opponents while secretly doing these things themselves.
We are dealing with a malignant narcissist in the White House who has spent his entire adult life acting in abysmal, immoral, and criminal ways and either bullying, suing, or throwing tantrums to get away from accountability.
It couldn't be more obvious that Trump is trying to muddy the waters around the Mueller investigation. This is the behavior of a guilty man.
29
And, if trump doesn't like what they are finding, he will fire the investigator and appoint someone who will find what he wants found.
This is corruption - It happens in countries with less stable governments like Venezuela. Trump is doing irreparable harm to our country and laws. This has to stop.
32
Just a another in a long line of miscalculations. In the end, most people will understand that this is just a diversion tactic, and Trump will further cement his place as the most corrupt president in the nations's history.
7
Yet we see another attempt of obfuscation and incitement. Of course the FBI should have been investigating potentially illegal and certainly questionable actions on the part of individuals in dealings with foreign actors. The FBI's actions were motivated to protect and defend the United States, to protect us and our democracy . Unfortunately, our president-of-me views everything through the lens of "to protect and defend himself."
5
Isn't Trump satisfied with the exemplary work of Devin Nunes?
4
Trump may just have a point here.
When a top FBI Counterintelligence Section supervisor Peter Strzok is exposed for using his classified e-mail system to engage in messages with his FBI girlfriend condemning Trump and clearly supporting HRC, that's more than just bad judgement.....
If you work in DOJ, everyone from the janitors to the A.G. is well aware via regular security briefings that ALL e-mails are of record, retained, and retrievable for eternity.
The Bureau is supposed to be apolitical, but Comey, Mc Cabe, and associates have demonstrated that it is anything but that.
Trump is pushing the envelope here, but what happens if it turns out he is correct?
36
Comey went too far out of his way to demonstrate his nonpartisanship. How do you figure otherwise? McCabe, too. What has he done? Nothing to suggest otherwise.
Trump has no point anywhere except under that combover.
79
Do people not know the difference between email and texts? Strzok and his girlfriend were texting. When you read their TEXTS in conTEXT it's clear Republicans made a lot of noise about nothing. A text is far different than a email. Top of mind and conversational.
82
So an FBI agent sends emails condemning the organized crime family that has been indicted based, in part, on that agent’s investigation. You have a problem with that?
41
here we go. the president pushes, pushes, and pushes, each time going further than any president save Nixon.
we will soon find out if Trump can get away with whsats essentially banana republic tactics,
Trump has brought his thuggish aggression smack inside the dept if justice in a breathtaking power grab.
the camel is just about inside the tent. are we a nation of laws or not?
were about to find out but its "not looking good, as the president would say.
32
Another act of diversion and deceit by a man whose words and deeds make it appear he has something to hide.
Mr. President, your base may believe that there's a grand Deep State conspiracy among the FBI, CIA, Justice Department, the Intelligence Community, and Democrats.
But, any evidence of that conspiracy is microscopic compared to the "hide in plain sight" proof that your campaign was known by countries around the world to be open to improper influence and illegal assistance.
And, since your election, money has flowed from those countries and others to your family members and businesses, while you and your minions do everything within their power to frustrate the search for the truth.
When a criminal defendant has no legitimate defense, the defendant and his lawyers attack the prosecution and the police, falsely alleging misconduct.
We've seen the movie before, Mr. President, and it does not end well for the guilty and the damned.
145
Always an important commentator. Reasoned, rational and powerful when the rule of law is understood and invoked.
4
This, like the idea Obama wiretapped Trump Tower, is political posturing for his base. Don't underestimate how much they will believe it.
Trump is trying to undermine the credibility of the Mueller investigation by creating a sense of plausible deniability... "Sure they found me guilty, but they were out to get me!"
He's doing it because he's one hundred percent sure he will be found guilty. Let's make no mistake about that.
The challenge is going to be how to reign in the followers who buy every word. It's going to be tough for them to come back to reality when they have swallowed completely the idea that the media and FBI are just "out to get" Trump.
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Trump called it. He said he could shoot someone in broad daylight on 5th Avenue and not lose a single supporter. Tell me what makes Trumpanistas any different from any other fanatical cult. One can only hope it ends the same way most fanatical cults do.
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The exact same process happened when Nixon was toppled.
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The "challenge" could lead to violence.
I am frightened.
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Hold onto your seats, the show is about to begin, the next days and weeks will prove beyond interesting. We cannot indict a sitting President, but we sure can indict a President after he is out of office
We have never jailed a President, it may be that we never jail a President, however Obama (as the evidence may prove) might be as close as it gets, and yes- maybe this time we should jail a President
If (and I say IF) it is proven that a sitting President acted using the power of his office to direct the instruments of our government to spy on, or otherwise surveil his political party's presidential opponent for political reasons, then...
Then what?
Forget the fact that he be democrat or republican, (if this proves to be the case) what should happen to that citizen? that ex-President?
The show is about to begin
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Obama, close to being jailed? In what parallel universe?
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The parallel universe to which you refer, is (in process of becoming) reality to a majority of Americans
Personally, I don't think Obama will suffer jail, more likely he will become (substantially like Nixon) persona non grata (in polite circles) until the end of his days
Hillary on the other hand...
By all means, Trump, investigate the FBI's implants. It will be gratifying to find that yet another conservative law-enforcement organization, the DOJ, finds that there is good reason to believe that you colluded with foreign governments to steal an election, that you are compromised by foreign governments and that you are corrupted beyond redemption. Eventually, one of these agencies will have the courage to actually indict you for the criminal you are.
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