John Kelly called around to Rs in Congress, demanding/begging them to speak out against Trump's treasonous statements (plural) in Helsinki. They did. Trump recanted in the Least plausible way. And Kelly (and all the treacherous Rs) said 'Good enough. Let's run with that lie so we can keep the traitor in the WH.'
Kelly is no patriot; rather, he is a loathsome apostate who cares not one whit that our "president" is treasonous. Kelly's only concern is to create a vague smokescreen around Trump in order to keep a known traitor in power--and damned be our national security.
Kelly needs to be cashiered (i.e. physically stripped of all rank, badges, medals, insignias, etc.), imprisoned for a very long time, and then exiled to Russia or whatever authoritarian regime will have him.
31
Senator McConnell and the Republican leadership own just as much responsibility for this as Trump. Remember, before the 2016 election, Obama approached the Republican Congressional leadership to ask them to release, with him, a bi-partisan statement concerning Russian interference in our election. McConnell put party over country and refused, knowing that releasing that information would go against Trump's electability. He, and the rest of the Republican leadership, didn't care that a foreign actor was working to influence our elections; all they cared about was winning power. A lot of comments and op-ed pieces are asking the Republicans to show some guts and speak out on this issue. But the real reason they aren't speaking out isn't due to lack of guts, it's because most of them didn't care in the first place and still don't.
Putin must be laughing his head off right now; he not only co-opted an American president, but also a whole political party.
29
I hope everyone that fought Communism in Viet Nam realizes they have another fight on their hands against Donald.
15
Iran not long ago sent it's military into Iraq where they helped develop and manufacture shaped charges that killed hundreds of American soldiers. This was widely known and publicized and yet Obama negotiated and made an agreement with this declared enemy of the American people that resulted in him secretly sending over 150 BILLION dollars in cash to Irans leaders!
This is so much worse than ANYTHING Trump has done it is incredible to me you people can, with a straight face, accuse Trump of being a traitor while continuing to lionize Obama.
1
Relax guys. All is well after Helsinki. Russia no longer targeting the US. Phew!
To have a president with an ear to the Kremlin. It's precious. Only Donny can do this. Tremendous!
13
Trump considers our allies his enemy.
Trump considers US citizens who aren't completely loyal to him to be his enemy.
On the other hand, Putin is his friend.
Is that straightforward enough for the simpleminded GOP? We can see what's happening.
And we know you can too.
Which is why you are complicit and should be thrown out of office..... "bigly".
35
Trumps got to go. GOP colluding.
Trumps a liar we know.Let’s see how the Russian spy arrested and charged connects in dots to Trump. She’s already connected to Republicans, head of the NRA and confirmed as a sex trader for inside contact. How far will this go? A dangerous Russian girl spy playing old men.
9
The only person that Donald loves more than Donald is Ivanka. Perhaps Vlad has something on her.
6
GOP town hall anyone?
I didn’t think so ....
Corruption rudy g. Is really quiet now. I guess it is tough to defend your client against a russia probe when your client admits that the russians interfered in our democratic process.
Vote in November!
23
This is all turning into a farce.
10
53% of the electorate did not vote for Trump and daily we are reminded why it was the right choice. Why must the U.S.'s reputation and credibility descend each day a little deeper into the abyss? When will enough be enough? We know Trump regularly throws enemies and cabinet members under his careening bus, but now he has put Putin in the driver's seat and thrown the American people under the bus. If Trump isn't lying, then he is mentally unfit. And if he is lying, then he is clearly a traitor.
46
Trump's base loves this; it's just the kind of contretemps that sets their hearts ablaze with eager thoughts of laughing at all the outrage.
Remember, the Republican Congress will do nothing, nothing, to rein in our national bully boy. Does Mitch or Paul strike you as courageous? Didn't think so.
This man singlehandedly is dividing the country and the world out of sheer stupidity, and because it focuses all attention on him. When you are 5, nothing beats being noticed.
27
To our Congress and the voting public: You have only to pay a little attention to his sentence structures and choice of words to get that he is lying to us. If that doesn't do it for you, look at his body language, hear his delivery. Only a fool would give this buffoon the benefit of doubt. He belongs in front of a tent at a traveling carnival. He is a con through and through.
If you can't see this, then PLEASE take a course in critical thinking!
34
The RepubliCons never let a flag-waving occasion go by without appearing to love the flag more than they do the “democracy for which it stands.”
But they are the most unpatriotic members of Congress. They value their agenda over the interests of the United States and its people. They would expose us to Russian attack before they would risk losing their power. They are in it for themselves, not for democracy and not for the safety of the United States.
Vote them out. Let me repeat that. VOTE THEM OUT THIS YEAR!
16
Would, wouldn't. Eh.
At this point does this man (stable genius) still even have a working brain - or does any member of his staff? It was noticeable that this time Trump was reading from notes. Who wrote this? Why would he initially speak in "sort of a double negative"? How does this new explanation mesh with his rambling, largely senseless but still detailed criticism at the press conference with Putin of the US intelligence investigation, a "witch hunt" that allegedly was of questionable value because it did not account for the missing Democratic servers that were allegedly hacked? What kind of tactic is this? Rather than his new after-the- fact explanation, better to stick to his guns, though empty, not retract his alleged skepticism of Russian interference, endure a brief political death and come back revived in the many political lives afforded Presidents during a term.
There is also little reason to speculate further on the motives for Trump's prior denials of Russian political interference; and Russian possession of compromising material on Trump is not needed to explain Trump's position. Once Trump admits that there was such Russian intervention in the election the only remaining question bearing on his possible fate is whether his campaign coordinated with it, and his knowledge thereof. Admitting Russian intervention in the election is actually a big concession, although the second half, collaboration with it, remains much harder to prove.
9
Many of his voters wanted to see what a “businessman” could do as President. Now they will see how far the simple conniving (which is mostly what U.S. business is — and certainly has been Trump’s métier) plays out on the world stage, midst very complicated connivers.
8
An overdose of the poison spewed by DT has given our country a case of the DTs. It is time for us to sober up.
6
Once again Trump proves that while he is a prolific liar he's not a very proficient liar. Unfortunately, his supporters agree with Stalin that, "Quantity Has a Quality All It's Own". In their minds the sheer volume of Trump lies is proof of his veracity.
9
"Trump now says he misspoke" should not be the headline of a new story. It should be the first sentence of paragraph 2 or 3 of the continuing story about his attack on U.S. governmental institutions on behalf of Russia, with the same headline as at first. You are letting him set the fulcrum for the narrative.
8
Trump says "would" and then says "wouldn't"
He says "could" and then says "couldn't"
Would, wouldn't. Could, couldn't,
I think his brain's turned off!
5
potato patato
5
Third graders go on several fun learning adventures throughout the year, Trump went to Europe. To chaperone you must have completed Safe Environment Training.
Where were the Trump chaperones? If you have questions about this, please check with Kelly, Mattis, and Bolton at the White House Office before the start of the new School year.
2
It's not a double negative. It's doublespeak.
24
This is a terrible headline. Yes, Trump claimed he got one word wrong. Maybe he misspoke that single word. But all his other words indicated that he supports Russia and Putin more than American national intelligence. Extremely misleading headline, at best, and a gift to Trump.
10
From Putin keeping Trump waiting for an hour, to the long rambling dissertation about Trump being of no interest to Russian intelligence until he announced his run for the presidency, instead of just saying "No" to the question about kompromat, the body language says Trump is Tsar Vladimir's serf.
14
I think much of the base was thinking why go through all that old, stuffy, diplomacy, intelligence, not to mention stepping-carefully. Donnie and Vlad two good ol' boys can get this done. Just like on TV.
Trump has gotten away with this act for some three years now as candidate and president. Glaring Lies in the face of the world. Methinks a tad far this go-round. Even the anti-Trump-haters must see now this guy shouldn't be where he is. What about Congressional Republicans?
And it isn't a Good Ol' Boy game; there's a lot of evil done under the name of both of those men.
6
In a less unhinged milieu, Stephen Cohen last night would have put an end to the post-Helsinki madness.
Appearing on Tucker Carlson, the professor emeritus of Russian studies at Princeton and NYU told us that what Trump said at Helsinki was “heretical and profoundly true”— both Russia & America caused the worsening of geopolitical relations.
Cohen explained that the Russia policies of the 3 prior presidents, Clinton, Bush, and Obama, were wrong, that Trump’s analysis is right, and that Trump must be given the opportunity to correct America’s flawed policy because the alternative is war.
He said further that given the alternative, like all prior presidents Trump had to meet with the head of state, but that never before had he witnessed what followed this summit: “pornography masquerading as news analysis and commentary.”
Prof. Cohen ended by saying, “I didn’t vote for him, but bravo to President Trump!”
2
"“Could be other people also,” Mr. Trump said, appearing to ad-lib. “A lot of people out there.”"
Dear Mr. President,
I want to point out that normal America realizes what a reserved understatement that was. Well done, sir!
3
Our intelligence agencies did such a great job on WMD in Iraq.
1
We don't know what Trump believes but we do know that he wants us to believe that Russia was not "meddling" in our election. He wants us to believe there was no collusion between him and the Russians. He will continue to repeat, in error, that the Russians did not "meddle" and that there was no collusion.
It is clear from our intelligence that the Russians did "meddle" in our election and will continue to. Confirming a collusion charge must await the conclusion of Mueller's investigation. If there was no direct collusion, Trump was and remains a stooge and beneficiary of Russian "meddling". Whether he is motivated to continue to lie about this to maintain electoral legitimacy or for some other more nefarious reason is justification for continued investigation.
8
I'm coming to believe that in addition to all of his many, many negative qualities the man is suffering from a previously undiagnosed form of dementia. Now discovered, it will in the future be known as Trump Syndrome. It is certainly qualifying for application of the 25th Amendment.
11
Katyn Massacre, April and May, 1940. 22,000 or more, shot in the head, dumped in trenches.
Deny, deny, deny.
USSR admitted that they did it, finally, in 1990. They passed a Duma resolution admitting to the Massacre in 2010.
Just sayin'. These things take time.
2
I took a one day break from news. Only this administration can have no control and manage to create such confusion in less than 24 hours. 2020 can’t get here fast enough.
8
Well, let's go to the tape . . .
“He said he didn’t meddle. He said he didn’t meddle. I asked him again. You can only ask so many times,” he told reporters aboard Air Force One after the event.
“Every time he sees me, he says, ‘I didn’t do that,’ Trump added. “And I believe — I really believe that when he tells me that, he means it.”
12
Don the Con is now claiming that critics of his Russia summit suffer from "Trump Derangement Syndrome". Is this response inspired by Handler Putin? As a KGB officer in the Soviet Union, Putin was extremely well versed in the political abuse of psychiatry that was used stifle dissidents. Arrange to have your opponents diagnosed with a psychiatric disorder and send them away for long term "treatment".
6
~ REMEMBER HELSINKI ~
6
Hi overthere...watching/reading this from Germany and still wondering. Seems like he likes it to use his own playbook, as learned as a business man. and this wasn't his (added notes... No Colusion). He will rephrase it as long as he is in charge. ... The press echo world wide was all in the same direction, with the same interpretation, the same outcome, the same reactions... and only 1 person in the world, was satisfied, oh eventually 2 persons ;-)
As said, watching from Germany and wondering what is still possible in democratic states with functioning and established separation of power + the free press. Glück Auf
1
In this article, McConnell is quoted as warning that if Russia meddles in our elections again, there will be consequences. This warning strikes me as both hollow and convenient.
McConnell nominally puts Russia on notice, but like all the rest of the Republican Party that currently runs Washington, he refuses to act to protect our nation's democratic electoral freedoms in any concrete way, prior to the 2018 elections. It's all left for later, for someday.
This would appear to be in his own party's interest in the short term, since the Russians surely would/will interfere to back the Republicans, all of whom are by now safely in the pro-Russia Trumpist camp. (Disagree? Name one R who's not retiring or retired and dares to speak out. They no longer exist. They've all been purged or silenced.)
I fear for our nation if we discover later that today's cynical ploy by McConnell was accompanied by knowledge that the election of 2016 was stolen, or the 2018 election was about to be stolen.
If we were also to discover that in 2018 our free elections ended up being stolen through Russian interference that could have been stopped, but wasn't, then heaven help us all.
16
It feels like we're collectively reading the same badly written, sleazy espionage novel that never ends.
The indicted Russian agent Maria Butina is offering sex to government officials in exchange for what...guns, NRA, spies, keystrokes, cyber attacks, misinformation campaign, denials...
26 Russian nationals indicted by Mueller, the piles of pathetic lies 24/7 from the WH.
Is this all real, or we will wake up soon enough and realize it was one of these nightmares when you awaken in cold sweat.
13
He's lying. As usual.
19
Please--can we just divorce this man?
11
Trump is a traitor and needs to be removed from office NOW. All discussion should focus on impeaching this fraud.
13
Absurd & pathetic!
9
“No’nt”
15
New hat:
Blue with white lettering “Demand Democracy!”
8
In his dotage, he's turning into a lousy liar. Putin must be disappointed.
9
@Larry McCallum - No, I don't think so; in fact, I think Putin has known exactly what Trump was all along. Putin isn't so easily, and cheaply, disappointed. He's going to use this lousy liar as effectively as he can for as long as he can. Hopefully we'll still have a country left - and some allies still willing to talk to us - by the time he's done, because I don't know that Robert Mueller can work fast enough to save the day and Republicans don't seem to be willing to grow a collective spine.
8
Trump is a man with no honor and, apparently, no brains. Does he believe the American people are so stupid as to believe his "correction" by adding one word. And what about this Republican congress and Mitch Mc Connell? Isn't it about time they grew a spine and show some guts?
15
Alas, he's prolly betting on the smarts of the people who 'lected him.
4
If Obama had pulled one— just one—of the stunts that Trump has bungled, bullied or thoughtlessly brings into being daily, and then personally stirs up the stinking pot, Mitch McConnell would have gone into high gear, all-out for impeachment of Obama within the first week of his administration. .
Trump is a serious mistake who gained office in the shadiest if ways, and he’s ripping the nation apart. But he is no longer the source of the problem. That would be today’s far-right, nihilistic Republican Party, who endlessly beat their chests with nationalistic fervor, as they prop up their dictatorial figurehead who’s in love with the murderous Putin.
Democracy in the United States is hanging by a slender thread. We are deep into cyber-warfare with Russia. Look at the negative effect that’s had already. VOTE DEMOCRATIC in November as if your life depended on it, because it very well might.
13
How stupid does he think the American peo---wait, yea I think he's pegged the American people just right.
14
Truly, one expects Rod Serling to show up any minute to introduce the next episode. The shame is that, without immediate resignations (Coats, Kelly for starters), there will, once again, be little real impact. Consequently, nothing will happen and we will go on like this, with the only long term difference that there remains no semblance of the old "Republican" Party left. We are a one-party system now and neither the old Republicans or the new Open Borders/Free Everything Democrats are the one.
4
Psychopaths just love the keep folks off center. You know, typically, the book, Being and Time, by Heidegger, a 1930's German philosopher, can be a tough read, but these days, there are so many fine examples around of the throwness he describes in his culture, it's practically calming to read these days, rather than agitating. It's calm in the way that, well, at least what is actually happening starts to make sense - - scary sense, scary motivating sense, but, you know, at least you aren't baffled by the situation we find ourselves in.
4
In minute 22:45 of the press conference, directly following President Trump equivelating the actions and misdeeds of the USA with Russia ("I think we are all to blame"), Jeff Mason from Rueters had a follow up question to Mr. Putin. The question follows: "For President Putin, if I could follow up as well, why should Americans and why should President Trump believe your statement that Russia did not intervene in the 2016 election given the evidence US intelligence agencies have provided?"
The question was perfectly stated and was to force Putin to go on record, to a free press, to comment on evidence showing Russia to have meddled in the democratic process of the US less than 48 hours after said evidence was released.
Unparalled?! It was a singularly unique moment in US-Russian history (including the USSR days). I literally inched forward on my seat in anticipation of how Putin would respond...and then...and then...Trump intervened and let the president of an adversarial country completely, COMPLETELY, off the hook. ... we learned instead that Trump thinks the electoral college favors democrats.
What just happened?!...literally shocking.
There is no longer anything President Trump says which I find shocking...but saving a Russian Dictator from the responsibility to respond to our free press about an issue as important as election meddling...that was shocking.
I am puzzled as to why there has not been more discussion,if any, in the NYTimes about this moment.
22
Neil I didn't realize this happened. So, yes indeed, why hasn't the NYT been all over this?
7
Can we at least all agree that there should be no Trump presidential library? Nothing you could put in it would stand up to scrutiny.
10
@Duane McPherson
I have often wondered how they would build a library for someone who proudly says he hasn't read a book in 20 years.
8
This made me think of Gerald Ford and "domination of East Europe" faux pas.
Apparently, in an August 2016 ABC Sunday morning news show interview, Candidate Trump didn't believe the Russian annexation of Crimea was the end of the world either. Two years later with access to the highest level intelligence, Donald still doesn't get it! And we should be satisfied with him and his Republican sidekicks?
3
No, it does not clarify it, Mr. Trump. And, by the way, when will you be releasing the transcript of your conversation with Mr. Putin?
10
This morning Trump denied that Russia continues to attack our election process even though he understands the exact opposite to be true. He’s now caught in the middle. Lying to the Nation and lying to the Russians. He’s “behold’n” to them and can’t see his way out. I trust American citizens will.
6
The question - 'Have you no shame Sir?' - no longer needs to be asked...we already know the answer.
By day's end, Trump was already back-pedaling on his 'would v wouldn't' back-track.
I'd guess those West-Wingers, who scripted Trump's apologia (delivered with downcast eyes, seething humiliation and anger) are now facing Trump's uncontrolled rage or a speedy exit - or both.
And Lo! Another of FoxNews' alumni has joined the President's production team: Sean Hannity. Title? Presidential Head Writer.
3
His spineless enablers in congress need to be held accountable. He was and is wholly predictable in his awfulness!
8
Clearly, Trump is suffering from dementia and either can’t recall what he said only a few minutes before his aides step in to “correct” him, at which point, in his current state of decompensation, he is further driven into a frenzy of confusion and denial. The problem is, he is taking the country (and the world) into this fugue state along with him!
14
@Perle Besserman. You're absolutely correct:
Symptoms of neurosyphilis include, but are not limited to the following:
Confusion, disorientation
Sudden personality changes
Changes in mental stability
Dementia
Depression
Irritability
Memory problems
Mood disturbances
Poor concentration
Psychosis
8
Ouch, I just got hit by a piece of the sky...it is falling, right?
That's what some are suggesting. Here's what I don't get...everyone is upset because the Russians were meddling...something they have ALWAYS done...just as we meddle with their affairs. This was so alarming to Obama he did nothing about it. Yet, in our own DOJ and FBI we see evidence of great bias and a leadership that lies to Congress...and no one seems to think that's a big deal. How can some be so complicit in this nefarious behavior.
2
Good Lord. Can you actually hear yourself when you blurt out this alt.right white noise? Honestly.
10
Actually, Obama spoke directly to Putin, face-to-face, called in Congress' leaders and asked for bipartisan support on a public statement (McConnell refused), and announed what was going on in October. Then, he pushed for sanctions--about which Trump foot-dragged for a year. And still foot-drags.
You could look it up, you know.
11
@Tom Tom's words are evidence of why your country is in danger. Tom from Pennsylvania and who knows how many others, are normalizing insidious Russian manipulation. He compares USA to Russia as if they hold the same values and aspirations. Read Hope Against Hope by Mandelstam. Read Stalin's Daughter. See where fear, killing and authoritarianism takes a country. It doesn't happen quickly. It happens over years of turning people against each other. Time to revisit what the USA stands for and fight for it. Some average citizens in your country are ready to set this aside. For what?
5
Trump’s support of Russia’s attempts to corrupt US elections is prima facie evidence of treason. But there is much more. His efforts to isolate US from our allies by attacking, denigrating and harming them are designed to leave US isolated and friendless. His campaign to undermine and weaken US is obvious from his choice of Cabinet members, department heads and judges. With some notable exceptions, he selects the most incompetent, inexperienced or destructive he can find (example: Scott Pruitt for EPA, Ben Carson for HUD, Mathew Peterson for US District Court, Washington, DC).
14
The crux of the matter is deceptively simple:
Regardless of the occupant of the office, the President of the United States of America does not---I repeat: DOES NOT---have the luxury of "misspeaking."
This is beyond doubt or question; I will say to those who pitifully insist upon defending this inept, cowardly buffoon with "give the man a break," or "he's only human---didn't YOU misspeak once in a while?", that if President Barack Obama had leaned on a similar rhetorical crutch, we all know that the Unprincipled Thirty Percent and their Spineless Party-Before-Anything Republican Congress would not show the tiniest shred of mercy, and practically turn the republic upside down in order to gain retribution. This is the bathos in which we now live.
31
And here is to hope that Trump won't "misspeak" and says "nuke 'em". Yes, that could actually happen; he is the current commander in chief and that gives him the authority to order a nuclear strike. However, once the rockets are out of the silos and launchtubes, there is no walking that back. Who among his crew would step up and stop him? Scary times indeed.
8
This situation gets more bizarre by the minute. Last night's "clean-up in aisle six" had Trump claiming a double negative error and supporting the intelligence assessments but sowing doubts at the same time because "it could be other people also." During his interview last night with Tucker Carlson, Trump said the US needn't come to the defense of fellow NATO members like Montenegro or Albania. What did Montenegro or Albania ever do to him? And today he said that the Russians will not interfere in our elections. He knows this how? Because Putin said so!
This is insane! What kind of Kool Aid is he drinking!
12
To the supporters of DJT, with all due respect.
Despite his championing causes that you may support you have to see now that he is not capable of performing all of the duties required of POTUS.
In the past when the Donald found himself in a losing deal his exit strategy was to declare bankruptcy and bail out. He is clearly in way over his head and deep inside he knows it.
McConnell knows it, Ryan knows it, even Kellyanne must know it, heck everybody knows it. The question is when will he quit? He must be getting pretty chilly. The Emperor has no clothes!
11
All due respect. I don't owe them any respect at this juncture.
6
Helsinki Don.
11
Can we please stop using the word “meddled” to describe the very sophisticated and wide-ranging actions by a foreign government to undermine / impact the results of our democratic elections.
The word you want is “attached”.
9
America's image is tarnished forever.
12
Yes. You are correct.
3
This soap opera reminds me of the Peter Sellers film “Being There.” An autistic man is mistaken for a sage statesman. Nobody thinks Trump is sage but he thinks he’s adequate. Obviously, his allegiance is compromised AND he speaks the truth. This country’s Russian-phobia is as historic as it is psychotic. Russia/USSR has never attacked America. America has invaded Russia. Russia took the brunt of Germany’s destructive aggression allowing the allies to win WW II. The Cold War was a propaganda manipulation of the US. Not to mention America’s political and economic interference with Russia. Can it honestly be said that the US is not involved in similar sociopolitical actions? Of course not! Enough already! We all knew Trump was not fit for the Presidency! Why so shocked?! You married him, you’re stuck with him. However, I’ll believe Trump’s behavior is bad for Trump when he is removed or voted out of office. All this pearl clutching signifies nothing everyday that he’s allowed to believe he can actually pull this off!
2
Blame his core; blame the spineless GOP. Did you see Paul Ryan dodge a question about Trump and the summit? Does anyone doubt the reasons why NO ONE but the interpreters were in the room with the two? Trump and Putin did not want any recordings, documents, or witnesses to their dirty deals. Trump is and never will be a match for Putin. I would bet my life that Putin does have dirt on the Trumps/Kushners and is using it to get whatever he wants. Go Mueller! https://www.wired.com/story/what-robert-mueller-knowsand-9-areas-hell-pu...
29
Trump has been easily manipulated. But we knew he was no match for Putin. Trump made a rookie mistake.
3
@Denver
What makes you think Putin does not want/have recordings, documents and witnesses to every dirty deal Trump has been involved in for the past 25 years?
5
@DenverPutin is no amateur he will have entrapped Trump into making embarrassing and damning remarks about the US. He will have taped the conversation and he will blackmail your President with it.
3
Seeing Don's juvenile little games being played out on TV reminds me of when I go fishing, catch one, remove the hook, put it down and it flops...and flips...and wiggles...and opens closes it's mouth a lot without saying much. Yeah, that's him. The difference is, the fish can think for itself.
8
has anybody heard "SCOTUS" in the last 72 hours? I think this is "MISSION ACCOMPLISHED"!!!!
8
Any photo of Trump and Putin together should be captioned: The Apprentice. Guess which one.
11
Trump is clearly ill-equipped and unqualified to do this job. He lacks the savvy and knowledge to deal with wily adversaries like Putin. It was utterly foolish for him to sit in a private meeting with Putin without more experienced aides like Pompeo, Huntsman or even Bolton with him. Trump is foolish, naive and terribly ill-informed about international affairs. He not only ignores his intelligence briefings, he makes his staff boil the information down into index cards or infographics, because he can't sit still long enough to read a few pages. He's also hypersensitive about his tender ego, rambling on and on at the Helsinki press conference about Hillary Clinton's server and his Electoral College tally. I'm sure Vladimir Putin could barely suppress his laughter!
14
I think it is now time for the New York Times to call for Donald Trump's resignation, impeachment, or emergency removal by the 25th Amendment. He is clearly compromised and unfit to be President of the United States.
31
I am now convinced that trump is a Russian mole, likely recruited some years ago. He is indeed the "Manchurian candidate".
9
It’s hard to believe he needs to make a note to repeat “there was no collusion.” He says it nearly every time he opens his mouth. He needs a reminder to shut up about it.
12
It's definitely official, Vladimir Putin not only has Donald Trump in his hip pocket, he has Mike Pence, Mitch O'Connell, Paul Ryan, Devin Nunes, and the rest of the Republican sycophants in that pocket and they will never be able to wash the stench or the stain from their persons.
10
What more proof do we need after that Helsinki press conference? Trump is either a Russian agent or a complete imbecile - either way NOT QUALIFIED to continue in office. Where are the GOP patriots? Time to stand up for your country! This is way beyond partisan politics - this is about national interest and survival as the leader of the free world. American used to stand for something before this buffoon took office. End this nightmare now! Remove him from office now!
16
Papa Putin gave little Donnie a ball to play with. It wasn't poisoned but I bet it's bugged.... And currently sitting in the Oval Office.
5
He just walked back what he walked back yesterday.
He lied.
What a disgrace of a man.
24
@Vernie19What he has said or tried to unsay does not matter. Trump was seen to crawled obsequiously to a Putin in public and the whole world was watching.
This has completely undermined his authority beyond your shores.
3
How do we know Trump isn't actually a Russian himself? Where's his birth certificate? And how do we know it isn't fake? ICE should probably deport him, just to be safe, until this is sorted out. (He'll be fine, it'll be just like summer camp.)
13
That's it, I cannot take it one more second after trumps latest tweet about the high end intelligent people. Please Mr. Putin take the country just do something with this dolt. Preferably something commensurate with what he deserves.
6
He could barely read the document in front of him. Most normal people, regardless of party affiliation, understand that Putin has something on him. Yet when you watch Faux, or read comments of Trump's twitter feed, they all think it is some grand master strategy and it is all the "libs"fault. Sorry- Trump can now add traitor to his list of faults along side pathological liar, serial philanderer and coward.
19
Republicans were hysterical when Snowden stole all those secrets.
Republicans were hysterical when Snowden found sanctuary in Russia.
Republicans were outraged that Snowden gave Putin all those secrets.
The so-called president believes his relationship with Putin will be beautiful.
Republicans support the so-called president.
And SNOWDEN sold America out??? LOLOLOL
15
He is now back pedaling yet again. Trump supporters....are you paying attention? Are you awake yet? This president is compromised. You have no right to call yourself a "patriot" if you aren't concerned.
16
No. They're not paying attention. Most are white, over 70, and are patiently waiting for their free coffee refill at MacDonalds.
3
Working to vote out Comrade Trump’s enablers in Congress should be handled like the French Resistance against the Nazis. A great many of our votes will not see the light of day if the Russians break into state voter tallies. We are at war. Perhaps a lot of communications need to be handled in cells where no computer system has our full campaign strategy.
If you don’t vote to preserve our democracy, you are not my friend.
The midterms might otherwise be our last election in the U.S.
13
America the free? More like America the farce, thanks to Donald J. Trump, Traitor. This Congress, his administration and anyone who still supports this dangerous buffoon all deserve to have their citizenship revoked. 2018 GOP stands against everything America is supposed to stand for: Justice, patriotism, freedom, decency. He and his family will likely escape justice, but I hope they all one day are remembered as the soulless parasites that they are and identified as such in all history books (assuming America makes it though this dark period).
12
How dumb does he think we are? Double negative?!?
10
Traitor Trump. Making a mockery of the presidency and the USA, cheered on by the masses of the clueless.
20
Why does the NYT call it "meddling" ? Lies are lies; not falsehoods or fibs. This "meddling" was, in actuality, a series of well executed cyber attacks. If Russian agents physically burglarized the DNC would you call that meddling? Let's just get real.
19
Americans, can I ask you why are you so fond of wars? Why not peace?
1
@Mikhail, it seems you ask that question from Russia. I'll answer with a question of my own: why are you so fond of a little group of egomaniacs who rape and pillage your economy, murder, poison and imprison adversaries at will, and start or fan the flames of wars, either directly or surreptitiously. All the while denying any responsibility or knowledge, of course. Does that work well for you?
6
That question should be directed at Putin.
5
Ask Chechnya and Syria and Crimea, be my advice.
3
Trump touts his politics as "America First". When did that term first appear in American politics in the 20th century? It was the same term used to describe an American political movement, which turned a blind eye to Hitler's authoritarian form of government. The America First movement had as its chief spokesman, Charles Lindberg. He, like Trump, fawned over the governing style of strongmen. Like Lindberg, Trump will eventually come to be reviled for his sycophantic behavior towards a dictator.
While Trump cozies up to dictators and despots, his cohorts, the Republicans in Congress, have become a "5th Column", attempting to destroy our democracy from within. It is time to call out these toadies for their allegiance to the modern day version of the Manchurian Candidate, Donald Trump.
20
By the way, the whole "America First" schtick originated during WWII with wealthy isolationists who did not want us to interfere with Hitler's invasion of our current NATO allied countries. More should be written about that fact along with the fact that Russia is the one benefiting from Trump's trade war (China is now buying corn, soy, and pork from them instead of us). Also, please, NY times, go down to Trump Tower and see if you can find any of Trump's clothing line being sold in the lobby. Take pictures of the labels and publish that, i.e., suits made in Mexico, ties and money clips made in China. Put it on the front page. Expose this jerk to his fans who claim they're the "real" Mericans. First, I can't tell them apart from Russian trolls, they use the same trite rhetoric. Second, Trump's most ardent loyalists are white supremacist hate groups, including but not limited to the KKK and neo-Nazis. And third, what's up with the deficit. Why not call Trump's party the Party of Know-Nothings. Because this intentional ignorance has gone so low, it's crashed through our floorboards. Enough already. The man just admitted in front of the entire free world he's aiding and abetting Putin. EXPOSE HIM. Give him the Lonesome Rhodes treatment if you have any video w/sound on him. Don't hesitate. It's time.
16
Trump should give up lying. He's not very good at it. He is also stupid if this banal nonsense is the best he can come up with.
7
Launch the missiles right at Buckingham Palace! Oops! I misspoke!
1
Trump is a hyper-skeptic. The only thing he truly believes in is power. Everything else is malleable.
1
@James R Dupak I think Trump might "mis-read" that as "male-able," and take it as a compliment.
2
Trump's appearance on the world stage as someone in the pocket of Putin makes it important to put the Kavanaugh appointment on hold. Trump has shown a penchant for secrecy with Putin. We do not know what was said/promised in their tête-à-tête. Likewise, Trump has met behind closed doors with Kavanaugh. Without impugning Kavanaugh's integrity, we can impugn that of the man who has selected him. Trump is deeply compromised; that is obvious. Until questions about his character are fully addressed and answered, he should not be allowed to elevate anyone to the high court.
6
If you love your country and want it to continue to be a democratic beacon of hope for ourselves and the world, you must do everything you can to elect Democrats to the Senate. This is not because Democrats are flawless and have the right answer on every public policy question and are totally un-corrupted. It is just that in comparison to the Republicans, who are so partisan that they are willing to support Trump because his delusional supporters will choose him even if he "shoots somebody on 5th avenue" or in actuality debases himself in support of the cruel dictator of Russia. We cannot allow this to happen, let's argue about the best way to help our fellow Americans but be clear it is not in our mutual self interest to support Russia which is ruled by a dictator whose aim is to destroy the power of the USA and thereby advance his own self interest. Please, we are still the USA and not, at least not yet, a Russian vassal state.
9
Brian Kilmeade considers Trump to be on a level with John F. Kennedy, saying, “Kennedy would love to have undone his first meeting with Khrushchev,” before delivering his pitch: “This is something that needs to be corrected.”
President Kennedy did not stand up next to Khrushchev and side with him against his own intelligence and justice departments. Trump did not make a mistake, he said what he believed and in doing so committed an act that arguably can be considered treasonous. What Trump did cannot be undone.
12
I think he's breaking down. He bears very close watching and those who have such responsibility should be ready to step in and take over for him at a moments notice.
8
Yep, its white jacket time.
4
I want to see Trump's college degree from the University of Pennsylvania plus his grades because I'm convinced that Trump can't read or spell. He stumbled while reading the "script" yesterday and appears to be incapable of sticking to any thought for longer than 5 seconds. I think ADD is one issue along with his many other psychological issues.
He says the word "collusion" at least once a day if not more, yet, he spelled it incorrectly in his note on the margin of yesterday's script written by the VP and Sec. of State -- two more stooges who thought that amending one word would "fix" the mess that Trump dropped in Helsinki. No number of "droppings" cleaners with brooms and industrial strength detergent and disinfectant could eradicate the stench of treasonous words that Trump dropped in Helsinki.
6
A full mental health assessment is required on Trump plus copies of all his tax returns and investments..
4
Let’s be clear about the “would/wouldn’t” excuse.
Trump in another question in Helsinki said he thought Putin had a “good idea” about forming a collaborative Russia/US investigation into the interference of US election processes.
If he really agreed with US intelligence agencies that Russia was to blame, why would he think it’s a good idea to have Russia help with the investigation into themselves?
This isn't rocket science.
4
Well, it hasn't even been 24 hours and he has already contradicted our intelligence services again, claiming that Russia is NOT attacking the 2018 elections.
By the way why did they fire the cyber czar?
This is truly surreal. The GOP must step up.
5
I think there is a perceived moral equivalence that underlies the Republican response to Trump's comments. This was alluded to by Tucker Carlson last night but not fully explained.
It goes like this: On the one side, the Russian's are interfering in our elections, possibly with the help of Americans, an illegal act, with the results helping Republicans. On the other side, illegal immigrants are sneaking into the country and having babies, millions of them over decades now reaching voting age, who are skewing our elections toward Democrats. In other words, there is illegal behavior benefiting both sides.
@DRS
This is nonsense. These items are not equivalent AT ALL. Nor, I think, can you find a moral equivalent for the invasion of Crimea or the murder of Putin's enemies or shooting down a passenger jet.
Trump is a weak man who cannot and will not stand up to Putin or anyone else. He is a disgrace to the United States.
4
I've heard Trump's supporters compare kneeling during the National Anthem to an act of treason. President Trump himself has tweeted that when a football player takes a knee during the National Anthem it is a desecration of the American flag. Two days ago, President Trump stood on a stage at an international summit, next to the leader of America's arch nemesis, against whom America has fought numerous proxy wars that resulted in tens of thousands of American deaths, and said that he trusts the word of the leader of Russia over the conclusions of America's own intelligence agencies.
5
An individual who chronically speaks falsehoods, or an individual who only discovers an extraordinary mistake 24 hours later, after several officials inform him of the gravity of his error.
This is not misspoke.
5
People might begin to notice that President Trump's behavior is not normal. My guess is Russian profilers have dissected his characteristics, predilections, psychology and insecurities into cause and effect predictability. Mr. Putin was having a hard time keeping a straight face as he played Trump like a finely tuned fiddle. Worse, it seems from afar, that Trump is under a Rasputin like spell and cannot focus on the obvious or actualities. Mind games are uniquely Russian and they seem to be having a fine time and they are clearly winning the hearts and minds of the Russian population, and now Finland and further, possibly all of Eastern Europe. The Western States seem incapable of playing three card Monty with Kremlin experts.
1
Let me give you a small incident that shows how Trump is totally intimidated by Putin. Robert Kraft, owner of the Patriots, met Putin at a diplomatic reception and unfortunately wore the team's first Super Bowl ring. Putin approached him and asked if he could try it on. He soon exited with the ring on his finger. Like a thief in the old saying he literally stole the ring off Kraft's fingers. Kraft is a close friend with Trump who is aware of the incident but is too intimidated by Putin to ask to give the stolen ring back - Putin falsely claims it was a gift. A small matter but one that demonstrates the character of Trump and Putin,
4
ok peoople, its time for a national strike against Trump until he steps down. Let's do congress' job, apparently they won't do it.
6
When I listened to Trump's press conference all I could think of was the 70+ years the US and its allies have spent trying to check Russian ambitions.
Starting with the Berlin air-lift, to the 'Domino Theory' of cold war efforts to stop Soviet influence all around the world, to wars we fought or backed, to the men and women who died to stop the 'Evil Empire'.
Trump stood there and blithely gave the finger to all that. He sickens me.
3
Substituting the word "wouldn't" for the word "would" may sound not quite as dumb, but it is equally treasonous to suggest that there would be no repercussions from the US and NATO in the face of such an attack. Perhaps more so.
trump assures us that Putin assures him that the Russians are no longer meddling in the 2016 presidential election and are not focused on disrupting any elections now.
Of course they aren't...until November 2018. And their cyber attacks on US power, water, wifi, banking and all other hackable utilities are still in preparation.
They will not be sending B52 bombers, but we are defenseless as Trump fired the head of Cyber Security and eliminated that position altogether.
POTUS has a primary duty to protect the American people and homeland security.
Why is there no congressional hearing on the elimination of a crucial cyber-defense ? Do Mattis & Coats agree?
7
What if the Putin plan is actually to make it appear as if there is ongoing collusion on Trump’s part, when in fact there has been none? Thereby sowing such doubt and discord that in the end we actually do take down our “Great Leader”?
Conspiracy theories aside, whether there has been collusion or not is increasingly irrelevant. Either way, the US is spiraling into chaos. We can only hope our institutions are strong enough to withstand the shock.
I do believe they have withstood worse in the past. But now is the time to tread carefully and with the greatest intelligence we can muster. Unfortunately, institutions alone are no substitute for the kind of deeply humane intelligence now necessary, an intelligence lacking in our leadership, most of whom appear merely shrewd in their shameless self-serving.
1
I previously thought that his time spent on the golf course was a waste of time. Now, while our County needs to reverse course, he should just stay out on the course and play golf. Stay there, you're less dangerous playing golf. Watch out for the bone spurs.
13
Reassuring Perspective: Scientists estimate there are at least 2 trillion galaxies in the observable universe. Thus our Milky Way galaxy is a mere dot in this scenario, Earth a yet smaller dot, and Donald Trump, not so hot - though maybe a red star.
2
We are supposed to believe someone who lies dozens of times a day? Don't his followers relish the belief that he "says what he thinks", he's "tough" and that's why they voted for him? If this is the case, his cartoonish backpedaling makes him look anything but tough.
Ah, so much "winning"...
4
In Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, etc. the only real core values are the "right" to shoot whatever gun and whatever you wish, the "right" to white "nationalism", aka racism and the "right" to ignore science, facts (and common sense). Anything Trump does can be ignored as long as he sticks with their "rights".
2
Many Trump supporters urged his critics to "give him a chance." I should "respect" him and the office.
Is this enough? Is this the "chance" he was supposed to have been afforded? Can we all agree that he blew it?
That I had to feel obligated to give this unqualified, buffoonish, uncooperative, unlikeable, dangerous nobody "a chance" to wield power over my life and our world (just because he wanted it, not because he demonstrated any uncommon aptitude) was an absurd notion to begin with. This has proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that he does not respect, and has never respected, the obligations of his position.
I would have loved nothing more than to have been totally wrong about Trump. Unfortunately, we're getting everything we were afraid of.
5
Trump said 'would' but meant 'wouldn't' so that reverses his subservient demeanor, his acceptance of Putin's invitation to share investigative information with Russian intelligence, and all the distractive talk of Hillary's email and the 'missing server'. You see? It's all the opposite from what you saw and heard. Trump has always been trustworthy and honest so there's no reason to not to believe him, right?
3
There was no mistake in what he said. This is only a statement for the true Believers. Vote no Republcans in 2018 to solve this problem.
2
"“So you can put that in, and I think that probably clarifies things pretty good.”"
Only the BEST words will do for the Dumbster!
7
In an age when lying has become the currency of politics, our president makes no distinction and honors Vladimir Putin who makes a point to lie and defame his opponents. In his poem “Dover Beach” Matthew Arnold expressed regret that the once solid values of Victorian England had retreated as the tide, exposing a dreary seascape, leaving people full of doubt. Then he wrote: “Ah, love, let us be true to one another! For the world, which seems to lie before us like a land of dreams…hath really neither joy, nor love, nor light, nor certitude, nor peace, nor help for pain; and we are here as on a darkling plain, swept with confused alarms of struggle and flight, where ignorant armies clash by night.”
The president’s spineless performance in Helsinki showed where the politics of untruth lead. For him truth does not equal reality; it is a malleable fiction. In Arnold’s poem the shores of England are washed by tides that at their height grip the island in a tight embrace, then slowly release it as they recede, only to return once again. The tides are an incontrovertible truth: that gravity in the end gets us all. And so do lies.
We pride ourselves on freedom of speech. The president exploits this to persuade us he can change the tides of politics. For him every utterance has equal value; there are no real truths. Postmodern philosophers argued that everything about language is relative. They rejected the concept of truth. We see the outcome of their efforts in our president.
1
We can’t let up on 45. He has to be “besieged” over every single thing he does that is not in the best interests of all the American people. Don’t give this con man a minute of peace. It’s the only way his handlers will realize that the people are not letting anything go, and that we are watching him like hawks!
3
Trump makes me really wish that the presidency had two year terms. I just want to get back to the days of clear, concise, (mostly) honest, erudite leadership.
Give me speeches that don't devolve into conspiracy, word salads and half formed thoughts. I might not always agree with the policy, but at least give me coherency. I'm so tired of this mad season.
8
America's democracy is faltering. Trump is the symptom not the cause.
We needed to safeguard the rights of other people, even when they disagreed with the liberal position.
1. When Obama was elected, we hoped he would prosecute the big bankers who had committed massive fraud that almost led the US into a second Great Depression. Dick Fuld, Joe Cassano, Angelo Mozilo had committed crimes that had been documented in numerous well-researched books. But there were no criminal prosecutions.
2. In 1986, the US passed an Immigration and Reform Act that was supposed to end illegal immigration. Yet individual communities have set up sanctuary cities which defy Federal law. If we don't respect our own laws, how can we expect others to?
3. In the MeToo movement, the ends seems to justify the means. Men are publicly shamed by major newspapers on the basis of accusations and fired. But there are no trials. And the accusers are often NOT EVEN KNOWN to protect the alleged victims. And you not see that this procedure is subject to abuse? We are guaranteed DUE PROCESS by the constitution. And liberal feminists have thrown it away.
Yes Trump is a terrible president. But liberals have made many arrogant abuses of human rights themselves.
The likely consequence is a dissolution of democracy itself, with perhaps the forms hiding lack of substance.
Many of us vote for Trump, because as bad as he is, liberals are EVEN WORSE.
I'd ask you to name the laws that Dick Fuld broke, or describe so much as one "sanctuary city," law, or name one guy unjustly fired, but I find that people who toot about "liberals," without knowing what the word means generally haven't much by way of fact on offer
1
That is your personal opinion. For sure Trump is meaner, dirtier and far inferior a model. Remember too who lived in CA originally - not European whites so who really is the immigrant?
1
Trump hasn’t invented this idea that the truth doesn’t matter, he’s just a master of leveraging it... https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/16/us/politics/fact-check-trump-putin-ne... articles like this don’t matter - they basically are the equivalent of a “what i should have said” recounting of what happened, when not only is it too late, but at the same time, Trump has the pulpit and the Times only has it’s readers many hours after the fact. That pulpit is reaches the world, while the Times preaches to its choir, the select group that reads more than the headlines.
This is the dangerous power of populism... whatever people can be convinced of easily and quickest, that’s what going to stick. It's not even about party lines, it's about an aspiring despot vs. a democracy and values. Having reason and rational isn’t going to win elections because we are a poorly educated nation that doesn’t engage beyond 15 minutes of Lester Holt, or even worse, anyone on Fox. That is how our court is being bought and that is how our constitution will be corrupted.
7
Please. Putin has that tape of Trump obsequiously deferring to him for all time. Putin will play it over and over to show his dominance over the US and Trump's acquiescence thereto, and there is nothing anyone can do about it. And Putin has the transcript, too.
All so badly played by the current occupant of the White House. All so badly played. And I'm leaving out the "nothing short of treasonous" part.
2
It's a bit like saying I only got my Mother in Law a little bit pregnant.
Can we NOW all agree that this man is mentally ill (I mean that literally, not figuratively) and take some action before he drives us off the cliff?
I mean I'm glad to see that he is destroying the Republican party from the inside, for generations to come. But let's not let this go on at the cost of our country.
7
Misspoke? Whatever. Far too many Americans mis-voted.
6
Trump is non compos mentis: not governed by fact and/or reason, but by false images and mental impressions. Hence his inability to remember what he said, nor to maintain a thought long enough to form a sentence. Naturally, in this condition, he wanders aimlessly until a puppeteer pulls his strings to direct his stumbling gait along some actual path.
9
Someone should ask trump, who claims to be very tough on Russia, why he is tough on Russia. What has Russia done to merit his toughness? He makes no sense; talks out of both sides of his mouth. Never was it so apparent that trump is unqualified to be president and so very insecure about being president than during his recent trip to Europe. It's because he knows nothing and feels so inadequate around other world leaders that he bullies our allies, while cuddling up to our enemies who are more likely to pat him on the head and reassure him.
Trump's comments in Helsinki have rocked our country. But don't forget the other comments he and Putin made. Standing next to our enemy he said our country was "foolish", put down our intelligence agencies, our free press. Putin brought up how much money was given to Hillary from an American millionaire - why is he talking about that?
8
Now Trump is stating that the Russians are no longer "targeting" (translation: cyber attacking) the U.S.
Since Dan Coates stated the opposite, who is Trump's source? Is it Putin?
What does Trump think Maria Butina is doing in the U.S.?
Trump is either irresponsible (and unqualified for office), mentally ill, or treasonous.
1
Remember intelligence reports before 9/11 that Al Qaeda was determined to attack us that George Bush ignored while the alarmed head of counter-terrorism Richard Clarke repeatedly said "My hair is on fire!"?
Anyone who wants to attack us - with planes, by attacking our water/electrical grid, with cyberattacks on national security systems - sees Trump leaving the door open by refusing to believe his national security & intelligence experts, refusing to act to stop cyber assaults, refusing to read his security briefings, refusing to take listen to national security & defense experts. And by constantly lying - most of all - denying reality.
This administration's atmosphere of total chaos - headed by an ignorant fool who won't take advice from experts, actively denies intelligence reports & belittles our intelligence agencies - is stupidly, unwittingly laying ground work for us to be attacked.
Imagine if the Bush administration had been at this level of chaos on 9/11? We suffered when Bush didn't believe reports of Al Qaeda's determination to attack us. But once they did Bush read reports, listened to his foreign policy & national security experts, worked with our intelligence.
Most of all, Bush was sane & hadn't attacked the intelligence agencies or undermined his national security staff.
Trump is inviting a crisis by refusing to prepare, refusing to defend us, belittling the agencies we rely on for intelligence - before & after an attack.
A crisis waiting to happen!
3
The level of incompetence is crystal clear.
100% shameful, I'm no longer embarrassed-I'm numb.
This will not end well for Americans, the Trumps and Kushners on the other hand assuredly will have multiplied their net worth exponentially by 2020.
Such a sad time for this beautiful and at one time forward thinking country.
God Bless America (I'm desperate as I'm an atheist)
2
Misspoke??? He can’t even speak. Who would support such a man for president? And why?
10
Attempting to tease out what Donald Trump means when he says anything is a waste of time. Right up there with debating how many angels can dance on the head of a pin. The only folks it actually does anything for are the people who are paid to engage in such nonsense. For the rest of us, the simpler questions is to ask, "Is this another lie?" and to answer it, "Probably, yes." That is all the answer any reasonable person needs regarding anything coming from the mouth of Mr. Trump, imo.
Putin to Trump during secret meeting:
"you will tell your voters that we have stopped meddling, otherwise I will pull all funding for your projects and take all our loans to your family back and ruin you"
Trump to Putin:
"yessir -- you are so strong and powerful"
That, in a nutshell, is what happened.
11
will someone bring up the fact that "collusion" spells with 2 "L's", not one "L" as written by Trump on his notes ?
He writes like a 8-year old.
2
Congress needs to demonstrate that they are not in support of treason, by supporting S.2785 - the DETER Act, to ensure Putin and others cannot interfere in our elections without stiff penalty.
Statements??? Trump's mouth opens. Stuff falls out.
Makes me wonder... What would the Republicans in congress do if NORAD reported that there were multiple hijacked planes flying towards NY and DC, and Trump responded by tweeting that these reports are "FAKE NEWS!" and that he is ordering our military to stand down?
11
I cannot believe what we are witnessing - and news just broke that Trump retracted his earlier "would" to "wouldn't" to say that Russia is no longer attempting to work against the US elections - we are witnessing treason. We are witnessing a president who is beholden to Putin, a man who is venal, corrupt, power-hungry, sexist and homophobic. Republicans, Democrats and Independents must unite to invoke articles of impeachment. At the VERY LEAST there must be legislation in place to protect the Special Counsel's investigation into Trump Campaign's (alleged, but likely) collusion with the Kremlin.
2
Breaking News: Trump clarifies that he misspoke when he said he misspoke. "Russia Is No Longer Targeting the U.S., Trump Says, Contradicting His Own Intelligence Director." https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/18/us/politics/trump-putin-higher-intell...
1
Actions speak loud. First the lies, then repeated lies, then the private meeting, claims made/walked back, failing to even appoint a cyber security chief. Playing the American people for chums. Trump's day in court is coming. How many Republicans will be there with him?
5
The intelligence agencies have said only that the Russians did not change any votes though hacking. As to how many people stayed home or switched their own votes based on Russian disinformation about Clinton, that cannot be determined. As for whether Americans have been involved, the FBI has stated only that none were in the last indictment. As a patriotic American, I want all the facts and enlightenment as to why Trump has a slavish devotion to Putin at the the expense of our national security.
15
Actually, the last indictments both said that Americans were darn skippy involved, one of them a Republican operative and one with "close ties," to Guess Who's campaign.
1
And yet his supports continue to support him. I have a hard time understanding that. I have seen people commenting about how he is playing Putin, or somehow sticking it to the political elite.
15
I've seen a comment from people in PA who are asking is election meddling really that bad?
2
I've had it with pointing out the painfully obvious. Those who continue to support Trump (including those elected officials who remain silent) know full well that he is a traitor, a bigot, a misogynist, and a con man. And they are okay with it. Either they are so intent on furthering the financial interests of the wealthiest, or so happy to give the world the finger after feeling maligned and marginalized, that they stopped caring about this country and the ideals it was founded on. They made a Faustian bargain that the whole world is paying for. It's time to take names.
44
@ARNP
Or they have been brainwashed by "news channels" touting all kinds of conspiracy stories about the deep state and the back door shenanigans done to help Hillary. The misinformation is shocking and disturbing.
4
STOP THE PRESSES!
Trump has changed it again, and now says the Rooskies are not trying to interfere in the elections!
Stay tuned for more revelations in this disintegration of the presidency.
9
The breaking news right now is that Mr. Trump says that Russia is no longer targeting the U.S. That means that they were and it also means that he somehow has a line into their strategic planning. Actually, I don't know what it means and we can't play these games any more - too much is at stake. Sadly, I think we need to impeach this president, now. This is beyond ridiculous.
10
Let's all hope he doesn't mis-speak by saying "I would let the nukes launch". We are all living on a knife edge.
11
My question is...what will they do when he declares himself president for life?
16
@Liberal College Girl If they think they can personally profit and die rich then the answer to your question is " nothing".
2
He won’t last too much longer. He is a stroke or heart attack waiting to happen.
It might be a dream but imagine if all his Appointees were reversed and a redo of the 2016 election was ordered...... wait this is too far fetched the unpatriotic party pretty much has the other party out numbered.
4
I guess he has misponken every time he opens his mouth.
What the GOP did there is an attempt to pacify the media and public opinions. We all know that he meant what he had said earlier. Why? Because he has openly and repeatedly support Putin to the detriment of our democratic and security apparatus over the past 3 years. What scares me the most though is the fact the media and public opinion seem to have bought it, and everything will go back to our new ludicrous normal. The insanity continues.
12
Why should Trump and company want to stop Russian hacking and meddling? After all, it won him the election in 2016.
13
What I’d like to see publicized is the line that Trump struck out. The one below the added “ there was no collusion “ scribble. .
I believe it was a to avoid upsetting Putin,
or, more precisely, to avoid Putin have Donnie’s loans called in. He’d be bankrupt immediately.
9
The media coverage of this Soap Opera of I said , I Didnt Say It only benefits Guess Who ? We Deserve Much Better.
2
When you hold the most powerful position in the world, hold the fate of billions in your hands, and you're dealing with your nation's biggest adversary, you don't get to say "Oops."
8
I could not be more disgusted with Mr. Trump.
Full disclosure: my father was a career intelligence officer in the Air Force, and than after retirement for the NSA. He died in 1975. Based on my experience with my father, the men and women of our intelligence community do their work as diligently and honestly as they can regardless of whether a Democrat or a Republican sits in the Oval Office. In my opinion, nothing that comes out of our intelligence community is a "witch hunt".
When Trump is "being Trump", he never uses a script and speaks straight from whatever passes for his heart. He speaks the truth - as he sees it (Which is not always the truth.).
Whenever he reads from a script, he has stepped over some line, has gotten himself in the poo, and has to do something about it. He comes across as a spoiled little boy being made to apologize, who refuses, so is told "You don't have to mean it, but you have to read what's on this paper."
Trump is an absolute disgrace, and I have nothing but contempt for anyone who at this point supports him.
21
This guy can't read a prepared script yet has his finger on the nuclear button?
22
Then today, in "breaking news" on the NYT home page, he says that Russia is no longer targeting the U.S., again contradicting intelligence agencies. As Madeleine Albright noted in an interview yesterday, does he think the American people are stupid?
According to reporters who talked with WH staffers, he went to Helsinki with a 100-page-plus brief that he neither read nor followed. Big surprise there.
35
@JLD
Well, yes he does believe the American people are stupid. And there are millions who back this up
6
@DukeOrel And when he did yesterday's retraction (of sorts), he had to read from a prepared statement. Amazing he can read.
2
Liar, traitor- Putin owns him. If that spineless Republican Congress doesn’t see what a risk this dangerous person is, then they are either compromised themselves or blind. I worry that Trump and some of those Republicans will try to block the elections. I also wonder what other shenanigans they are pulling as Trump distracts yet again with his Putin-inspired moves.
13
Another first for Donald Trump, the only politician who is not allowed to mis-speak.
1
At least he can probably wear a tan suit without criticism. And, he's been throwing shade on our intelligence community since day one. Who ya foolin?
2
It doesnt make any sense. YOU know he didn't misspeak!
2
Joe, are you kidding? We are not.
1
Congress should pass a Joint Resolution calling on our Liar In Chief to keep his pie hole shut unless he is reading word for word from a script approved in advance by persons highly qualified and knowledgeable in the specific subject matter, and that this restriction applies to tweets and the like. America has a talk first, put brain in gear second Liar In Chief who delights in shooting off his mouth just to get some press. He needs to be muzzled and put on very short leash before he destroys the nation. GOP'ers in Congress: are YOU listening?
4
@Bruce That's not good enough. He needs to be removed from office. He is not capable of doing anything right and he's a traitor.
1
Ronald Reagan: "Mr Gorbachov. Tear Down This Wall! "
Donald Trump: "Mr Putin. Can I Please Have That Ball?"
28
Anyone who believes Trump's lame excuse really needs to take a long hard look in the mirror. We do not accept lies from our children or our spouse. Why should we accept them from our leaders?
12
Trump never mistattes anything. To see the real Trump, just take as truth those things that he says that attack American or Americans, the Environment, Health and Safety, or environment, health care or our allies. Take as truth only his praise of despots, dictators, fascists and those who would destroy American. Why do you think the KKK, American Nazis, Putin , Kim Jong Un and Duarte are all so strong supporters of Trump? They know their own.
12
.... and breaking news says Trump just took back what he said yesterday after taking back what he said the day before . . . does this sound familiar? Didn't he invite some kids to the White House after yet another school shooting and promise to stand up to the NRA and then did nothing and then reaffirmed his support of the NRA? Can you imagine how betrayed those kids feel? Therefore . . .maybe we need to not be so focused on what he says day to day, since he lives in a world where he can say whatever he wants about anything and there are never any real consequences. Even an entire administration and the rulers of his own party cannot control him (Trump doesn't really belong to any party). Sensible people know the truth about this man, that's he's a congenital liar and has no respect for the truth or facts, though he uses bits and pieces of both to perpetuate his self-serving lies, thereby muddying the waters and giving ammo to those who support him. Better to focus on voting him out of office.
9
I’m sorry, what unrelenting pressure? Haven’t seen pretty much anything from the spineless republicans (other than McCain perhaps). Perhaps they are just AINOs (Americans in name only).
6
Putin has Trump exactly where he wants him...confused, colluded, and compromised.
10
Trump is clearly the best president Russian money could have bought.
16
And then Trump added: "...but there are others too..."
What Trump reads, is NOT what Trump believes.
5
What summit was everyone watching?
I saw our Commander in Chief being tough, steely eyed, and standing tall for his country.
I'm referring to our new Commander in Chief, Vladimir Putin.
3
There is only one response to this performance on the international stage.
This man must be forced to resign.
At best the man is a fool and at worst he is a Russian agent. In any event this is not the behavior of a world leader in control of a massive nuclear arsenal.
The drumbeat must begin now and he must be repeated by every lawmaker, cabinet member, agency head, and citizen - resign and let someone competent assume the role.
11
Trump is colluding with Russia against us and our allies for his personal gain. Trump family gains. Don’t let the GOP smoke screen cloud your view. They are denying reality having met to conspire on the denial, the “misspoke” defense. Don’t buy into that. Keep the heat on. They are in the “deny deny and what can anyone really do” mode. They feel they can ride this out.This was Trumps bully modus operandi in his enormous shady business. He defies all logic and hard facts from our intelligence agencies and the GOP conspires with him for their own interests. This insults our intelligence. GOP is guilty to the max guys. You know, your mom and dad know your kids know if they open their eyes. CIA, FBI, DOJ under attack since he started. A disgrace. Just like his outrageous berating if anyone he’s angry at, the handicapped aging, etc. He’s got to go. They are holding on but we shouldn’t let go. Hopefully the Russian woman agent arrested and charged will provide facts further showing the collusion. She was on video interviewing him at a press conference. How? Why? We know why. She’s a Russian agent as charged. Our allies and the world suffer the secret meeting with Putin.
A smack in the face for the free world. The UK know this recent second assassination was 100% Russian chemistry and yes they can identify the exact markers and source. If that happens here what will Trump say in the face of the absolute facts . He will say “it could have been lots of people, I dunno.” Really?
8
This is getting to look like a bad movie sequel: Weekend at Donnie's. They prop him up in front of the cameras and pray that he can read his lines without going off script. He literally cannon remember what he said or claimed just a day ago.
Much like the original Bernie he is a complete fraud.
1
One cannot expect a puppet to go against the puppet master. So the liar-in-chief now said he misspoke and is now wiling to accept the unanimous findings of the US (not his as so many media said) intelligence community but he couldn't help himself to add "could be other people also" to beg forgiveness from his master, Putin.
The issue now is not if Putin has anything on him but what does Putin have on him? A dossier, or more likely money. He wouldn't be subject to blackmail because of the dossier because he is shameless. So it's got to be money, the only thing he cares about.
10
We didn't even need that blatant demonstration while Putin stood there looking like a cat that just ate a bird as Trump made it obvious that he's bought and paid for by Russia. We didn't even need that to NOT know that the Trump family has been compromised by Russia - and that's while we are still not in possession of all of the facts that have gone before a grand jury in a federal investigation. And if this isn't going to wake up the Republicans in office, then I hold every one of them now backpedaling for Trump to be complicit. Please vote them out of office and DO confront them if you run into them. You have every right to speak your mind to a so-called 'representative - in a free country - or at least enjoy it while it lasts. The only thing we have to fear is fear itself - and being taken over by these disgusting lowlifes. Did you see the journalist who had written four words on a piece of paper "Nuclear test ban treaty" on a slip of paper get the paper ripped from his hands and manhandled out of the building even though he said he'd leave? I thought PUTIN had done that. But no, it was Trump. We must not let this happen in our country.
8
He didn’t not mean what he originally said.
6
This buffoon has embarrassed us relentlessly across the globe. Being that I reside within the Bible belt, all I hear is that we need to pray for Trump rather than criticize him. Well, I think that he needs to allow people who are more experienced than him advise him. He is not in touch with reality, well, at least mine.
2
And still he has supporters - truly unbelievable!
7
Well, folks have asked me how can Americans still vote for Trump now? What causes them to think that Dems or Liberals are the "enemy"? I have the obvious answer: FOX (Faux) NEWS. NPR interviewed folks on the street today in a town outside of Austin TX and they still support him. They think he's there to "shake things up" and he must have "misspoke". They also still think Hillary is the enemy. They also mentioned they listen to FOX news EVERYDAY!
UGGGHHHHHHH! Sorry but they sounded ignorant in their rantings too.
10
@Patricia This is exactly the problem now. Anyone with half a brain by now sees and understands what is happening. Unfortunately, his supporters are ignorant and uneducated and they don't understand- or care to understand- history.
1
@Patricia Whenever I want a good laugh (their conspiracy theories are hilarious) or want to play 'The Illiteracy Game' (whoever recognizes the most gaffs, wins!), I watch FAUX News.
Until those trump lovers lose their jobs and their homes, they'll French kiss the Orange King until the cows come home.
1
Where are Trump's tax returns?
14
@Dutch: They're too ashamed to appear!
I hope the NY Times and the Democrats/Socialists keep up this lunacy. The Republicans are going to clean house in November.
Why don't you accuse Obama, Brennan and Comey of treason? The Russian "meddling" took place on their watch. The intelligence agencies have repeated numerous times that no vote was changed and no Americans were involved. Hillary Clinton lost because she is not liked and lazy. The Democrats are going to lose again in November because of this nonsense and having no solutions to help Americans. The Democrats and media are undermining the faith in our elections.
3
I'd mention that the Russians are CONTINUING to meddle, but that has to do with events actually taking place on this planet.
@Robert You are essentially rooting for the demise of our democracy. And I'll bet you even consider yourself a patriot! What a joke.
2
Everybody’s affraid of the 225 pound elephant in room.
We have a spineless house and senate with more money than sense. Their mission to remain elected via Trump’s so called “Base”.“The Manchurian Candidate” will rule by double talk, fake news, Misspeaking and his history as a past TV celebrity, which is all the base needs to hear. This man is a clear and presidential danger to our democracy and way of life. He’s another Vietnam all rolled up into one man. Do we have to repeat the sixties to get rid of Trump and fix government? He clearly is the Forest Gump of politics and he‘s always selling us a box of chocolates. North Korea, Russia, Trade Wars, breaking NATO, alienating the European Union, Aressting children, disregarding the environment. Bla,bla,bla, nobody has got the guts to impeach or pass a recall referendum Act!
8
It is time to get this story updated!
1
Can't just read what the adults write.
2
This is a gift to the Democrats. If there was really no collusion with the Russians, wouldn't Trump have condemned the meddling in the strongest possible terms? By not doing so, it makes it look like he's happy about the Russian meddling, and it almost makes him look.......
GUILTY!
I'm not sure what his brilliant strategy is here. The great orange deity works in mysterious ways.
2
Contrasting his meeting with Putin with his experiences at the NATO conference this article states:
"He insisted his meeting with Mr. Putin had gone “even better” than that with NATO leaders, at which he claimed, erroneously, to have raised billions of dollars in additional funds for the alliance."
Certainly the word "erroneously" was accurate, but why water down Trump's blatant lie? The word that should have been used instead of "erroneously" is "falsely".
3
Last I checked there was no mention of the President having to take his marching orders from the media or appease the media. Come on, we all are aware of your bias, you love democrats (well some democrats) and have a visceral hatred for all republicans and independent thinking types. If your bias prevents you from seeing just how tough President Trump has been on Russia then Obama was then you are providing a significant disservice to those whom you supposedly advocate for. But then when has the NYT's and the media ever let the facts get in the way of story telling.
4
There was evidence that Russia tried to interfere in the Presidential election process in Illinois, bipartisan evidence.The evidence supporting meddling is factual, and the verbal discounting of this meddling by Trump is factual. When the U.S. president won't accept this truth it's a grave concern for the country no matter what your political leaning.
It is a fact that Trump' s executive orders are tougher on Russia than Obama's were. You are correct. In the meantime did you not read this story? Did you not see the press conference? The President of the United States stood next to Vladimir Putin glancing over at him admiringly, smiling at him and in plain words stated that he disavowed the US intelligence agencies and believed Putin. Plain and simple. You OK with this?
POTUS in his pathetic desire to gain Putin's approval on a personal level put the interests of the US in second place. He was more interested in having Putin pet him on the head than defending the sovereignty of the US.
Some call it treason. Some call it collusion. Some call it disgusting. It is clearly a violation of his oath of office.
If you are a supporter of his policies that is your right and many have sacrificed in order to protect that right. But support the man?
Yes it is true that Dems and liberals hate him and will do anything to destroy him. But even though you may want to fight anything Dems and liberals do how long can you go on supporting this poor self delusional, intellectually over matched and emotionally immature imposter and snake oil salesman? What will it take for you to do what is right? Country over party. Take a stand patriot.
1
@MJS I guess video evidence isn't factual enough for you. Our bad.
2
Trump just spent a week destroying our alliances and supporting a Russian Dictator.
And for what, money owed Russian Banks? The possibility to build a Hotel in Moscow? Or does Putin have Sex Pictures of Trump, I think not, Trump has not the morals for that to bother him.
1
Here is a double negative, Donald Trump is a no, no.
10
He sounded like a hostage reading a statement given to him by his captors.
14
More like a spoiled brat forced to apologize to a neighbor or family friend for misbehavior. He looked like an eight year old, no offense to other eight year olds.
1
I watched him read his "clarification". He reads at 10th-grade level.
2
This is just one more time, out of many, when Trump should have been toast. But over 40% of Americans still support him. This is staggering, and tells me that those who speak of "the wisdom of the American people" are fools.
4
Not Presidential at all!
2
We need to
Ditch him fast, Paul here are you?
Fox is in full misdirection mode; this story is gone from its headlines. Hannity is calling Strzok a "verbal contortionist." Hmm, I wonder what gave him that idea.
6
No, Mr Trump, that doesn't clarify things pretty good. Perhaps you need someone who speaks Trumpese to translate for those of us who still use English. And "the Fake News Media" did not quote you, they recorded you.
19
This insults the intelligence of every American!!!! He meant what he said, period. I believe he has been compromised / blackmailed by Russia / Putin, or he is in total collusion to destroy our Democracy, our government, NATO, the EU....every last thing Putin wants.
10
@Never:
You're giving Trump far, far too much credit for having the mental capacity to comprehend that he is being played. Tragically, the same ignorance appears to apply to his followers as well
Such will be the demise of our country
Sad. Bigly sad.
I hope that Trump has finally shown those who have ignored his incompetence that he is totally unqualified to serve as CEO of the United States. For those who love this country and its position in the free world, this man is an embarrassment and a traitor to all the U.S. represents. The Mueller investigation can't move forward fast enough.
6
Trump's handling (or mishandling if you prefer) of his own damage control, is as if the Bum-in-Chief stepped into quicksand; the more he struggles at trying to correct himself, the deeper he will sink.
Anybody else hoping for the moment where he's finally in over his orange head?
5
@Dave...just Dave:
Trump was in over his head the day he announced his candidacy for the Presidency.
I believe we have a sitting president who is millions of dollars in debt to Russia. That explains his golf courses and real estate with no known means of finance and his acts of treason by siding with our greatest adversary over his own country.
Just like Manafort, he's in deep.
14
We need some distracting bright shiny objects to chase down ... perfect time for Trump to send more private investigators to Hawaii resurrecting his Obama birther conspiracy.
7
Reading this article, I am thinking again of your article from February 27, 2017, titled, "Ed Koch’s Epic Feud With Trump Survives the Mayor’s Death" – particularly, a quote in it from former deputy mayor Alair Townsend, “I wouldn’t believe Donald Trump if his tongue were notarized.”
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/27/nyregion/trump-koch-feud-letters-new-...
20
The guy is a liar and a traitor; he is the worst sort of idiot; he is a pawn to dictators; he is the ultimate patsy; he is a child playing in a grown-up's world; as a leader he makes a great post-it note. When we crawl out of the hole the Republican party is sinking us into, Trump will be the laughable footnote he truly is. Just as long as America manages to avoid becoming a footnote itself.
16
@Sarah:
Too late: any country whose citizenry actually elects such a patently obvious disaster such as Trump is prima facie evidence of being in steep, irreversible decline.
Sad. Bigly sad.
Putin’s puppet didn’t misspeak. He said exactly what he believes. He is a traitor and should be in prison.
14
I would add "Befuddled" to the headline. A credible mental-physical examination of this president by a qualified, unimpeachable medical professional is long overdue. (That laughable presser from Ronny Jackson [aka "Dr. Feelgood"] doesn't count.) BTW, please stop minimizing the crime by calling it "meddling." The accurate term is "information warfare."
4
@Avery "a qualified, unimpeachable medical professional"? Surely this is no time to encourage the appointment of anyone "unimpeachable"!
Wow.......
America's Fake President
ill informed
ill mannered
illiterate
ill prepared
illegitimate
ill suited
mentally ill.
It is absolutely clear that the Fake President is a complete captive of Russia and Putin.
Yet McConnell and Ryan fulfill their oath and protect the RepubliCon Party from enemies domestic and media.
Shameful.
Disgraceful.
Unpatriotic.
11
@MauiYankee:
. . .and tragic.
And Sad. Bigly sad.
In my humble opinion Trump does to allies what was done to him by his father ( demean, bully, belittle) and sucks up to autocratic leaders because he fears provoking a “”daddy” response.
A simple psychological interpretation.
11
@Vicki Davidoff:
You are spot on.
This just in from trump world:
Tuesday is now Monday.
The sun rises in the West and sets in the East.
The world is flat.
Pigs can fly (including Donald j trump).
Russia isn't targeting the USA for hacking, meddling, and other acts of cyberWar.
There's no collusion.
----------
Trump let's see your Tax returns.
Subpoena trump's interpreter so we can learn what was really said between putin and his americansky poodle.
21
Now Russia isn’t hacking us.
This man is certifiable. He has absolutely no business being president. Never has one man done as much damage to our democracy than this
Crazy loon
20
@Maggie I want him to pay for the roller coaster he has put our country on for the past two years. PAY UP.
@Maggie:
Amen.
1
I pray (despite not believing in a god) that there is no crisis that requires an "all hands on deck" moment for America during Trump's tenure - although one could argue that climate change is that crisis.
Imagine Trump trying to lead people: he can't get his story straight; 60% of the country doesn't believe him; his staff would contradict him hourly; and he would oscillate back and forth on policy depending on public reception.
A striking example of non-leadership. The opposite of leadership. A bomb throwing follower.
17
It is plain that Trump has something to worry him about people looking into his ties to Russia, even if this is not directly related to the election ... perhaps illegal real-estate transactions or the like. A deep fear of what Putin might bring to light seems to be a very direct explanation for Trumps behavior.
6
@Jmw:
Au contraire: Trump hasn't the mental capacity to see past his own recordrecord-setting narcissism, let alone to discern nuance and acute irony on the part of Putin.
Sad. Bigly sad
Trump's remarks at Helsinki and subsequent crawfishing reminds me of what the Dalai Lama, "the 12th son of the Lama," said to Carl Spackler (aka Bill Murray) after the Lama's tee shot ("a big hitter, the Lama - long") flew into 10,000 foot crevice at the foot of a glacier: "Gunga galunga, gunga gunga lagunga."
9
I think investigators need to subpoena one of the translators that was in the private meeting. Requesting and having a private meeting with a foe is incriminating and we as Americans deserve to know what was discussed.
17
The Fox interview with Tucker Carlson last night was stunningly reveling. Given that all questions on that show where rehearsed, Tucker specifically mentioned two former Soviet Bloc countries. After tossing the softball to Trump, Trump characterized them as aggressive countries and made a case that we should not be protecting them. Tucker and Trump are so clearing speaking Putin's words and doing his bidding!
13
I just don't understand how such a stable genius like Trump could make such a mistake and not realize it until 24 hrs later?
10
@R Kling: Ha, ha! Thanks.
I always look for a sentence, thought, opinion, retort for a blindly loyal Trump supporter that maybe, just maybe, will stop the person in their tracks and cause them to consider the meaning of the words. Maybe they are a Baby Boomer and their dad fought in WWII like mine, and they have long treasured our country's cooperative relationship with our allies. Maybe the person's hero is Reagan or there's a glimmer of hope they value country over party. Yesterday I read this here in the comment section of another article and scribbled it down: "The President of the United States isn't sure if he believes the U.S. government. Just let that sink in." I am tempted to make copies of this quote and stick it under the windshield wipers of any cars in parking lots with pro-Trump stickers since for now there isn't a march scheduled. Can't stick it on my bumper because in my neck of the woods the Proud Boys are out and about, stirring up trouble, although a "Vote" sticker is safe. Even if I caught only one fish with my flyer, would be better than nothing!
19
@Green Grandma:
Do it! Just Do It!
"Reading from script". Which is ALWAYS code to his supporters, that translates as: "Don't believe it. This is not the real me."
12
#Hilary Tamar:
You imply far, far too much sophistication on the part of both Trump and his supporters.
Whether he is making statements, making statements that contradict earlier statements or retracting statements, like the scorpion, Trump is always true to his nature: Fundamentally dishonest and self-serving in the extreme.
9
The Republicans have made it crystal clear, they will back Trump and Putin to the end. The only hope we have to save our democracy is the Judicial Branch. We need indictments and we need them now.
10
Trump isn't besieged, as the Times headline suggests. He could care less what anyone thinks, as his tweets prove. This is just another kerfuffle that energizes his "base" and drives his opponents to distraction. Something insane will pop up within the next few days, and everyone's attention will swing to that episode in the ongoing saga of the Life of Trump.
9
Clarification: Voters who said Trump "should" be president actually meant he "shouldn't" be president.
39
@Harmon Smith touche
@Harmon Smith . That's a good one! Haha! Thanks for the levity.
@Harmon Smith. Thank you for the laugh. I'm going to share this correction with every trumpster I encounter from now on.
Aside from being shocking fly unbelievable, Mr Trump’s attempt to correct himself was undermined by his own comments. If he truly “can’t see any reason why it wouldn’t be” Russia, then he can’t logically muse that “it could be other people also”. It’s either Russia or it’s “other people” — unless he thinks the US is simultaneously under cyber attack by multiple different parties, in which case he shoukd declare a national emergency.
10
Ignore the words, Trump is barely literate, even on his meds. Look at his face and body language; even with the greatest good will and leniency it is obvious he does not believe what he is reading. He made the statement under duress, and read it because it represents a position he does not believe and cannot defend without his minders. The key question his supporters must be asked and must be forced to defend is, "Are you tired of winning yet?"
12
For Trump, the US President, to constantly playing it from both ends shows a weakness not experienced before in this world. Scary.
10
@Rudolf:
Terrifying. And sad. Bigly sad
Indeed, Mr. Trump is correct: he did "misspeak" at the Helsinki news conference. The error however, is not the omission of a single world. Rather, it was all the words from "good morning" to "thank you" at the end.....
7
I love that Trump's latest lies about the election reported in this article can be exposed with another article on the same page:
"Russia Is No Longer Targeting the U.S., Trump Says, Contradicting His Own Intelligence Director"
Trump isn't even TRYING to be honest.
14
It appears to me that, for the Prima Donald, the truth is what he just said and may bear little relation to anything he has previously said or will say in the future. His supporters would be suffering terrible whiplash if they were paying attention. They must be in a different boat. Here in Tennessee, we have congressional, gubernatorial and senatorial candidates spending lots of money competing on the single issue of which candidate is the stronger supporter of their president. The ones who win the primaries might change tunes slightly, in hopes that lots of the rest of us are also not paying attention. One candidate for governor even defends the tariffs, despite their potential impacts on jobs in our state. Amazing!
12
Well, that didn’t take long. Less than 24 hours after correcting his “misspeaking,” Trump now contradicts our intelligence agencies and experts to say that Russia is no longer targeting our elections. He also is playing into Putin’s hands in suggesting he will not comply with NATO’s mutual defense pact. Republicans, are you with our nation or with Putin and his puppet? At this point, silence or mere words of concern are complicity in the destruction of the US and the Western alliance by a hostile power that has an undeniable grip on Trump.
16
So the question in my mind is whether Trump's interpreter can be subpoenaed by Muller. Of course there's no written or recorded record of the one-on-one, but it would be interesting to hear that person's account. Are interpreters immune to this?
18
@alocksley
We don't yet know whether there is a transcript of recording. My suspicion is that Putin had the meeting recorded. The president's interpreter is a government employee and subject to laws and regulations governing that employment. The president could invoke executive privilege to keep the interpreter from answering congressional questions but this would compound his terrible performance in Helsinki. Nonetheless, the Senate could request that person to testify.
4
Based on the treasonous acts committed by DJT the democratic house leadership must announce today (7/18) that no further appointments can be made to any federal bench or the Supreme Court until the Mueller probe is completed.
There is overwhelming evidence that DJT is beholden to a hostile foreign power and therefore unfit to serve and certainly unfit to recommend another life time appointment to the Supreme Court.
That message must go out today!!
There are GOP members who would certainly join in given that DJT is now losing his base as a result of his public shaming and submission to putin.
67
@Is_the_audit_over_yet This is exactly why I changed from Democrat to Independent after the 2000 election. If we had Democratic leaders with spines, they’d be doing exactly as you say — a full-court press while momentum is on our side. Instead they’ll probably chide Maxine Waters for not being polite.
2
@Is_the_audit_over_yet:
Your optimism is commendable, but if you actually believe that anybody in Trump's base has the capacity to comprehend the genuine disaster that they've gleefully elected to the most powerful office on Earth, then you are just as disconnected from reality as are they.
The entire Republican party has become a tragedy unto itself.
Sad. Bigly sad . . .
3
Did you vote? Or did you posture from home?
Hey Mr. President:
"...and the truth shall set you free. "
12
@JJS
Not in his case.
1
I'll bet Kellyanne wrote the script.
19
@Jeff:
You give Kellyanne far too much credit for having the capacity to string together consecutive, coherent sentences.
1
' inappropriate use of a double negative' is an impeachable offense in this case.
9
I think Trump made a telling Freudian slip yesterday. It’s hasn’t gotten any play in the media. In his desperate lame spin to extricate himself from the Putin’s puppet attack, he said he meant to say “I didn’t see any reason I wouldn’t” ( he paused for a split second and then said) “it would be Russia.” The crucial slip is the word “I” which changes the meaning of the sentence and in fact, makes it true: “I didn’t see any reason I wouldn’t” be Russia."
5
The Red Scare concocted by the democratic party is a wedge to destroy this country. You lost...get over it and get back to governing.
Did Russia fly planes into the WTC on 09/11...NO
Has Russia killed our citizens or soldiers domestically or internationally...NO
Did Russia warn our intelligence agencies about the Boston terrorist....YES
3
Funny having the Liberals and the Left attacking Russia the way they are. For years that loved the Commies. Now that Russia is not Communist, rather a little Fascist, the Left & Liberals attack the Russians. However, when you really look at it, the Russians have always been Fascist, never really been Communist, and the totalitarian gov't is still in place today that was in place prior. So what has changed? The only thing I can see that changed is that the Dems lost an election and have not gotten over it yet.
@Indie Voter, this isn't about the election. Not about Hillary. Not about Obama. Not about Muller. Not about the Terrorist Attacks. Not about the democrats. You need to wake up and realize that your man is a stooge.
4
@Indie Voter what would it take for u to admit u were wrong on Trump?
at Helsinki, Trump was Rock Ridge to Putin's Sheriff Bart
2
@Ben Yardley I get the "Blazing Saddles" reference, but Trump is more like Bart's horse's ___s.
Traitor Trump is very, very good at non-apologies. What he fails to understand is that one word did not make or break his traitorous behavior in Helsinki. We do not know what he gave away in his one-on-one meeting with his boss. Perhaps they discussed how to ensure the November elections will be handed to the GOP? Did he give away more US intelligence to them? Did he hand Syria to them once and for all? Crimea? NATO? I'm sure his boss, Putin, will eventually gleefully give us some of this information.
We'll never find out from Traitor Trump.
11
how much "would" could a "would" chuck chuck if a "would" chuck could chuck "would"?
14
@proud democrat. Lost in the woulds.
1
Even with a well crafted script in front of him he couldn't stay on message for his latest hostage video.
29
Trump’s “misspoken” double-negative does not explain the pas de deux between TRump and Putin that caused The President of the United StAtes to gush his approval of Putin.
At Same time Trump shamed this country, essentially violating his oath of office where he swore to protect and defend this country.
His actions at Helsinki firmly show that Trump never intended to carry out that oath, as he treats his duties as President as one who is starring in his own reality show, essential play or just acting out a role, that in real life is putting this country into serious jeopardy, as Putin applauds.
8
I’m not sure what was more pathetic - Trump’s disgraceful performance at the press conference in Helsinki, or his stiff correction read almost word for word. He looked like a hostage reading something before a camera while a gun was pointed at him. And he still couldn’t resist going off script to say the election interference may have been done by others becasue, well ya know, there are a lot of people out there........
Pretty ugly and a few dark days for America - when the president does all but kneel before the thug and murderer Putin.
Where do we go from here? When even Fox and Friends disses him, ya know it’s bad.
31
So true. He could barely bring himself to say the words.
Can you imagine being one of Trump's aides, trying to get him to read a simple statement? "Could be other people, too. A lotta people out there". What? Madeleine Albright had the best comment on his ridiculous attempt to say he misspoke. “I think he must think we’re genuinely stupid because if one watched what he was doing in his press conference, he made it quite clear that he was believing Putin much more than his own people.”
40
@J Pasquariello
Clearly we can't look to Fox News or the GOP to call a spade a spade when they see it. Their plan is to hunker down and try to distance themselves from it as much as possible and to keep the POTUS in power at all costs. In some ways, the GOP has become an arm of Putins oligarchy.
1
Madeleine Albright? Now that is an odd person to quote:
"On May 12, 1996, Albright defended UN sanctions against Iraq on a 60 Minutes segment in which Lesley Stahl asked her "We have heard that half a million children have died. I mean, that's more children than died in Hiroshima. And, you know, is the price worth it?" and Albright replied, "We think the price is worth it.""
@J Pasquariello Even people who work in the nursery section of a zoo are probably having a tough time imagining what it's like to work for Trump.
Who wrote Trump's script? Stephen Miller?
11
@Carl Ian Schwartz
Wrong Stephen. Try the horror writer S. King.
Glad to see that comments are encouraged for news reports like this. Fascinating to hear (even if the commenters are in a bit of a lefty echo chamber). Why are no comments on "news analysis" allowed? Sometimes - these are thinly disguised editorials. However, your most recent related to this issue (Some see backlash....) is to be commended. Well done, very balanced analysis. Hope abounds that some day the NYT will be be able to clearly delineate reporting vs opinion writing. Good luck on this journey! Have a nice day.
2
"in which he claimed, erroneously to have raised billions of dollars in additional funds for the alliance" should read "in which he claimed, falsely..."
22
And to clarify another point of Trump misspeaking, this one regarding the chapter where Obama's birth certificate was continually questioned, Trump wants everyone to know that all those hundreds of times when he said Obama "wasn't" born in the US.... what he meant to say was the Obama "was" born in the US.
11
But the real question is who wrote the text Trump was reading from after his private meeting with Putin!!!
6
Would it not be a courageous and honourable act if Mr. Trump stepped down from his office? He is obviously in way over his head and he must know this in some part of his being. The tasks he faces are overwhelming and he continues to perform them so badly in all respects. There is no evidence of a strong and cohesive support team in the White House - no agreement amongst the advisors, and not much advice taken by the president. In all it seems such a hard slog going in many directions, creating a wake of chaos without positive results. Is there no good way to end this and move on?
13
@Marie The operative word would be "courage" - Mr. Tough Guy who threatens to punch journalists in the face while he hides behind bodyguards doesn't have enough courage to fill a sixteenth of a teaspoon.
1
In admitting he "misspoke" means he admits to being sloppy with his words as POTUS. He's good with that and so are his supporters. He'll probably get stronger support from them since it makes him appear more human, like them. And while all this attention was and is paid to his misspeaking (diversionary tactics) his administration moves on dismantling the American government, environmental protections, education, financial regulations, and is working to find more ways to give huge tax breaks to wealthy corporations. Well done.
20
From this article: "He insisted his meeting with Mr. Putin had gone “even better” than that with NATO leaders, at which he claimed, erroneously, to have raised billions of dollars in additional funds for the alliance."
Because the NYT finds it completely impossible to use the word LIE in all circumstances when Trump is "erroneous," "speaks untruths," and "misstates"--I cancelled my subscription.
LIE is what he does daily. WHY CAN'T THE TIMES CALL A LIE A LIE? I don't trust a news org that twists itself into knots to avoid telling me the truth in plain, unbiased language.
17
@Alecto1a It may very well be that to use the word 'lie' would lay the Times open to a some sort of lawsuit, perhaps for libel. I'm sure if they could they would go for it and tell it like it is, if they could.
@Alecto1a
Also, what's with this word "meddle" every single journalist is using. We were attacked, and we are STILL being attacked by Russia.
3
If you want to know Trump's playbook, just read Oliver Stone's bizarre interview with Putin. Everything Trump is currently doing is what Putin wants. He wants NATO ended. He wants Eastern Europe back administered jointly by the US and Russia.
This is like Israel being administered by Nazi Germany and the US.
Putin's plans are right there in Stone's book. This whole thing is sickeningly obvious--that Trump is a traitor-pure and simple.
18
Trump obviously doesn't have a clue what's going on. Why does anyone; i.e. Republicans trust him?
7
Donald J Trump is a Traitor
The citizens of this county that voted for him need to stand up and admit that the Trump experiment has failed and it’s time for a change. He must be forced to resign.
Trump has crossed a RED LINE yesterday and if this debacle is just swept under the carpet like all the other absurdities he has gotten away with you will have the country you deserve. Trump and this far-right coalition are working tirelessly to form a different country. They have already created a State Run Media, it’s called FOX NEWS, and is blatantly in coercion with this president. They are controlling their viewers with disinformation and no information. There would not be a Trump base with-out Fox News. It is nothing more than BIG LIE PROPAGANDA. They often just don’t report important news that isn’t favorable to their agenda. if you are not familiar with what big lie propaganda is please look it up and study it I have. In a nut shell, you tell a big lie over and over and over tell people think it is the truth. This president and Fox News are masters of Big Lie Propaganda and they do have a totally evil agenda. By the way it is one of the tools Hitler used to take over Germany.
Do you want your children raised in a country with no personal freedom, no liberty, in a country with no free press? In a country where it is illegal to criticize the government. You might be thinking oh this just could not happen in America. The citizens of Germany thought exactly that in 1935.
22
You know how easy it is to get confused ... "no" means "yes," "up" means "down," and "good" means "bad."
How can the brazen excuse of "I misspoke" fly for even ONE SECOND, given this man's awful track record? He doesn't even have a passing acquaintance with the concept of "truth."
BTW, the insistence on confusing no and yes, good and bad, and right and wrong - this is quite typical for a sexual predator.
Trump wants what he wants, and he will say ANYTHING to get it, and then deny what he said. He's done it with women, he's done it with contractors he employed, etc. It's his modus operandi, and he's now busy TRYING to gas-light the entire population of the USA.
We're not buying it, Don - you are a LIAR and a TRAITOR. And McConnell & the rest, you are supporting this lying traitor. I hope all of you get what you deserve, preferably in a Federal prison.
16
hahaha!
3
If Trump is truly sorry about what he did, then he can begin to atone by:
1. Releasing his tax returns so we can see his business ties to Russian interests.
2. Reversing the nearly 50% increase in the 10-year debt trajectory.
3. Reversing the 25% increase in the uninsured trajectory through his ACA sabotage.
4. Nominating Merrick Garland to the Supreme Court.
28
@David Doney
Going to trial on the 3 class action lawsuits that were filed against him for fraud;
See a psychiatrist and get cognitive therapy - intense cognitive therapy'
Admit he's not qualified to even run a faucet.
Confessing what Putin has on him so he doesn't get courtmartialed and then shot.
Let Mr. Trump not be under any illusion that his critics are going to be silenced by his belabored clarification -- that he “misspoke” the day before. He spoke exactly what his heart dictated.
We all can be happy about another thing mentioned in this report, though: “Dozens of Republicans distanced themselves from the president’s remarks [in Helsinki]; Democrats called for hearings; and some critics even suggested his conduct, on foreign soil, rose to the level of treason.”
Let me add my two cents worth to the treason charge. The U.S. Constitution defines treason "to consist only in levying war against them [the U.S.], or in adhering to their enemies, giving them aid or comfort." Which means that the charge is valid only if committed in war situations.
That Russia has been waging a cyberwar against the U.S. for some time now is a well-established fact. All U.S. intelligence agencies and the ongoing Mueller investigation have produced ample evidence to prove it. It is immaterial that no war has been declared by either country against the other. All that needs to be established is that cyberwar falls within the purview of war as defined in the Constitution. Once it is done, trying President Trump for treason will be the logical next step.
Are there members in the Republican-controlled Congress gutsy enough to come forward to initiate the process toward that step? They owe it to the country. And they owe it to the Constitution which they vowed to protect and defend.
40
The answer to your question is no. There are no conservatives who will put country before party.
5
obviously they are not
1
All I can say is, what in the world can top this idiocy? I’m not holding my breath because we all know that the week is not over and there’ll be a fresh piece of outrage. This clown will not disappoint.
33
Trump is an ignorant bully and has now committed treason by giving aid and comfort to a foreign country. It's clear in the current political climate that there will be no consequences for his ignorance, behavior and crimes. Whether his actions are by ignorance or design we, as a country, might never recover from his Presidency.
28
The article adjacent to this one on the New York Times website is headlined "Trump Invokes Those at 'Higher Ends of Intelligence'." Would that our seriously deficient president was also at the higher end of intelligence.
10
@Alan Levitan, experienced negotiators don't waste any time at all with transparent drips like Trump, unless forced to it.
@Alan Levitan
Since our president claims to be guilty of an omitted double negative, I'd better be grammatically correct enough to add that I know perfectly well that conditional sentences require "were" in place of "was." What I had intended to write (and you can check with my cabinet and advisors) is "Would that our seriously deficient president were also at the higher end of intelligence," Ahhh. Now THAT sounds better. Thank you.
Uhh...yeah.
9
Yeah, you sure did make a big boo-boo on the world stage. It's not going to go away. Woulda, coulda, shoulda.
14
Say something stupid or false. Recast it with a weak explanation that your staff has forced you to read saying you misspoke. You look like a hostage reading a ransom demand. You look up and ad lib a remark that undoes the flimsy explanation, doubling down. No apologies ever is your credo so you undo the forced statement. You write no collusion (misspelled) on the notes and repeat that as you always do. Cameras zooming in on your notes reveal that you have crossed out a sentence saying that those who interfered in the elections will be brought to justice. Hmmmm. Is this consciousness of guilt perhaps thinking about Don Jr., your own Fredo? The pushback on the original remark and the disingenuous correction continue. Some even in your own party think this was a new low and are not satisfied with your flimsy excuse.
New day. Double down again. You can keep doing it until the criticism stops and those in your thrall are sure you were right. But the talking heads on television don't stop. It would be so much nicer if you could rule by decree and without being questioned like your mentor/handler Putin. He was happy with your annual performance review and smiled all the way home.
26
One teensy word is needed to add accuracy to the Times word: Reading from a script. That word is "barely" as in:
Barely reading from a script
Trump HATED reading that script. It was excruciating for him. He DID NOT want to back off an inch.
23
The ironic part of his so-called grammatical correction to his remarks is that Trump most likely doesn’t know what a double negative is.
21
From the movie The Exorcist (1973)
Father Merrin: Especially important is the warning to avoid conversations with the demon. We may ask what is relevant but anything beyond that is dangerous. He is a liar. The demon is a liar. He will lie to confuse us. But he will also mix lies with the truth to attack us. The attack is psychological, Damien, and powerful. So don't listen to him. Remember that - do not listen.
17
Trump should have just said, "Putin and I agree to disagree on the Russian meddling, we will try and look past it and make a deal"
7
It is time for a member of Congress to submit a motion to impeach this president under the 4th article of the 25th Amendment. No one will do this because they don't have the votes to win. Nonsense. We don't fight unless we can calculate ahead of time that victory is assured? What cowards, what gutless cowards we have in charge of our government.
23
@farhorizons Well the Republicans repealed Obamacare about a thousand times but since Obama was still president none of them took. Was that courage? Or silly, stupid grandstanding?
If impeachment were voted down, as it would be with the current Republican controlled House and no smoking gun, would that make succesful impeachment more or less likely to succeed? My take is it would make it less likely.
Now after either a new Congress, controlled as we hope by the Dems, or a smoking gun provided by Mr. Mueller, or both, then impeachment would have a serious chance of success. Said chance would only be diminished by a previous failed attempt.
I understand your frustration and impatience, to me we're in Limbo, waiting for Mueller, thank God it's not Godot we're waiting for, Mueller will come.
6
Donald Trump insulted the US in front of Putin. Now Trump is insulting American people.
33
Trump's problem is not that he misspeaks; it's that he speaks period.
30
“Misspoke”? Who in their right mind thinks changing two words fixes the disasterous and treacherous performance by the foreign agent in the White House? And republicans laughably jump on the ‘that’s better’ bandwagon! Stephen miller is a traitorous hack who thinks that has solved trump’s Helsinki debacle? Are you kidding?
23
How far is Congress willing to go in letting Trump off the hook?
Trump did not misspeak when he had an interview with the Sun and blasted Ms. May. He did not misspeak when he sided with Putin.
Let's stop trying to interpret Trump's words. He means everything he says. The only thing different this time is he did not double down, like he usually does, as some in Congress and his own staff panicked and try to cover up first and then came up with an explanation that may appease those who sort of spoke out.
McConnell, Ryan, and Rand should be ashamed of themselves and should have been voted out a long time ago. Ryan and McConnell's lukewarm responses and the outrageous remarks by Rand lead one to think that they too are in the pocket of the Russians.
It is time for Article 25 to be acted upon.
17
First of all, "misspeak" is not in 'Wharton Graduate With the Best Words'" vocabulary. Second, it took 27 HOURS for the best minds in the West Wing to concoct even this laughable excuse, "The dog ate my mind." Third...never mind.
22
In 2016, Americans said Trump should be president.
We meant "shouldn't."
38
He meets on a one to one with Putin , with no one present . Perhaps he was conducting a business transaction ??? If you buy into his explanation as to why , then you are naive and don't see he has sold you out . Once and for all Donald Trump does not care about this country. He goes thru the motions but his agenda is one of a business nature not as a head of state and that alone should alarm his supporters . If there is no buyers remorse yet , then when ? He has clearly stated where he stands , and will allow Putin to proceed with his end game . He did not misspeak .
13
Trump's claim that he "misspoke": Fake News.
21
We would not even be talking about Russian meddling AT ALL, if Hillary were elected. This is craziness. The "meddling" had absolutely ZERO influence on any votes. Russia ran ads for and against BOTH parties. Even Obama declared that it is IMPOSSIBLE to affect an election by meddling. This is all a sham.
2
@Patrick McCord By your logic all legitimate advertising must have been a complete waste of time and money because it too must also have had ZERO influence on any votes. The Russian interference was strongly weighted to Trump - all of the security agencies say this, and Putin himself admitted in the Helsinki press conference that he wanted Trump to win. You can put your heads in the sand, but the rest of the world knows that you have a president helped to office by a hostile power.
2
@Patrick McCord - Please provide the quote from President Obama. I don't believe he said any such thing.
Fine.
Tomorrow he will say that it was not really him with Putin in Russia, but his body double.
Then on Friday, another story. Maybe this one will involve President Obama or Mrs. Clinton.
13
Putin has been hacking into Montenegro's elections for years. His goons were caught in an assassination of Prime Minister of Montenegro to prevent this Adriatic paradise from joining NATO.
Trump has publicly attacked the good people of Montenegro to support Putin's agenda in destroying the democracy of Montenegro.
11
Can you imagine if Hillary had been elected and behaved this way (at a meeting she would not have agreed to) what the Republicans would be shouting from the rafters for her fate?? ? Can you imagine the riots in the streets if President Obama had done this????
Ridiculous and even more embarrassing than his original comment based on the context, tone and every other part of that meeting (to feather his post-presidency business venture nest) it was clear he said what he meant at the time.
Anyone who still believes him about anything is that same supporter he claimed would not care if he shot someone in the street; perhaps a joke, perhaps not?
16
Mr. President: You can cheat all people one time, some people all the time but not all people all the time.
9
Putin is Trump's role model. God help us.
7
I remember when the Right called Obama a communist. The man, who saved capitalism, a communist. Ridiculous. Now, we have the Left calling Trump a traitor.
The moderates will once again decide the election in 2018 & 2020. Bloomberg with the right VP attached to the ticket could beat Trump. Unfortunately, the Democrats have thrown Bill Clinton's win the middle playbook out the window. (Booker, Sanders, Warren, Biden is that a joke?)
3
@Ziegfeld Follies Get out much? The country has changed since the nineties.
What makes you so sure Trump isn't a traitor. That Left you mention includes a former director of the CIA, and not a political hack slotted in there by a politician, a carrier CIA guy. Left?
BTW Did the moderates decide the 2016 election? By voting for Trump? How could any Trump voter be reasonably described as moderate? Perhaps you think you were such a person. I'm here to tell you otherwise.
Perhaps it depends on "what the meaning of 'is' is."
The man-boy finally felt enough shame to prevaricate.
I can't wait for the made-for-TV movies inspired by this buffoon.
4
How can anyone believe a word that Trump says? He lies constantly. He is an embarrassment to the entire human race. Even to Republicans, who will surely drop him soon.
14
Sure he meant to say "wouldn't" instead of "would." He just didn't have the guts to say it in front of Putin.
5
Trump pretends to be sorry, and republicans pretend to be outraged. Trump went to chat with Putin to make nothing happen, and the republicans respond by making nothing happen but clucking, so as to make nothing happen.
7
Leading up to the mid term elections I better be seeing ads of Trump standing in front of the Old Soviet Flag with the old Soviet Anthem playing in the background. This guy is Benedict Arnold all over again. The red coats are coming but in this case it’s the Red Russians and they’re already here. Donald Trump Brought To You by Putin et al.
TRUMP 2020 NYET!!! Or Trump Putin 2020
Trumps actions in Helsinki are treason.
18
Trump is a wimp. He touts his "tell it like it is" style and bravado, but he proves his weakness by allowing his aides to water down his remarks. If he believes Putin and Russia did not interfere in his election, then he should be a man, stick to it and accept the consequences. But, he got his feelings hurt by the outcry and the condemnation by even some close allies, so he watered down his remarks. If he was the tough guy he pretends to be, he would have stuck by his words even if it meant being criticized. He's said for months that he doesn't believe Russian interfered in the election and that he disbelieves our intelligence services. Backtracking now just makes him even more of a wimp and a loser.
12
There's an extraordinary resemblance between your president and Inspector Clouseau of the Pink Panther films. Both are utterly confident that what they are doing is always correct, that their intentions are always clear and pure of purpose, and that they will always triumph in the end. Meanwhile, all around them stand agape and mortified at what they say and do.
I'd love to see the nincompoopery taking place backstage.
7
@Larsen E. Pettifogger I disagree. Clouseau was good but incompetent. Thump is evil and incompetent.
Little Donny Downer is such a punk. He didn't have the nerve to stand up to Putin, and treasonously sold out America. Or, maybe he really accepts Putin's denials. In which case, he didn't have the guts to stand up to the challenges he faced when he got home.
6
The president didn't misspeak. He's now lying. This president is ridiculous. And how he gets a pass from Congress is beyond me.
23
Dear President Trump
Stop holding America hostage.
We have the smoking gun, with your finger prints.
Just go back to your everyday existence of a grifter living off of the goodwill of others.
There is a place for people like you and it is not the White House.
The reality show has great ratings, you're the most famous celebrity who ever lived, now stop loitering and move on
12
Article contains pretty full context to grasp Trump's playbook. Headline could use a bigger dose of "truth sandwich" approach (see Margaret Sullivan).
2
This man has no shame. He should go back to his tower in New York and never come out again.
9
This man Trump is a clear and present danger to the United States and has been a complete disaster as a president and a citizen, his arrogant ignorance and apparent loyalty to Russia and Putin is more than enough to support impeachment today.
Anyone still supporting him and making excuses for his continuous contempt for our laws, treaties, and constitution is aiding and abetting an enemy of the United States.
Enough is enough he must be stopped before he destroys this country and our friends around the world.
13
The episodes of in the UK and with Putin are clear demonstrations of Trump's unsuitability for the presidency. That said, there is a bigger issue...and it plays to the problems with the Clinton, George W Bush, Obama and Trump presidencies. Does the Presidency have too much power? Should any of us feel that, if we don't control the presidency, that we've lost control of our fate? Part of that is the abdication by Congress of its role, but part of it is just that the Presidency has too much power. It's time for some reforms.
4
It is painfully obvious that the Republican Party, having made their bed with Trump are now happy to lie in in with him. (pun intended)
Complaining about how incompetent he is only makes matters seem even worse.
The only way to fix this situation is by winning elections this November. Robert DeNiro and Colbert are funny and feel good to laugh with, but once again the only way to change this is with House and Senate election victories this fall.
6
N’T is rather critical in the meaning of what Trump said. It means the opposite of what he said. Trump defies the world’s minds. His tactics are so transparent. We are compelled to go along every day, braced for his outrageous behavior and wondering how anyone can believe him. Exhausting.
3
Whenever, and by whatever means, Donald Trump is no longer President, I offer the following prediction:
His business will fail.
Unfortunately for DJT, his base is not buying his real estate, and his business partners are not as clueless as he, himself, is. He has lost the trust of anybody with the slightest degree of ability to discern truth from lies.
Would you buy real estate from this man?
4
He should never have went against US intelligence. It's OK to try and strike a deal with Russia, but don't undermine your own guys.
4
Sorry Democrats but unless the economy dramatically collapses President Trump will be reelected in 2020. The GOP could not have been given a better set of circumstances with the Democrats moving to the far left with proposals to abolish ICE and other leftist proposals. The personal wealth of many Americans has increased significantly since President Trump took office—that is if they had stock investments. Unemployment for blacks and Hispanics is much better, so those groups while they might not vote for President Trump will not go to the polls for the Democrats. If you look at the history of one-term Presidents they all lost because the economy was weak. The Democrats ran Clinton on the “we hate Trump” platform and lost. What do the Democrats have to offer—more Socialism—hardly a winning platform.
3
@Jonathan, you may be right, but I certainly hope you're wrong. We've never had a President like this before. It's actually difficult to call him "President." I won't get into the particulars, but we all know this kind of behavior from a leader of the free world can't stay in power much longer or we won't have any semblance of a democracy, and ultimately would be the laughing-stock of the world.
Now, all Democrats are not moving to the far left. And please don't worry about our platform. Our main goal is to get Donald Trump out. We'll come together to do that! Our focus right now is the 2018 election. When we flip the House and hopefully the Senate, we'll have the momentum needed to take us to 2020.
All Democrats (especially minorities) know that there is a lot riding on both elections (2018 and 2020). I believe the numbers will be massive at the polls. Jobs come and go as the economy changes. However, there are too many more issues at stake to allow one issue to make one complacent or not vote.
Democrats will vote and when we do, we win!
Conservatives are a scared bunch of fear-mongers. The world is our enemy, and we must gather up all our hard-earned goodies and keep them to ourselves, God and our family. Anyone who does not do this is immoral. The economy works by borrowing, low taxes and trickle down. No money ever for healthcare, cos they have to pay back the deficit. Rich people, companies and businessmen must keep their dosh.
Democrats are more optimistic. Curious and keen to know about science, welcome immigrants and open to change. Not into religion. They went to spread the wealth around, universal health care, and social aid, public education fully funded, and everyone will be happy. These social needs will be met by high taxation. Dems think it is immoral for one group, the rich, to keep all that dosh.
Both groups want the economy to work, and healthcare. Thus far we agree.
What to do, we are diametrically opposed as to the means?
Yea, I guess communism is better.
The Trump presidency was wholly and utterly predictable. A complicit R Congress came as a surprise to many of us who truly believed that at least some of them would put country first. But considering that they haven't, our only recourse is to vote every last R out of office: local, state and national seats. Remove the scarlet letter from behind your name and we can talk.
5
Odd that Putin and most other world leaders never mis-speaks butte Trump has to often apologize for his remarks or walk them back. And yet Trump supporters continue to support !
4
I find the lined-out comment about meddling and justice to be the most disturbing communication in his speaker notes. He is communicating unambiguously with the perpetrators of the meddling and their associates--Russian and American.
4
He always misspeaks. Why is this headline news?
One could say he always lies, is disengenous. He changes his mind on the turn of a dime, rarely keeps his word...fill in all the usual negative descriptors here.
He wants to do an oil and natural gas deal with Russia. He does have a few beliefs: money for himself, attention for himself, promoting worldwide use of fossil fuels and therefore, global warming, money for his donors, and a really misguided notion of controlling the world, or whatever portion he can.
It's not news that Trump loves Russia. He is very useful to them, as a symbol of U.S. support, if nothing else.
The Republican Congress and Cabinet have sat on their hands for a year and a half and done nothing to protest his agenda, law-breaking and unconstitutional as it is, but instead, abetted it.
It's almost humorous to see them get outraged now--what's in it for them? Mid-term election votes?
These Republicans have supported an intolerable level of indecency, law-breaking and have passed unconstitutional laws for Trump.
They've helped destroy the environment and have limited healthcare, while voting themselves and others in their class a 21-23% tax cut (which is illegal, by the way).
So their furor cannot be trusted. If they actually had consciences, they would have been infuriated long ago.
They like money and power... period. Their next actions will show their true colors.
3
Trump will say anything he wants to whether it is distorted or simply untrue because he is appealing to his core supporters.
That support group has no patience for simple things like fact checking, does not know how to demand decency from its leaders, has rampant disregard for our intelligence community, prefers conspiracy theories over facts, has antiquated notions about women, prefers guns over handshakes, has funny notions about people who are not blonde and Christian, etc.
To people like them, Trump's tweets are like a can of oxygen at high altitude - a necessary thing needed for survival let alone simply being a breath of fresh air.
So Trump is simply providing the gas. Of course, one can call him Putin's gas if that is more apt. Dictators are known to release nerve gas on civilians. Putin unleashed his version on us and lo and behold there was a market in the US for the dangerous product. It will kill you if you breathe it or use it, but hey ! some people still smoke cigarettes all day long do they not? Maybe there is even a market for Chlorine gas ? Who knows.
1
Everybody was so hopeful that this will be the end of him. I said meh. He will just say oops, and move on
Which is what happened.
This was the least enthusiastic script reading I have seen in a while. You can see in the video when he finishes and starts doing his own thing.
Disappointed is an understatement.
3
The republicans get all their news from fox news. Fox news is telling them that everybody loves trump and america. The reality is trump betraying and wrecking america. It is going to take a thousand or two thousand years to undo all the damage by the time he is done
2
I honestly wonder what our great American historical figures, such as George Washington, Alexander Hamilton, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, Frederick Douglass, Susan B. Anthony, Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Eleanor Roosevelt, Dwight Eisenhower, George Marshall, Martin Luther King, John F. Kennedy, Robert F. Kennedy and Ronald Reagan, would think of President Donald John Trump, our role in allowing his election and our apparent inability to resolve the serious threat he poses to our democracy?
2
As Joan Didion once wrote, if you ask a committed Marxist how many angels can dance on the head of a pin, the answer you get will be, "Never mind about the angels, tell me who controls the production of the pin". As Trump's own handwritten notes confirm, he is so focused on the legitimacy of his election that he can't address the hacking as a separable issue. Time will tell if they truly are one and the same. Another, less charitable interpretation, is that he knows darn well they ARE one and the same and to acknowledge one is (in his mind) to confirm the other.
2
So, not only does the man not follow the advice of his advisors who gives him 100 pages of notes, and not only does he need crib notes in order to communicate, but even when he has crib notes, he miscommunicates and fails to correct himself until the world forces their collective outrage upon him.
The US and the world deserve better.
8
When Trump said "we're gonna be winning so much you'll be tired of winning" what he meant to say was "we're gonna be losing so much you'll be tired of losing".
4
How often do we hear the "I misspoke" repeated by Repubs? It seems to be part of their political vocabulary.Is "misspoke' the same as lying? Did "crooked Hillary" misspoke during all of her hearings? No, she did not have to use those words since she was found not guilty.
2
Republicans cannot be trusted at all. Putin and trump colluded in 2016 and anything could have happened, and can happen to america. We are more unsafe than ever with trump. It is up to democrats and independants to save america.
5
The damage to the US credibility has been done at the Helsinki summit. Blaming the problem on mis-speaking one word, does not erase the rest of Trump's fawning and positive statements about Putin. Nor does it erase the damage he has done to our alliances with like-minded democratic countries. So the US is now a friend of this murderous dictator and an enemy of democracies. Republicans, who are in tut-tut about this, but take no action. I can't believe this is happening. How do we hold on to our own democratic way of life? Do we not recall how swiftly Germany was taken over by an authoritarian leader, and what the consequences were?
10
The mere fact that he has to read this from a script, word-for-word, speaks volumes.
I never thought I'd live to see the day when our President sold out his country and his Congressional leaders went along for the ride.
The Republican Party is now the party of treason. That should be a great selling point come November. If King Donald III doesn't discard elections along the way, that is.
7
He has lied so often that even if he told the truth occasionally nobody would believe him.
7
Trump is simply testing the limits of the system to see if the people will tolerate his worldview. If, and when he senses too much pushback, he apologizes and backtracks with a qualifier. He qualified his statement that Russia interfered by saying that others did too (implying unfairness to Russia - for the benefit of Vlad Putin). Every time he is forced to acknowledge something bad was done by those on his side, he generalizes it, implying unfairness to them. We saw that happen in Charlottesville too (several sides - not just white supremacists). Trump means every word he says at press conferences, and he means every word he says afterwards. But he is bringing this frog to a slow boil - and he is calibrating that knob very carefully.
3
"Colusion"? Really?
5
@md2372 Ha. Add "semi-literate" to the list. Clearly someone besides Trump wrote the speech, because he wouldn't know a double negative from an aardvark.
7
There is no oxygen left to fuel the fires of outrage over Trump’s latest week-long train wreck of a presidency. Let’s consider another approach. After all, as folks imbued with personal confidence and erudition always do, this president has described himself as having “one of the highest” IQ’s, and most recently, again assured us that he is a “very stable genius.” So something else must be going on. I’m suggesting an “under the radar” Mensa approach to this whole matter of Russian interference . . . one of which only a very, very stable genius could conceive. A glance at the VSG’s handwritten edit to yesterday’s “would/wouldn’t” mea culpa reveals, indeed, a sublime deception. A photo at the conclusion of this morning’s Cochrane-Sullivan NYT article includes, in the VSG’s own Magic Marker-ed scrawl, the assurance “There was no colusion.” And therein lies the rub! The Oval Office’s VSG can hardly be indicted for a crime not found in any legal dictionary! He’s correct; there is no “colusion,” on so many levels! When Mueller files the paperwork, and the charge is “collusion,” the VSG will surely have the “aha!” moment, and declare that he is still not guilty of “colusion.” “Got you again, haters!! I think that probably clarifies things pretty good.”
5
Donald Trump and dog like adoration of Vladimir Putin are pathetic and dangerous for our country. Please, Republicans, you hold all the power right now. Control this lunatic before he causes even more trouble for the USA!
6
"We are a deeply stupid country"...Yes.
Why are we so shocked that Russia has penetrated our "intelligence" with apparent ease?
Why are we so shocked that, our ripe for access, extraordinarily vain and vulnerable Potus, allowed Russia to put him into office?
I could tell today that Putin, who usually keeps his cards held close to his chest wanted to scream out...Yes, you, idiots, we did it, we did everything we could to get this moron into office. That is our job for our country. All countries spy on one another. Some are just easier than others. With Trump, they struck gold.
Trump is loyal to NO one other than Trump. This will not end well. Trump is incapable of fostering trust. We are so FKed! If we don't stand strong, we are doomed. The US is prime real estate. We have become weak and unconscious.
We believe we are safe when we go to be at night. We can't imagine seeking refuge somewhere else...WAKE UP. Take action...VOTE or get a raft or boat!
13
How stupid does Trump think we are? He tells lie after lie and then lies about those lies. Any company would fire such an employee. Yet HALF of the voting public supports this man. What is happening to our country? Are there really THAT many amoral people in America?
11
Pathetic. Awful. Ridiculous. Terrible. Absurd. Insulting. Preposterous.
Pathetic. Pathetic. Pathetic.
9
You lie!
9
If Mr. Pryor were alive, he would be the perfect White House Spokesperson.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aBa1lSY3EqU
2
If Obama had done this--or if Hillary Clinton had become president and done this--we all know that every single one of these Republicans would be apoplectic and be calling for the immediate impeachment of the president.
Yet, as reported earlier by the NYT, Trump supporters will *STILL* mostly offer up continued support for their dear leader. (https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/17/us/politics/republican-voters-trump-p... )
No amount of evidence or reason can apparently dissuade them from their total dedication to Trump. Houston, we have a problem (and it's much more than Trump.)
18
Can there be any serious doubt that Trump is, at best, incredibly dim and naive? At worst, he has sold America down the river to save himself.
12
Oh, please, Donald, we're supposed to believe you said "NO" when you meant to say "YES"? Because "no" and "yes" are so easy to get mixed up?
Don, your problem is that you think we-the-people are as stupid as YOU are. But in reality, very few people are as stupid as you, Don - it's mostly your family and your voting base.
The majority of us are not buying your lies; the majority of us are not easily fooled. But YOU certainly proved yourself to be a sniveling cowardly traitor, full stop!
17
@L Well, he DID say that we are a stupid country so, yes, he thinks we are as stupid as he is.
1
If Trump believed his intelligence agencies, why didn't he condemn Russia for what they did ? Why hasn't he spoken about he is doing to make sure Russia can't interfere in the next elections ? Why hasn't he implemented the sanctions against Russia? Either the President is not smart enough to understand he is being played by Putin or he doesn't have the best interests of the US at heart.
12
@Al Bennett It's B.
3
Today I refuse to read anymore about this man - cutting off the perverse pleasure this man probably enjoys from the reaction to his shenanigans. We are better than this as a country and more deserving of a president who actually looks out for us and not just protecting himself from being found out of the deals he has done with Putin . What irks and insults me the most is his insulting of our intelligence. Not so fast. I'm done, done, done.
15
Well, yeah, it "could be other people. There are a lot of them out there." Around 5 billion and, apparently, it could have been anyone of them.
3
@james haynes Over 7 billion, thank you very much. Only it was pooty and the gang. No one else. We proved that.
3
I also remember times where I've been required to receive an apology under duress. Of course, I was a child at the time...
6
Donald Trump has no respect for the United States of America, our government, and our institutions. Nothing has meaning for him. The acquisition of power and money, and really mostly money, are his only motivation. The people who support him do not have their heads screwed on right.
17
Mueller has nothing significant, and it's clear the vast majority of the ruling GOP aren't too concerned about Trump's treachery. Unless Rupert Murdoch decides to reverse his media support for Trump then we all need to plan for more of the same in 2020.
Mr. Murdoch is an immigrant after all and must fear for his adopted country under Trump. He also has a history of switching sides when he sniffs that the political wind might change. Perhaps we should focus on that rather than constantly pounding sand?
So now we hear that Apprentice President grabbed the wrong script for Monday’s meeting. However I am more concerned about what was discussed off the record.
This fiasco can’t end soon enough.
6
And John Kerry was lambasted for flip-flopping?
It's a shame that no one seems to care how shameless this oaf is.
9
Trump's disgraceful abasement of American government institutions and security services at Putin's side in Helsinki immediately after trashing America's long term security and trading allies makes clear Trump is a fraud posing as an American nationalist. As such, he serves Russian, Israeli, Saudi and other foreign interests , not American interests. This should be no surprise, he has been feeding off Russian and other foreign investors funding and buying his struggling real estate projects for decades. Conflict of Interest, treasonous conduct, betrayal---no problem. The real mystery is why would any American voter ever imagine a bought thing like this would ever act against the interests of the foreign lenders and buyers keeping his businesses and his family afloat merely to serve his country's interests?
8
@allanslipher The Republicans just wanted anyone in as president. It did not matter who it was going to be..
I guess everything’s fine then.
5
Nice try, Don the Con! but as usual you are a nickel short and a day late...
8
Trump has seen the light? More nonsense from this obviously corrupt man.
Republican = Trump. Vote accordingly.
3
No! Just no! The entire world heard you disparage U.S. intelligence agencies. Not only is President Trump treasonous in his comments, but he is also the epitome of a coward. Face to face with Putin he was meek and deferential, bordering on fanboy adoration. Now that continents and oceans separate them, he is full of bullyboy bluster and chest thumping.
14
Do we really think he now "accepts" the US reports or is he behaving like a 6 year old who just got caught doing something wrong and reluctantly has to apologize. I'm thinking the latter. This wasn't a mistake. If it were, he would have had the entirety of his Sean Hannity interview last night in which to rectify it.
12
@Rudy Ebert Six year old....for sure
This is a typical Trump maneuver. He says whatever happens to suit him in that moment. When he's with Putin, he denies the reports of our own intelligence agencies and calls Putin "strong." When he gets home, he does an about face. Trump is only for Trump.
5
Liar, liar, Diapers on fire.
10
A lie told one day to deflect attention from his treason the day before.
4
Oh, please.
7
This just in to the news desk: Trump Denies Meeting with Putin
9
Trump is lying, pathological liar that he is. He said exactly what he meant about Russia. He just never expected the outrage hat his stupidity would generate. His answer to any act of stupidity is lie. His supporters don't really care.
8
No low is too low for this idiot to stoop. This man is not fit to do anything, yet alone the Presidency of this great land. Oh my!
3
Dear Mr. Very Stable Genius:
1. It isn't a double negative.
2. You misspelled "collusion."
3. "... that probably clarifies things pretty good" is terrible grammar.
9
Head of his class in college...
1
If this man weren't President of the United States, he would be just a doddering old fool. He's pathetic.
14
Mr. Trump you are a dumb president, I hate to say that but that is what you are.
3
Corrupt and dumb. What a combination!
5
The way our President has mis-spoken English words and next day tried to correct it, it proved that his command on English language is very poor, worst than even Mexican people. Better; he should join night English class near the White House and be prepared to speak and understand English.
2
This guy is such a an idiot. I would want this man running my bath water.
2
This despicable man-child President lies like a cheap Oriental rug. Its seems apparent Russia has the goods on him, he is afraid of Putin. This pseudo President does not take his job seriously, clearly smug, spoiled, concerned about his needs, no one else's. I see this is as a major turn of the tide for the American People to see what a con-artist he really is. We all need, on all sides of the aisle, to stop being intimidated by this vile man, speak up, speak out, protest peacefully that he MUST be accountable for his actions, his words will not go away, not edited in sound bytes. John Kelly will step down soon, tail between his legs. Now Rump is back in the White House with his cheeseburgers in bed, two scoops of ice cream. But we must stay on him, ask tough questions, make him accountable, not let him get away with his obnoxious behavior, he is defacing The United States of America. We live in the best country in the world and are a nation of good, strong people of all races and creeds.
The end game hopefully his removal from office would be glorious just desserts, even better than two scoops of ice cream.
5
Is Trump really as stupid as he looks, talks and acts? Apparently, yes.
8
Maybe, maybe not, however he is a clear and present danger either way.
2
Actually Trump is easy to read. Those he hates are bad mouthed behind their back and praised to their face. Those he admires are praised behind their back and to their face. What a coward says behind your back is what they believe.
4
Benedict Donald!!
8
So this POTUS is so incompetent that he had to read the statement his handlers wrote for him so that he wouldn't "misspeak" again. How pathetic is that?
4
Let this idiot and fool hoist himself to impeachment by his own petard.
5
@john michel
If only.
1
I am not an Einstein like Melania (visa) but even I can tell Putin has some major dirt on this man.
9
"appearing to be an ad lib"?
Dudes, c'mon. The photo of the text is all over the news.
And what's with pretending that Turmp hasn't saud the same damn things dozens of times?
4
Maybe time to offer this again, although not as humor, but as an expression of terror:
When Dogs Drive and Pigs Fly
The dog chases the car.
(He can't help himself.)
The other dogs chase, too.
The dog growls and bites the others.
One by one, they fall away.
The dog catches the car.
The dog doesn't know what to do now.
The driver steps out and gestures
for the dog to get behind the wheel.
The dog sees all the switches and pedals
and looks through the windshield at all the signs and signals,
the stripes on the road, unaware of the manual in the glovebox;
he is not a reader.
The dog becomes frightened and intimidated,
so he growls and shows his teeth.
The dog whines to the others for help.
Most slink away; some sense an opportunity.
The dogs fight between themselves
while circling and sniffing the car.
The dog trips on the handbrake
and the car begins to roll down the hill.
The other dogs bark and yelp gleefully
when they see the big dog knows how to drive.
The owner of the car stands watching, speechless
and dismayed as the car rolls toward the cliff.
A crowd gathers. Someone asks,
"Did I see a dog driving that car?"
Most brace for the crash.
A few smile at one another saying,
"What a good driver!" as a flock of pigs fly overhead.
7
Oh my, remember when the Republicans had a field day with John Kerry's presidential campaign comment pertaining to legislation; " I was for it before I was against it." Everyone piled on as if it was the faux pas of the century.
Where are they now? Apparently they believe they can hide in the Cloak Room forever.
9
Everyone at every level who still identifies as a Republican owns this.
19
Predictably, his hubris and narcissism are catching up with him. Unfortunately, he's done a lot of damage along the way.
7
When I watched Trump and Putin on tv I saw a puppet and his puppet master grinning at the world. That grin said to the world, see what I can do. The President of the United States is my man and all the rest of you take note of what I can do.
17
Unfortunately, republicons only see winning. Sad cult.
4
While his lackluster "clarification" was unsurprising, Trump's walk-back of his remarks related to Russia's attack on our 2016 election seems more akin to his begrudging acknowledgement that he lied about President Obama's birthplace when promoting his "birther" conspiracy.
Coincidentally, it also seems eerily-reminiscent of the scene in "The Death of Stalin" where Georgy Malenkov says:
"when I said 'no problem,' what I meant was, 'no...problem.'”
6
This isn't really about Trump. Even if he disappears in 2020, the machinery sowing the divisions and distracting us from the real issues will remain. The world is fast reaching a tipping point. If we can't get on the same page with our true existential threats-global warming, nuclear proliferation, job elimination by information technology, it's hard to imagine anything short of catastrophe in the near future. There are solutions to our problems, but time is fast running out...
11
Why does he need to read a script?
9
He needs a script so he doesn’t forget to say”no collusion”.
3
So let's say we get rid of this traitor. Then what happens? We get a president who's in tight with Franklin Graham, and with the American Family Association, both big friends of Vlad. Franklin Graham, a friend both of Vlad and of Maria Butina/Alexandr Torshin, is BFF with the Hilarion Alfayev, the head of the Russian Orthodox Church who is Putin's man. Go look at the radio address from the AFA, which endorsed every word of President Trump's presser with Putin, even the meaning of the word 'would'.
Money probably flowed through the NRA to the Trump campaign from Russia, set up through Mariia Butina. AFA is a 501(c)3 organization that gives political speeches on the radio, Franklin Graham is on rocky ground with the IRS over his tax status. They knew Ms. Butina, they didn't do anything to further the Putin agenda in 2016?
Pence was the head of the Transition Team. The Transition Team that tried to set up a back channel (Kushner), one of Butina's prime objectives, met in the Seychelles (Prince), and probably in the Balkans (Kushner). He oversaw the vetting of Mike Flynn (contacts with Russia, foreign agent for Turkey).
I think it would be out of the frying pan into the fire if Pence doesn't go first.
10
The occupant of the White House always misspeaks because he cannot speak like a normal and intelligent human being. His excuse that he "misspoke" is the typical behavior of a 12-year-old spoiled brat that should have had his backside swatted with vigor years ago. He will continue to try and escape after saying stupid or dangerous comments like what he said at the Helsinki news conference when public opinion comes down hard on him.
11
I wonder who it was that caused our "Double-down" President to not double-down and to try to "correct the error". I thought it might be Ivanka. My wife suggested Hannity. Obviously, someone got through to him ("Hey Donald, you really messed up this time"). With that said, when you listen to the rest of the news conference, his "correction" makes little difference. How could he walk-back all the other comments? Everyone knows the "correction" is window dressing and everyone knows what he said the first time is what he meant.
11
Not window dressing. A LIE directly on the face of the world. What a sad pathetic little man.
5
That was the most pathetic walk back in history. he couldn't even get through it without walking back his walk back. "But it could've been anybody. Sad.
5
Plight of the bully. All that braggadocio but didn't have the guts to sat it when faced with the other bully.
5
According to our President, I am clearly suffering from “Trump Derangement Syndrome”. It’s an epidemic and the prognosis isn’t good. Until the spreader of this terrible affliction is brought to justice, I can only hope that a new drug will be approved in November, with a complete cure by 2020.
12
In response to Trumpolini's pathetic, embarrassing and fake walk back from "would" to "wouldn't," some of the Republican members of Congress have felt pressured to step up and affirm their faith in the DOJ investigation and conclusions about Russia's attempt to influence the 2016 election. But they still refuse to repudiate their repugnant leader, who continues to seek, in his novel, toddler way, to grovel at the feet of Master Putin. If that is not reason enough to hold one's nose and vote Democrat in the mid-terms, do Svidanya USA.
11
'Beseiged' - is that what we're now calling those who blatantly commit treason at the highest levels of our goverment?
18
Trump lies as often as turning on light switches.
Blames his troubles on the hunt for fake “witches”.
He plays a tired old game.
We all know his real name,
Traitor: an occupation driven by power and riches.
13
In a quandary lest the world be exposed to his dirty laundry...
2
Seriously? Which advisor(s) wrote this script and thought it would be effective damage control? It’s like a Three Stooges script. The world is watching and laughing – except that it’s not funny.
17
Agreed. His tone and inflection confirms what he meant , " why would they". Trying to say he meant wouldn't is childish and assumes Americans are idiots. Did Suckabee come up with that one?
2
He didn't "misspeak"; he was afraid of Putin. He's brave when it comes to telling his employees what to do, or his tenants, or young beauty contest contestants, but when it comes to telling a strong man who is neither his employee nor his tenant, he reverts back to his basic personality. He becomes afraid, just as he did when his draft board told him to get ready to report for duty in Vietnam. He became frightened and asked his daddy to find a doctor who would write a letter stating that he wasn't physically able to go to Nam. Do we really want a man who has proven that he's both a liar and a coward as our president. He must go, and soon.
16
Oh sure, NOW we believe him, because after all, the man is a person of unassailable integrity, and his administration is a veritable temple of honor and virtue...
13
Trump reading script is the fake Donald Trump. The real Donald Trump is the foul-mouthed bully who attacks good people and lionizes bad ones: Putin, Ergodan, Duterte, Kim, etc. He suffers from pathological lying and tyrant-envy. He has failed miserably in abiding by his oath to protect and defend this country. He sees foreign enemies as allies and foreign allies as enemies. His train-wreck of a presidency cannot end soon enough.
13
"Covfefen't" is what he meant to say.
10
The thing is we know that he believes Putin over the intelligence community. Try to comprehend that.
We know he doesn't believe in climate change. Despite all evidence, lobby money wins over observation, science and common sense.
We know that he believes he actually won the election without any help from anybody, that his inauguration audience was the biggest in the history of the universe. That he is a stable genius who knows lots of words, big words.
We also know that he is a cruel hurler of vicious lies and insults about anybody and everybody, slung out every morning like baby food from his high chair.
So why are we all so upset now that he performed his best collusion routine in plain sight, millions watching, with Putin? Why should we be surprised at anything he does or says? He is capable of the most repulsive behavior and the vilest, vulgar speech and we all have known that for many years.
We are in Trumpneyland, where down is not up and up is not down, because there is no up or down. There is no gravity or lunar pull. There is no ground under our feet. Mercurial doesn't begin to describe his now-you-see-it-now-you-don't hocus pocus. It's like trying to capture sweet crude from water; it may be possible, but not without a lot of misspent time and energy for the result.
But don't forget that some 30 plus percent, his base aka his mesmerized mob, gaslighted, koolaided, stepforded, just love him to pieces. No matter what.
10
How many times has the President used the word collusion and he still spells it "colusion". This is not an intelligent person.
12
Trump said he mispoke. He lied again.
9
My god this guy cannot even speak correctly
9
Trump is a traitor to every citizen who ever put their hand on their heart to recite the pledge of allegiance, based on his vulgar attacks on the USA while standing next to Russian Pres. Vladimir Putin.
Like an eager debtor seeking a favorable refinance on his monstrous debt, Trump boot-licked the Russian president to curry favor for himself, not us. Like the closed door meeting at the White House with the Russian Ambassador and former spies posing as journalists, Trump again went in camera with the Russians to reveal what?
Doesn't he know the sordid history of Russian and then Soviet proxies killing U.S. troops, in Afghanistan, in Viet Nam, the Russian missiles in Cuba, the invasion of eastern Europe until the wall came down. Trumps' comments that decry the "mistakes" of former presidents are obscene, no matter what party you identify serves your beliefs.
This presidential term predicated on isolation of the United States that has done immeasurable good in the world, our legacy of promoting democratic values, our mission to bring peace to regional conflicts, and our destiny to play that role as a world leader has endured from 1776.
On behalf of my forebears who came here seeking religious freedom in 1628 and 1643, my ancestors who fought to establish this country during the Revolutionary War, my great- great grandfather who died burying the dead at Gettysburg, my grandfathers who served in WWI, my parents who served in WWII, I denounce Trump as a traitor - Lock Him Up!
9
trump is a home improvement salesman. He was on a hot streak that brought him to the presidency. Saying what he thinks the person in front of him wants to hear is how all salesmen work. now we have a big fat naked man sputtering.
12
A couple of GOP leaders have expressed their relief that "Trump clarified what he said yesterday..."
It's not about what he "said yesterday" it's totally about what he does "everyday!"
Trump would not last a day as a principal at a middle school even in the reddest of states... Why do we/you GOP! tolerate this man?
8
Please, Senate and House:
Get. The. Translator's. Testimony. Now.
17
You can drop the "useful" from "useful idiot."
And award the Traitor-in-Chief a "10" (actually his staff) for the most daring double back-flip performed on the English language and common sense.
McConnell will "take action" "if" Russian interference "happens again" after Dan Coats said we are under unrelenting attack?
It's so obvious that Putin has Trump by the you-know-what and, with Trump, it has to be about money.
Trump was broke. No banks would risk lending him money. Except Russians with billions from the looting of the former Soviet Union. Now they own him and he's president.
It's that banal.
7
.....all the King's horses (Russians) and all the KIng's men (complicit Republicans) could not put Hefty Trumpty together again.
This is it. Trump has fallen to unretrievable depths of treasonous behavior and this behavior will never be forgotten. In the last few weeks, this empty shell of a man & President has shown the entire world and the US that he and his word means nothing to no one; A WORD (get it?) subject to change at any moment.
He and the GOP are Unbelievable.
5
Trump said:
“They [US intelligence services, unanimously] said they think it’s Russia. I have President Putin; he just said it’s not Russia. I will say this: I don’t see any reason why it would be.”
Changing "would" to "wouldn't" in the final sentence does not make sense in context. Trump's set-up is "Putin says it's not Russia." Syntactically, his following statement should express either agreement or disagreement.
His actual statement "I don't see any reason why it would be" fits because it clearly expresses agreement with Putin's denial.
His post-facto explanation "I don't see any reason why it wouldn't be" does not. He is trying to say that he basically meant to say "I reject Putin's denial." Instead, he layers a double-negative on top of a simple denial, thus requiring keeping track of 3 negatives. It is too convoluted a way to express disagreement with Putin's simple denial.
"I reject Putin's clai
6
Trump misspoke when he vowed to uphold the Constitution at his inauguration. He has continued to lie ever since and will do so until he is removed from office either by the electoral process or by the Congress. It is likely that he believes everything he says because the man is obviously delusional but, nevertheless, lies are lies regardless of intent.
10
The comments here reflect the level of critical thinking that goes with reading a wide range of news articles on a specific topic. But Trump's base, and those that will re-elect him President, won't (and maybe I should say will NOT so there is no misspeaking) see or read another viewpoint; their single news source is Fox. Often not only is the slant different, Fox News does not even report on some topics. It is simple editing by omission.
3
Just for arguments sake lets suspend our disbelief and assume that Trump really means what he is saying now instead of what he said before. Then the question becomes, since he believes that Russia did in fact interfere with our election then as Commander in Chief what is he going to do about it? That is a question that both journalists and members of congress should now be constantly pressing the Trump Administration to answer because so far the impression I am getting is that they are doing nothing.
6
Let us hope that the U.S, intelligence agencies that briefed Trump on Russian meddling in the 2016 election didn't reveal info on how they determined Russia had done the deed. Surely they know that any secret info given to Trump is immediately passed on to Russian spy agencies by this "non-colluding" blabbermouth.
8
I hereby nominate Trump for the Nobel Price in Physics for applied time travel.
He has moved us back in time to the days of Ronald Reagan.
The days in which clarification after each press conference started with: "When the president said [enter any remarks here] he actually meant [enter complete opposite here]" and in which the needed clarifications took at least as long as the press conference itself.
The stable genius really made time travel workable.
Now just put a glass full of beany sweets on his desk and continue....
2
this is all so sad, such and incredible waste of time and energy, we should be having national discussions about really important issues, about our future, instead we are all twisted up in one man's delusions and narcissism. It's well beyond time to move on and back to important things.
6
And how do you suggest we do that given the reality of a president who quite clearly wants to rule our country as the leaders of North Korea and Russia "rule" theirs? You are very naïve if you think all of what Trump has done is simply going away. It would, of course, if he were the one to be "locked up."
3
@eric well there is an election coming up, we'll see how that goes, but beyond that, how about a national strike until he resigns. Let's do congress' work for them.
It might have been somebody else? There are a lot of people out there? The intelligence report did not say; It MIGHT be the Russians. It said it WAS the Russians; THESE Russians listed. So, no, he says he does not believe our intelligence agencies.
10
Politics, especially where Donald Trump is involved, is nothing like a debating tournament or a moot court competition. Points aren't awarded for precise reasoning and marshaling of evidence. Trump validates and amplifies racism, sexism, and religious bigotry. He makes it acceptable to say, loudly and in public, things that most of his followers would have kept to themselves or said only to like-minded acquaintances prior to his arrival on the scene.
Don't expect Republicans to abandon him unless his policies hit them hard in their wallets. The price of soybeans and the loss of manufacturing jobs due to his trade policies are more likely to harm him that his worship of Putin.
3
Casual lying mirrors casual sex: for some people it's a dreaded sin; for others, it's just something that occasionally happens; and for a very "select" group of individuals, it is a way of life.
When both of these maladies are found "in extremis" in a single individual, each reflects on the other - with a flashing red light - that anyone with two eyes should have no problem spotting.
In November of 2016, our nation went blind.
6
Recall Humpty Dumpty: "When I use a word, it means exactly what I choose it to mean--neither more nor less." Truly we are living in a Looking Glass world.
6
Thankfully the majority of Americans are informed enough to see, in this low-readership economy, how Trump deferred to Putin with fear. It's not that Russian State operatives created enough division through social media so that Trump could simply trash others and hurl superlatives about himself to illegitimately get himself elected. He fears the Russian muscle that "helped" him cut through red tape and get his buildings built. He was clearly motivated to run for President after coming back from Russia in the 90's and now, to fulfill his usefulness, he must carry their water as they like - which is to provide cheap rhetoric about America, and dismantle key governmental positions that, left unmanned, are able to be filled with other compromised individuals, or worst, Russian operatives. The trail of facts are there, and it's likely that someone is on this, but until the House is back in patriotic, responsible hands, this will not go anywhere. Trump's words are not verdant.
10
Do not, in any way, understand how these people can sit next to him, listen to this and not speak up for our country.
10
Let's use the Trump approach to this latest treason:
"What do we really know about Trump? I've been hearing a lot of bad things about him lately from very credible sources. The fact is no one knows what happened in that meeting between Trump and Putin. They could have been saying anything. I don't trust Trump, and he has access to a lot of top secret classified information. How much of it did he give away to Putin? No one knows. No one knows. He could have done some real damage to this country. I think there are some very good reasons to be suspicious about all this. I mean, he didn't even win the election. That last election was a fraud. It was a fake election. I'm just hearing lot's of things about Trump. What do we really know about him anyway? Very suspicious. The whole thing is very suspicious. And why did he need to be in there for two and a half hours? Why so long? What was he really telling him? We don't know do we? We just don't know. And I think people should really be taking a look at this. Lot's of disturbing things going on there. I've heard he may even be a Russian agent. And you don't just stop being a Russian agent. My team is looking at this, and they can't believe what they're finding. All sorts of stuff. And it's going to come out soon. You'll see. I'm going to make sure people know the truth about this guy. And it's going to be really great. And I think the press needs to do more reporting on this, because we don't know. And it could be very dangerous."
6
There DOES NOT NEED TO BE COLLUSION: Putin tells Trump you stay out of our attack-we know what we're doing and if you stay out, we'll get you elected and you can say there was no collusion. However, Trump knew the Russians were attacking America and SAID NOTHING to our CIA, Military or Congress ABOUT IT; THEREFORE, he had knowingly joined in with our enemy in attacking America, attacking our Justice Dept and election system. He became and is one of them, and so are all his family except wife and youngest son.
3
Indictments also sound convincing, but at trial prosecutors are often unable to substantiate allegations they present as facts in their indictments. Special Counsel Robert Mueller issued his most recent indictments without questioning any of the Russian intelligence officials named in the indictments. As Putin pointed out at the Helsinki press conference, Muller could have used the U.S.-Russia Mutual Assistance on Criminal Cases Treaty to interrogate them.
Mueller didn’t question any of the Russian corporate officials named in his previous indictment either, and appears to have been caught off guard when lawyers representing Concord Management unexpectedly responded to subpoenas by showing up in U.S. federal court at the appointed date to plead their clients not guilty.
When asked if they were also representing Concord Catering—a Concord Management subsidiary also named in the indictment—the lawyers responded that Concord Catering did not exist during the time period the Mueller indictment alleged it violated U.S. election campaign laws and should be stricken from the indictment. Faced with Concord Management’s demand for a speedy trail, the Mueller team first complained that the subpoenas were not “properly received” and then requested a 90-day delay in the start of the trial.
If convicted, Concord Management would have to pay a $500,000 fine.
It’s not a question about a leader who lies, it is a question about what his intentions are, and from what we see, they are un-American.
5
Although I didn't vote for him, I understand why Trump won. The American public was deceived into a war in Iraq whose consequences went on forever. Even after Obama pulled out the troops from Iraq it spilled over into Syria and then Europe. Then there was the Great Recession in which the white collar criminals were not prosecuted by Obama. Trump, on the other hand, spent his whole life being excluded from the truly monied elite in New York. And yes, we do have an oligarchy in America as well. I do not denigrate all Trump voters. There is a racist element among them, but some just wanted the corruption to stop. But I ask those of them that were not motivated by racism (most of them probably) to wake up. We've gone out of the frying pan into the fire. To the Democrats, here is some advice. There were aspects of Trump's message to adopt. 1. Get tough on China. 2. Don't advocate open borders, but the Canadian merit based system. 3. Don't play identity politics (unless it's a united identity of working and middle class). And when the Republicans counter with class warfare accusations, acknowledge that's what it is and you are standing up for the working class in that war. 4. Talk about preserving medicare and social security. This message would have populist and centrist positions. Populism can be harnessed for good.
7
Trump didn't innocently misspeak or say something other than what he meant like people do every day. This was an extended soliloquy. The primary message, which was repeated several times in different sentences and in several different responses to reporter's questions, was that Putin is a great guy (the greatest guy of all time except for Trump?), Putin did nothing wrong, and the American intelligence agencies were mistaken.
That message can't be corrected with an "I misspoke" claim.
4
I've been watching some "on-the-streets" interviews with self-descrived (mostly rural and southern) Trump supporters today. When asked why they still support Trump, most cite (clearly trying to recall/parrot Fox News talking points) that they support him because he's a self-made businessman who speaks his mind in plain language, he doesn't back down from fights, he tells it like it is, and he represents them, the working class.
I know it doesn't help to insult them. But these people are not intelligent. They are not educated. We can't do much about the IQs of Trump supporters, but the latter is a failure of our system, which has been slowly dismantled by Republicans for decades now, while Democrats have done nothing, I might add.
One of the goals (and benefits) of public education is to help citizens at all levels of intellectual ability learn to think critically, to be curious, to better understand the way the world operates, and to help them be productive, healthy members of society. Clearly we have failed these once salt-of-the-earth people.
When we marginalize groups of people to the point where they have nothing to lose, they will respond in the extreme. It seems that we now have a population of about 50% of these people. I'm not sure it's possible for our democracy to bounce back from that when we also have a congress actively working against democracy. The ONLY way back to national health is investing in public services, jobs, and infrastructure again. Think FDR
17
Trump's statements so often conflict with each other--it's hard to take anything at all that he says as anywhere near factual.
2
Has anyone done some research on identifying and quantifying the locutions Mr Trump uses, either since his inauguration or his decision to run for office? This would take some work but could have some fun results. I would guess that he has used about 20 'templated' locutions extensively (eg, 'X is the greatest X'), perhaps 10 more occasionally and maybe a scattered few rarely. I would be willing to bet though that never has he used a double negative during the selected period of time. Then it would be helpful to wheel in a psychologist who is an expert on lying, preferably one who does related data analysis. I suspect she would tell us that when a locution that has never been used before by a specific person is first uttered within a context (somehow) similar to the one Trump has just appeared, the chances of a lie having been spoken are roughly 99%. Or some such. (And I know we don't need all this to know Trump has lied, which is prima facie obvious.) Could we at least please have a big feature on those academics/researchers who do serious research in this area? The headline for the magazine is obvious: 'The Lie Detectors'. Sorry if all this has been done and I've just missed it.
2
Good idea. The forensic linguists at Hoftstra, e.g., would be great at this.
He never stops lying. And he never stops revealing more gruesome facts about himself in his accusations of others. Crooked? That's Donald. A 400-lb. guy in his bed? Donald again, surrounded by Big Mac wrappers. Etc.
Sorry. Don't believe a word anymore. Reminds me of what I learned of Calvinistic T.U.L.I.P dogma of how the "chosen ones" will be forgiven. BTW, his. mother was a Calvinist.
2
Maggie Haberman please tell us how the Russians influenced the 2016 outcome. We need to understand how it was done in a way we can use; to know what to look for in 2018.
1
So which American hero is going to take the steps needed to start process against djt?
4
@NextGeneration It won't be a chicken republican!
Whether or not Trump said "would" when he really meant "wouldn't" (which seems very unlikely), either way, his statement about Russian meddling was ridiculous and not words one would expect from a POTUS. This guy is so far beneath the level of competence needed in a President.
7
After daily Trump headlines usurping the news that should be reported since his election, this takes the cake. Saying that he knew this or that is giving him too much credit -- he doesn't understand the role he's playing on the world stage and we're (I'm an American citizen) paying the price for his ignorance and ego.
4
Trump gave in to Putin in Helsinki. Trump is still defending siding with Putin. Russia attacked America; period. Now word comes out Trump made military deals with Putin. We need the interpreter brought before Congress and hearings held. We need to know what secret deals Trump made with Putin. Ray Sipe
7
He said he "misspoke". We all know the truth....he lied in attempt to explain an extraordinary mistake. Start calling it what it is.
3
Given the absolute requirement that our election process be fair and bullet-proof, protected from people like our Liar-in-Chief and his good friend, Vladimir Putin, I believe that a paper ballot approach would be our safest option. It may take a bit longer to quantify the results, but that's a small price to pay so that we, the people, can feel reasonably safe that the results will be real, free from electronic tampering.
2
Donald Trump says there is no collusion yet displays collusion every opportunity he has to praise Putin and refer to our allies as hostile. We need a leader that puts the American people first instead of his own selfish interests.
1
The bottom line is that he went to Helsinki in the first place, after the indictments were read on Friday.
4
We have what appears to be a compromised president. The nature of this compromise, whether it be financial or personal, remains to be seen and can only be guessed at. What both frightens and infuriates me, beyond the utterly disgraceful display in Helsinki, is what transpired during the two hour closed door meeting between Trump and Putin. What did Trump tell Putin? More importantly, what did he give up to him? If Trump's actions at the press conference were treasonous, the discussion that took place during their private meeting might be iron clad proof of that.
3
I am fed up with Trump's constant rants about all mainstream press and news reporting being FAKE NEWS. That is a his most frequently uttered bald faced lie.
There is only one truly consistent creator of FAKE NEWS when it comes to Trump: FOX NEWS.
The New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, Houston Chronicle, Los,Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, Boston Globe, Dallas Morning News, BBC, CNN, NPR, CBS, ABC, NBC, MSNBC, the New Yorker,The Economist, The Texas Monthly, The Finsncial Times, AP, Reuters,and hundreds more are not FAKE nor is the news they report and interpret. They are not the enemy, they are not colluding or conspiring. They are independently telling it they see it, whether Trump wants it.
FOX News on the other hand is openly biased and was created to promote a GOP political agenda. That is no secret. Being a single entity, it is easily controlled in terms of political messaging. By design and intent it is far less objective than the overall reporting of our far flung and diverse 4th Estate that is essential to Democracy.
The 4th Estate by design and intent is generally reporting the real news accuratly with objective interpretations.
FOX News, by design and intent is in business to promote a political agenda.
As a result its news is the truly and intentionaly FAKE News.
Hannity is intentionally as accurate as a two bob watch. Trump loves to lie, saying it's true. FOX, Hannity and Trump make for the perfect creators of FAKE NEWS.
8
He always misspeaks. Why is this headline news? One could say he slways lies, is disengenous. He changes his mind on the turn of a dime.
He wants to do an oil and natural gas deal with Russia. He does have a few beliefs: money for himself, attention for himself, promoting worldwide use of fossil fuels and therefore, global warming, money for his donors, and a really misguided notion to control the world, or whatever portion he can.
It's not news that Trump loves Russia. He is very useful to them, as a symbol of U.S. support, if nothing else.
The Republican Congress and Cabinet, who have sat on their hands for a year and a half and done nothing to protest his agenda, law-breaking and unconstitutional as it is, but instead, abetted it.
10
Donald doesn't just think he's the smartest person in the room. He thinks he's the smartest person on the planet. There is something profoundly wrong for a man to reach his age and still have that attitude or that extreme lack of self-awareness.
4
Why is Trump behaving this way? Fighting with our long standing allies, seemingly doing the work of the Russians in weakening the Western alliance of democracies? Most of us would have to set aside our lifetimes of experience and our "gut feelings" as we watch the President standing next to Putin and come to any other conclusion except that our President has been compromised. The body language of the two men tell us who is in charge. It should be the American President with the world's most powerful economy, military and strongest international friendships behind him. Instead it is the weaker dictator of Russia with a military that is falling apart, few friends and a corrupt and stuttering second world economy.
Trump has been compromised. Pure and simple. If there aren't tapes incriminating him with prostitutes, then there are financial records showing how his real estate company laundered money for the Russians. Putin has the goods on the man, everything is screaming this at us. But we are being governed by a minority Republican party with two fists to their ears. The USA remains in peril until Trump is removed.
6
@Bill Cullen, Author The Times editorial staff better start pushing in its headlines and editorials for impeachment.
1
Mr. T is protecting his political godfather - Putin. He's acting like a Russian asset. The man has never done anything in his enitre career that wasn't self -serving and these action are in line with that modus operandi. The legitimacy of his presidency will always be questioned and that just kills his ego. He is caught in a serious bind. He is clearly in conflict with his own administration and beholden to another.
7
Seriously, that one word clears it all up?? If you read the context he clearly said, and meant, "would", not "wouldn't". His base may be crazy enough to fall for this but not the sane part of America. Lying like always - such an embarrassment and so unworthy of the Office. Protect Mueller and get to the truth.
9
Trump's supposed "clarification" makes absolutely no sense in the context of the rest of his statement. Who does he think he is fooling? oh, his supporters, of course.
3
I hope this show business president does not start a war then the following day tell us he made a mistake. It would almost be like the movie ' Doctor Strangelove ' trying to retrieve the bomb.
1
Who really believes his " oops" claim when he did two interviews that night, made no " correction" in either and his administration officials present in Helsinki didn't make an immediate correction!
His press secretary, Bolton, Mathias, etc. did NOT push for a " correction". They clearly knew he meant what he said.
Stop calling the Russian Cyber Attack on the US. "meddling". They "meddled" in our election. Aww, isn't that cute?
Must be an expression with Republican origins. Like so much of our speech politic.
No. They engaged in a Cyber Attack against our voter roles, votes, social platforms, and party servers.
2
A “stable genius” would have known immediately that he misspoke and would have corrected it then and there. We all know what Trump was saying when he said it.
1
Trump has no idea what "Besieged" means or feels like. He could care less. Those that try to script for him never win. He is so narrow of focus, the world could be coming down around him and he would likely not notice. He really thought he did a magnificent job with Putin and that's all that matters. Makes no matter what the rest of us thought. Our ruler has spoken.
People know Trump is running scared about what Putin has on him and his family. Follow the money trail. Where did the NRA get $50M to contribute to his campaign and his inauguration? It didn't come from membership fees. Now, to aid and abet, Secretary of the Treasury Camel Lips Steve Manuchin has enacted a policy that nonprofits don't have to declare to the IRS, donations over $5,000. This will enable nonprofits like the NRA to obscure the money trail. The previous President of the NRA, Wayne Lapierre, saw the truck coming and "retired", most likely to protect his assets.
6
“I didn’t mean to say ‘would’; I meant to say ‘wooden’. And I was referring to my head.”
5
Trumps helsinki trip was a fiasco. He handed putin a huge victory and threw america and It’s allies under the bus. The allies are fleeing and putin is celebrating another huge victory, after hacking the dnc along with trump, and installing his puppet in the white house.
1
He looked like a hostage reading something their captors forced them to read as he mumbled through that note in the monotone expressionless voice yesterday. Guys should try that with the spouse sometime, reading a note the next day that says "I meant to say that dress Doesn't make you look fat, not does"
5
What's the point anymore? Republicans are too weak and mealy-mouthed to stand up to this compulsive liar and American traitor, and the Democrats don't have the numbers to fight him through traditional channels. Trump will walk away from this unscathed like he always does because the only thing sacred in America is money.
4
Let's call Trump's walk back on his Helsinki acquiescence to Putin what it is: it's a lie.
6
Trump misspoke -- Not! He misspoke yesterday about misspeaking in Helsinki.
Lie, rinse and repeat. Enough!
4
We are now loosing our allies and trading partners as Trump embraces Putin. This is a crisis. He got a few wrist slaps from a few republicans. Yet the majority remain silent. Next year we could face a massive recession when no one wants to or will trade with us except Russia. Will that wake up the red states? November must be the turning point to impeach and charge him with treason first and foremost.
1
If this man could only for a few seconds shut down his ego and see that the whole world is laughing at him.
8
The world must think that we smericans are very low on intelligence for having trump make a fool of himself and us wherever he goes and with his contradicting himself, boosting america’s enemies and scaring away our allies and trying to cause chaos in america and the world, all to serve his messed up self.
1
“Could be other people also, a lot of people out there”, says the qualifier-in-chief. Donald Trump did NOT accept the findings of the Intelligence community, readers aren’t gullible fools. In immediately qualifying his supposed acceptance, he nullified that limbo low bar statement he was forced to read. Hearings now!!! At least Graham is bringing SOS Pompeo to testify before the Foreign Relations Committee next week, which is a baby step towards discovering how much Trump sold out the country in the two hours of supplication during which he was alone with Putin.
I just watched workers who are losing their jobs making nails due to stupid tariffs imposed by the stupid president, all interviewed voted for Trump. While they are concerned, they still support him and just hope he’ll make an exception for them. So it’s every man for himself, every individual business for itself, every trade agreement between just the U. S. and one or maybe two countries. Obvious problem, the trade ‘deals’ do not exist yet and must be created by the dealmaker who sabotages everything. Must we wait until Trump destroys our economy and Putin starts invading small Eastern European countries before the Legislative co-equal branch of government acts? The fake news is real, it is Fox News, etc. Thes right wing liars now run the Executive Branch. Sleep well everyone.
3
Trump’s supporters refuse to know the facts. They dont read or listen to credible news outlets. They dont seem to know any of the history and terrible events caused by Putin. And they dont want to know. This ignorance is part of the total damage that is ocurring right before our eyes. When it finally sinks in it will be too late.
3
I question why anyone believes anything Trump says. The NYT and all other respectable journalistic outlets continue to quote his words as if there is any believability, and then parse them as if there are hidden meanings. There are extensive annotations of his speeches with notes about untruths, when the headline should just be "Trump continues to lie." He lies. He lies every time he takes a breath. He lies every time he speaks to his followers, the media, and the American public. He is wholly captive of Russian oligarchs who have been showering him with cash for a decade, laundering money through his real estate, and providing unquestioned profitability. Trump is loyal only to himself and his money. This was just another "hostage video."
7
I give our president one month until he will say: "The meeting in Helsinki never happened. It's all fake news."
3
Your headline is wrong. It should be: "A Besieged Trump says he doesn't understand the difference between would and wouldn't, especially after the storm of criticism that followed his words of treason."
What Trump did on Monday was an act of treason, pure and simple. It's a crying shame our country has reached the point where half of its citizens are too dumb to realize what's happening to them and those that could correct things, the Republicans, are too cowardly to do anything.
4
... and then the megalomaniac said that others (then Russians) were involved in deception. Of course the fellow never clarified who "the others" were and fuzzy-wuzzy press never asked either.
1
More urgent than any of this is what are Trump and the GOP going to do about the next attack: the 2018 midterms.
5
It's amazing to me that trump actually thought he had "done good" until he got on the plane to go home and started reading his nasty reviews.He is completely unglued from reality.Not a good fact when you are president of the USA.
Did putin momentarily shut the lights off when trump was trying to walk back his pathetic performance on tuesday..what a disturbing thought and one that is perfectly plausible since trump has refused to enact sanctions.
7
An even better double negative;
"I never not lie."
8
"The Party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command."
G. Orwell, 1984
9
Regardless of political philosophy, only when we have a Congress composed of Americans who care more about their country than their party and realize that Trump is too ignorant and incompetent to be POTUS, only then will America be able to regain its standing in the world as a leader of Freedom and Democracy for all. This Republican Congress' behavior toward this president has been worse than disgraceful. It has been treasonous for this Congress to allow Trump to remain in office as long as he has.
3
He's not even a good liar. “The sentence should have been, ‘I don’t see any reason why it wouldn’t be Russia,’ sort of a double negative,” Mr. Trump said. “So you can put that in, and I think that probably clarifies things pretty good.”
The last sentence sounds as if it came directly from the emergency strategy session that morning (complete with a grade-school level grammatical error). "Yeah, that sounds good, let's go with that."
2
Trump should have been impeached by now for hacking the dnc in 2016. Putin did the hacking for him.
2
"Napoleon is always right."
In his next sentence, he literally said, it could be anyone. The headline is misleading. Why does NYT constantly give the man the benefit of the doubt.
6
@Jesse The Times is really at gutless as the Republican Party. There may be (may be) a few of their reporters who are not, but by and large the Times speaks for this gutless, corrupt system.
So I guess Mr. Trump thinks people are just Stupid. If he did in fact say the wrong word immediatly after his people would have came to him and a statement would have been issued right there in Helsinki. No Trump saw even Fox and Friends was negative so he had to walk back the statement. What incompetent person came up with this angle should be terminated. Still after trying to walk back his statement one side of his mouth he says he accepts the reports from his inteligence angencies than says it could have been Anyone. Wake up America. This man is beyond unfit for the office he holds.
2
What I find alarming is that Trump has no idea how damaging his words are to US interests, and that his aides have to actually explain to him why there is such fallout, from his interview with the Sun in the UK or the Helsinki news conference. He lives in an alternative reality, where he actually thinks he did a great job, and is shocked how the rest of the world reacts to his words, and doesn’t understand repercussions until someone explains it to him like he is child, or when there is no one left to defend him.
7
Make America Go Authoritarian
3
Lets Be Clear!
President Russia, now heads the Republican Russia Party.
8
Standing next to Putin, in a normal, conversation tone, "...I really see no reason why it wouldn't be the Russians..." REALLY?
I'm getting really worried about the 10 Commandments. Was it "Thou shalt not..." or "Thou shalt..."? Could God or his transcribers have made a small mistake? How else do we explain so many evangelicals and right wingers' obsessed with posting the Commandments in public places and doing just the opposite? Surely, looking at Congress, "Thou shalt covet thy neighbor's wife" seems to be much in vogue. And how do we explain Ms Butrina's interest in prayer breakfasts, the NRA and back channels? "Thou shalt kill..."?
Trump apologists should note that Europeans at least are not complete idiots. They do not drink the kool aid #Trumpatanycost. They heard and saw Trump and Putin. They know what Trump said and what he meant. He gave Putin everything he wanted to trumpet his success in Russia. One can only wonder if Trump's retraction is also being published (rhetorical question). But a lie is still a lie in most of Europe and they don't even have the benefit of knowing that Trump has upped his lie quotient to around 7 per day, almost 4,000 since taking office.
Trump lied.
And there are really only three relevant questions now: (i) 'What is Putin's hold over Trump?', (ii) 'How much damage will he do to America and its allies before we get rid of him?', and (iii) 'How much will Republicans abase themselves before turning against Trump'?
11
It is a fact that he did added the qualifier, "could be other people, a lot of people out there." So, then, why would the NYT editors choose the extremely misleading headline that says, "Trump Now Says He Accepts US Intelligence Reports on Russian Election Meddling"?
7
I have some really beautiful Russian flag pins for your lapels.
NOW ON SALE. Great deal!
6
25th Amendment Article 4. It's time.
10
Trump and his supporters lie to themselves every day. They know he is a fraud. He knows he is a fraud. But, he is white and they are white and they have some strange fear of the other. Trump cozies up to Putin, Xi, Erdogan, Kim. What do these men have in common besides being men - dictators, oppressors, killers, jailers, and liars. He trashes May and Merkel who are women. Nothing will ever erase the memory of a US President looking like a little boy, hunched over next to his autocratic father Putin. Shameful Republicans are no longer the party of freedom life liberty and the pursuit of happiness. They are the party of oppressors and liars.
12
It's time for Trump to get fired
11
All hail our Liar-in-Chief where compassion, truth, integrity, and justice are just letters on a page, devoid of any meaningful significance.
9
To "misspeak" is to say the wrong thing by mistake, with no intention of misleading anyone.
To "lie" is to say the wrong thing with the express and premeditated intention of misleading everyone.
NYT and the rest of the media: THERE IS A DIFFERENCE!!
8
The president is either a wretched liar or he suffers from severe cognitive impairment. Yet, GOP Congress allows him to serve.
9
Please tell Putin I can be more flexible now that the election is over. Folks, I have some news for you, the pathetic amateurish "hacking" that the Russians did not affect the 2016 presidential election one iota.
The bastardization of the English language shows no signs of abating. "Misspoke" as a substitute for "I lied" or "My mouth just runs on auto-spew", or "I am actually an idiot" has gotten tiresome. The news media needs to return to old fashioned English words and force politicians to do the same.
5
If America let's Trump get away with this betrayal, then you deserve him. But the world does not deserve this monstrous buffoon. He is a profoundly dangerous man. His every statement, his every action sends the world into some level of chaos.
He has no filter, he sees no limit, he accepts no blame or responsibility except where he can self-congratulate. He is a malicious cartoon character.
Please act. Get rid of him.
13
Maybe it was his teeth sliding around again?
3
The endless stream of lies from Trump is fatiguing.
4
All this "misspoke" back peddling from the Helsinki press conference means one thing, Trump is liar and a traitor.
7
First he gives a backhanded lame retraction and then he takes it back on Twitter. Trump committed Treason and thinks his apology gets him off Scott free. Typical of the bankruptcy king. When will the RePUTINligans just come out and say it. We love Putin,. We love Communism, We love murdering our enemies, We hate the free press.,
We have Americans, We hate nonwhite people and women. We are all about the money and Putin is the richest man in the world with many secret bank accounts. He controls us and we will do anything to stay in power. Yeah for the the Hammer and Sickle. God Bless Russia. God Bless North Korea, Bless all the murderous dictators and now we have one of our own, Trump.
4
Just need to know when we head to D.C. to extricate this traitor and his congressional lackeys ourselves.
7
Tell Putin what he wants to hear and he won't disclose the compromising material he has on you. Tell the big lies to the American people and they will elect you (with help from the Electoral College). Give yourself enough rope and you will hang by it.
3
For a very stable genius he sure does a lot of dumb things.
15
Trump is an "AINO (American in Name Only)."
7
This headline!! Trump says he misspoke? The "gentle" words in these headlines are ridiculous! Who believes that Trump misspoke? Does Trump, the GOP, and the NY Times think we are all stupid enough to believe that Trump misspoke? One word "changed" does not "change" what we all saw and heard. Every single other thing that Trump said (and did!) at the meeting was pro Putin and against our own nation's intelligence officers! Our country was attacked by Russia in 2016. Period. The article itself seems fine, but the headline is misleading, to say the least. Why is this the headline?
6
What a ridiculous and dangerous man.
10
This sham of a man does not belong in the white house. He is sick. He can't tell the truth. He thinks people Just want him to make $ for America only he just makes money for himself and others that already have Too much.
Sorry I misspoke. He does not make money, he steals it from taxpayers and gives it to the rich.
Get him and his political goons out of office any way possible and Vote. Get anyone you know or don't know to Vote.
6
Ha, ha, ha, ha.
Nope, doesn't pass the laugh test.
6
Well of course he lied. It would be out of character for him to admit the truth, that he is a traitor of the highest order - literally.
Can you imagine Abe Lincoln doing everything Jefferson Finis Davis asked him to do?
Can you imagine Roosevelt doing everything Emperor Tojo wanted?
Can you imagine Captain Kirk selling out to the Romulans?
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