Buried deep in the NYT story is this:
"Australia’s top diplomat in Britain had met in London in May 2016 with George Papadopoulos, a Trump campaign foreign policy adviser who revealed the Russian offer of dirt on Mrs. Clinton."
Of course the Administration is interested in how this piece of the puzzle came to be. A pice that concerns the top Australian diplomatic in the UK. It makes sense to contact the head of the Australian government.
Seems to me that there are elements out there that do not want Barr to do an investigation . . . and are trying to discredit Barr
5
PSA: Our government is sliding into autocracy. Just an FYI. That is all.
9
The Democrts can investigare Trump in any part of the world to affect the election, but Barr is bad for investigating it. They messed around in Ukraine and in Russia on an untrue dossier that they leaked to Capital Hill and the media. It turned out to be all lies, but the Deep State started an investigation over it to overthrow Trump. The Deep State, corrupt media and Democrats are still working hand in hand in overthrowing an election to put the Deplorables in their place. In the basket of Deplorables.
in their place
n.
3
I'm sorry, all evidence points to Republicans - overwhelmingly - have become America's greatest threat!
11
As I read some if these posts, they read like a childhood saying: I'm rubber, you're glue, whatever you say bounces off me, and sticks to you. With that mentality, it is little wonder these people are unable to objectively understand the negative impacts, i.e. national security, election security, this presidents actions are doing to the country.
10
Restricting access to phone transcripts? Trump you work for us and these communications belong to us the People! What part of this do Republicans not understand? It is as clear as day...
29
Trump never worked for us, nor did he ever intend to. For anybody paying attention, that was obvious before his election. The shame is ours; a nation no longer worthy of its founding documents.
5
Hardly a surprise to find that the so-called president sees his position as primarily useful to secure his re-election.
Problem is, the people of the basket don't have a problem with it.
11
It appears that this is a witch hunt. The Democrats will stop at nothing to impeach and remove President Trump from office. They will leave no stone unturned. Americans will eventually tire of this and turn on the Democrats. The Democrat candidates are now beginning to complain that all the attention is on the impeachment inquiry and not on them. No one is paying any attention to the issues which is to the detriment of the Democrat party. They will lose at the ballot box and pay dearly for years to come.
203
@KMW:
>It appears that this is a witch hunt.
How so?
> The Democrat candidates are now beginning to complain that all the attention is on the impeachment inquiry and not on them.
Which Democratic candidates are complaining, and in which publication or source?
> They will lose at the ballot box and pay dearly for years to come.
Then why is your party losing members, and why aren't the Ds?
948
@KMW. The issue is the destruction of the Constitution, the sellout of our country and our democracy. If that happens, we can let the Russians take care of our infrastructure and our health care.
695
A lot of witches getting caught in this hunt though...gotta love that right buddy?
327
So it becomes clear why Trump proposed the slashing of the State Department's and the International Affairs budgets by 37% or $58 billion. He wanted to press his will without interference. There is a pattern and practice here, if anyone cares to look.
13
Isn't every election filled with
things like this ? The difference now is that technology catches events when in prior years, that was not possible. The world has not changed albeit, technology has. Who knows what other people are doing ?
Being more and more under eye of big brother will make all our lives unpleasant - to say the least.
1
So, asking a foreign leader to help with an investigation (even if it benefits the President politically) is a crime? I thought foreign leaders ask their counterparts for help with investigations all the time. Why aren't previous Presidents' calls (both Democrats and Republicans) also made public?
2
We need to see transcripts of every call with a foreign leader that Trump has made. In addition, the translator MUST be subpoenaed about the private meeting Trump had with Putin. Enough is enough and we CAN NOT trust Trump in ANY capacity. Not. One.
11
I the "imagine if Obama had done this" responses to virtually everything Trump does write themselves, but good lord this is getting ridiculous.
I know the 2020 election will end up being decided by a few thousand people in a handful of states, because the obsolete constitution written by a couple dozen racist rich guys who were almost all slaveholders, but it's still profoundly disappointing to think about the fact that a huge segment of the US population looks at this stuff and thinks it's evidence that Trump "does whatever it takes" or "plays by his own rules," or however they're rationalizing it to themselves.
2
The DOJ semi-legal hunt for proof of conspiracy theories seems the legal cover for "The Great Divider" Trump and his band of merry propagandists. Haven't yet heard of any subpoenas for documents related to the Barr probe or any new calls for Barr's public testimony. To discover what else this investigation is encouraging--the Trump call to Zelesny being the epitome perhaps of illegal pressuring--we need to discover more of what Trump's AG's imprint is on this president's fraudulence.
I don't doubt the Dems overplayed their hand in emphasizing the Trump-Zelesny call as a basis for impeachment, but they don't have to follow thru on that focus. The whistleblower investigation is only ramping up and may not give impeachment proponents like me everything we want. Trump is impeachable merely as a demonstrable congenital liar whose lies naturally lead to law-breaking, and that should be central to actual impeachment charges.
2
I can not think of words awful enough to express my disgust at the apparent treasonous behavior of Trump and his cronies. He has a lot of nerve and no scruples in claiming that Rep. Adam Schiff is the traitor when he is actually one of the true the patriots in this crisis; it is typically Trumpist that he tries to pin on others a true description of what he is. Somehow Benedict Arnold is looking a bit benign in comparison to Trump and his co-conspirators (including AG Barr).
4
Actually this is all totally legal, especially to find out the beginnings of this incident and prevent it from happening to another President. The actions of the House are disgraceful, and hopefully new organizations see the truth instead of doing the bidding of certain House Members.
3
Legal and totally unethical.
3
Trump is trying to conflate the old Mueller Russia probe with the new Biden - Ukraine matter. The reason is to make Barr's involvement appear to be a legitimate investigation, instead of partisan politics for Tump's benefit.
The media must not let this happen.
The Democrats need to draw sharp lines and beware of this as well.
7
This wouldn't be a problem if we still trusted the Justice Department, under William Barr's stewardship, to be impartial.
Barr pretty much knows there is no there there in that direction, but Trump wants it, so it happens. Dems should not be distracted. The Ukraine Affair and the further obstruction Trump's administration is engaged in over it is the cudgel to finally rein in this would-be tin pot dictator that stumbled into the office of POTUS.
2
Mr. Barr is acting as the president's attorney rather than the nation's chief law enforcement officer. Impeachment should begin with him.
12
Companies and organizations that plan on hiring, or have hired, Trump's enablers from his administration need to feel some retribution for their part in this. Boycott them. Seventy percent of the US economy is the amount of power we have.
A single day of boycotting will hurt them if we do it with purpose.
However, we should forgive any and all who come forward with stories of trump's corruption and malfeasance.
The whistleblower has given us the opportunity to reclaim power. We should aid any who can assist in tearing down the edifice of lies and racism that Trump and his republicans have built. Let's welcome more leaks!
3
Trump psychologically projets his incompetence on to others. Underlying his claim that US agencies spied on his campaign for H. Clinton's benefit is his projected belief that the US government is inept -- since Clinton lost even with the alleged help by powerful US intelligence forces and foreign governments. He also projects his internal knowledge that he would have lost if not for foreign interference. "No puppet" was a declaration of complicity.
4
Let's see. Should I believe Mueller or Barr?
4
Getting to the bottom of what really happened in the 2016 election is in the national interest and a perfectly legitimate use of executive power. The fact the evidence of Democrat malfeasance might personally benefit Trump is merely tangential.
4
What really happened in the 2016 election is Donald Trump was given the office of president despite his historic loss of the popular vote, despite Russian interference on his behalf and despite his manifest unfitness for and disinterest in the job.
8
So you support the Mueller probe, yes?
3
What, “evidence of Democratic malfeasance,” would that be, exactly?
Because if you’d like to talk influence-pedlding, let’s start with, oh, Mitch taking over twenty mil as a gift feom his wifey’s wealthy Chinese parents, or Javanka taking $600 mil from Kuwaiti bankers to bail out the family biz, or All the Saudis in trump’s hotels, or...or...or...
You guys. Barack Obama gets a rich book deal, and it’s ballistic orbit. Joe Biden’s kid takes a job in Ukraine and makes him look shabby, you burst into flames.
But Manafort on the board of a corrupt bank in Cyprus sitting next to Putin’s main money-launderer, D-bank making some very odd “loans,” to Trump, not a peep. Except of course for the shouting about witchhunts if anybody notices.
10
I'd love to see Trump impeached but this article made my eyes glaze over. I can see this whole inquiry is about to become very convoluted. If the Democrats want to remove a president from office they need to keep it simple.
4
Why? Because everybody has to have the attention span of a mayfly?
5
@Robert
Yes. You need public support to get this over the finish line and most people won't wade through the noise of "Ukraine, Russia, Biden, Australia, Italy, the emails, the Mueller Report, etc", and it's only the first week.
It's the difference between the direct Nixon accusation (covered up Watergate break-in), and the scattershot approach to Clinton (Paula Jones, Lewinsky, Whitewater, Vince Foster, Travelgate..., etc).
1
Hold on a sec. - I thought Trump he said he was totally vindicated by Mueller report so why would he want to challenge it? Altruism? Hardly. Or, perhaps the totally vindicated assertion was, just perhaps, less than truthful? Less than truthful from our President? Yes, that was rhetorical.
12
@irv wengrow
He did say that.
He also said that he was going to as Barr to get to the bottom of its origins, and declassify all necessary documents. He said this in public to reporters back in May, with full cameras rolling. There's nothing "secret" about it.
Being "vindicated" doesn't mean that he was going to just let it go.
The only people surprised by this are those who keep being surprised that he follows through to do the things he said he would.
2
That’s exactly the problem. Trump does exactly what he says he’ll do no matter how cruel, illogical, shortsighted, unethical or illegal.
4
Pompeo has announced that state dept officials will not show up for the hearings that have been scheduled for depositions this week.
It appears the entire Trump administration is corrupt. Now this administration is obstructing justice yet again. Pompeo needs to go along with Barr, Mnuchin, and Rudy G.
We all need to remember what this administration is doing when we vote in 2020. Whether or not Trump is running, the GOP needs to be voted out of office. It is time to clean up DC and get politicians in there that represent we Americans.
9
This was already Debunked. Still pushing the narrative when the information is Public knowledge.
4
It is striking how much the President and his administration are occupied in chasing chimera: Joe Biden wasn't corrupt as Vice President; the Ukraine didn't interfere in the 2016 elections in favor of the Democrats; the investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 elections wasn't begun corruptly.
9
The Daily podcast this morning compared this previous impeachments but neglected to state the obvious: that Clinton’s wrongdoing centered on lying about his personal life and that Trump’s centers on him trying to extort foreign countries to interfere in our own election and subvert democracy!
These are not commensurate by any stretch. Please, reporters, don’t treat this as equal on both sides. They are far from it. Clinton’s had zero existential impact on the future of the American democracy and Trump’s is literally about whether or not to uphold democracy or let him get away with everything and make him dictator.
13
@L but wait wait wait.... the whole Stormy Daniels fiasco several months ago was supposed to be a disqualifying event for Trump's election, remember? We'll set aside for a moment that Trump's "lying about his personal life" deal occurred *before* he ever ran for office, while your attempt to dismiss Clinton's transgressions neglects that some of his lurid encounters transpired within the actual White House whilst he very much was "on the clock" as POTUS. All that being the case,... which story are folks going with? Does or does not "personal life" bad behavior matter in scrutiny of our elected officials?
So you’re ok with a married man and father of a 15 month old child who had unprotected sex with a porn star and then paid her to keep quiet about the affair which itself is a violation of campaign finance law?
3
I want Trump impeached. He acts like a mafia boss, the political equivalent to Tony Soprano, and It’s clear he violated the constitution. But I struggle to think, as a Canadian still jaded over Trudeau and S&C Lavalin, what benefit the impeachment process will have for Democrats. Trump will still appeal to the right, despite it all. I hope truth and justice prevail, but in politics, I often think, how can they?
3
This really isn't good. Looking into and outing corruption in Washington and the Democratic Party doesn't serve life long politicians. This is very unfair.
4
The Democrats are wrong. The crimes of Donald Trump are not only a matter of his extorting Ukraine to invent dirt about a political opponent. The "favor" of inventing dirt on Joe Biden, was an extra, and well down the list of actions that Trump was extorting.
The 2014 Russian attack on Ukraine resulted in the Congress and President imposing very effective sanctions against Russia and its' removal from the G8.
The second round of sanctions occurred when Russia subverted the 2016 US election for Donald Trump
The fate of the Russian kleptocracy depends on the lifting of sanctions, and the movement rubles out of Russia, that Deutsche Bank and Donald Trump have facilitated in the past.
Trump's first objective is Ukrainian capitulation to Russia's annexation of Crimea, so that the sanctions related to the invasion of Ukraine can be lifted. even while Russian troops are occupying Ukraine and killing Ukrainians.
Second is for Ukraine to support Trump's specious allegations that Ukraine, not Russia, hacked the US 2016 election, so that the sanctions related to that attack could also be lifted.
Putin is carrying out a new form of war while the Republican party and Mitch McConnell shrug and hide.
It also seems likely that Bill Barr was expensively hired to protect and aid Russia's puppet.
7
Wondering if Trudeau got one of these calls, asking for "help". I'm betting yes.
1
Donate to anyone running against McConnell. Put pressure on him. They need to respect the law and protect the whistleblower from retaliation.
6
Never thought we would see the day when the AG of the USA is traveling the world trash talking our entire intelligence community. It's not a good 'message' to be sending because it also includes the inference that the only institution, agency or person that matters in America is the POTUS, in this case Trump.
Throughout history, the power of America has been the strength and reputation of our institutions. Our POTUS is changed every 4/8 years and that fact needs the structure of our government and society as enduring beyond and because of that democratic change for support.
I know that Trump the individual has no problem assuming as much authority as he can but it is a dangerous change. Of course the GOP will argue that when they do it, it is good and when the Democrats do similar? Burning at the stake!!
How sad that AG Barr has to roam the world looking for the "evidence" to back up his conclusions. Conspiracy theories do not make for good and sound policy at home or abroad. And AG Barr is coming very close to totaling abandoning his oath of office in favor of being Trump's fixer a la Roy Cohn.
Trump is a drama queen in search of the day's outrage for him to create and exploit. We hope that the real issue of the support for the rule of law in America is what is unfolding now with the impeachment inquiry. The Democrats need to keep this foremost in thought and words and actions. Let's really try to avoid jumping at every Trump ratings grab.
6
I hope whoever else Trump has contacted or wishes to contact regarding his relentless search for support and dirt on Joe Biden will either hang up or walk away.
The fact that other world leaders have been dragged into this unholy and muddy mess is disgraceful if not embarrassing.
This entire debacle is becoming the Titanic of political disasters. It seems everyone but Trump and his pals realizes more and more water is taking this group down.
5
So....the DOJ says a counter-intelligence investigation (against Russia) is an investigation directed against the Trump campaign. That's a startling admission that the campaign was corrupted by Russia.
3
A complete reprise of Nixon-Mitchell team. America seems never to learn from the past tragedies.
3
"The president is using federal law enforcement powers to ... show that the Mueller investigation had corrupt, partisan origins."
Mark and Katie, it's a known fact that the Mueller investigation did NOT have corrupt, partisan origins. Therefore, you should have said "attempt to undermine the credibility of the Mueller investigation ".
It's important to call out the lies wherever they appear.
6
It’s a great relief that, unlike President Trump and Attorney General Barr, there are a few in the administration who consider it their patriotic duty to expose betrayals like this one. They are willing to risk their jobs in doing it. Journalists who are gutsy enough to continue exposing crimes like this, despite the president’s constant threats and ridicules, also deserve our gratitude.
We have already learned that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo was complicit in the crime committed by Trump vis-à-vis Ukraine. And now comes this revelation, involving no less a person than the highest law enforcement official of the country. What are we witnessing here? A Mafia operation? If this is not abuse of the office, what is?
Another important thing we learn thanks to this report is that, when candidate Trump made an appeal to Russia during his 2016 presidential campaign to release the emails missing from Hillary Clinton’s server, he was not making it out of thin air. We can reasonably assume that his then-campaign foreign policy adviser George Papadopoulos, told him what he heard from Russian academic Joseph Mifsud: that Russia had them.
To come back to the enlisting of Australia's cooperation in the dirty Trumpian game: None would blame Prime Minister Morrison for his readiness to “assist and cooperate” in an investigation undertaken by a trusted ally. That's what allies are for. But we can bet that he wouldn’t have done it, had he known the investigation's criminal intent.
4
Odd, I thought Trump told Russian officials in 2017 that he didn’t mind foreign countries meddling in US elections.
3
The President is making up stories and calling them facts. Unfortunately they are stories, not facts, and they are lies. All Americans will end up paying the price for this as we lose credibility with the rest of the world.
3
Why was the transcript kept so secret? We all know that Barr is investigating the Intelligence Services. Could it just be that the President was not just asking the Aussie PM to help Barr but was also putting words in the PM's mouth?
4
I am pleased that the President did make the request. I would like to know who put this farce together. It is not personal gain it is the Democrats using our government to put a hoax allegation out there and costing us 40 million dollars. This is going nowhere.
3
The President should simply declassify the Obama executive order authorizing the DOJ/FBI/USIC and Five Eyes to spy on members of the Trump campaign. After all, in Susan Rice’s ‘last day in the White House’ memo, she stated the President wanted it done ‘by the book’. If the written legal authorities do not exist, America has a bigger problem...rogue officials within our Justice Dept. and intelligence community trying to decide our elections.
5
Funny how so many people have the comfort to engage in mindless conspiracy theories. Here we are in a country with huge problems.
We have a budget deficit and national debt spiraling out of control as the US government is being bankrupted because of huge tax giveaways to the super wealthy.
Maybe the conspiracy theorists will finally wake up when they find that Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security have been gutted. Maybe they’ll have to take care of their again parents themselves when all these programs have been gutted. There’ll be no time for outlandish conspiracy theories then.
2
Why bother with defending Trump at all? His presidency is clearly compromised and his effectiveness is therefore weakened. Just get rid of him. We need a leader who doesn’t have all this baggage.
3
Most Americans believe that they can do whatever they wish because the constitution gives them permission....no matter if what they do is moral or immoral, decent or indecent, or right or wrong. With this kind of total freedom the future will have no need of prisons, law enforcement agencies, nor law books. Why? Because if the law allows you to do what you want, then there is no wrong you can do.
Blessed are those who do not see yet believe. To those who believe in His name: who are born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
Barr pretty much announced that he would be loyal to Trump, not the USA. He is now on an arm-twisting tour of various heads of state. Watch his victims for a story of deep state intrigues against his hero. Watch the press eat it up. Is that blackmail or extortion when you do that? Or is Barr above the law entirely?
3
President Trump and the party reminds me of a crime syndicate
3
There are built in problems when choosing to use metaphors to describe and/ or to explain a person. Specific behavior. A process. An outcome.
Particularly when the IT is dynamic. Multidimensional. Not linear. Not easily classified as operating as if the focus was clearly one of cause and effect. Associated with, but not directly or indirectly caused by. Or existing, BUT we do not understand why.How. Under what critical necessary internal and external conditions.
Trump, as person and President, did not, does not, have the measurable or non measurable dimensions to have “ caused” the conditions which enabled him into his powerful role, say and do his harmful words and deeds, and all that derives from them.
America’s form of democracy, which includes lots of documented and a revised and hidden WE-THEY violating history, legacies, traditions, laws and regulations by a diverse Peoples in a divided nation continues to enable ongoing personal unaccountability by a range of elected and selected policymakers. At all levels. ALL over. “Metastasizing” like an insatiable (metaphoric) cancer.Recognized, known, acknowledged, as well as not, by the “host.” There is no indicated surgery, chemotherapy, radiation to toxic “political cancer” in a democracy.Nor to infectious complacency. Complicity.Willful ignorance. Deafness.Blindness. Indifference. Willful intolerance. Exclusion. Marginalization. Dehumanization.Documented collusion and ummenschlichkeit. Targeted active outrage is called for.
1
Admitting that you’ve done something wrong twice may “normalize” it, but it will never make it right.
3
Despite his right-wing political views and racist policies, it's hard to imagine Jeff Sessions would have participated in flagrant abuse of power, massive corruption, and outright criminal behavior of Donald Trump. William Barr and Guiliani deserve to spend the rest of their lives in prison. Guiliani at the very least deserves to lose his law license.
6
Well, I hope to God that Trump pressed Australia for their role in the fake Russian dossier.
3
“The Constitution says I can do whatever I want”.
- Donald Trump
He’s probably confused with the Russian Constitution.
11
I've read a number of quixotic comments here this morning, calling for Republican voters to finally do the right thing, to finally support impeachment, to finally vote for a candidate other than Trump.
The naivete of these comments is astounding. Republican voters (Trump voters, really) won't continue to support Trump in spite of his lawlessness. They will continue to support him because of it.
Trump screamed to the rooftops to encourage Russians to interfere with our 2016 elections. He parroted the idiotic phrase "lock her up" at every opportunity. Mr. Mueller refused to say that Trump did not commit any crimes, and anyone reading the entirety of his report can plainly see Trump's criminal wrongdoing. Trump has continued to break the law once he took office. He is clearly Individual 1 in the Cohen indictment. Now we have certain proof with the Ukraine affair, that not only has Trump broken the law, but that he also sought to conceal his crimes.
Trump voters know all of this. And recent polls of his voters show very little, if any, movement away from him. But we cannot claim amazement here. We cannot claim to be incredulous at their continuing adoration of this man.
The fact is, Trump is exactly what his voters want - a willfully ignorant, profoundly racist man who will stop at nothing to get his own way - even if that includes committing felonies. This is exactly what his voters want. It's time the rest of us woke up and finally understand that they will never change.
14
I suspected there were many embarrassing calls and a subset of those to be of the sort made to Ukraine... and I'd thought Estonia, Syria, maybe even a Central American country.
But AUSTRALIA??? Who's next- GERMANY?
5
The following is the US Presidential Oath of Office:
I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my Ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.
Presume best of my ability is a pretty low bar for tump
8
Hatch Act violater Bill Barr must be fired immediately—the top law inforcement official in our nation cannot be a law breaker. The Attorney General works for the American people, he is not the President's campaign lawyer.
12
Australia, along with all other nations, should step back from this president and treat all contact from the WH with extreme caution. Abandon this sinking ship! Trump is teetering on the brink of impeachment/removal/resignation or the looney tunes wagon.
7
“The plot thickens,” says the narrator.
3
Once again Barr is happily sent, this time to Australia, to get "dirt" to discredit the Mueller report to make the Criminal in the White House look like Mr. Clean; not likely, Barr is already part of trump's shakedown "...but first a favor" of Ukraine's president, Zelensky. Quid pro quo, denying Ukraine the Congress approved $390 million to fight Russian Aggression in their attempt to take over Ukraine, like they did Crimea and a part of Ukraine. Trump's fealty to Putin is treason, clear, simple, obvious, and on repeated occassions. Barr's fealty to trump's treason make Barr a traitor too, as well as koch made Pompeo and Giuliani, who hasn't practiced law in 30 years, and Pence, another koch made "man". Of course Mueller could not find the back chanels to Russia that trump & his staff and his family used because they were established and well-hidden by Paul Manafort during his ten years of working on "Putin's Global Vision" and was paid by Russian oligarchs $10 Million per year. What is Putin's "Global Vision" to weaken established democracies which trump has done for him in our country and disrupt growing democracies else where with the end game being invasion and taking over countries to re-establish the "Russian Empire" What did Putin promise trump for his fealty? Guessing it would be an Empire of his own. Two delusional, corrupt, emperors with no clothes. And no morals.
9
"Like that call, Mr. Trump’s discussion with Prime Minister Scott Morrison of Australia shows the president using high-level diplomacy to advance his personal political interests."
Is anyone surprised that Russia, Ukraine and Australia have all had to deal with this poor excuse for a world leader? Would any of us be surprised to learn that 45 has probably whined to every world leader that would listen to him? Trump is desperate and desperate people do stupid things in the name of self-preservation and self-aggrandizement, not to mention in trump's case, self-dealing.
7
New York needs to disbar Giuliani and investigate his taxes, foreign contributions and registrations. The Senate needs to call back Barr to testify and impeach and fine him for a felony for lying under oath to Congress and the American People and push to disbar him. Barr needs to resign (bad deeds revisited); Congress needs to call for a mental evaluation of Trump and his fitness for office; Calls need to make for Trump and Pence to resign; Democrats who do not support impeachment need to revisit why they were elected--To uphold their oath to the Constitution they swore to; Senate Democrats need to get off their butts and start talking; Schumer needs to be replaced as head of Senate Democrat party..too close to his friend Mitch--gave away the prize of federal judges and caved on Al Franken for his buddy, plus never following through on any promise;and most of all--"Its all about the Money for Republicans"..who took Russian or foreign or NRA monies directly or indirectly or who got favors for covering up investigations that were ongoing in their families or their political or personal conflicts..Jeffrey Epstein being one case in point and/or Russian money for building a manufacturing facility in Kentucky or dismissing federal investigations that included members of Congress that now are attached to Trump. Trump never gives a free ride; he holds the cards on every one of them because he has access to all their dirty secrets..even Barr and Kavanagh.
3
So this is now what our country has come to? Department of Justice domestic investigation that is based on favors promised to and information gathered at request from other countries? This is very unhealthy at minimum. Do Republican legislators support this? Seriously?
Trump is a cancer who must be removed. Republican legislators however will not either remove him or condone doing so because this will make them look as if they are tarnished, immoral, and stupid. So, they keep up appearances.
11
@Victor Mark
Or, they believe that the destruction of the country will personally benefit them.
They see themselves as figuring prominently in the new authoritarian order.
2
ENOUGH!!! The WH has already lost in it's objective to keep the Mueller Report from the American people! Can't y'all see that they are raising this report again to try to avert attention from the Whistleblower? Let's stay with the program! Trump should be impeached, Barr should be impeached & Giuliani should be jailed! They are all disgusting!
17
When does Trump actually work as a president? He apparently spends most of his time watching TV, tweeting and trying to advance himself politically. Disgusting!
16
@YvonneYou forgot golf, and self-enrichment, his two most extensive pastimes.
2
Thanks to our current President, who is clearly in bed with the Russians, the Executive Branch of our Government is eating itself alive(!) [When dealing with the human body, it’s called, “a cancer.”]
—
Donald Trump is literally killing us:
He’s, “decapitating” our society; that is, by destroying our Government, “from the top, down.”
—
This man is a threat to America, to democracies everywhere, and ultimately, to the World. He must be stopped; that is, Constitutionally removed from Office, then prosecuted to the full extent of our laws, and then incarcerated—preferably, for life!
12
Barr: the American grand Inquisitor. Endless distractions. "Look over there, a Democrat without a MEGA hat!! TRAITOR!!" Time for yet another baseless Republican deception ... better call the Ukraine and twist their arm, again.
10
This is not anywhere as egregious as the the Ukraine phone call. Stay on topic, or lose the masses
6
Strike TWO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
4
Right after the Mueller Report was released, Mr. William Barr, AG held a press conference. There were questions and doubt, at that time, as to the genuineness of what Mr. Barr was saying. Mr. Barr was soon creating the impression that he was behaving more like the President's personal lawyer.
Today, we are seeing Mr. Barr being personally involved in conducting an investigation, and communicating with foreign countries, relating to the Mueller Report. Should this not be handled by our law enforcement and security agencies? Mr. Barr was appointed AG, that required confirmation by the Senate. The AG is expected to be independent, and be the AG for the nation. So much importance and relevancy attached to the position. If Mr. Barr does not see it that way, he has to take the blame for questions that may come up in the coming days.
17
@citizen Barr is trying to give cover to trump. It's what William Barr does. There's a reason why he's known as the go-to "cover-up" guy for Republican presidents.
He's even publicly boasted about how in 1992, he stopped an investigation that was about to reveal alleged wrongdoing by Bush in its tracks, by securing pardons for members of the Iran-Contra conspiracy. Bush claimed he was simply following Barr's advice about the pardons -- thus, he was able to get away with his own maneuver that ended a potentially damaging investigation.
Barr may now be giving Trump similar cover. If Trump can claim that his attorney general recommended asking foreign governments to help with phony investigations, it might shield trump from his own illegal behavior ... soliciting the aide of foreign governments to interfere with our elections on his behalf.
Given his biased and misleading summary of the Mueller report, why should we believe that anything Barr does is in good faith and not politically motivated ... especially when his actions would directly benefit trump?
1
To the Republican Party:
I used to be a young Republican enthusiast. But guess what, I grew up, got older and wiser! and after witnessing our deficit grow by the thousands with each month with this Republican led administration, and witnessing the lack of commitment to rule by the law by elected Republicans to the American people, I'm thoroughly convinced the Republican party is dead in the next election. Just take a look at what is happening in Orange County, California. It is a preview of things to come.
Vote in 2020! My vote is not going to any Republicans, this party has become a travesty.
2050
@Ying Yang
The Rs were chasing Farmers in the Midwest, ratings on Fox and tax havens in some tropical islands. They looked at selling hats and tax breaks. They forgot how to run governments.
101
@Ying Yang That's tens of billions each month, not thousands.
69
@Ying Yang - Welcome to the light!
74
Republicans, if you don’t stand against this criminal and his traitorous behavior, then you are complicit. Enough is enough.
3012
@DJ
They are way, way, complicit. Truly, there no longer is a "Republican Party". Not if that means a political group that wants to further American Democracy in some form or the other.
50
@DJ The entire party has been complicit in this abomination since it began. The current Republican Party exists solely to funnel this country's wealth into a few pockets and foment as much in-fighting between the citizens as it needs to distract us from its theft and mendacity. It should be destroyed.
66
@DJ
That horse has left the dang barn....
20
It seems that since Barr so effectively managed and stonewalled on the Mueller Report, topped off with a weak presentation from Bob Mueller, that Barr and the President got more emboldened and have brazenly gone about advancing an alternative narrative of Russian interference.
How could they think they wouldn't get caught?
If evidence of pressuring the Ukrainian government for personal gain is a "smoking gun," then this report by two anonymous sources of an Australian angle to would qualify as a second smoking gun.
The President is running a shakedown operation on the prime ministers of two countries he resents. I imagine what we are witnessing is the way Mr. Trump runs his business empire. And this is who we have as president.
Impeach the two of them for violating their oaths of office.
1456
@Chuck
"How could they think they wouldn't get caught?"
That's easy. It's called psychopathology.
88
@Chuck
It's not that they don't think they'll get caught. They feel that no one who catches them can do anything about it, and "it's good to be the king".
105
@Chuck "How could they think they wouldn't get caught?" Because the Republicans have run interference for them for the last two years and will continue to do in future. In addition to impeachment, we must vote a straight Democratic ticket in 2020. As Trump has so ably demonstrated, lessons are not learned until punishment is meted out. Those Republicans who retain their seats -- at any level of government -- will continue to believe that cheating, lying, and robbing the American People for their own gain is a safe bet.
126
Currently there seem to be two assumptions regarding Trump held by the vast majority of U.S. citizens & media.
1. He will be the Republican nominee for President in 2020
2. He will not convicted by The Senate if indeed
Impeached by the House of Representatives.
I believe developments the past two weeks render those two apparent certainties not so certain after all. Opponents for the GOP nomination are likely emboldened and encouraged. Regarding the 2nd assumption the 67 (2/3) votes required would necessitate only one third defections by Republicans Senators. Staying on his current course Trump could be snatching defeat from the jaws of victory.
4
It is outrageous that President Trump has used the authority vested in the executive branch to advance his own personal election interests as he sought a Ukrainian investigation of the Bidens. Those unsavory facts could easily have been displayed in any political forum or tweet, it did not need the Ukraine -- the Biden conflicts are as patently obvious as are the emoluments claims made against President Trump.
President Trump has that same sense of outrage of his political opponents (which include members of the "intelligence" community and the DOJ) who used the same executive authority to investigate him while a candidate and then embark on an investigation that cost millions and subjected his personnel to the costs of legal counsel to ensure they were not ensnared by overzealous prosecutors looking to get leverage over witness and cause such witnesses to "cooperate" (i.e. say things as prosecutors imagine them to be. -- it has been known to happen from time to time, most especially when the stakes are high.)
Meanwhile, the FED has entered the repo market and more quantitative easing is right around the corner as the liquidity crunch like 2008 has returned.
The Government of the People is broken. It requires the people to fix it, not the factional parties we have divided ourselves into.
As Benjamin Franklin is reported to have said its "a republic, if you can keep it."
1
....So, the Attorney General of the United States trusts other governments to tell them about how our own, sworn to protect and defend the United States intelligence agencies, tried to set-up Trump - conspiracy lunacy. This is so ludicrous and wrong. Think about how easy it would be for these foreign countries to manipulate those seeking "answers". God, this is what happens when you have a mentally ill President surrounded by sycophants willing to do his bidding. I am sure career FBI and CIA folks who repeatedly put their lives on the line are thinking...really. This is nothing less than obscene. And Trump continues to stoke fear and distrust (and veiled calls for Civil war) in All US government, and that is high crimes and misdemeanors on its own. All of the Timonthy McVeighs in his ranks are inspired by Trump's lunacy and corrupt "leadership". This is getting more strange, dangerous and corrosive by the minute.
7
I find it quite incredible that several Republican and Trump supporters talk about a 'deep state' trying to unseat Trump. Can't people see what is in front of their eyes? The 'deep state' is in the White House. It is stuffed full, and sponsored by, the 'elite' that Trump rails against. They are engineering a fundamentalist right-wing take over of the US. If this isn't a 'deep state' I don't know what is. We've seen it often enough in Europe to recognise it. Wake up America.
9
It's simple. In an attempt to gain leverage over the United States, the Russian government infiltrated both presidential campaigns of 2016. One campaign went to the FBI with this knowledge, the other won the election.
,
8
Democrats should be very careful here.
They are setting precedents all future presidents will be held to, specially Democrat presidents.
All their phone calls are a matter of public record now
No bargaining power
Every detail to be sent to the opposing party for consideration for removal
CIA staff to be placed at key points to spy on the president, or to report hear say to the opposition party
No more private calls with other heads of state
I can assure you, when Tricky Joe decides to call any head of state, they will decline his calls. If he ever asks them about anything sensitive, they will tell him they cannot discuss this over the phone. When he tries to make a trade agreement, they will decline him. Not one of them will want their name plastered all over the news as he spoke to the POTUS. That line of communication is over.
You just made the office of the president a worthless affair, no one will want to deal with them from here on out.
Well done Democrats, you cut the head of our government.
7
@AutumnLeaf Well done Republicans; you made the head of our Government a Mafia Boss
5
@AutumnLeaf
Democrats aren't the problem here. Let's not lose sight of where the true corruption lies. It lies with trump and his administration.
The Democratic party has its flaws ... it's far from perfect ... but a Democratic win in 2020 is a step in the more preferable direction for our country ... far better than the alternative direction this country could go in if trump and his regressive Republicans retain power for another 4 years.
Democrats in the House and Senate are the only ones trying to minimize and limit the damage Trump's corruption is causing to our country. They're the only ones trying to keep a check on this out-of-control administration. Republicans have abandoned the idea of separation of powers. Republicans are still trying to protect and enable trump at costs to the country.
Trump has signaled that he'll sink to all new lows to avoid losing power in 2020. With Barr's justice department now acting like trump's personal lawyer, desperate times call for desperate measures.
We must vote Blue in 2020 (no matter who), up and down the ticket, and in numbers too large to manipulate. Joe Biden is right ... the 2020 elections will be for the soul of our country.
2
I was under the impression that conversations between heads of state are confidential and that hey are protected.
8
@Reasoned44, not when a crime has been committed.
2
@Reasoned44
Unless a law is broken.
1
Trump has a right to investigate details surrounding the events included within the Mueller report. The DoJ is reviewing documents and conducting some interviews. I believe this to be appropriate.
Personally, I've found this Prof. Misfud character to be very intriguing...He just disappeared after setting up Popo up with a "way too hot for him" Italian wife and a story of international deceit and spy craft that leads to all kinds of discovery of Trump Bad Acts centered around well-founded charges of Obstruction of Justice!
Stonewalling Congressional investigations and hearings, falsely claiming Executive Privilege where none exists, ignoring Congressional subpoena's and asking a foreign country for dirt on your 2020 political opponents while withholding Congressionally authorized foreign aid is arguably illegal and definitely an abuse of power.
4
Morrison, the Australian PM, is making a huge bet that Trump will be re-elected by siding so openly with his schemes. If a Democrat is elected next year, Morrison will have destroyed the very close relations that his country has had with the USA for a hundred years. Yet another victim falling into the poisonous miasma that affects everything Trump does.
4
The psychopathic world "leaders" have found each other and made common cause. Trump's relationships with horrific politicians around the world is more of a consolidation of power amongst a small group of megalomaniacs, than anything else.
Removing Trump from office is the best thing the US can do to contribute to a more peaceful world.
6
Trump can't let 2016 go. And he won.
3
Keep making those calls, Mr. President. Your #GOP minions will soon have no choice but to abandon you. Their own cushy jobs are at stake and they take precedence.
6
Perhaps you have experienced the nauseating, frightening, and deeply disturbing perception that Barr is not merely trump's toady, but an aligned and involved co-conspirator in violating our Constitution, our Election laws, our power to vote in a free and open election, not one rigged by trump, his cabinet, & his supreme court appointees, Gorsuch&Kavanaugh, who voted to approve & keep the rigged republican district maps in NC & elsewhere;unless you don't read, won't read, or don't comprehend, all this is criminal behavior by a criminal president
10
As his repayment to Putin, Trump will destroy America.
7
What if the favor (though) that Putin seeks from Trump, the lifting of sanctions, is at least partly in exchange for that Moscow tower Trump wants to build? What flavor of treason would that be?
5
Scratch another ally.
5
Trump playing Nixon now has his haldeman and ehlichman in Barr and Pompeo
5
If these allegations are confirmed, President Trump has been using Democrat's tax dollars to secure personal gain and facilitate the election of a Republican President.
No wonder the Democrats are steamed.
17
Think on this: The Trump administration, aided and abetted by the entirety of the GOP and the right wing press, is attempting to discredit clear evidence of Russian meddling in the 2016 election, in order to facilitate Russian meddling in the 2020 election.
To the GOP, 'at long last, have you no decency?'
25
Folding any part of the Mueller investigation, including DJT's and AG Barr's Austrailian contacts, complicates the simplicity of the whistleblower complaint. In 2016 DJT was a candidate for president in 2019 DJT is president. Ukraine is a compact and essentially simple discussion about what is expected of a President. The Austrailia contact is a return to 2016 and produces a distraction from the 2019 content of DJT's Ukraine call and the conduct of President DJT and his senior staff administration of the transcript and the complaint. DJT and Barr welcome any and all commentary and reporting about Australia because it adds to the smoke and mirror effort to discredit the whistleblower complaint which looms large and its facts essentially unrefuted.
4
The only upside of this current mess of an administration is that it is energizing Democratic voters to vote en masse this time around.
15
@Pat Boice
Don’t count on it
1
It should come as no surprise to anyone that this impeachment investigation is quickly metastasizing to reveal the Trump administration as a vast, sprawling maelstrom of ham-handed criminal activity.
19
US resources are now being used to advance conspiracy theories than only help muddy the facts and this help with the broad agenda of Trump to make all facts suspect. That way he can say to his followers that he alone knows the "truth" and so they need to trust him to give them the "facts". All other information from anyone else is suspect and partisan. Impeach this con and his enablers like Barr.
10
Is it known whether trips Barr, Giuliani and expenses incurred for these came from non-taxpayer funds?
If they did, it does not feel like that is ok.
3
After 2 1/2 years of daily lies from Trump, how can anyone still listen to his stupidity.
What an embarrassment for America, to say the least .
Meanwhile, his administration is dismantling departments of govt ,selling of protected land..there will be so much damage left in the wake of his removal from office.
I can handle disgusting individuals through avoidance but it's impossible to ignore the president of the United States.
15
Trump thinks he can get anything from foreign leaders with flattery and extortion. That means it works on him too. That should scare everyone... Republican or Democrat.
7
Lies about Biden, Obama, Hillary and anyone who instills fear in trump are proportionate to the panic that Individual 1 and his dwindling base are feeling.
7
And the plot thickens.......
What happened to Barr? How did a respected former attorney general go rogue and fall so far from justice and the rule of law? Clearly it had happened before he wrote Trump that job application letter. Or, is there past corruption there yet to be revealed?
12
@Mama bear, Barr didn't earn the nickname "Cover-up General" during the Contra crimes because he was an above board kind of guy. He's dirty.
4
More and more questions for the Congress to consider...and it just raises the question as to any possible calls made by Trump to Putin. We know that Pompeo was listening in...was Barr was listening in to any of these calls or providing any advice as to how to proceed in trying to investigate this fictional deep state? (Of course, Trump needs no advice given the stable genius that he is). The secure severer that has clearly been abused by this administration has to be turned over to Congress.
5
Putin’s troll army is out in force today - trying to establish false moral equivalence as justification for Trump to get away with anything and everything. The troll argument boils down to this: “No one is pure, therefore it doesn’t matter how corrupt Trump is!”
By that logic, if anyone ever committed a crime in the past then Trump should not be punished if he commits a crime. Or someone who jaywalks is morally equivalent to someone who commits murder. Anyone making that argument does so because they don’t have a better one.
11
So Trump and his minions are trying to discredit the origins of the Mueller investigation. They cannot discredit what the Mueller investigation uncovered...i.e. Manafort, Flynn and so on. The Trump camp is desperate and not to be trusted.
11
It looks like Trump will finally get his Time Magazine cover, but he will be featured behind bars
15
Barr is a serial Toady. His handling of The Mueller Report was weak at best. This serial international flailing In support of a Trump vendetta is waste of time and taxpayer money. He should know there are more important things to do.
The solution to this quagmire of incompetence is for The Democratic Party to nominate a reasonable candidate and run that person on a sensible platform with no radical planks...and then we the voters must, must cast our ballets to run the Trump tragedy out of town.
9
This article contains a shocking distortion of the May 2016 meeting with George Papadopoulos.
Mr. Papadopoulos merely claimed that a Professor Misfud had claimed that the Russians had thousands of Clinton e-mails; this tale was subsequently denied by Mifsud. No one “offered dirt” on Clinton and no evidence has ever emerged that Misfud’s alleged speculation was valid.
1
@James
That's the official story according to this paper and other mainstream sources.The Meuller inquiry was based on this incident. Hopefully that's what Barr is looking into. Everyone should be interested in finding out what actually happened.
I'm beginning to think Popadopolis made up the email dirt part. That still puts a forign intelligence operative, Mifsud, in contact with the Trump campaign. That's two if you count Halper. Did the FBI or CIA coordinate these contacts acting with foreign intelligence agencies? If so who ordered it and who knew about it?
@James
There is no evidence whatsoever in the Mueller report (or otherwise) that ‘Russians’ provided the information...none. The FBI could not establish that Misfud was an agent of Russia, and had multiple opportunities to detain him. Misfud himself denies telling Papadopolous anything. There are many ties to Misfud and western intelligence agencies that Mueller refused to answer. We have yet to get the whole truth of the matter, and it seems odd Mueller isn’t interested.
1
The ad hoc explanation that Barr asked Trump to enlist many foreign country's "assistance" in the investigation of the origins of the Russia probe sure came late. Almost as if it's the best the White House and AG could come up with in their war room after a week and a half...
5
On partisan politics and the battles they engender:
“... distract the public councils and enfeeble the public administration. It agitates the community with ill-founded jealousies and false alarms, kindles the animosity of one part against another, foments occasionally riot and insurrection.”
AND, “It opens the door to FOREIGN INFLUENCE [emphasis mine] and corruption, which finds a facilitated access to the government itself through the channels of party passions.”
George Washington (1796), cited in Songs of America/Meachem & McGraw
5
To be clear, Trump has always been drawn to authoritarian control and has all the characteristics of a fascist. Congressional Republicans continue to look the other way, making them accomplices. Those who vote for Trump are no better. If the incompetent-in-chief manages to avoid impeachment, a majority of voters can do the job. Their chant will be "vote him out!" They will prevail.
Eclectic Pragmatism — http://eclectic-pragmatist.tumblr.com/
Eclectic Pragmatist — https://medium.com/eclectic-pragmatism
3
Jude Law says it best in the movie “Side Effects”, when he’s speaking to Catherine Zeta-Jones-
“The best predictor of future behavior is past behavior.”
13
Trump is going out “trick or treating”way before Halloween.He has his goodie bag ( please drop in any hints to origin of accusations of Russian interference) and is encouraging foreign governments to fill the bag with things he can use against his opponents in 2020.The trick for the Ukraine is arms sales,for other governments favorable treatment by the White House.This is all ghoulish-way before Halloween.
6
So let's say I'm discussing a bank robbery with some thieves and one day one of those thieves gets a little tipsy and tells some other bloke about our little plan, then the other bloke tells the police and whoa I get into trouble after the attempted bank robbery. Can I go after that tattletale bloke and the police for setting me up and spying on me? I'm the victim, right? The spies and the police, they're the perpetrators.
8
Wow. The articles of impeachment could be as long as the Mueller report, if Congress so chose. Get Barr while you’re at it. Two for the price of one.
17
"Liddle" (his word) Donnie is so upset. These M.O.s have worked for him for over 4 decades.
10
I repeat
What did Trump discuss with Putin?
18
Trump was not the first Republican president and he won’t be the last. Republicans need to look at the big picture and focus on the future of their party. By working together with Democrats, they can destroy the virus infecting the G.O.P. and begin the healing. Initially, it will be painful, but as time goes by, Republicans can regain the country’s respect and the two parties can, once again, work together for the benefit of the American people and not just for those elected to represent them. It may sound a bit whimsical, but what’s the alternative?
6
I am no fan of Donald Trump or Bill Barr, but I find that my fellow progressives are missing the point by arguing against a thorough investigation of how this all began. The FBI investigated and got a wiretap on a member of a presidential candidate's staff.
Let that sink in for a moment. It's not a minor incident.
I happen to agree that it was justified. But that is based on my faith that the checks and balances of the court and the whole process of warrants worked. And I don't mind in the least that the Justice Department double checks that it was. Do I think Barr's Justice Department will do so impartially? Probably yes. Will the conclusions be spun in a completely political way. Definitely!
5
Barr is going to be impeached. You’ll have to find someone equally sycophantic to play that game.
Do you not see the red herring?
5
“Like that call, Mr. Trump’s discussion with Prime Minister Scott Morrison of Australia shows the president using high-level diplomacy to advance his personal political interests.”
On the surface, these egregious acts may solely appear self-serving i.e. rebranding and whitewashing his legacy. To discredit the Mueller investigation by putting the blame on Ukraine for 2016 election interference instead of Russia may also be his attempt to clean up Russia’s international image for sanctions relief and re-inclusion in the G-7. Trump has been openly advocating the latter.
I just wonder what his conversations with Putin have all been these times.
11
“The president is using federal law enforcement powers to aid his political prospects, settle scores with his perceived “deep state” enemies and show that the Mueller investigation had corrupt, partisan origins.”
That is an opinion, not fact. The President was under an unprecedented multi year investigation by a special prosecutor and his political detractors in Congress, accused of conspiring with Russia to win a U.S. election. We find out that is not only wrong, but that the FBI,DOJ and CIA along with their Five Eye partners, conspired to spy on the Trump campaign in the U.S. and abroad in the U.K.
Clearly, Mr. Mueller didn’t want to discuss that aspect of this entire debacle, and it is perfectly within the investigatory scope of the President and AG to get to the bottom of it.
5
Fact.
Cry if you must.
3
Fact: The Mueller investigation did not exonerated trump of the charge of conspiring with Russians. In fact this latest scandal (where he does essentially the same thing- several times) pretty much proves he was guilty the first time. The deep state, if it exists at all, seems to be doing its job providing checks and balances to a deeply corrupt administration and its willing GOP partner.
4
@J House, we did not find out that it was wrong. What we found was dozens of contacts with Russia and evidence of the use of incripted communication like WhatsApp that didn't add up to sufficient evidence of conspiracy. There clearly was enough there to warrant an investigation.
The President and the AG aren't supposed to be coordinating with each other over investigations, especially those directly involving the president. Kinda looks bad.
2
No politician with a moral compass, either Democrat or Republican, can continue support Trump's crimes.
People must hold our politicians on both sides of the isle accountable for their actions, and let their representatives know that even the President is not above the law.
15
Pelosi sees the writing on the wall.
She doesn't have anyone in her lineup running for President who has a better than 50-50 chance of beating Trump. More importantly, she doesn't trust the people of the USA to do the right thing.
She really had no choice but to go down the road of impeachment. She knows what's best for America even if Americans don't know what is best. She must take the American people by the hand and lead them to the Promised Land. We're so lucky.
4
If foreign actors were involved in the Mueller investigation from the start then why is it questionable that the administration would seek their help in getting more information.
6
Because foreign actors weren’t involved.
3
@Jim T., it's questionable, at least to me, to have a President and AG coordinating together in an investigation involving the President directly.
3
Those defending President Trump keep grasping at straws, and have nothing left but ad hominem attacks. How or when and who told the whistleblower what took place is irrelevant in the grand scheme of things. All that matters are the facts and the truth of what is alleged in the complaint.
In his own words, Trump said "we need you to do us a favor" which was to investigate former VP Biden (a private citizen) who could be his challenger in the 2020 elections. Also, he withheld the aid money allocated by congress to Ukraine and used it as a leverage.
This action by a sitting president, takes the game into a whole new level of corruption that's beyond what PACs and Super PACs were able to do so far. If any president can use the power of his/her office to coerce, malign, and punish the oppositions, then we're in 1984 territory.
11
Why does Trump need to discredit the Mueller investigation? As Trump tweeted repeatedly, it concluded there was "no collusion, no obstruction". Based on Barr's pre-release interpretation, Barr had already come to that conclusion. Why would Trump secretly spend millions (probably) of taxpayer dollars reviewing the origins of an investigation that, while convicting a few unimportant and disposable (i.e. "not me") people, "cleared" him?
12
It is a fact that the Australians met with George P. in order to spy on him. It is a fact that the FBI sent ‘informants’ to spy on Papadopolous overseas, while he was in London. This takes coordination with foreign governments. There is no way the FBI and CIA did this without legal authorities from the White House...if they did, they are even more rogue than we can presume and need to be reigned in, and if Congress wants to bury it under the covers, it is perfectly acceptable for the President to get to the bottom of it. Most Americans would prefer elected officials running the United States.
7
@AACNY, alleged by whom? Some fringe right wing blogger that the President decided to believe?
3
Rarely mentioned during the flurry over these calls is the nothing is free. Any foreign leader that assists Trump and his personal layers, Giuliani and Barr, are now owed a favor from Trump et al. What does our president give back when provided with the info that he seeks? The money of the tax payer, weapons, military support and possibly American lives, investigation or the arrest of people the other leaders don’t like?
11
And so? What is the point of this meager knowledge? Is this a revelation of some kind- no it's just information and it will not further the Democrats desire to oust Trump. Barr sought aid - and it was for political gain. Just what does everyone think the efforts to impeach Trump are for? Pure political gain my fellow Americans.
4
You just specifically said that Barr sought aid for political gain.that's illegal. That is unallowed according to our shared values, but it is illegal according to election laws. That's what the impeachment is about. Not only that, but it shows a pattern of this happening.
4
@DED, considering Democrats are afraid of hurting their 2020 prospects, it isn't clearly for political gain. President Pence isn't much of an improvement for them.
2
If we could look at every conversation he has with leaders you'll find he does this with everyone he meets. Putin and Trump want to rule the world. Pay attention!! What war could they lead us to to make us more patriotic than practical.
4
is he seeking political gain or simply aiding Barrs investigation of the origins of the Mueller probe? I for one will wait to see what Barr turns up. Wasn't the Steele dossier created with foreign powers for political gain? Seems that it was.
8
@Paul Stenquist
The Steele dossier wasn't funded by tax payer dollars
7
@Paul Stenquist. The Steel dossier was started at the request of Republican political operatives.
3
@Paul Stenquist, it wasn't created with political powers. An American company hired an English spy to dig up dirt, unbeknownst to the Hillary campaign. Hardly equivalent to calling up heads of state.
6
This really is an extension of Trump's "gut feeling" belief in various conspiracies such as Obama's birthplace. No amount of evidence or lack of evidence will change his mind. He will doggedly pursue "deep state" corruption that supposedly damaged his perfect election until he's forced to stop.
8
What's wrong with this picture? The intelligence community agrees that the Russians and similar operatives hack the election in 2016, and plant information to sway public opinion. Something that is an ongoing operation. So Trump and his cronies now go around the world inviting operatives to give them dirt surreptitiously - think a roving Trump Tower meeting - so they can write a report posing as an investigation - which will cite to materials similarly planted by operative elsewhere - to help sway the American public to believe that the US intelligence community is engaged in one big Anti-Trump hoax. See any flaws in this?
17
@David
And he doesn’t do it through legal channels but unofficially through his personal lawyer and buddy Barr who is protecting him instead of the independence of the justice department. Did this go through Congress? Did anyone check off on it besides the President?
4
Wow talk about cleaning house. It seems not only will Trump take down Barr, but also Mike Pompeo and Ghouliani too. Gives new meaning to a foursome for this ever golfing POTUS.
Great, I think that unless the GOP can resurrect Abraham Lincoln, this cements the democrats for 2020.
13
@Patricia
He's also implicated Pence.
2
Our Attorney General circles the globe to try to find evidence that our intelligence agencies concocted the Russian meddling in the 2016 election? And this man hasn't been impeached yet?
19
Wouldn’t it be nice if we had a president who actually cared about the American people and not his own personal gain?
22
Let's get this straight:
1. If Democrats investigate Trump to prove he is corrupt, and thereby help Democrat election prospects, they are brave public servants.
2. If the Trump administration tries to investigate Democrats and the Deep State to prove they are corrupt and are framing him, he is a criminal.
It all boils down to this Bizzaro World double-standard logic. You either buy it or you don't. That's all there is to it.
12
@Chorizo Picante that and the facts.
6
@Chorizo Picante
Last I checked most republicans admitted Trump was corrupt. That was why they thought it was funny when democrats wasted time showing direct corruption. They already know he is.
5
@Chorizo Picante Obviously you are confused since Juarez is not in NM. The Dems are openly investigating Trump's use of his office for Trump's personal gain (win the next election)==they are not withholding military aid to an alleged ally in return for that country making up dirt on political opponents/ If you cannot see the difference than our electorate is much less savvy than I had hoped.
3
Just exactly what conspiracy theory are Trump & posse working on to sell to the Trump Base? Does it involve Martians? Whatever it is, it's likely they'll be able to sell it to around 40% of the country.
11
William Barr, meet John Mitchell.
Mitchell was found guilty of conspiracy, obstruction of justice, and perjury and sentenced to two and a half to eight years in prison for his role in the Watergate break-in and coverup.
17
Trump has the perfect compliment in Mr. Barr both men have no moral compass, both are corrupt, and both men need to be run out of their offices.
19
@JaGuaR I think that’s extremely unfair to Mr Barr. There is no evidence he paid off an adult film star and a playboy bunny.
2
Jeff Sessions was the AG. Dems pushes him out and hated the results. Maybe the tantrum throwers should have let this administration undo itself instead of constantly whining and complaining.
@Becky Beech you must have missed the constant bullying and insults of sessions by trump, which in fact forced sessions out.
3
How ironic, that these two, who seemingly, do not have the slightest regard for the Constitution, should be photographed in front of a portrait of George Washington! This, while I am sure the photographer did not take the background into consideration, borders on blasphemy!
17
"settling scores" is all about Trump's mindset and all about a very unhealthy thought process that clearly is not good for our country. Those that work around him, for him, allow themselves to be brainwashed while ignorant enough to go down with him.
12
The veil is now being lifted on all the President’s men. The corruption and traitorous behavior in and around this presidency will fill volumes in the years to come.
22
The Mueller report has come out, published by the Justice Dept with a forward by Allen Dershowitz. It is laughable if it weren’t so insidious.
2
that's two calls. how many more?
16
Before you think another heinous crime by the president is bad, let's wait for the NYT op-ed columnists to claim how impeachment would polarize voters and we should really just let him stay in office instead.
8
My advice to Trump and his minions: “when you are in a hole 6 feet deep, the trick to getting out is to stop digging.”
9
Trump’s pretzel logic that is OK with Republicans and evangelicals and what he lovingly calls as “the poorly educated:”
• It was a perfect call that’s why I am hiding all records in a very secure server
• Total exoneration that’s why I had the Mueller report sanitized and still doing my best to discredit it
• I am the best, the best family man, even better that Abraham Lincoln that’s why I am married 3 times, had affairs with porn stars, and wants to have sex with my daughter
19
Trump is in full panic mode.
Why?
Because he understands very clearly the subtext of what Peskov, Putin’s spokesperson, has uttered —
“We would rather not have to release the records of what President Putin and Donald talked about.”
Tick tock tick tock tick tock.
15
Donald Trump and his sycophantic supporters (some in Comments) have no place in a just democracy. They behave illegally when it suits them and justify unconstitutional behavior to advance themselves and their interests. It's way beyond time to oust the incompetent and betrayer charlatan occupying the White House and he can take his horrid minions and equally horrid family with him.
16
An awful lot of commentators here making up an awful lot of fake news..
6
We know the POTUS is corrupt to the core. That much is certain. But are Republicans going to prove they are as well, by not doing anything to stop a lawless President?
17
Democrats are starting to wreak of desperation. Everyone can smell it. I thought the Mueller Report was the end game? I guess the Ukraine call didn’t work. Can I get all of Obama’s transcripts, particularly the ones with Iran and his college records? Can I see Hillary’s 30,000 deleted emails? Can I see the DNC servers info they didn’t allow the FBI to see? This works both ways.
20
It’s interesting you say this, Joseph, because trump was the one who bellowed from every rooftop that the Mueller report exonerated him and that there was “no collusion, no obstruction,” yet here he is, he and his AG, who said the same thing, by the way, trying to discredit the very investigation that THEY SAID proved his innocence.
I know it’s hard to follow the continual loop of lies from criminals. After all, it’s what they do best. But it would behoove you and other trump supporters to read. Read everything you can from actual newspapers and not FOX news, because they’re lying to you. Even that tide is turning though.
I hope it’s not too late for you to see it.
56
@JOSEPH sure if we can see #45's tax returns for the past 10 years, and yes his college grades. I mean he claims to have been a great student, and the smartest person in any room, oh didn't he say he was even smarter than the generals. Wasn't Mexico paying for border wall, where is cheaper better health care. The Republicans did have full control of both chambers of Congress for the first 2 years, not one Democrat vote needed.
40
Is anyone else concerned Joe Biden helped get his son not a simple 6 figure job, which would be bad enough, but millions maybe billions of dollars? And is writing to the press openly requesting they do not put Giuliani on their shows. This is getting out of hand.
11
So, seems to me finding out how all the misconduct at the FBI and elsewhere was initiated is something that should be looked into. I welcome help from wherever. What is the problem that the Democrats and the NYT have with discovering facts about all this false information that has put this country through almost three years of strife?
16
@Truthbeknown
The problem?
The problem is all of Trump’s lieing.
The problem is all of Trump’s self dealing.
The problem is Trump refusing to release his tax returns. The problem is Trump installing his children in our White House offices to further their business dealings.
The problem is Trump and his personal lawyers using tax payer dollars for Trump’s personal gain to fly Guliani and Barr around the world on our tax monies to conduct Trump’s personal work.
The problem is Trump is a crook.
The problem is Trump violating the emoluments clause.
The problem is Trump’s sedition.
The problem is Trump declaring Article II of the Constitution allows him to do anything he wants.
The problem is Trump’s obstruction of justice by instructing his sycophants to not answer subpoenas and to refuse to cooperate by answering questions during Intelligence Committee Hearings.
The problem is Trump not reading or paying any attention to our own intelligence agencies or government policies.
The problem IS Trump.
59
Apparently it is not AmericA but " Trump first!"
35
I carefully observed Trump at a nationally televised rally just weeks prior to the 2016 election state that; "There might be trouble If I'm not elected".
All of you know the fix was in from the start.
Barr may be lining up support and talking strategy with our allies. It's called the oldest strategy; "Divide and Conquer".
I've had my ear to the rail since 1987 when it started yelling after former Dallas District Attorney Henry Wade left office after many decades including during the Kennedy investigations there.
His threat of civil war is real. Take heed of all of my writings for decades. He is not alone in his threat. It includes the police, Mafia, C.I.A., F.B.I., and the ones who elected him; the Television industry.
The Republican military government is seeking to evade justice. I would prefer several thousand occupying jail cells for life rather than the predictably war started by those seeking to hide behind millions of duped fighters.
10
You have to think ahead and wonder if Trump or members of his cabal will seek asylum overseas with some friendly nation.
When should travel restriction kick in? They know lot of secrets. Assets overseas.
Facing the music might involve serious time, maybe forever.
21
Barr's/Trump's investigation of how Trump came to be investigated by Robert Mueller -- the Special Investigator's 37 indictments of members of Trump's campaign team and Russian operatives, and the resulting thorough Mueller Report -- is based on nothing more than spurious conspiracy theories which Trump ascribes to.
His tenacious belief that the entire Mueller investigation is part of some Democratic plan to blacken his name and make him a criminal, and that, somehow, Australia, Italy, Ukraine and the U.K. helped Democrats do this, is the sort of thing read about in tabloids or heard about on far right radio and television.
There's no proof to this poppycock, and no excuse to expend taxpayer dollars chasing this mad and unsupported fringe idea.
Trump wants to somehow nullify well-documented 2016 Russian election interference, his team's and his own welcoming of it, and prove he never obstructed justice in revealing this foreign interference.
Yet he and Barr are now seeking to do just that, by abusing the power of the U.S. presidency and the DOJ to pressure foreign governments. This abuse--dark, sordid, cloyingly rank--is impeachable.
57
@Lilou
Australian officials were sent to spy on a member of the Trump campaign, while he was in London...that is a fact. American ‘informants’ were sent by the FBI to London to spy on him there as well...that is another fact. That takes coordination with foreign governments. Mueller refused to look into it.
It is perfectly acceptable for the President and AG to find out what happened, and how it was authorized.
4
@Lilou
Having to resort to the Clintonian defense?
Whenever Democrats start off stating “there is no evidence...” you know they are in for a world of hurt.
2
It's a very sad and dark day for America--maybe the world.
We Americans shouldn't be taking sides and arguing about this with one another out of personal bias.
We should be united in supporting all efforts to get the facts; to get them before Congress, or, at the least, the Congressional committees having jurisdiction.
We should be united -- united in condemning and rejecting deceit and distraction.
We must not allow ourselves to lose sight of the terribly serious questions raised by the whistleblower's report, the WH's official transcript of the Trump-Selensky phone call, and related things coming to light now thanks to the investigation currently under way.
28
I find this latest revelation to be very likely an outrage, but at the same time one must note important differences between this case and the Ukrainian one:
(1) There is -- so far -- no evidence of implied or explicit extortion in the call to Australia;
(2) More crucially, the Ukrainian call sought prospective help: to Trump's upcoming 2020 campaign, whereas the Australian call sought help in investigating a past matter (to do with the 2016 campaign).
Were the suppressed Australian transcript to be made public, it could settle the first point.
As for the second, the distinction is probably crucial in determining the legality of the request for Australian assistance; on the other hand, undermining the legitimacy of the Russian interference investigation would also provide Trump with benefit for 2020, so perhaps it's not entirely, in fact, a retrospective matter. But it would still make it a hard case to prosecute, compared to the open-and-shut Ukrainian instance.
What's also certain is the reality of Russian interference in 2016: (1) the DNC server hack being set into motion 24 hours after Trump's allegedly facetious calls for Russia to find "the missing emails," and (2) Manafort's handover of geographically detailed polling data to the Russians followed by Internet Research Agency trolling aimed specifically at the regions and demographics the polling identified as promising. That makes it hard to believe the investigation was bogus...
16
Rachel Maddow made a very interesting point on why it’s so important to change the narrative of what happened in 2016 it goes back to the Russian sanctions. If the Cheeto and his deplorable‘s can “Prove” it was another country that interfered then the sanctions against Russia can be lifted.
15
It's becoming a habit for Trump to abuse his presidential power. And he's not alone. Leaders in many parts of the world are indulging in the same sin. Taiwan included. It makes you wonder what other world leaders are colluding with Trump to get their wishes fulfilled, at the expense of democracy.
21
The President of the US, involving the Attorney General of the US, both using the power and reputation of the United States to leverage one of our allies for Trump's personal, ego driven objective! Disgraceful and dangerous!
They tried to enlist the Prime Minister of Australia to discredit the warning his intelligence service gave to ours about Russia's hacking of our election in 2016. After extensive investigation by our CIA, FBI, State Dept, etc. our intelligence agencies were in consensus that Russia interfered in our election and it was approved by the Kremlin.
Trump continues to pursue a conspiracy theory that our intelligence agencies are part of a deep state that have undermined the legitimacy of his winning of the election. So, he is debasing our government now, undermining Americans' view of the intelligence agencies that protect us, and harming relations with allies to try to prove that he won legitimately.
How will our allies think now about sharing intelligence with us? It puts us in danger and should be stopped.
33
Trump and co are trying to rewrite history and using the full weight of the presidency and the Justice Department to lean heavily on our allies to get it done. They are extorting our allies for their own political gain with absolutely no regard for the damage they are doing to America. Only the Russians and Trump benefit from any of this. They are tearing our country and the western alliance apart.
17
Please advise the legal jeopardy in asking a friendly nation for help on an investigation. President Clinton signed an agreement with Ukraine to facilitate such investigations. Barr asked Trump to call these leaders to help grease the skids and not waste time with bureaucratic niceties.
In other words, neither Trump, Barr or Rudy has done anything wrong. Democrats are behaving like 3 years trying to change the rules of the game, because you are losing. Keep it up. We really appreciate you helping Trump win in 2020.
19
@Jon Galt
Sure, the legal jeopardy for a president and attorney general in requesting a foreign nation to investigate a political rival and political enemy is called “conspiracy” and “treason”.
Do you need some help pronouncing the words?
64
@Jon Galt
Try really hard to take this in. The president is supposed to work for the United States' interests - not his own personal interests. One is called governing, the other is called corruption.
32
@Jon Galt: Well, we shall see if trump, barr, and rudy have done anything wrong. My crystal ball says collusion, conspiracy, treason, and obstruction of justice. You can combine forces with a foreign government FOR GOOD, but when you call on them to manufacture lies with which to attack and smear your political opponents, otherwise you will withhold aid money from them, that is also AMERICAN TAXPAYER money...you are in deep trouble. Quicksand, in fact. It is ILLEGAL, as in AGAINST THE LAW.
8
The purpose of these leaks is quite transparent. They are to bully and intimidate Barr into backing off.
I guess he must be closing in on the coup plotters.
30
Coup? According to Mr. Trump he ‘won’ the 2016 election ‘fair and square.’ Big beautiful victory. Why not bask in glory, etc.?
11
It isn’t a coup. This is called oversight by a co-equal branch and making sure our constitution is not completely shredded apart by this Administration. If you think it is ok for our chief executive and chief law enforcement officer to seek out dirt on political enemies by secretly going abroad and pursuing debunked conspiracies, you are sadly living in the wrong country.
24
@JQGALT Ummm, Barr is one of them.
7
This case is far weaker than the Ukraine case, and I'm afraid that the story has the effect of making the Ukraine allegations sound weaker by pairing them together and suggesting that there is actually a blurry line around bribery.
Trump should not have been talking about this with Australia, given his personal involvement in the content of the investigation. But an investigation of whether privacy laws are followed is a legitimate government action. Furthermore, there is no suggestion that any government action was tied to Australia's participation.
2
"Like that call, Mr. Trump’s discussion with Prime Minister Scott Morrison of Australia shows the president using high-level diplomacy to advance his personal political interests."
It seems like journalistic malpractice to make a conclusory statement like this without having even heard the phone call itself or a transcript of what was said. Also, if there is evidence that would exculpate the president, why wouldn't he want it? Can he not defend himself?
10
It just occurred to me that this is all going to end in an utterly unsatisfying whimper. It won't be any national catharsis or restoration of the rule of law or social fabric, it'll just be boredom. I'd bet a healthy number of Trump's "base" started to tune out by Season 3 of "The Apprentice" and little by little they're now tuning out Season 3 of "The President." These people don't have a great track record of sticking by their erstwhile heroes; I mean, does anyone have any idea what Glen Beck is up to these days? I predict pretty soon we'll be done with this guy as President and in the blink of an eye we'll be on to the next GOP standard bearer who will pick up the quest of the American oligarchy at the expense of our civility, democracy and planet.
3
It's becoming more clear that Barr has been compromised and there needs to be action taken. He looked biased after releasing his summary of the Mueller report, including the press conference. Now, it all makes sense why Mueller came out and rebuked Barr's summary as being inaccurate representation. He seems more concerned with protecting the president than carrying out his duties as attorney general.
My bigger question has always been this: How does anyone act surprised by this conduct when Trump has decades of fraud, lies and deception on him? More importantly, how are so many still in his support camp? So many tried to come after Obama at any direction over the most miniscule things. If Trump's supporters thought they were so morally grounded back then, now the depths of the moral compass seem to look pretty shallow.
4
President Trump and AG Barr are flying too close to the sun. The origin of the Obama administration’s spy operation against the Trump campaign began with written authorities within the White House and Obama NSC. There is no way the FBI, DOJ and CIA initiated a spy operation against the Trump campaign, getting multiple FISA warrants and assistance from Five Eyes, without legal authorization from President Obama. It is understandable that Obama acolytes still within the government and Congress do not want an investigation into these activities, especially if illegality is uncovered.
5
In this article, as in every US-based commentary I have ever read or heard on the meeting in London between George Papadopoulos and Alexander Downer, Downer is described as an Australian diplomat. For those who do not know Downer's history, that may be a very misleading description of him. For a year in the mid-80s he was leader of the Australian Liberal Party - a rough equivalent to the Republican Party, pre-Trump. Downer was a disaster as a Liberal Party leader, but quite successful in his later political role as Australia's Minister for Foreign Affairs in the decade and more from 1996 to 2007. His subsequent appointment as Australian Ambassador to the UK was a very nice retirement package. Given his life-long conservative political history, it is inconceivable that he would have acted wittingly on behalf of the Obama administration against the Republican Party. It is much more likely that he stumbled into Papadopoulos at a London wine-bar, as we have been told. The counter-claim "that the Obama administration dispatched the Australian official, Alexander Downer, to spy on the Trump campaign as part of a broader effort to help Mrs. Clinton get elected" is, to anyone who knows Downer's history and political orientation, obviously ridiculous. That Barr does not understand this is a real concern. Or is he just pandering to Trump, yet again?
7
Beyond the indisputable corruption of this nation's chief DOJ "enforcement" officer, and the recognition of how serious the the damage has already been from his official"decisions" in
his capacity as Trump's "personal lawyer," I am struck by William Barr's betrayal of his "longtime friend", Robert Mueller. Mueller loyally deferred to Barr's transparently dishonest description of his investigation's results ( "No collusion! No obstruction of justice") out of a sense of duty, chain of command, and respect for their friendship of so many years. I really can't reconcile this breach of decency and ethics with the formerly hallowed idea of Justice.
3
So glad this president has made conspiracy theories normal.
He has destroyed the Republican party and tarnished the image of the United States.
My family is done voting for a party so entwined with disfunction and impropriety and we are not alone.
The ghost of Ronald Reagan can’t help but to be ashamed of his own party.
7
Trump is throwing up so much flak to distract the American public. The core issues are abuse of power, obstruction of justice, and witness tampering. Carry on...
5
Early in 2017, I used to share the concern that impeachment should not be pursued because a president seemed to violate the norms of his office...norms change. Yet, the Mueller report and this recent news has convinced me that President Trump must be impeached – he has abused the powers of his office to benefit himself to the detriment of this great nation. There is no denying he has done the acts he has done – so why fight the natural conclusion that must be made?
The Constitution permits that impeachment should occur if the President is shown to have violated "Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors." The Constitutional Rights Foundation says that for our Founding Fathers high Crimes and Misdemeanors meant: "offenses as varied as misappropriating government funds, appointing unfit subordinates, not prosecuting cases, not spending money allocated by Parliament, promoting themselves ahead of more deserving candidates, threatening a grand jury...and bribery."
3
I think prevailing shenanigans suggest that it may be time for the Mueller team members to offer their own views -- publicly.
5
It is, and has been for quite some time, clear that the "witch hunt" is being done by Trump and his associates. It was clear from the moment Barr initiated an invetigation of the investigation. Barr's "summary" of the Mueller report showed he was corrupt, the investigation of the report showed his intent.
5
Trump has done more damage to this country, our environment, our laws, our fundamental truths and decency, our international relationships, our civil discourse and our race relations.
He has hidden his hate behind the presidency too long. And the basic integrity and moral leadership of the office has been fundamentally corrupted.
Exposing the truth to the light might not convince his followers. But it will show a country the "true north" of our land and it's Constitution.
Time to show Trump the door.
5
This is what Trump calls winning. And he's right. I AM tired of it.
7
To categorize this investigation as driven by Trump's desire to protect himself, harm his "enemies" and excuse his own conduct is to miss the point. The real point of the investigation is the protection of Russia. By attacking the investigation into Russian interference into the 2016 election, Trump seeks to find out who knew what so Russia can change its tactics accordingly. It is worth noting that every Russian ambassador or other official who may have cooperated with the intelligence investigation into Russian interference has "disappeared." This investigation, driven by Trump, is really about hiding what happened and helping Russia to again interfere with our elections. It shows again how much Russia does own Trump. Barr is just another toady, hoping to somehow be admitted to the oligarch's club. He should be punished for being complicit in this charade. But Trump is, apparently, eagerly engaging in conduct which could well be described as treason.
6
Hmmm... if the Mueller report is a nothing burger, as Trump as repeatedly said, then why would he be doing this?
8
Barr's/Trump's investigation of how Trump came to be investigated by Robert Mueller -- the Special Investigator's 37 indictments of members of Trump's campaign team and Russian operatives, and the resulting thorough Mueller Report -- is based on nothing more than spurious conspiracy theories which Trump ascribes to.
His tenacious belief that the entire Mueller investigation is part of some Democratic plan to blacken his name and make him a criminal, and that, somehow, Australia, Italy, Ukraine and the U.K. helped Democrats do this, is the sort of thing read about in tabloids or heard about on far right radio and television.
There's no proof to this poppycock, and no excuse to expend taxpayer dollars chasing this mad and unsupported fringe idea.
Trump wants to somehow nullify well-documented 2016 Russian election interference, his team's and his own welcoming of it, and prove he never obstructed justice in revealing this foreign interference.
Yet he and Barr are now seeking to do just that, by abusing the power of the U.S. presidency and the DOJ to pressure foreign governments. This abuse--dark, sordid, cloyingly rank--is impeachable.
4
I have no problem with our intelligence departments sharing information with our foreign allies, I'm sure it happens all the time, but when you jack it up to the level of the President and the Attorney General (who is spending taxpayer money and time travelling around the world following this investigation) it really puts the emphasis on the President's personal vendetta.
In the light of the recent revelations by the whistle blower, this appears to be an overt political witch hunt that openly discredits our FBI - and Mueller's (investigation) to satisfy right wing conspiracies - this is really embarrassing. Bill Barr has gone rogue.
6
Impeach DT and also Barr, for the sake of our country. They are undermining our Intelligence and our Constitution. We're going to be re-colonized by other powers if we don't bring these impostors to justice.
4
It is likely the Committee to Reelect the President (CREEP) is paying for Trump’s private contractors probing Ukraine, Australia, and those countries yet to be revealed. As in Watergate, follow the money. Trump would never pay out of his own pocket.
4
I'm just sorry that the Congress and the press, having lost all credibility from the Kavanaugh fiasco (I'm looking your way NYT), and the Russia circus, now has no real power to hold anyone accountable. I'm sure the political fundraisers on both sides are thankful for the histrionics, but it's a sad day for the country. When Speaker Pelosi says she is praying for the President, does that mean she stumbled upon the imprecatory Psalms?
4
@Edward
Keep apologizing for the mad man. He's a desperate man and I find it odd you don't see it. Ask yourself how you'd feel if say his name were Obama or Clinton. I'm sure this would be a nothing burger to you as well right?
2
@Edward- I'm sorry that so many people, like you, cannot distinguish between reporting on stories and making conclusions. Was there an allegation of sexual misconduct against Kavanaugh and hearings about it? Yes, there were. Did the media report on that allegation and the hearings? Yes, they did because that's their job. Was there an investigation into possible conspiracies between trump, his campaign and Russians? Yes, there was. Did the media report on that investigation? Yes, they did because, again, that's their job. These "fiascoes" start with the people making the allegations, they don't start with the media that, doing their job, simply report on them. Stop attacking the messenger.
3
"Mr. Barr in recent months has asked the president to facilitate communications with foreign officials and has made at least one trip to Italy to secure cooperation for the Justice Department review, according to a department official."
Does this A.G. see a silver lining in pursuing foreign nationals when Jeff Sessions wouldn't? Of course Bill Barr does. The Punisher from the Federalist Society coven could use "an investigation" to begin smearing with the weight of the Justice Dept.
However, a new counter intelligence investigation:
- doesn't explain why Barr/Justice Dept stymied the Whistleblower Complaint and
- doesn't explain why Donald Trump contradicted every one of the U.S. intelligence agencies about Russia's involvement in 2016 election.
Beyond the obvious (lending legitimacy to the Trump-Giuliani escapade, whereby Biden's guilt IS PRESENTED AS FACT On Fox News) and the possible upside of turning-the-tables on Democrats using an investigation under his control, Bill Barr has leaked HIS COVER STORY for his protection.
We are to believe - this is all normal investigation.
One that, presumably, begins with Barr's "brilliant idea" to have this president facilitate communications with foreign officials and includes this president's personal lawyer discussing the ongoing investigation on Fox News.
You see, Mr Barr, it's entirely unbelievable. Just like the Greatest Liar of a President who ever lived.
3
I'm not sure what the issue is? We knowingly elected a mobster as President of the USA. It's not as if we didn't know. He even gave all of his opponents mob nicknames: Low energy Jeb, Little Marco, lying Ted Cruz, sleepy Joe. He even has the AG and former DA and Mayor on his payroll. Trump is Al Capone with a better tax lawyer.
When you elect a sinister mobster to the Presidency how can you expect that he isn't going to commit high crimes let alone misdemeanors. All of this was a given when he ran for President.
At this point, the only thing that's news is the Republican party is full of traitors wearing American flag lapel pins. I find that shocking as someone who respected many Republican Presidents and members of Congress and voted for a few of them during my long lifetime.
4
Nixon 2. He has given us no choice but to impeach.
2
@Tom
At least Nixon had the grace to resign.
1
Just a reminder that pretty much every Republican in this country thinks Obama wearing a tan suit was worse than this.
6
More leaking:
CIA and JFK Bay of Pigs
CIA and Lyndon Johnson-Pentagon Papers
CIA and Nixon Pentagon Papers
CIA and Reagan Iran Contra
CIA and HW Bush Iran Contra
CIA and Clinton Mena Airport-Iran Contra
CIA and George W Bush Weapons of Mass Destruction
The list goes on and on and on.
So a president puts transcripts on a top secret server and the CIA gets offended that they don't have access.
I didn't vote for Trump but this country needs to address who is holding what over what elected official. This craziness of the intelligence community needs to be stopped.
5
It will be a mistake if Dems don't stick to the core issue & fortunately Polosi gets it. Trump is guilty of:
Using the power of his office as president of the most powerful country in the world the president is approaching other countries and stating "we've done a lot for you and you haven't really reciprocated - you could do me a big favor if you would uncover or create some dirt on my opponents and enemies - you should contact my personal lawyer or the attorney general" This is wrong & an Abuse of Power & the Presidency
3
It's like a bad movie......and the sequels just don't stop!
5
Bill Barr isn't the head of the DOJ. He's Trump's personal attorney whose salary is paid by US taxpayers
10
All that's going on and the republicans insist on doing the
Sargent Shultz...
Pitiful
4
If this isn't treasonous behavior , what is ???
4
this? this is what our resources are used for??
5
Gee... you'd almost think that Trump was assembling his very own "deep state".
9
There was a break in. My country's integrity was stolen. Should I have called US law enforcement...the FBI? Well no, I called Ukraine and then Australia. Considering the Attorney General has now gone rogue....Who are you going to call?
5
Is it any wonder that leaders at the G7 meetings all look so nauseated being around Trump? During climate-change events (which Trump doesn't attend, because he thinks its a hoax), the six leaders probably get together over cigars and brandy and ask each other, "What illegal and traitorous things did this imbecile ask your country to do this week?"
13
Ah, William Barr.
How does it feel to be Trump’s errand boy?
12
The President has every right to investigate the origins of the spy operation initiated by the FBI, CIA and DOJ that targeted his campaign. The use of foreign intelligence agencies to spy on Trump’s campaign was an unprecedented act which Mueller refused to investigate. Americans want to know why Australia and the U.K. participated in it, and with which U.S. officials were coordinating it. It is time to bring that debacle into light, and it is understandable why there is so much resistance to prevent Trump and the AG from doing it.
6
That is an unsubstantiated conspiracy theory, whereas there is proof otherwise.
6
This looks like you are riding your horse backwards.
The US security and intelligence agencies "unprecedented" looking into Trump's campaign has nothing to do with trying to damage his candidacy and all to do with himself encouraging and surrounding himself with a rich fauna of shady characters.
Damaging him, if that was the purpose, would have been a piece of cake: all what was needed would be just realeasing the necessary infos before election day...
Speaking of which now please remind us what infos Comey realeased before election day?
And how many indictements and incarcerations were at a the later point the result of these intelligence agencies doing simply their job?
2
@J House if Trump was exonerated by Mueller. as he claims, why the investigation to discredit the report that exonerates him? Also, do you really think that is the best use of Barr's time as head of the DOJ? If there's something there, why are intel agencies investigating? Barr is not Trump's personal attorney but he sure is acting like it.
4
That it is legal to ask foreign governments to assist the US in its investigation does not make me feel better. The DOJ is investigating our intelligence agencies and attempting to get assistance from foreign governments in proving the analyses those intelligence agencies provided are false.
That is simply stunning to me.
If it is true our intelligence agencies fabricated the information about Russia interference in the 2016 election, I think every American should know about it. But here is the problem. The findings of the intelligence community have already been investigated by the DOJ. For all of Mueller’s failings (and there were many), the one thing he was clear about is there was no doubt Russia interfered in the election. The DOJ endorsed that report.
Trump often complained about how much the Mueller investigation cost. But there were results leading to indictments and imprisonments. So while I remain thoroughly disappointed by the hasty conclusion, as a tax payer I cannot argue that it was without purpose.
So six months late to be paying via my tax dollars for that report to be debunked is infuriating, especially when all evidence I have seen as a citizen is that Russia interfered in the election. If there was some evidence presented to the nation that did not come from a conspiracy theorist that it was otherwise, I might feel better. But there has been none.
So now the former CIA Director and current SoS is in Italy with Sebastian Gorka. My mind reels.
11
@Stana King
Welcome to Trump world, sounds like you got here late, be thankful, a lot of us saw this when he came down the escalator and started lying.
4
Trump's lawless tentacles have been reaching further and further
through these murky waters.
14
Donald Trump has always had an attorney as his wing man. Business as usual, press all legal boundaries, surround yourself with sycophants, counter sue when sued, fight lengthy and expensive battles in the courts. Isn't it refreshing having someone who knows how to run a business in the white house?
21
None of this is surprising since Trump tried the same thing with Russia about Hilary's emails on national TV. The only difference was he was not President at the time. I wonder what he said in his private conversations with Putin that when he met with him.
16
It's still not clear to me why the FBI investigation against the Trump campaign, based on spurious claims from unknown Russians in the Clinton-funded Steele dossier, was considered entirely clean and non-political. But Trump wanting more info about it is a front page scandal.
10
@Talbot, democrats and republicans exemplify mischief making.
I think that if you consult legitimate sources, do some research, you will realize that you are misinformed.
2
“Spurious claims” - yeah, he totally wouldn’t attempt to elicit aid from a foreign country...
3
It is now crystal clear what will happen. Not only does Barr not think these requests to be improper or illegal, they are HIS requests the President is making. Barr and the DOJ will thus not only not recuse themselves from any inquiries as they see it as their job to actively oppose them. They will rule that no one should testify, they will withhold documents. They may well launch the counter investigations Trump suggests. Do not be surprised Dems when the FBI, part of the DOJ, comes knocking not with the documents you requested but for you. The end is in sight.
9
Cant we argue that a real deep state is now going on with the USAG, the Head of the State Dept, and the US President going after former and current employees to interrogate them and put their lives and careers on the line, all to prove what, exactly?
1
And to think that during all those years Hillary was in the Senate and State, not one whistleblower came forward.
15
@Susan: Big difference between what Hillary did with the e-mails (it's a safe bet, that she wasn't looking "get dirt" on a political rival); and the blatant abuse of power by Trump.
I'm no fan of Hillary, but Trump had no right or business with this "crooked" hooey.
What goes around....and this time, the "witch hunt" is going to expose an entire coven.
1
Mueller discredited his investigation all by himself. What's being discredited now is the illusion that any of the DOJ investigative actions is either illegal or impeachable. This isn't a political strategy employed by the Democrats. It's a desperation move meant to obfuscate by dangling the next available shiny object.
5
Have you read the report? Are you aware of how many individuals went to jail & prison bast on the Mueller investigation?
3
"The president is using federal law enforcement powers to aid his political prospects, settle scores with his perceived “deep state” enemies and show that the Mueller investigation had corrupt, partisan origins. " This is the very definition of executive abuse of power, which the Founders feared and why impeachment powers have been given to the House. I would add that Trump is subverting our foreign policy to his own ends, too, and by enlisting foreign governments in his quest is exposing their leaders to political fallout at home, and thus adding to the chaos facing Western democracies, much as Putin wants. That Trump has Barr messing around in Italy with its very fragile coalition demonstrates that destabilizing Italy in favor of that right wing nationalist Salvini is part of the plan. Whose plan? Putin? Bannon? Both?
9
And while we spar over petty issues in this country; China is fully displaying its ability to destroy any part of the world at its will. WE MUST GET PAST POLITICS and back to strengthening our country through income equality and prosperity. Otherwise we will be subservient to a foreign power.
7
Scott Morrison has done a great deal of damage to himself and Australia by playing servant to Donald Trump's violation of the presidential oath office.
Morrison is fortunate enough to have the safety of a fresh mandate from Australians. But his actions cause irreparable damage to the mutual trust on which the five eyes intelligence network is based.
The end result will be a United States that will be more vulnerable because of intelligence that will either be delayed or not shared at all with America, and for Australians a very cold shoulder should there be different party in the White House after 2020.
5
"... The mere fact that the Justice Department has asked for foreign help with an investigation isn’t the problem. That’s routine, as some conservatives pointed out. In this case, however, the attorney general is involving himself, personally, to an unusual degree — and he’s doing so to advance a farcical idea meant to sully American intelligence agencies, all on behalf of Trump. ..." (David Leonhardt's newsletter today, posted here soon: https://www.nytimes.com/by/david-leonhardt)
Is this why Dolly Madison saved that big painting of one of the founders of America from the fire?
10
@M
Just tell us who Joseph mifsud worked for when he approached Papadopoulos. If he worked for Russia what was he doing in Italy at a Link university apparment until recently? If he worked for western intelligence where did he get the information on the Clinton dirt before it became public?
Who is lying to me?
1
@Brian, that's easy. Fox News, Barr, the republicans in the congress and Trump on a daily basis.
1
For all the people looking to impeach Barr, where does it say that what Barr is doing is illegal? He has been very public about his intentions.
3
@Dady, first of all the Attorney General of America is here to serve the country. Not be a personal lawyer for the President who is not above the law. This AG is clearly partisan but most shocking of all is his nomination shows both democrats and republicans did so with full cognizance. Our entire congress participated in hiring William Barr for the job.
2
@Dady
Once again: it doesn't have to be illegal, just a violation of oath of office to be impeachable.
2
But not very public about his actions, as we see in this story.
2
The corrupt Executive Branch of our government is traveling around the world using tax dollars to discredit our Intelligence Community. This is not about partisanship. This is about protecting our future as a democratic republic. This President does not respect our democracy because he is breaking constitutional norms and the law every day. I am mortified and embarrassed by this behavior.
17
What the democrats are doing to our president is Evil. As far as I can remember in my adult life the results of democrats ‘ efforts have been destruction. This has not gone unnoticed by Americans and the Democratic Party is risking of finally being recognized as the party of hate. Resentment, destruction and evil.
7
@Juergen Granatowski, the CIA and the Trump White House are "democrats"? Bizarre. Every source in the whistleblower report is either CIA or within the White House.
4
"I am too tired of wining guess for the next round I could use a little help from outside the ring"
DT Greatest President ever (except President Lincoln, no top hat but my hair look better) and stable Genius... etc...
5
While Mr. Trump shouts "Witch hunt" with every step he takes, he's got his minions (e.g. Giuliani, Barr, who else?) traveling around the world on their own witch hunts. (Can anyone say " “I have people [in Hawai'i] ... and they cannot believe what they’re finding,”)
Trump's witch hunt is to find evidence that Ukraine was really behind the 2016 electoral hacks and not the Russians. He still doesn't believe the 17 US Intelligence agencies that agree the Russians were behind it and is still holding a witch hunt for evidence that it was the Ukrainians.
He'll do anything to free his overloard Putin from the sanctions and ejection from the G8.And to allow Russian to keep the stolen Crimea. Not since the Sudentenland has that happened... and we all know the result of that move.
15
Trump still get over the fact he won. He should hire a private investigator than using taxpayers' money to advance this farce. It just shows the length he would go to use the powers of the presidency to seek out and punish political enemies. Right now he wants to confront the whistle blower even though that person is protected under law from being revealed.
5
This seems even worse than the Biden issue to me. This seems treasonous if I understand it correctly in that he's asking foreign governments to help discredit our own intelligence services. This needs to be part of the articles of impeachment.
20
@Sally
The DOJ is attempting to find out exactly what the “intelligence” agencies were up to.
If their own actions discredit them, so be it.
2
@Sally
There is some evidence that the intelligence community setup members of the Trump campaign. It could be put to rest by answering a few simple questions.
2
@Brian, they have answered all of their questions a gazillion times on naitonal tv in congressional hearings. Sounds like Barr and Trump just can't accept reality because it makes them look bad.
1
"But Mr. Durham has not questioned current C.I.A. employees, even though his team has had discussions with the agency about interviewing some of them, according to the people".
He's working his way up the ladder and I'll bet the CIA "whistle blower" is on the list.
3
That state dinner from a few weeks ago for Mr. Morrison was paid for by we the people and Trump just used that as a ploy to garner his favor in order to help him go after his enemies. This should also be deemed illegal and impeachable.
17
“Mr. Trump views the attorney general as a crucial partner: The president is using federal law enforcement powers to aid his political prospects, [&] settle scores with his perceived ‘deep state’ enemies.”
Trump views attorney general Barr as a crucial partner & fixer because he claims: “I have absolute right to do what I want to do with the Justice Department!”
And Trump views himself as a president with “absolute rights” to do what he wants, a view that’s closer to tyranny and absolutism.
16
The FBI is limited to investigating Americans, looking for crimes. The CIA is responsible for investigations outside of America. Using Brennan to co-op foreign governments to look into the Russian involvement in the 2016 election, was a ruse, used with unmasking, to investigate American citizens. Without warrants, foreign governments were involved in activities not permitted on American soil. What ever happened to Carter Page? He was under investigation for a year, and nothing was found. All of the other collateral prosecutions of Americans had nothing to do with Russian involvement in the election. Indicting Russians that will never appear in court was done to rack up indictments. Understanding how NATO allies helped investigate Americans using tactics illegal here is obviously a question that needs to be asked. The information was leaked before the 2016 election. i want answers how the CIA and FBI colluded to avoid laws intended to protect the rights of American citizens.
7
I hope the leaders of other nations -- Italy, Australia and the rest, are aware that the people of the United States are catching on in greater numbers every day to the antics of our president and his accomplices. The truth will out, and so will their complicity should they be involved.
9
Approximately one third of the Mueller report was redacted, including twelve whole pages in a row.
What fine patriot will release the uncensored Mueller report?
13
Mr. Barr is a former United States Attorney General; so his credentials are stellar. However, he thinks 17 U.S. intelligence agencies are partisan and the truth will only emerge from foreign intelligence services. This points to a fault in his thinking. That he initially applied for his position by compiling a 19 page document that lists Fox and Breitbart conspiracy theories further points to faulty reasoning. That he now represents Donald Trump as a consigliere rather than the top legal representative of the American public, points to his unfitness for office. Did he have people duped the first time around, or have his mental faculties diminished?
14
So it's okay for Mueller to investigate Trump in what appears to be an attempt by intelligence agencies and the Democratic Party to take down a sitting president -- in essence, a coup -- but it's not okay for the President and the Justice Department to investigate the origins and workings of the phony Mueller investigation? Give me a break.
It was on the news this morning that in 2018 the Dems in Congress threatened to withhold foreign aid to Ukraine if the Ukrainian government didn't cooperate with the Mueller investigation. Sound familiar?
6
@dgbu, the only "coup" is Trump trying to turn the U.S. into a banana republic. Mueller is a conservative Republican enforcing the law. The CIA and the White House sources in the whistleblower report are likely all conservative Republicans. Trump is a fake president who needs to be impeached, tried, convicted and imprisoned, for the sake of our union.
2
Isn't the President supposed to be conducting "foreign policy" for the benefit of America? Does anyone else think it odd that he seems to be just doing it for himself?
12
It would be enormously helpful to the integrity of the US democracy if the Australian parliament and ordinary Australian citizens express their outrage that their Prime Minister seems so eager to spend time helping Trump feed his paranoia and sink political rivals in direct contravention of our Constitution. PM Scott Morrison could and should have deflected this request without angering the president; a little flattery gets you everywhere with this guy.
10
In spite of Trump's hyper-nationalism, he appears, in practice, from business investments to corrupt threats and alliances, to be a globalist.
7
If there is smoke...the Aussies wouldn't have agreed to help, unless there was something tangible there. And investigating whether there was some unhealthy entanglement (bias?) leading up to and underpinning the Mueller probe is not wrong.
2
But these are unusual times. Most Democrats still believe in a traditional society based on democracy and solidarity.
Republicans have with Trump successfully completed building their own, based on hatred of a common enemy i.e. the Democrats and everything they stand for.
The impeachment will drive up tensions between both worlds to extreme levels. I still believe we should do the right thing and impeach, but it might lead to a Pyrrhic victory with even more impenetrable minds in rural America.
4
Everyone who believes in the rule of law will find it disturbing that the President is using the Attorney General for personal gain. That said, Mr. Morrison, having seen the winds of change turn to blow straight into Trumps face, will now probably promise to do everything in his power to assist Trump and Barr, but actually do very little, since there’s no upside, only possible future pain for him and his country.
7
Is this legal? No one seems to be suggesting it's not. But it still seems somehow wrong.
1
Isn't it interesting that Australia is the only country not affected by tRump's metal tariffs?
8
This must be part of the articles of impeachment, period.
9
It is hard to imagine that the four other member countries of the Five Eyes (Australia, NZ, Canada and the UK) will show much enthusiasm for continuing to share intelligence with the US if it starts harassing senior allied leaders such as Alexander Downer, the former conservative foreign minister of Australia, with made-for-Hannity conspiracy theories as a reward for their cooperation. AG Barr is further weakening US alliances for no other identifiable gain than pleasing the President.
36
Seventeen U.S. intelligence agencies unanimously agreed that Russia, via hacking and trolling, actively worked to help Donald Trump win the 2016 election. And if you read Part 1 of the Mueller Report you will be stunned at the breadth and depth of those Russian efforts.
Now we learn that our president has pushed not only the president of Ukraine but also the prime minister of Australia for help in discrediting those seventeen intelligence agencies’ work. And separately we learn from WaPo reporting that the U.S. attorney general has been actively seeking the help of officials in Italy and the U.K. to that same end.
Let that sink in: OUR OWN president and OUR OWN attorney general are actively soliciting help from foreign governments to undermine OUR OWN intelligences services. And all to help Donald Trump win the next election.
If there were ever an impeachable offense isn’t this it? And how could the Senate not convict? It they cannot sanction this blatant compromise of our own country’s power, Vladimir Putin will have succeeded beyond his wildest dreams.
69
@Steel Magnolia
If only, my dear friend, if only. Dr. Strangelove runs the Senate. The Constitution doesn't require the Senate to hold a trial, it only states that the Senate shall have the power to do so. I don't trust McConnell as far as I can toss him. He'll say he has to hold a trial yesterday according to Senate rules, and tomorrow parse the rules to avoid it altogether. He's also saying the rules don't give him a distinct timeline for hearings. So, even if he does give royal assent to hold them, who knows when they will be.
16
@Inkspot
Wrong. The constitution says "the sentate will hold a trial." WILL HOLD A TRIAL.
It doesn't say "at the discretion of the Senate President (a position nowhere mentioned in the constitution) a trial may be held, if they wish."
Heads will roll if Moscow Mitchsky dares to obstruct.
5
Michael Cohen nailed it!
26
“The Australian Government has always been ready to assist and cooperate with efforts that help shed further light on the matters under investigation. The PM confirmed this readiness once again in conversation with the President.”
This is real entertainment. I hope that our friends from Ukraine are mightily entertained too, knowing how the money flows from public treasuries to private pockets.
I do hope that the justice system in the US will do its job and conclude the "Russia election meddling" investigation. The whole world is watching it.
8
@Michael
Please read the article carefully. the justice system in the US is led by the Attorney General, William Barr. He is the person asking Trump to make this impeachable requests. He will only conclude the election meddling when he is ready to charge the Democrats with colluding with russia.
2
All Trump has to do is tweet & help Sanders in any way possible to help him get ahead in the polls. If Sanders gets closer to grabbing his Party's nomination, I bet the farm the DNC will quickly drop all talk of impeachment & focus their efforts solely on how to stop a Sanders win. The RNC & DNC might actually find common ground on preventing an "evil socialist" from becoming president (see Pelosi's standing ovation over Trump's speech bashing "socialism"). Sabotaging Sanders isn't anything new for the DNC. Also, the NYT is doing a pretty good job at it already.
7
A truly remarkable photo of George Washington watching Trump and Barr from beyond the grave.
23
@Eric .... Everything Trump does is for show, and it makes me sick to my stomach that his stage for criminality is the WH . Once Trump is out of office, I hope the first thing done after checking for listening devices placed by the Russians, is to rip down the tacky gold curtains.
22
That painting is so out of date. Washington, as well as the other founders of the nation, are rolling over and over and over in their graves.
4
The Australian diplomat in question, Alexander Downer, was a senior member of Australia’s conservative party (confusingly called the ‘Liberal Party’).
Amongst Mr Downer’s claims to fame are being a former leader of the Liberal Party, and many years ago appearing in a revue wearing fishnet stockings.
5
Since the NYT advocates civil discourse in its Comments section I am not going to say anything "nasty" or "fake" or "made up" or "unsubstantiated," (does Trump even have that in his vocabulary?) but if we actually believe that there is a "Deep State" then our Republic is in a state of anarchy. The only "Deep State" exists in the recesses' of DT little mind along with Hogan (cute name) Gidley, Barr, Miller and Giuliani whom are nothing more than shill's for an out of control Apprentice. When do we get to the point of "You're Fired." Vote 2020
30
If this newspaper were anything other than an instrument of the political establishment it might be intrested in the origins of the Meuller inquiry too.
7
The last time I heard the President crying "Witch Hunt" was not too long ago. The result did show that there was no firm evidence of collusion, which actually is not against the law. Conspiracy is and a clear line could not be established. But contacts with Russians and Trump's staff were shown. My conclusion on that was that Trump was a dupe. The Russians figured why even bring him in. There objective was to weaken the U.S. internally and externally weaken the Western Alliance. In both cases they succeeded. About obstruction? Mueller was clear in laying out the scenario in ten different cases. He also explained why he didn't indict Trump. According to the Justice Department a sitting President cannot be indicted. He did point out that Trump could not be judged innocent. So much for term witch hunt.
14
@David. Schiff and Nadler came up with nothing. What are YOU looking for? And where is Schiff’s “absolute proof”? But I guess it was okay that Dem senators sent a letter to the Ukraine pressuring them to cooperate with Mueller.
2
The entire World knows that Trump is a know-nothing fool, self-interest being his only goal. How many world leaders are going to go all in with Trump's lies, delusions, conspiracy theories, etc. knowing that the next American president will have no choice but to investigate and rid the entire Executive of Trump's lying, cheating sycophants?
27
What favor did Trump ask to Canada-Trudeau, UK-Johnson, Germany-Merkel etc...?
8
Barr must be impeached along with his boss--they have both violated their oath to defend the Constitution, and have in fact acted to undermine it.
31
@HK, Trump-Pence-Barr-Pompeo. All impeachable, the lot of them!
9
The fact is that immigration laws are not state and city laws to be enforced by governors and mayors. You don't see Federal Marshals or FBI pulling cars over for traffic violations. They only address violations of Federal laws.
Many of Trump's demands on our states, cities and other countries attempt to have them execute our Federal laws or merely his wishes. Meanwhile, he breaks treaties with other nations; withdraws standards and programs developed for and with states and cities; refuses to execute funding approved by Congress; encourages foreign governments to use and support his personal businesses.
The degree to which Trump violates our Constitution, laws and treaties has no comparison in American history. Except, perhaps in our organized crime. White collar crime has always demonstrated that people like Trump get away with murder, while working people go to jail for driving their car with a broken taillight.
3
@Jackson
Uh, because in no other facet of legal life are state and local governments responsible for enforcing federal laws?
1
FYI:
US government has 4 separate national security computer systems and Level 4 is limited to the most classified information related to US national security.
Level 4 system has extremely limited access to only a small circle of top government officials.
It's been reported this circle of officials have been putting transcripts, calls and other information into this computer system in an effort to conceal them and keep them from the US public.
This means the administration has apparently been stashing information into this classified NS computer system for over 2 years! All republicans, senate republicans, house republicans and Moscow Mitch need to show their loyalty to our country and stand with democrats to stop this treason!
16
As a UK spectator my fear is that such an unscrupulous individual like Trump might attempt bribing the military to support him. If impeachment begins to look like a serious threat he is dumb enough to do anything to save himself.
14
@Robert Price
Martial law would indeed be scary. However, I still have faith in our militiary and don't believe they would take part in any such coup. The military has more integrity and belief in what the US stands for (not what our country is doing right now) to allow the infant Trump to try it.
3
@Inkspot Thanks for that reassurance. I'm sure you're right but Trump has been convincing people to support him for so many years he is an expert at it. But I'm sure that even someone as good as he is eventually stumbles by overstretching their abilities, which appears to be what he has done. In respect to the military I totally agree they usually are the people with high integrity and responsibility traits. It is something that we all rely on.
There is nothing here and the Democrats are guaranteeing the already likely reelection of Donald Trump The US Justice Department is legally investigating the fake dossier and the origins of the failed Mueller investigation. Nations ask each other for help in matters they are legally investigating all the time .Give it up Democrats you lost in 2016 and another election looms next year. Why not just promote the leftist policies you support and try to win the election? The answer is obvious to anyone with an ounce of intelligence
4
@Harry
So you propose that we allow the President to go off on a witch hunt to disprove what our 17 excellent intelligence agencies already discovered?
This is not about he 2016 election (except in Trump's, and apparently your, eyes). This is about dissing loyal American servants in search of imaginary, alternative facts to bolster Trump's hallucinations.
3
Actually, this is quite good news. Trump is stirring the pot against himself.
16
The Mueller Report established that Trump engaged in extensive efforts to collude with the Russian government, often specifically for the purpose of soliciting their intervention in the election. The fact that Mueller found no violation of statute didn't make that finding any less damning.
Since his inauguration, Trump's full-time job has been to destroy the Justice Department and intelligence agencies that uncovered that fact. He needs lots of foreign help to do so.
15
Since Trump was a child he has thought only of himself and what he can grift other people out of. Nothing has changed, even though he is in theory now an adult and our highest government official.
It is still all about him but now he can cheat an entire nation, and not just the unfortunates who do business with him, or were foolish enough to marry him.
22
Orwell nailed it.
11
@Thomas
Agreed, there's a disturbing trend to control speech and the flow of information through the internet supported by many supposedly Liberal institutions. It's as if 1984 was a guide not a warning.
4
There stand Trump and Barr beneath President Washington’s official portrait. Paraphrasing “Treasures of the White House”:
“On the afternoon of August 24, 1814 (First Lady) Dolley Madison received word from her husband the president that the British were marching on Washington. He urged her to leave. But before she fled she decided to keep Gilbert Stuart’s full-length portrait of George Washington out of British hands. With no time to spare to unscrew it from the wall the frame was broken open, the canvas pulled out and carried to safety ...
Although others had painted Gen. Washington as military hero Stuart created the authoritative image of our first president. No other portrait conveys the unyielding resolve and severe dignity that made him the embodiment of the young Republic ...”.
How it came to pass that President Washington came to stare upon two men unfit to black his boots, let alone serve as president and attorney general.
Trump and Barr are doing everything in their power to destroy Washington’s life-work. Were Washington still alive he would know exactly what to do about it: unceremoniously kick both through the White House front door out into the muddy street. He was a big man who could settle such problems with his fists; a duty that now falls to us.
Seeing a smiling Barr and a smiling Trump obliviously holding court beneath Washington’s gaze disgusts me.
20
Gilbert Stuart, one of our famous Rhode Islanders-and thank you for sharing the Dolly Madison story. Along with Washington, all true patriots! May we look to them for our inspiration during this awful time for our country.
1
Trump is clearly unhinged. That is for sure true. However I am unsure this story adds to the information known to anybody who pays attention. And people who do not pay attention this is noise.
The fact that Trump wanted the origins of the Mueller investigation investigated has been true for some time and nobody worried about that (though should have). As the investigation into a Russian misinformation and smear campaign started with an Australian intelligence officer being a true ally, he would obviously want to discredit the person.
And can we stop calling in ‘Russian interference’ and start calling it ‘Russian misinformation and slander’. Because that is what it really is and I think people would internalize it better that way.
8
Not that I support in any way this president’s mafia-like tactics but I think he’s doing what he got elected to do: he’s managing the country like a business. Like a mafia business that is.
10
How richly ironic that the Mueller report, which Barr and Trump have repeatedly claimed exonerated the president, so troubles them that they are focused on twisting the arms of foreign powers to help them delegitimize it. That they are willing to engage in such clearly illegal behavior to “prove” the president did nothing wrong.
Staggeringly corrupt. Astoundingly perverse.
29
Seems Barr forgot the first part of the oath he took when being sworn into the bar-
"I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support, obey and defend the Constitution of the United States...."
Think his legal credentials should be removed.
13
What a waste of US resources. All that effort to find out how a legitimate intelligence operation got started?
13
I sincerely hope and believe that Scott Morrison agreed to cooperate in this investigation because there is nothing for Australia to hide. There will be no endorsement of crazy conspiracy theories to satisfy Trump's bloodlust. Alexander Downer has been prominent in Australian politics for many years. I would take his word against that of George Papadopoulos any time. Papadopoulos is a proven liar.
As for your despicable president - he is so damaging to your country, in so many ways, that any effort to unseat him, by any means, could be argued as justifiable.
15
Obstruction of Justice by barr and many others in the trump administration and even in US Attorneys offices.
4
Well that's an interesting spin of a headline.
Question for you NY Times, how is Trump investigating 2016 foreign interference a bad thing?
Democrat's had their investigation, and despite ALL the evidence of Democrat - foreign collusion, Mueller found nothing.
If one cares, one would be happy that Trump is trying to get to the bottom of how the IC and Democrats tried to rig an election using foreign actors, and foreign intelligence and then covered it up.
At best they only tried to rig the election. After that, it is just a good old fashion CIA attempted over throw of a government that they are still trying to accomplish today, right?
5
@Tim Dawson
No Tim, wrong. Mueller’s report did not conclude they found nothing. Quite the opposite. Did you read it?
1
Civil war is terrorism. The people who threaten civil war are threatening terrorism.
10
Bob Barr perjured himself to Congress. Pamela Harris asked if anyone asked him to "investigate" and he grabbled with the word "investigate, suggest, and so forth" and then replied "no" while he was and is investigating the "origins." The is perjury and from an Attorney General no less. He should receive the maximum penalty for deliberately lying to Congress.
10
From his corrupt behavior with Ukraine and Australia, it seems likely that the second place loser in the WH did in fact have help from Russia to "win" the election.
Won't it be refreshing to have a President again, one who is elected by a majority of voters and who listens to and tries to represent all of us? Vote blue, no matter who.
11
Have you seen the form foreign government officials need to fill out in order to have a meeting with someone from the Trump administration? I believe it goes something like this:
Q1: do you have incriminating evidence, innuendo, or damaging unconfirmed stories on any Democratic Presidential candidate, person who has dared to challenge Donald Trump on anything, Clinton family member, or Obama family member?
Q2: are you willing to share?
If you've answered no to either of these questions then there will be no visit, no financial aid, no assistance should you be attacked by a mutual enemy, no assistance should you suffer a natural disaster, and the President shall tweet about you and your country.
6
The United States rapidly crumbling while China is overtaking the world.
8
@Kristen, we literally saw this with our eyes. Everywhere we traveled in Asia Europe this summer, full of Chinese tourists with shining new prosperity. Replacing loud mouthed arrogant American tourists.
4
Whenever you think it can't get much worse. All I can say is: the plot thickens.
3
Maybe Trump can find all the missing document he's been hiding in the secret computer, I think his time would be more productive doing that than going back over the Mueller report. The hidden documents on the secret national security computer would be more helpful.
You guys ever work? Never see any work going on over in the Oval? What are we paying you for if you can't work on retrieving those missing WH documents for US citizens to see.
How about Friday? All recorded call, transcripts, all conversations with foreign leaders alone, any promises made, any deals? Any military weapons to MBS or cash. Jareds whereabouts, haven't seen him lately, still over there visiting with MBS?
7
W Baar must lose his law licensed, impeached and convicted and incarcerated and all the monies he stole from the US including his huge government pensions should be stripped and returned to the US Treasury.
Evil Trump should be sentenced to labor at a very busy McDonald’s Restaurant in Harlem near the projects where he must cook hamburgers for life.
9
It’s pretty clear that the Ukraine wasn’t a one off. Congress should get the now highly classified locked away manuscripts of the calls with Russia and Saudi Arabia.
Those contain for sure the biggest “hey can you help me finding dirt”.
Just imagine Saudi Arabia: their interest in keeping trump in the business is maximum.
He protects their interests, sells them weapons - and in exchange they help him with some meddling, fake news spreading, bots running and “dirt investigation”.
8
Rex Tillerson stated “ but Mr. President that’s illegal “ now we know why .
What else does Rex know ?
10
Wow! Another case of unwanted hands in the cookie jar.
1
Mr Trump already uses Fox news to broadcast his political and business interest.
That media company was established by Australian born Rupert Murdoch.
None of this should be a surprise
6
Surely the Russian interference in our election, the Ukrainian fiasco, the Australian debacle... I'm sorry, the list just goes on and on...were all just isolated incidences.
3
It will get worse.
7
And the reason the President shouldn't ask for help into looking into election meddling is?
1
@2observe2b Because our nonpartisan intelligence professionals--counterintelligence experts-- have already investigated election interference, as did Robert Mueller. The evidence is overwhelming and specific that a systematic Russian intelligence operation targeted the 2016 election to assist Donald Trump. Yet Trump and his allies are impervious to the truth, for reasons that vary but are glaringly obvious. As for this new Trump/Barr/Giuliani investigation of the investigators, there is nothing more than rumor, conspiracy mongering, and political retribution targeting people Trump sees as his "enemies." And that is an abuse of power for political gain.
12
I think if anybody can be accused of being obsessed with the Mueller report and Russia it's the Democrats. I see absolutely nothing wrong with Trump asking a foreign leader to help investigate the origins. I say this as someone who sees Trump unfit to be President. The place to replace him is at the ballot box. The Democrats need to stop this constant witch Hunt
2
@Vaz Dubey: the “origins” aren’t a mystery. And as they say, we’ve caught an awful lot of witches.
8
@Vaz Dubey
Well Dubey, that’s a large problem when you think you see nothing wrong with Trump using extortion tactics to coerce foreign leaders to dig up dirt on Trump’s political opponent in the upcoming election.
2
Sometimes I have no idea where I am living.
This is MY country, not Trump's.
16
One tenet of journalism: Its the stories they can't print that are the interesting ones.
Be interesting to see what comes forth in time.
Good work New York Times, worth the subscription.
9
There were traitors inside the Administration, actively working to undermine American foreign policy for partisan advantage of the domestic political opponents of the President.
Of course they were not shown the things they wanted to use against the United States foreign policy.
You may hate him, but he's President and She is not. Traitors are traitors.
4
The most critical evaluation of Trump by Republicans in Congress I ever hear is that he's an "unconventional" president. I guess that's a euphemism for a pathologically lying, corrupt, megalomaniacal president. This "unconventional" presidency is in total chaos. We have an attorney general who spends no time on his actual job but instead is flitting around the globe probing into the Mueller investigation. We have a personal attorney with no top secret clearances speaking with foreign leaders about the president's potential 2020 opponents, and we have a Secretary of State who has been caught in a whopper of a lie regarding the infamous call between Trump and Zelensky. This is not a presidency. It's a triumvirate of corrupt actors taking signals from their corrupt leader.
19
This is the kind of behavior common to an Erdogen or MBS or Dueterte. Not a US president. This man is unfit for office. Along with his staff.
22
Once again, the president is using our tax dollars to benefit no one but himself.
18
2020 can't come fast enough, finally trump will be gone.
6
Classic George Washington painting, I shall not tell a lie, in the background, his right hand reaching or perhaps gesturing, "here they are, the masters of deceit."
10
Obviously many on here have not heard of the Five Eyes intelligence alliance.
2
@CJ
Yes, many of us have. But we dont like it in our country when a conman uses our country for his personal gain.
2
I'm surprised that the most pressing business of the United States government according to Trump is to try to create some conspiracy theory that somehow invalidates the well established finding that Russia interfered with the 2016 election. This is a personal project of Trump's and has valid basis based on the facts.
What a rotten job Trump is doing, chasing nonsensical phantoms to somehow justify his election as legitimate.
15
Did trump-barr simply ask the foreign leaders for help, or were they strong arming them similar to Ukraine. Knowing trump, he negotiates by threatening to harm you until you agree to his terms.
10
The Disgraceful Trump Presidency is basically over. But until it is totally defeated, it will cause further damage to the American People and to the World.
18
The US is finally getting a Dictator. With so much evidence, his party is still turning a blind eye, even a broken clock is right twice a day, just the number of times he's lied in public is already more than minutes in a day.
15
Australia and Italy make sense, but why would He be discussing asylum with Ukraine?
4
This is the third impeachable offense in the last 24 hours. He has also threatened the whistleblower and attacked Adam Schiff.
Both of these are obstruction of justice.
18
Wait. Didn't Trump say the Mueller report exonerated him?
This reminds me of Captain Queeg and the strawberries.
14
Ludicrous story. Of course the President is the one person who should find the origins of the sham prosecution made against him, not only as the accused, (this is America), but as the person responsible that the government’s resources are never used again in a political campaign, as done by the Democrats in the past election and their current attempt to use government employees to act against him in any way possible- Brennan’s encouragement. He is in charge of the entire executive branch and I hope he uses it to tell all of the American people the Truth.
3
There is no persuasive argument which Donald Trump and William Barr can advance for enlisting Australian Prime Minister, Scott Morrison, and other members of his government in re-litigating the findings of the Mueller investigation about perjury and obstruction of justice by Trump officials to encourage Russians to harm Hillary Clinton in the 2016 campaign.
The use of the costly machinery of our government strictly for the personal gain of Donald Trump is surely a crime, and the Attorney General should not be sinking to Trump’s level by orchestrating this charade.
17
I love the photo of Trump standing with Bar in front of the painting of President Washington, his right arm outstretched. I can't see his lips move, but understand him saying: "We set up this unique democratic republic, and you two villains dragged it down to this!"
9
“the Obama administration dispatched the Australian official, Alexander Downer, to spy on the Trump campaign as part of a broader effort to help Mrs. Clinton get elected.” This is almost the most fanciful and hairbrained conspiracy theory of the lot. Not only was Downer in place years before 2016. He was previously Foreign Minister in one of Australia’s most conservative administrations ever, and was fully in bed with the Bush administration when Australia signed up for the interventions in Afghanistan and Iraq! He had a conversation with Papadopoulos which he reported to HQ as was his responsibility and Australia shared it with the FBI, given the claims about Russian interference.
9
Luckily Australia does not need to listen to Trump & his Minions in terms of what they need to do. But glad this has come out as it supports those of us who understand truth, not conspiracy, and know it is time for Trump to be relegated to the dustbin...along with Barr and Giuliani.
6
There is an alternative narrative within which President Trumps actions look quite different. Since his surprise and shock election victory as President of the United States there has been a massive effort to discredit and replace President Trump. It seems the whole administration is leaking … every day we were told “the investigators are closing in”. TV commentators, uninterested in evidence, repeated every suggestion as fact and made millions personally and for their medium. The Mueller circus would be laden with indictments; we waited with bated breath, … for nothing! It was all a hoax. If I were President Trump I would trust nobody to act with any grain of integrity.
It is quite plausible that President Trump is trying to conduct his own enquiry, bypassing the obviously corrupt State Administration which was fully on board a Clinton victory,
3
The whole problem with your theory is that it is predicated on the fact that nothing was found in the Mueller probe when in fact plenty was found. Manafort, et al. are in jail as a result of that probe. The DOJ guidance prevented us from trying Trump. Stop perpetuating the lie that nothing came from the Mueller probe.
11
@Suzanne B Correction nothing to tie Trump to collusion with Russia (i.e. the Russian State) which was the purpose of the investigation. Indeed plenty of small fry were caught out on something trivial like lying to the FBI, when this is a tactic, used by the FBI, of setting people up so that they incriminate themselves and then are susceptible to FBI Blackmail to get people to lie on its behalf.
1
Interesting that Trump is looking into origins of Mueller-Russia investigation.
Perhaps that lends credence to the idea that he was innocent aferall?
Why would he look into it if he knew he was guilty?
1
Anyone who doubts Trump supporters are an authoritarian cult need only read any comment in support of Trump, below. The past several years of terrorism and political violence committed almost exclusively by the political right correlates with the Trump “administration” and their belief Donald Trump is not subject to any law or constraint on his vile exploits.
They will say and do anything to defend Trump’s anti-American conduct and his betrayal of this country. All decent Americans must be vigilant of the violence Donald Trump and his followers have and will continue to cause in furtherance of his occupation of the US presidency.
12
One may argue that coordinating with a foreign government on this investigation is actually perfectly okay, unlike what happened with Ukraine. I think that's why this got "leaked" now -- to sort of muddy the waters. I wonder if this another case of Trump or his White House manipulating the narrative and the press.
2
Stalin did outright purges to secure his hold on power.
Trump is no better, twisting and turning every lever of US influence, including the dastardly play of blackmailing The Ukraine for aid during its desperate time of conflict.
No election can ever again be deemed free and fair while he sits in the Oval Office.
10
With his craven kow-towing to Trump, Morrison is making a fool of himself. He runs a real risk of besmirchment by association, like everyone who gets too close to Trump.
The irony is that Alexander Downer, the man who reported Papadopolous' behavior to the FBI, was previously the foreign minister in a conservative government - Morrison's party. So Morrison has apparently agreed to support an investigation into one of his own people. He might regret his decision if it turns out that Downer WAS involved in any untoward activity. I'm pretty sure the findings will conveniently disappear.
4
Alexander Downer was the Federal Member of Parliament for Mayo (Adelaide Hills, SA) for a long time. He was almost Prime Minister when there was a change of government in 1996. He comes from a South Australian political lineage, self-described as a family of 'nation builders'. He is politically aligned with current Australian PM Scott Morrison. His daughter Georgina has run twice (unsuccessfully) for Mayo in Federal elections, including the on last May.
Downer is conservative 'royalty' in Australia (in his own mind, I'm sure and those of many rusted on conservative - read wealthy - electors). And yet, as events play out as they look, Morrison is going to have to take Downer down for ratting out the Papadopoulos revelations over Hillary Clinton's emails being in Russian hands.
That Trump will call in Morrison to do dirty work for him is reprehensible and appalling. That Morrison (and Australian ambassador to Washington Joe Hockey, another conservative old-boys-club appointee) will tug forelocks so readily to the Mad King in return for membership of his 'club' is even more galling.
WW2 Prime Minister John Curtin, pioneer of Australia's long-time friendship with the United States, must be turning in his grave at Morrison's toadying to Trump. This is the climate-change denying PM, who embarrassed us in the United Nations last week. But Trump has evolved into our overlord, through Morrison's deference. It sickens me, and many other politically progressive Australians.
6
As an independent, I am pleased AG Barr is pursuing this line actively. As much as I did not approve the election of Trump, he was legally elected and I respect the rights of my fellow citizens to elect the President of their choice. The conduct of members of the Democratic Party in this regard has been nothing short of appalling!
5
@Mani Yeah, well, it now looks like William Barr and Mike "I-haven't-actually-had-the-chance-to-read -the whistleblower's-report-yet" - all three pages of it - Pompeo are in the soup too.
I take zero pleasure in impeachment but this is what we get when a man with scant (being generous here) knowledge and scant understanding of what being a USA president actually is and what is required and those "servants of the public"- Bob & Mike, for starters - forgetting that they are.
2
Trump's first Campaign manager was Paul Manafort who was acquainted with Russian Television where some cooperation had to occur with N.B.C. who televised the Olympics there and whom Trump worked for as an actor in his show. He likely learned much about holding an audience there. Manafort also aided a political Moscow favorite President of Ukraine before that President fled to Russia. Now, Ukraine is led by a Television comedian whose production company is allied with an oligarch in a nation likely full of Russian loyalists even after leaving the Soviet Union. During the Presidential campaign, Trump was aided by the Television industry with a Billion dollars worth of free airtime.
So it comes as no surprise that Barr and Trump are suspicious of the F.B.I. and C.I.A. who likely have knowledge Trump fears. Barr is late to the game. It's the "New World Order" and that means slavery for all our souls. That is why I am what I am and why I'm so critical as what you might call, a dissident, out of love of the people.
Don't hurt Trump. He's a puppet who got loose, but don't hurt him. Too many people have been hurt.
No wonder nothing positive gets done for the American people in the Trump/GOP administration. They’re all chasing these debunked bizarro world conspiracies while we pay millions for their expenses. I feel like we’re now living in a world where bad is good and no is yes. We need to improve our election system- reform our electoral college so someone like Trump never happens again. Surreal!
3
It is extraordinary really, that the Trump White House is seeking to discredit Alexander Downer who was the source of the information that the the Russians had dirt on Hillary Clinton, via George Papadopoulos. Downer was then High Commissioner to London (Australia's UK ambassaador) and had been Foreign Minister under the conservative Howard government. He is not well known for progressive sympathies, was disraging about Barak Obama, and no supporter of Hillary Clinton. In other words, not a likely suspect to be undermining a Republican presidential nominee. I cannot believe the Australian Government has rushed to support the partisan Barr inquiry into the Mueller report. PM Scott Morrison's visit to the US has been an embarassment, a willing prop in the Trump re-election campaign. And now this. Unacceptable for an Australian leader.
3
I think we all know where this is going. The sole reason for Trump's presidency at this point (and probably from the beginning) is to use his office and the DOJ to destroy his political enemies.
Whenever this "investigation" is completed is there any doubt about the outcome? It will, of course, find what it has already concluded: that "Deep State" actors conspired against then candidate, and now president, Trump.
The whole litany of conspirators will be brought before the country for a public flogging. Comey, McCabe, Strzok, Page, Clinton, Obama, all the usual suspects. And it will happen at just about the same time that impeachment comes up for a vote.
So get ready. It's coming.
1
“The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” At least an impeachment inquiry signals to Trump that his normal behavior is not acceptable and to the nation, that we cannot continue to just stand by and watch him destroy the office of the President. Every time he broke, bent or ignored another rule of behavior, he lowered the bar for accepted behavior in politics and in our civic lives. We have to make a stand for what we want our nation to be, for the example we want to set for our children.
3
Hmm. Why would Trump want to discredit the Mueller report when he said it exonerated him? Could it be that deep down, he knows it didn’t?
4
Oh my goodness! Incredible article dude! Many thanks, Having read this I thought it was rather enlightening. I appreciate you spending some time and effort to put this short article together. I once again find myself spending way too much time both reading and leaving comments. But so what, it was still worthwhile!
Bigg Boss 13
1
Let me preface this by saying that I have no love for Trump so that people's head won't explode and their critical thinking skills go all over the ceiling, BUT, I wouldn't put it past the Deep State to try to compromise this president who they feel, rightly or wrongly, is a threat to their power and order. I realize this sound like real tin foil hat thinking, but look who we are dealing with, known liars who have a very, very vested interest in maintaining their power and control . Even Obama was unable to stop them, if he even tried, going along with their regime change wars in Libya, Syria and continuing the war in Afghanistan the NSA spying program and sealing the Senate's torture report and not prosecuting any wrongdoing by CIA tortures. The Steel report, the abuse of the FISA court to obtain warrants that allow a two-jump surveillance of associates two degrees of separation away from the person issued a warrant, the whole Russiagate fiasco which turned up nothing but low-level normal corruption by businessmen, and of course lying to the FBI, a common response to any investigation. I really wouldn't put it past the Deep State to have some kind of hand in a lot of it. But proving it will be extremely hard and Trump is the perfect person to take down since he is already corrupt in so many other ways.
4
I'n not the ark of your fantastical production stored away from humanity. I am the defender of everyone's faith and teacher of all to always do what is right.
The clergy of all faiths in America should leave now. You are needed to create the new world of peace free of the last desires of the military's to dominate it. As you say; "Go in Peace".
Etymology and irony of the word trump: Originally, the word trump implied a deceptive form of victory involving cheating, but that sense has been largely lost, though it's still around in the term trumped up, meaning something that's been falsely made up.Etymological Dictionary: "fabricate, devise," 1690s, from trump "deceive, cheat" (1510s), from Middle English trumpen (late 14c.), from Old French tromper "to deceive," of uncertain origin. Apparently from se tromper de "to mock," from Old French tromper "to blow a trumpet." Brachet explains this as "to play the horn, alluding to quacks and mountebanks, who attracted the public by blowing a horn, and then cheated them into buying.
2
Barr is nothing more than a political hack. He was hired by Trump based upon a fawning letter he wrote in which he promised Trump the absolute loyalty which Trump demands from all of his appointees. Jeff Sessions recused himself from matters in which he was personally involved, as the law requires; Barr pointedly refuses to do so.
Far from being the nation's chief law enforcement officer, Barr acts more like the "Law Breaker-in-Chief." The evidence warranting impeachment & removal is even stronger for Barr than for Trump.
4
"Trump allies including Mr. Giuliani have put forth an unsubstantiated claim that Western intelligence agencies planted Mr. Mifsud to trap Mr. Papadopoulos."
That is the whole point. To substantiate it.
Nothing wrong with that. We don't want allegations. We want facts.
4
Can you imagine what morale is like in our intelligence agencies right now? Not just the Attorney General but the President of the United States of America are actively seeking help from foreign heads of state to invalidate their work?
And can you imagine how that must embolden our enemies?
4
Shocking news to hear from abroad .. in any other country that would have been a scandal and the president would had given apologizes .. but this trump era is different
4
"The president is using federal law enforcement powers to aid his political prospects, settle scores with his perceived “deep state” enemies and show that the Mueller investigation had corrupt, partisan origins."
I am sure the NY Times has detailed rules and standards for writing style, but do you have enough monitoring of content?
"... show that the Mueller investigation had corrupt, partisan origins" or "... insinuate that the Mueller investigation had corrupt, etc etc...."?
The former implies it has corrupt origins and Mr. Trump was trying to "show" that it did. Do your writers and editors believe it had corrupt origins, do they have evidence?
The latter implies that Mr. Trump claims it has corrupt origins, but your writers and editors have no proof that it did so they believe it was not a corrupt investigation.
Americans are confused about what is going on, some of it because they do not have the time or knowledge to process the torrent of horrors emanating from our politics and social news coverage. But shouldn't your writers and editors make more efforts to make whatever time and knowledge they have to best use and inform them with clarity? The people are not polarized, it is the nonsense that makes them take sides to avoid having to make sense of the morass the newsmedia has become.
4
Trump is certainly scraping the bottom of the barrel if he’s coopted our PM to assist him. Morrison isn’t exactly known for his generosity so presumably there’s something in it for our little Trump lapdog. Maybe Trump offered to spy on our media for him or worse. Or perhaps it’s just a case of yet another Australian PM prostrating himself before the leader of the Western World. Next week he’ll probably Kowtow to the Chinese as well.
1
Secretly enlisting the aid of foreign leaders to help investigate the corrupt origins of the Muelller investigation with the ultimate goal of validating his paranoid and obsessive world view, Trump and all his soulless lackeys are now staring down eternal torment and global humiliation. Hopefully Congress will have sufficient time to plan for the post-Trump era. Some people are not going to be too happy and will be waiting for marching orders from Trump. In the end, good will triumph over evil.
2
This transcends party! This is about following the constitution. Even originalist should agree, our congress is doing their job. The democrats just happen to be the majority in The House. It sounds like republicans have more faith in being a conservative than being an American believing in the constitution and it’s mandate to govern and maintain a balance power. Folks this isn’t about the elections. Even if the allegations prove false, the presidents behavior after these allegations are a symptom of a democracy is in danger. The atmosphere is ripe for manipulation by those who wish to destroy our form of government. Inquiry is not impeachment and neither is being a democrat an impeachable offense.
3
To subpoena witnesses like Lewandowsky or Rudy Giuliani seem to turn into impotent exercises at the hearings
of the house or senate committees .
Much vitriol but end in some sort of duel of whits
Are our laws such that our government is unable to control bad actors like our president and some of his "helpers' including our current attorney general and secretary of state.
Does the system set up by our founders, actually work ?
3
I do not recall ever once having access to transcripts of phone calls by US presidents to other heads of state. Why should it be unusual that we do not see them now?
4
If he is asking leaders of friendly countries to dig for dirt on domestic opponents, where they are not that likely to have a very lively spy interest in them, what is he asking Putin et al to do? After all I would expect Russia etc. to have a much more active interest in leading American personalities.
1
Why would Trump want to discredit the Mueller report that he claims totally exonerated him? That doesn't make any sense, nor would it have made any sense not to investigate Russian meddling in our election in the first place.
He's got to go.
6
There is no justification whatsoever for AG Barr to be investigating the origin(s) of the Mueller investigation (and/or the counter-intelligence investigation that preceded it), especially as to foreign intelligence sources. Former Deputy AG Rosenstein was fully informed as to the bases for the Mueller investigation (and preceding counter-intelligence investigation), as were several current and former Justice Department officials who were and are available to answer any and all questions that AG Barr might wish to ask. The fact is that there were valid reasons for instituting the Mueller investigation (as well as the preceding counter-intelligence investigation); and those reasons are well known to AG Barr. He ought to be impeached and removed from office, before he completely destroys what is left of the Justice Department's reputation for fairness and decency.
6
I heard some interesting reporting that provides some other rationale for President's actions. This has to do with Russian sanctions. One set of sanctions was based on Russia's aggression against the Ukraine. The second set is those passed at the end of the Obama administration that were punishment for Russia's interference in our 2016 election. These sanctions are severely hurting the Russian economy. In order to get them lifted 2 things have to happen. There has to be a rapprochement between Russia and Ukraine which Trump has been promoting by pressuring Ukraine. Secondly, Trump is sending his people to put pressure on the Australians to rescind their story that they received information that Russia was peddling dirt on Clinton and that a Trump campaign official told that to the Australians. Its why he refuses to acknowledge that Russia hacked our election. If he can undo the official finding from the Mueller report, then he can create a basis to lift the 2nd set of sanctions on Russia. The lifting of sanctions is probably one of Putin's prime objectives. There's a reason why whistle blowers and insiders are freaked out by Trump. He is an asset of Russia. Its all coming out now. Interesting times.
5
Alexander Downer was the Foreign Minister of Australia for 11 years before becoming the High Commissioner(Ambassador) to the UK. He was appointed to that post by the current party in power in Australia and remains a respected figure. Given the previous cooperation with the Obama administration Trump won't get any dirt, but information already provided to both the Obama administration and the Mueller inquiry.
2
It appears that Trump’s uncanny ability to escape so many controversies and investigations unscathed has emboldened both him and his cult-like followers in both the political world and among the electorate.
If our nation eliminated the political party system, I think more politicians and constituents would base their views on the facts and common sense instead of loyalty to their political party and its leader.
Regardless of the results of this "investigation," the story around it and the conspiracy theory at its root will be believed by Trump's base and, perhaps, by his wavering voters.
Sadly, by muddying the waters, suggesting a broad conspiracy involving several other countries, and heightening the suggestion that many in the intelligence community and, indeed, the wider world, were out to get Trump and cheat his fans of his rightful victory and coronation, Trump, Barr and Co are working hard to give Russia a pass. True concern for the security of our elections and our democratic process are nowhere in sight.
3
Barr is likely coordinating with our allies or getting stories straight.
People have short memories and the government leaders have always known that as they saved their big press releases for the weekend news cycle or grudgingly talked of bad news early in the week, soon to be forgotten by all mostly busy by the next morning.
The premise here is suspicions surrounding the Mueller investigation in which Trump and presumably, Barr, suspect the intentions of the F.B.I. and C.I.A. as if you all forgot the last years events.
Trump was aided in his initial campaign by a manager acquainted with Russian Television before that. A Senator from Alabama unaware of the centralized crime in New York and likely appointed AG for that reason. Former federal prosecutors whom F.B.I. reports to played a part. Most notable is when former F.B.I. Director Comey reminded the voters of Hillary Clinton's emails just three days prior to election day, likely molding opinion. There was also Christie who lent support on a minor but noted way. But former federal prosecutor and Mayor of NYC Giuliani is most noteworthy having been appointed Trump's personal attorney who now enjoys freedom from testimony after having been put in a position of attorney client privilege.
So I'm perplexed as to why Barr is investigating what is said to be a conspiracy to undermine Trump. It seems to me those he investigates are themselves investigators who helped elect Trump.
4
Muellar’s reputation as former head of the FBI is impeccable. So the notion of investagating him is bizarre in the extreme. Is Trump trying to get impeached?
1
Apology, because this has been said so many times before, but I think it bears mentioning now because I notice a 'denial' uptick lately. If Trump is so confident that he won the 2016 election fair and square, then why does he constantly re-litigate the details of the election? I beg someone in the Trump camp to explain it. On cue, Trump followers jump in to rail against 'political correctness' and liberal snow flakes not letting it go. But honestly, I think most of us let it go a long time ago, so we could focus on the next step in addressing climate change, progressive policy, etc. It is increasingly apparent that it is Trump and his supporters who keep returning to the validity of the election. Why is it that they can't let it go and move forward?
3
Really. Unsurprise, but his team are also putting his interests above that of American democracy and law. He should go, and the quislings who have let this travesty of an administration should go. They knew he was doing something illegal and treasonous, and they tried to cover it up. Time to take out the trash that is this administration. Impeachment is long overdue for the current occupant of the WH.
10
All of these news stories of Trump's evident corruption
makes one wonder why anyone would oppose impeachment.
127
@David-
They watch the Fox Network 24/7 or listen to conservative right-wing talk radio. It’s an alternate universe over there. Trump’s defense is mounted without restrictions, restraint or facts.
2
In dealing with the United States, it is pretty confusing for the other countries.
Shall you deal with the State Department of the United States? Or
Shall you deal with the “shadow deep state” from Trump’s office?
56
You republicans just do not get it, even now. The majority of the electorate, that actually defeated Trump in 2016, are now ALL the .whistle blowers. We ALL fully understand you are lying when you insist that you do not hear the din.
88
@Steve
"Now you depart in innocence, a sufferer and not a doer of evil; a victim, not of the laws, but of men... This is the voice which I seem to hear murmuring in my ears, like the sound of the flute in the ears of the mystic; that voice, I say, is humming in my ears, and prevents me from hearing any other. And I know that anything more which you will say will be in vain."
~Socrates
1
It looks like Barr and Giuliani are part of the cabal and are the trusted Consiglieri for Trump. If this is left unchecked this whole country will unravel at the seams.
65
Trump keeps harping on finding that server. It’s not in Ukraine. Methinks “that server” is sitting in the White House requiring codeword access. You know, the one with all those “perfect” transcripts of “perfectly normal” conversations.
44
The NY Times is running fast with information. I hope this newspaper is taking the time to double check sources.
I hope the NY Times is not being fed false information from the far right to try to get them to report a "false" story and therefore discredit all the true facts that have been reported incriminating Trump.
This happened back when Dan Rather was doing a report about how George W. Bush was given special treatment and allowed to "serve" in the air national guard instead of Viet Nam. The facts were outrageous, but Rather and his producer weren't satisfied with reporting just those outrageous facts. They wanted more and fell for a hoax instead of confirming the story before writing it. That hoax they fell for was used to discredit the entire story, despite the main point -- that Bush was given special treatment that he should not have been given -- being factual.
There is already so much evidence CONFIRMED about Trump and what the Justice Department under Barr has been doing to protect him. Let's hope this newspaper isn't printing a hoax because the right wing which is looking to prove the media is always biased and distract from the very real and proven facts that are more than enough to impeach this President.
20
For those who say this is a witch hunt, I think they may be right.
Someone who commits so many crimes: betrays his country, is elected on behalf of a foreign enemy, bankrupts 6 companies, defrauds students, commits adultery paid with campaign funds, launders money for organized crime, stiffs vendors, workers, and hotels while calling himself a billionaire - maybe he is a witch.
He is such a dark force that even for-profit evangelicals, the ultimate Biblical hypocrites, worship the faux golden calf he represents.
Yes, witch hunt is right, and he has assembled a gamble of corrupt witches if ever there was one.
82
Who is Alexander Downer and why is he discussed here? There is too much information in this article to make sense of. Take a breath.
9
The Australian leader Trump was recently trying to shake down. Don't know what the "do me a favor" was in exchange for. I hope it wasnt for digging dirt on some poor person. Maybe it was for trading US weapons for Trump resort or Casino on Australia.
Downer is a failed Australian Liberal Party politician who entered its Foreign Service after surrendering his embattled leadership position. He served overseas in various senior capacities with more success, ending his diplomatic career as High Commissioner to the United Kingdom.
According to the New York Times:
“During a night of heavy drinking at an upscale London bar in May 2016, George Papadopoulos, a young foreign policy adviser to the Trump campaign, made a startling revelation to Australia’s top diplomat in Britain: Russia had political dirt on Hillary Clinton.
“About three weeks earlier, Mr. Papadopoulos had been told that Moscow had thousands of emails that would embarrass Mrs. Clinton, apparently stolen in an effort to try to damage her campaign.
“Exactly how much Mr. Papadopoulos said that night at the Kensington Wine Rooms with the Australian, Alexander Downer, is unclear. But two months later, when leaked Democratic emails began appearing online, Australian officials passed the information about Mr. Papadopoulos to their American counterparts, according to four current and former American and foreign officials with direct knowledge of the Australians’ role.
“The hacking and the revelation that a member of the Trump campaign may have had inside information about it were driving factors that led the F.B.I. to open an investigation in July 2016 into Russia’s attempts to disrupt the election and whether any of President Trump’s associates conspired ...”.
1
And, for more context, the Liberal Party is actually a Conservative party, Australia’s version of the Republican Party (but not as corrupt). Downer comes from a very conservative political family and his daughter has tried and failed twice to also become a Liberal member of Parliament.
Ask any Australian, of any political persuasion (unlike the US, we are not a two party system) and they will tell you that the idea that Downer is some sort of ‘spy’ for Obama or Clinton is just crazy talk.
1
The president of Ukraine and the prime minister of Australia were both pressed to do what appears to be Trump personal business. In light of these revelations it's not unreasonable to ask if prime minister Trudeau was similarly engaged about Hauwai executive Meng Wanzhou?
14
@Warren-
Pushed to meddle in our election, you mean. And by the President of the United States — the senior federal official who is responsible for securing the integrity of United States’ elections — for his personal benefit.
I doubt the Hauwei situation (whatever it actually is) should be seen in the same light.
I recall from those deep recesses of time ( more than 48 hours ago ) that there was a gucciffer and his address was a military unit in saint Petersburg. At my last check,.that city is not in the Ukraine but in moder Russia.
17
Every criminal has his modus operandi. Trumps trademark move is corruption and collusion for personal gain.
Americans better vote or be ready for four more years of corruption & collusion.
25
If you think just voting will end this national nightmare you are sadly mistaken.
This makes Richard Nixon look like Mr. Rogers.
63
Nixon is such an enigma for me. He gave us clean air and water, but ....
We have known for a longtime known he is a dishonest figure. It is Barr’s behavior that is most deplorable. He is supposed to be the purveyor of justice for the people. This is beyond bad.
65
There's something sublime about this accompanying photo: Trump and Barr in the foreground and Washington behind them, obliquely gesturing with his hand as if to say, "These guys? Seriously?"
27
@DeepThud. You are so right about the painting of Washington. Trump wouldn’t even be allowed to muck out the stables at Mount Vernon.
2
Hang on a minute. Trump wants to discredit an investigation he claims exonerated him? Either he doesn't know what "exonerated" means or he wasn't being truthful.
54
It seems the Department of Justice can do nothing else but attend the personal animosities of this president. Not content with handicapping the Mueller Report before it finally appeared, now Barr is digging up the corpse to change its origin story, satisfying Trump's need to clear the 2016 election (himself) from implied unsavory connections. So, why didn't he talk to Mueller himself when asked? So now Durham is questioning the American Intelligence officials involved with the Mueller report with this new origin story in mind. But what about the email Don Junior received purporting to have dirt on Hillary Clinton? Does the Barr/Trump/Rudi team plan to have that pinned on some Democrat working in the F.B.I.? Is this the only order of business America has now with foreign nations, piecing together stories fit for the National Enquirer that criminalize Donald's enemies?
28
Underwhelming report for several reasons:
1) Presidents (D or R) actually do make these types of phone calls and it appears the authors are only now discovering or learning this;
2) IMHO, intentional dismissal of Durhams investigation -- and by that I mean no mention of the Steele Dossier and Fusion GPS, DNC's role in paying for it, and the FBI's use of it in surveillance. The only reason I can see is so the authors can more easily characterize Trump's involvement as advancing his "personal political interests."
This is cherry picking and pushing the readers towards a political objective -- their own. This is half news and half narrative. No thanks
11
Reasonable response to this scattershot report, although your counter examples are rather tired.
Let’s suppose you are right. People running for office dig up dirt on opponents. However they do it with campaign funds - not your tax dollars. Part of what’s going on here is that Trump is using your tax dollars to play this game. It’s one thing to give him money to play with. It’s quite another when he’s using it for nefarious purposes.
Impeachment will take too long. The Cabinet needs to step up immediately and give him the 25th Amendment.
18
Pure corruption. This administration has no interest in citizens, only in maintaining power and enriching itself.
26
@Allison, business as usual. It’s just that Trump’s followers don’t recognize one kind of corruption from the other.
1
Each passing day a new and higher bar of misdeeds. Nothing is wrong in Trump's world. Everyone and everything is a pawn on his chessboard. Vibrant democracies would have taken out a leader like this long back. America has failed here. The lawmakers, judiciary and even the public at large have not done enough. It is crystal clear that Trump advances only his personal self and interests. If almost everyone around him has been found guilty and punished how can the King only be clean. On the other hand if a majority of Americans want Trump so be it- the US is a democratic country. But looking back at history and whom we value as honourable leaders we have Trump who has taken the bar so high in misdemeanors, lies,coverup and disregard for anything considered good. Republicans are supporting him or at least not opposing him on the belief that he still has backing of the majority of the people. The public will have to prove this wrong at the earliest.
13
@Venugopal It’s giving too much credit to Trump to suggest that he can play chess. Chess demands the ability to think.
1
@Venugopal
he never had the support of the majority. hillary won by a million votes. its the electoral college that put him in, period.
1
Trump is seeking help from Australia and other nations to discredit the Mueller investigation.
The Mueller report did indeed confirm that the FBI's and his own investigations stemmed from a tip-off by an Australian diplomat that George Papadopoulos told him in a London bar that the Russians had dirt on Hillary Clinton.
Papadopoulos has since claimed that the diplomat was a Clinton stooge and Trump seems to be on the same page.
However, the facts are these. The diplomat was Alexander Downer, Australia's High Commissioner (or ambassador) to London. Prior to his posting, he was Australia's Opposition Leader and leader of the conservative Liberal Party, Australia's version of the Republican Party.
Why would such a man want to undermine a fellow conservative like Trump for Hillary's benefit?
13
One measure of the National economy is the amount of financial deficit we incur. But what does the integrity deficit of this President cost the Nation?
7
Barr is trying to provide cover for trump's actions, specifically with respect to trump asking foreign governments to interfere on his behalf in the 2020 elections. It's what Barr does -- there's a reason why he's referred to as the go-to "cover-up" guy for Republican presidents.
Barr has even publicly boasted about his role in getting Bush to pardon members of the Iran Contra conspiracy in order to stop an investigation that was about to uncover alleged wrongdoing by the Bush administration. Because Bush followed Barr's advice about giving pardons, he was able to get away with his own investigation-ending maneuver.
Barr may now be giving Trump the same cover that he gave Bush. If Trump can say that his attorney general recommended soliciting the aide of foreign governments, it might help shield trump.
Given his history, along with his biased and misleading summary of the Mueller report, why should we trust anything that Barr does -- especially when his actions would politically benefit trump?
9
Lindsay Graham and Mitch McConnell's efforts at smoking-gun-control are backfiring as the revelations of the president's corruption mounts. They should quit trying to save Trump and rescue their own legacies, if it's not too late.
12
Mitch I get, sadly. But what is with Lindsey?
1
Would just like to reset here and remind all that Trump is pressing foreign leaders on a conspiracy theory that has been totally debunked. Even conservatives admit as much. It’s self-evident he’s not competent to lead the country (especially one with many shiny nuclear buttons). We don’t even have to get into the self-dealing, transcript revealing, treacherous behavior that the “transcript” detailed. Get him gone. One way or the other.
Vote vote vote.
Side note - following the tax cut, declining growth even amongst interest rate cuts. He’s going to become more volatile.
6
No comment on the article. I just wanted to say that seeing Trump and Barr spouting their lies in front of a painting of George Washington makes me gag.
69
Barr is one corrupt AG, acting on behalf of the most corrupt President in our history.
Every day, new corruption is unmasked
54
@AACNY
He investigated himself, implicated in the Ukraine phone call and subsequent cover-up, and found himself (and Trump) innocent.
An exemplary Attorney General would have recused himself. To do otherwise is a blatant, egregious conflict of interest.
He could be disbarred for that.
21
The distortion of the American Executive Branch is due to the person whose pattern is to spend more time undermining people and American Institutions than in constructive action. It’s called the saboteur syndrome in office dynamics. The Attempt to sabotage his political opponent by extorting Ukraine and holding back promised goods is such a distortion. Impeach him and any who sided with him.
30
As a serial liar about thousands of little things, he has learned to lie about the big things. Is it that he's cornered in his mind? There are always too many secrets in our government and not enough truth conveyed to the public. Those of you in the military government who control what our minds consume are now consumed yourselves by your own manipulative productions. Just tell the truth Trump. I have reasonable doubt of his condemnations but need to hear it. If it takes tearing down the powers that be, then do it, and bring us back to our true to the founders existence. That's in no way a call to arms, but a call to openness. Then the people will trust and love their leaders.
6
We don’t want to love our leaders. We want them to do their job honestly and with accountability. That would be enough.
6
@PATRICK He doesn't always mean to lie. He often just tells things the way he'd like them to have been.
5
To all of Trump’s supporters:
Thanks for your vociferous and ample support of this man. To me, it’s proof you are more than a little worried.
If you honestly believed this investigation had no validity, you wouldn’t be protesting this much, and your arguments would be much more fact based than innuendo laden.
30
This Trump-Barr conspiracy theory is ludicrous on its face. Clinton and the Democrats conspired with foreign powers to hack themselves and lose an election that everyone in the world, including them, thought they had in the bag? And then somehow got James Comey, Rod Rosenstein and Robert Mueller, all lifelong Republicans, to participate after the fact?
Every piece of new information shows the extent to which this lawless administration will go to rig the 2020 election. We’re way, way beyond the Russian interference of 2016 - this is the President and Attorney General nakedly using their vast powers to undermine our national security and right to vote.
That’s why Trump, and probably Barr also, MUST be impeached. There is no going back now, not after all of this has come out.
39
One wonders the content of Trump and Putin phone calls especially since Putin hopes they’re not made public.
28
One also wonders about what Putin and Trump discussed in their off-the-record private discussions that should never have taken place without witnesses and stenographers.
As Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison has learned, there's no such thing as a free state dinner....
37
If a Democrat has done this, House Republicans would have impeached him in a business day.
30
Before lunch on a business day!
8
Trump sure is working hard to damage Joe Biden. Wouldn't it be funny if Biden didn't get the nomination and Trump lost in a landslide to any of the other candidates. Any of them.
He better get busy digging up dirt on the whole group! Get Barr in here now!
18
A peanut-gallery flying monkey, Corey Lewandowski, walked all over the House committee, stonewalled everything, all but lifted his leg on them, and walked away scot free. Unless the Trump's merry band of smirking men sees jail time or gets hit in the wallet, big-time, for subverting the interrogation process, none of this sideshow is going anywhere, and Trump will come out of it grinning and winning.
23
When narcissists and abusers are called out or rejected they often become stalkers. Is this what Trump was doing at the UN, stalking the Iranian leader? How many other world leaders is he stalking?
16
Nothing but questions. Are we now an enormous boiling frog of a country waiting for our demon chef to complete the kill? Were there ever in our history so many treacherous butchers, bloodying our democracy? Do we even have vocabulary for freelanced, international covert hobnobing to undermine U.S. Intelligence ---presumably paid for with taxpayer funds? Clearly, Nixon's guys were amateurs.
15
Triple down on the foreign interference.
How much is too much for the GOP?
Party over country x 3 = impeachment.
10
Barr is flying all over the world to discredit the Mueller report. He just had to go to places like Italy. It sounds like he's vacationing on the taxpayer's dime. He figures if Trump can vacation at the taxpayer's expense, so can he.
15
Wasn't there a Australian political guy who leaked of meeting,or heard a conversation in a bar 2yrs back that lead to prolonged speculation of Trump wrongdoing involving bad deep state actors? Trump, Pompeo and Barr better well get to the bottom of it.
3
So the doj was too busy arm twisting sovereign nations to be next up to bat to steal the next election, it seems, then to actually do its job investigating the multiple ignored assault and other allegations against our newest supreme court justice for life.
11
At the risk of being indelicate, when do these people do what we are paying them to do? It seems as if Trump and the rest of the government are chasing conspiracy theories in service to Trump. That is not doing the business of the people.
30
18 Months!
That's how long Mueller's appointment preceded any semblance of Democratic Control in Congress. May 17th, 2017 Mueller was appointed. Nov. 2018, the election that lost Republicans the House.
Trump was the reason for the investigation escalating, at every turn. His own words, often in public, are what led to his formal investigation.
11
Does anyone in the Trump Cirque Pathétique know the words SHAMEFUL and HUMILIATING that fit the errands of our outreach workers; Pompeo, Barr, and Giuliani?
Can anyone explain if it's extortion that's going on, or grovelling?
Who is doing what they're doing in an official capacity?
Can a private attorney of an employee in the White House get government paid supportive staff, office space, equipment and technology supplied to help their work?
Are there holding cells within the White House?
What federal agency workers are tasked with removing interfering intruders obstructing the important business of limited governance that generates from the White House?
How exactly does what our emissaries working with justice departments in other nations balance with what our emissaries are supposed to be doing?
We The People have questions requiring IMMEDIATE answers. After all, we're paying the bills, but see foxes trashing the henhouses and devouring those they're charged with to protect and defend. It has to stop immediately.
14
Morrison's agreement with Trump to investigate Australia's intelligence agencies is an easy give for our prime minister because he already knows there's probably nothing to be found there and that the man in Trump's sights is a diplomat with a peerless political pedigree in service of Queen and country. The big question is what did Trump offer in return? Did he threaten to weaken military cooperation under the ANZUS treaty? Morrison gets virtually no political kudos at home for cosying up to a foreign leader as grotesque and bent as Trump (apologies to my American friends for describing your president in such terms), so he has to be getting some sort of a favour from the US. What is it?
18
Trump didn't "push" Morrison into helping him.
Morrison owes Trump for winning the May 2019 federal election. He's now repaying his debt.
In the months leading up to it, DT appointed Arthur Boggess Culvahouse Jr. s the US Ambassador to Australia.
Cuvahouse participated in the Trump election campaign and has been active in Republican politics back to Reagan.
The election campaign mirrored the DT 2016, such as red baseball caps, a garment not seen here.
The conservatives were desperate to stop on of the main policies of a Labor government: an anti corruption watchdog at the federal level.
It was worth any amount of money to make absolutely certain that Labor lost.
Morrison had no policies and was told: if you've nothing to say, say nothing. He grinned his way through the campaign.
Members of his party who had been repeatedly outed for corruption were hidden away - made no public appearances.
Clive Palmer, a billionaire who is widely known for wage theft, spent A$60 million of publicity for his so-called party which existed for vote splitting. He now boasts of having corrupted the election.
They were aided and abetted by the Murdoch press which spun the most grotesque fantasies about the Labor Party's well thought out policies.
Morrison has a debt and is paying it out.
14
Our PM, Mr Morrison is very much a Trump fanboy and eager to please. Instead of heading to the climate change conference at the UN, he saw it as being more important to be a prop at one of Trump's re election rallies. Downer and Hockey are nothing more than party cronies, Ambassadorships for service rendered.
14
To risk one our least understood and most valuable allies as part of a political vendetta is inexcusable. Australia is a vital US ally and one does not treat allies as errand boys to fit the whims of a President who at best is obsessed and at worst totally unhinged about the kind of political scandal which Richard Nixon once dismissed as a "third rate burglary." It was, it was the cover-up that put Nixon in the Hall of Infamy despite several real accomplishments that will forever be forgotten because he unraveled under pressure. Trump's situation is 100 times worse, and those protecting him are quickly learning the futility of that fool's errand. Crucial alliances transcend party, presidencies and Congressional majorities. Our with Australia meets that test. We need them and they need us to deal with the most crucial threat to world peace--China. Russia is a close second. As a journalist educated primarily in history and political science and steeped in real patriotism (not today's phony interpretation), I feel sad, sick and disheartened tonight.
11
If there is any doubt about the complete lack of integrity among government employees, these leaks say it all!! These leakers are professional back-stabbers. The President should never release the transcripts of his calls. Period. Of course, Trump could turn the tables and start releasing transcripts of Obama's calls. I wonder how that would go over? I've had enough of this. If I had any doubts before, I don't now. I will vote for Trump and not even consider any alternative. And I'm a life-long Democrat who is disgusted with my party.
3
@Nash Thomas
Nash, you also speak for most of the Western world. We all despise what Trump and his horrible gang have done to your country and our planet.
2
I think I speak for all the Democrats when I say we’re equally disgusted with you.
15
Used to think the allegations against Trump on the Ukraine call wouldn’t hold much water. The reconstructed transcript made it seem that he could either be in the wrong or the right depending really on how you saw it. I could understand why the Republicans would side with him if he actually did want to investigate Biden in good faith.
But honestly, if he’s also trying to do this with Australia, I’m sure it’s happened multiple times with how god know how many other countries. He won’t even release the verbatim transcripts for crying out loud.
6
It has crossed the line to the ridiculous, confusing, conflicting and outrageous. I am not sure who or what to believe anymore. Maybe many sides, both sides and many institutions have to be investigated.
1
Two choices. You could believe the one person who lies nonstop, all day long, or you could believe anyone else.
8
Alexander Downer belongs to the right-wing conservative party in Australia. They are the soulmates of the Republicans. It is highly unlikely Downer or anyone from that party would be involved in a conspiracy against the Republican candidate.
8
The humor in this comment section, dark though it is, gets an A plus in my book!
Bravo!
Finally- something to laugh about!
6
Please lets put two stories together. First the Russians interfering into our elections in 2016 and followed by Trump cozying up to Putin and NOT speaking to him that election interference is unacceptable and will not be tolerated; consequences will ensue. Second, Ukraine; asking Zelensky to dig up dirt on Hunter Biden to affect Joe Biden, his opponent.
Obviously the closed conversations over the past year between Putin and Trump are clearly Putin directing Trump to do his bidding. My guess Putin has supplied Trump with all the loans/money he needs which he could not get from banks in the USA. And thus Trump and Putin have a deal and it is a big deal: do as I say because you owe me and I own you says Putin. There is no other reason explaining why they had multiple conversations that were not revealed even by trans script. And this is one big reason why Trump will not reveal his tax returns and financials. So why else would Trump with hold the Ukraine money for so long.?...for Putin. Putin is directing Trump how to deal with Ukraine for Putin’s benefit. And Trump is fine with that, he’s got his money so far. Its all about Trump.
9
is all this meddling in the affairs of other countries what Trump means by respecting their sovereignty, something he emphasized to the UN while an impeachment inquiry began.
5
Do the right wing US conspiracy theorists (and Trump) realise that the Australian ambassador to the UK, Alexander Downer, is from the absolute conservative establishment families of Australia? A former politician, he used to be leader of the Liberal (conservative) party in Australia. It's laughable to we Australians that he's being painted as some sort of deep state, Clinton-loving stooge.
12
Absolutely correct!
2
Mac, they don’t know their Adelaide from a hole in the ground. They think you walk upside down and that Mel Gibson is a kind of martini.
5
The impeachment wagon has now crested the summit. Most of the people jumping aboard are neglecting the fact that there is no safe path down this mountain.
We are at the point where the leaking of confidential presidential phone calls (by historically rouge intelligence agencies) is being celebrated. No one sees any issue with the type of precedent this sets?
After the Mueller inquiry, did we fail to ask ourselves if just maybe an ulterior motive may have prompted this entire inquiry? How did it all begin?
Do you think half the country will just let this go without jeopardizing our entire republic? Anyone encouraging this impeachment inquire should really reflect on outcome. He will never be removed from office by the senate and people are starting to see the hypocrisy. I seriously can't think of any way the democratic party benefits from this.
Many think democrats would rather focus on protecting the feelings of Illegal immigrants than working for the citizens that they are supposedly representing. I'll admit that Republicans are very corrupt, the democrats as a whole are no better and as a bonus talk about taking away peoples constitutionally granted rights.
Abolish the electoral college, take away the second amendment, censor and criminalize any free speech we don't agree with. Mob rule has been tried before, the citizens of Athens never forgave themselves after putting Socrates to death. I don't love Trump but I do love this country. Please be rational.
5
@RSB
“I seriously can't think of any way the democratic party benefits from this.”
It’s not about THE PARTY.
It’s about oversight - that which a democratically controlled Congress is tasked with on behalf of our nation and in defense of our Constitution....
their oath of office...like trumps oath of office.
You clearly have democrats confused with republicans who most certainly put party before country.
10
@AACNY
I agree and I am neither a democrat or republican. I don't know if Trump is corrupt, but I do know how people act when they are guilty. Trump is not acting guilty at all. Guilty people don't quickly release classified information to try to clear themselves. They deny, deny, deny, then deflect and try to buy themselves time.
Some democrats are also not acting how you'd expect people to act if they were really in fear for our national security. Schiff thinks it's appropriate to do a satire amid such a serious situation and Pelosi is now praying for Trump?
Something's up, there is absolutely more going on here than meets the eye. If one is able to take a step back for a moment and disregard personal bias, it's pretty clear that what they are afraid of somehow affects them individually.
I know this may sound far fetched but it is extremely naive to disregard all possibilities in favor of blind partisanship. Truth always seems to be stranger than fiction.
1
Everyday we see that the rot has spread well beyond our shores. If only those top secret encrypted messages were available to a small committee of the highest integrity with no political axe to grind. The information gleaned would no doubt blow the lid on Trump and his henchmen's malfeasance sky high.
6
Property conman is up to his normal business. His paranoia is just pushing him towards activities that are about Trump image first and not that much to do with the American image (which is all time lows in Europe). Haggling with foreign governments has been a long term tradition and with Putin and Prince Kill You if I Don't Like You as mentors, what do you expect.
2
The letter from Mr Hockey, Australian ambassador to the US, to Mr Barr is dated May 28, 2019.
Four months later Mr Trump gives Mr Morrison, Australian Prime Minister, a State dinner at the White House.
10
If Trump is looking for a competent, successful, and focused ally to act as his crony, he's barking up the wrong tree with Morrison.
13
I am wondering why nobody is drawing any parallels between the anonymous whistle-blower and "Deep Throat," the anonymous informant of Woodward & Bernstein in the Watergate scandal. Two secret informants, but Nixon never had the gall to try to hound Deep Throat into submission.......
6
@Piri Halasz
he did, just via attempting to stop all newspapers from reporting on it.
@Liz rynex--yes, but this was not quite the same as threatening to expose Deep Throat's identity.
there is a "deep state" - it's called the constitution.....
35
This is all uncle Vlad’s plan. Help Trump get elected and at the right moment pull the rug out showing Trump supporters that they voted for a Russian agent.
18
@Stevered
more like Houdini; he seems capable of getting Trump into, and out of anything.
1
William Barr needs to go. He is doing the job of Trump's consigliere, not Attorney General of the people of the US.
These guys don't get it. They are public servants. They are supposed to be working for us, not flying around with the likes of Sebastian Gorka who's going overseas with Pompeo; they sure as heck are not supposed to be freelancing foreign policy and coercing foreign governments to spy on Americans!
This is bizarre and deeply disturbing.
Trump one expects just about anything but Pompeo and Barr are theoretically intelligent and well-educated therefore, you know what, they are just big time criminals and should be treated as such.
44
@Sophia Best AG in Decades. He is an intellectual that, puts up with no corruption. Great Combination.
2
@Sophia
It really is so bizarre and disturbing. Why are all of these people volunteering to do these insane things? What is in it for them? Do they not see a future without Trump as the boss? Do they think they'll be able to get away with these crimes and that they'll simply move on from these jobs presumably to greater glory with no consequences?
6
So Barr knew of this unlawful collusion call and hid it. Thereby becoming an instigator for a cover-up of a crime, which by itself is also a crime. While being the Attorney General. I guess jail time for Barr after 2020 or 2024 is a high probability now. If I were him, I'd worry. A lot.
33
@Ed
knew of it? he probably set it up.
If he reached out to Australia....Australia!?!?!.... to help smear his political opponents, to whom did he NOT reach out to. I’ll bet there are others. Saudi Arabia, Russia, India, Brazil, just to name a few of the more obvious.
36
I thought that Trump and his ilk believed the Mueller report to be a ‘nothingburger’, which it actually didn’t). So....Why then is the attorney general flying all over the world - at our expense, btw - for the purpose of trying to discredit it and it’s sources ?
30
@EBD Nadler was talking Impeachment a week ago. On the Russian Hoax. Created by the Democrats.
1
@John, Nadler was investigating Trump for breaking the emolument clause. Ya know, sending troops out of the way to stay at his failing five star resorts in foreign countries.
We are fools - 300 million of us to think this man ever be honest. He is known among the Lawyers in NYC that have been against him in litigation that even under oath he lies. He insults and ultimately he wins.
Let us not be naive that Impeachment t would remove him. It won’t.
He will lie. And he may actually try to bring our country down in the meantime.
Pray for ourselves.
19
Trump, Pompeo, Barr and Pence. It's like watching the political version of Don Vito, Sonny, Michael and Fredo Corleone.
22
...likely the main thing on trump’s mind right now is how this scandal is going to play with the Nobel Prize folks.
23
I know many consider discussing the personal and physical characteristics of officials to be unseemly but I still have to ask: Why is it that three of the four top officials in the current administration are obese? Trump, Barr, and Pompeo. I can't recall any parallel in the Obama administration. Can people who, in this day and age, can not manage their own bodies intelligently be trusted to manage the nation? I say not.
24
@phil
Would your aesthetics prefer that this gigantic political mess be run by Pence, Carson, Perry...etc.?
Republicans chuckle at "Trump derangement syndrome" on the part of Democrats.
Here we have our POTUS who is clearly still running against HRC of 2016. He will not quit her. The GOP has been obsessed with crucifying HRC for over 30 years now, talk about 'derangement syndrome' anyone?
Are Trump and Barr looking for evidence to back up their conclusions? Does Trump plan to run in 2020 on the slogan 'But Hillary's Emails!! MAGA!!!" ? It's getting old and tired and Trump needs to let go but he wants his pound of flesh.
Witch hunts on the left, witch hunts on the right, stuck in the middle with no place to go the citizens watch in helplessness as Washington burns?
17
@Elizabeth why? Nadler is still after this stuff. A week ago he was still talking Impeachment.
1
Another moth to that flame... Now we may see Barr brought to justice, too, as he has agreed to do Trump's unlawful, all-about-Trump bidding. Yes, may there be yet some justice.
13
That anyone still buys the small fingered vulgarian’s con is the story here, but marks are always reluctant to admit they’ve been had.
10
Barr is doing his job and asking these countries to investigate election interference.
Mainstream (Democrat) media is turning it into Barr asking them to block the Mueller investigation.
Making stuff up like usual and very afraid what might come of this.
On the same vein why did Democrats send a letter to Ukraine threatening to withhold money if they didn't cooperate in the Mueller probe?
5
Ha.
Yes standard for American top legal to go to other countries to find evidence that our law enforcement won’t make up. That’s normal. Hey everyone. Want us to support your country? Support my conspiracy theories or else...
7
@Ari
That's what I'd say too if I were trying (and failing) to defend a traitor president like Donald Trump.
8
George W. Bush invited our then Prime Minister, little Johnny Howard, to the rare state dinner also. Previously, he'd termed little Johnny the "Man of Steel". All this because little Johnny had been compliant in each and every US request for political or military support, rightly or wrongly.
In Scott Morrison, our current PM leading the same obnoxious right wing party as little Johnny, Donald J. Trump finds another compliant lickspittle even less insightful than the first.
And given Morrison's accidental rise to power (he was the least bad member the Liberal Party could agree upon), his ridiculous love of coal - the substance itself, his warped view of reality courtesy of membership in a wacko christian cult, his unmoved ability to imprison and vilify asylum-seekers, his clandestine efforts to oppress the press, his appeals to the rich, religious, and gullible via textbook fake-news strategies during the recent federal election, Mr Trump couldn't find a better acolyte than our PM.
Hence, Mr Trump called him the "Man of Titanium". Which is rather apt actually: Bright and shiny on the outside, but a poor conductor, and ultimately, a lightweight.
Dear Americans, just as our government offered no critical appraisal of the case for the Gulf War, so they will offer none with respect to any concerns you may have about your President.
15
The only deep state I can see is republican run.
12
“Ladies and Gentlemen, we have the final tally for the electoral and popular vote for the 2020 Presidential Election. The Democratic ticket has garnered 372 electoral votes and 84,984,828 popular votes while the Republican candidate won 52,346,543 popular votes and 987 electoral votes, including the districts of Pyongyang, Moscow, Riyadh, and the 51st state of Mar-a-Lago.”
11
William P. Barr, a John Mitchell in waiting.
16
Whataboutism and false equivalency are the life blood of the Republican attack machine, of which we will have never seen the likes of before!
13
@38-year-old guy Whataboutism classic. Trump Ukraine hoax. They didn’t like Biden going down for his collusion with Ukraine and Hunter son. A Ukrainian oligarch.
2
Historians will one day judge the Trump administration as the most pernicious, inept, evil, vindictive, damaging and anti-American in the 243-year history of the United States.
25
Here you can read the level of American thinking. It is all over the place. No Causality, no logic, no analysis. Just formal superficial behaviorist elaboration on fiction.
All fake.
2
Now we know why trump declared his phone call with Ukraine ‘perfect’. He’s been perfecting his abuse of power with other calls to foreign leaders. How many more will surface?
9
The more egregious this man’s demonstrable offenses are, the more incredulous his supporters grow. After all, this must be a vast conspiracy, right? Otherwise we would be dealing with an unbelievably ignorant, incompetent, venal, paranoid, and dishonest person with no moral compass. And what would ever give anyone the idea that Trump could be those things?
8
Trying to keep up...OK, so we have the Ukraine shakedown, the tax return whistleblower/IRS audit scam and now the Australia thing.
Trump is calling for the Ukraine call whistleblower to be executed. He's trying to get Rep Schiff arrested and he's threatening civil war.
I think that's it, for now.
13
Let’s look at checks and balances of our Constitution and who talked about ‘draining the swamp’, the self interested leader who personifies ‘the swamp’.
4
Anyone remember “the anonymous essay” published in this paper last year about how “the grownups” were silently subverting Trump and making sure his agenda was quashed? Say what you want about the idea of “the Deep State,” but this president definitely is battling a strong cabal of enemies who want to derail him (and by extension the electorate’s will — yes, technically he lost the popular vote, but America has the Electoral College which needs to be respected until formally repealed). In essence we’re witnessing a coup d’etat. Trump wanted to uncover the trail and expose this nefarious group, hence his request to assist in investigating them, including officially with Barr.
3
Trump is derailing himself. No one made him call a foreign leader to investigate his political rival. He’s probably done it before we just didn’t know it.
6
Not a coup. This is congressional oversight and it’s written into the Constitution. Yes, a lot of people disagree with Trump and his agenda. They’re all acting under the powers granted them by the Constitution. More than trump can say.
7
The nail in the GOP coffin will be this combined with the economy they are going to collapse.
4
@Stevered Keep rooting for your recession. Classy!
3
Interest rate cuts and declining growth all while at full employment!?!? It’s called connecting the dots.
1
My guess is that if all of the rabbit holes were followed, most of the republican party and NRA leadership would be in jail. I would like to see sanctions , hard sanctions placed on Russia right now, let's let them know we aren't amused. Next let's start a commission of the likes we have never seen to take the time, years if needed to ferret out all of the corruption, mob ties and no telling what else in our government.
7
We have an incredibly close intelligence relationship with Australia. They are part of the Five Eyes alliance of English speaking countries with us so are duty bound to investigate and share information with the Justice Department.
Still, they have got to be shaking their heads over this. A president of the United States, driven to extreme distraction by conspiracy theories, is digging for proof that Russia was not behind the meddling with the 2016 US elections. That the nefarious activities were really done by the Democrats, Ukraine, Australia and the UK.
Donald Trump is no longer capable, if he ever was, of understanding who our country's friends and enemies are. How in the world can he continue to be President of the United States when he doesn't even know these basic facts?!
12
@Chris
But Australia’s PM appears to be a mini-me of Trump.
1
If Trump really thought that this call, and the one to Ukraine, was so fabulous and perfect, why did he hide it on a secure server?
Clearly, he knew he was doing something wrong.
19
A government at war with itself. An intentionally confusing and convoluted argument over truth. Can we ever have consensus again? I fear the efforts by Trump, Barr, Guliani, and their Republican cheer squad, Graham and Nunes, will just turn indendents off so they simply tune out.
OK, enough with these watered down so-called “memorandum of transcripts”, like Nixon’s highly edited transcripts of the secret tape recordings he made of conversations in the oval office.
We need to see/hear the FULL conversations Trump had with the heads of state of Ukraine and Australia.
And while we’re at it, the Putin conversations, too, especially seeing as how he’s so anxious to keep them secret!
8
There are comments on Australian press reports of our Ambassador to the US - also a Trump toadie, obliging Trump on this matter as well as the PM. Some are asking PM Morrison to resign. It is, as the NYT says, a request to ask our government to investigate itself for Trump's personal advantage.
Unfortunately our PM is copying a lot of Trump tactics, thus being misleading at his UN speech about the rise in Australia's carbon emissions since this ghastly government came to power. To top it off, the Labor Opposition is less brave with a new leader, after Labor's loss at the 2019 election. Narrow loss but the ALP has gone quiet.
6
If the Mueller report completely exonerates Trump, as he claims, then why is he working so hard to discredit it?
12
The alleged conspiracy around Australia and Alexander Downer makes no sense whatsoever. Downer is/was a member of the LNP (Australia's equivalent of the Republican party). And in 2016 when the meeting with Papadopoulos took place, the LNP (again, read Republican) was in power and still is. Why would Australia's right wing party conspire to help the Democrats?
2
As a retired gov’t engineer all I can see is a giant waste of energy while we ignore real problems.
4
@Joan Carpenter
Prosecuting a criminal like Trump is never a waste of energy.
6
I suppose I shouldn't have been surprised as the country that chose their polluting mining lobby over their environment was obviously going to toady to their American Oligarch masters. Democrats when you regain the Presidency remember to disincentivize such behavior so they learn not to do it again, or they will.
I find the majority of the comments quite humorous. Barr & Durham are doing their jobs, period. Let the cards fall as they may. Most commenters just want the see Trump go. Are they afraid to hear the truth?
5
Can Dems proceed impeaching Mike Pence and remove Mt Barr from his cabinet position along with impeaching Trump?
It seems that many more Trump accomplices are part of the crime and helped Trump to continue undermining US national interest and pursuing personal political agenda while dealing with foreign leaders and wile blocking all internal oversight processes by Muller and Congressional investigations.
3
Eventually Barr is headed for prison. Nixon’s AG
John Mitchell is the example Barr will follow; Found guilty of conspiracy, obstruction of justice, and perjury and sentenced to prison and disbarred from the practice of law in New York.
9
Everybody remember to keep cool and not easily roused to anger or violence which is exactly what the Republicans want so they can blame you Democrats for any future conflict, when in fact, the Republican leadership as a whole, should stand trial for crimes against the people. We are on the verge of conflict being instigated by Republicans with the express purpose of instituting martial law permanently as a smoke screen to evade justice in known political and civilian murders that implicate several White House administrations. There will be justice through knowledge, as well as wits and not weapons. Hold your aggressions and act only in self defense. Only act in self defense if the Republicans take action. It appears they are lining up support from nations we have been reading about for years here.
2
The fact that the Trump administration is going around the world looking for ways to discredit the American intelligence agencies should give ammunition to anyone who is questioning whether Trump is a Russian asset. He clearly is!
9
What’s being investigated by the Trump administration is the only thing that Pres. Trump clearly views as a crime: telling the truth.
3
We are now officially a banana republic.
My real question is what will the US Military do if this situation rapidly devolves into an all out collapse of the Executive Branch?
3
Will the Republican representatives that furthered his lies face any consequences? Other than, (Hopefully) not being re-elected. Mitch McConnell, Jim Jordon, Kevin McCarthy, Ted Cruz, etc. etc.
2
The New York Times and other responsible media outlets should stop using the right-wing, paranoid term "deep state" -- even in quotation marks. Instead, let's name what Trump really sees as a threat: law-abiding, career government workers who entered government service because they care about the public good instead of ravenous private gain. Using the term "deep state," even in quotation marks, means we're absorbing and promulgating the poisonous rhetoric and mentality of Trump and his morally bankrupt enablers.
19
Yes, thank you! Words matter.
2
John Jay made an argument for Federalism, foremost we as a new nation required "security for the preservation of peace and tranquility, as well as against dangers from FOREIGN ARMS AND INFLUENCE, as from dangers of the LIKE KIND arising from domestic causes." (his emphasis)
It seems that the President and his people are too busy seeking power to be doing their jobs.
1
Mueller repeatedly said that the origins of the Russia investigation were "outside of his purview".
This was a US government sponsored investigation into a presidential campaign and then sitting president. That is incredible. When it was found that the lead investigators running the inquiry had anti-Trump bias, and they had used unverified Clinton opposition research in their evidence, this raises legitimate questions about the origins of the investigation. Some of that unverified info came from Australia, so Trump needs to ask the Australian government for help investigating. Please stop covering these stories in a way that blatantly ignores the possibility that Trump is actually trying to expose corruption.
3
The Australian diplomat (Alexander Downer) who met with Papadopoulos is not, and never was a spy. While I do not agree with his politics, I believe him to be an honourable man (insofar as politicians can be). His politics are to the right and it's hard to believe that he would be doing any favours for Obama. I think most Australians would agree with that assessment.
Prime Minister Morrison is from the same political party as Downer, but is a very different sort of person. He is a right wing evangelical, ex salesman who has shown in his short term as prime minister that he will lie and spin to save himself and his party from embarrassment.
Before Morrison's meeting with Trump, there was a lot of concern here that he would toady up to Trump and it seems that our fears have materialised. However, I do not believe that he would allow our government's resources to be used to make false claims about Downer (fingers crossed). Unfortunately, I do not have the same faith that Trump will be honest in dealing with any information he gets from Australia. Whatever information Trump gets from Australia, he will spin it to suit his purposes.
I think Americans can believe that Downer's accusations of Papadopoulos are valid and will be supported by the Australian government.
6
To KMW: It appears that this is a cover-up. Republicans will stop at nothing to derail impeachment and keep President Trump in office. They will leave no stone unturned. Americans will eventually tire of this and turn on the Republicans. The Republicans in office are so happy that all the attention in on the impeachment inquiry and not on how day in and out they are obstructionists to solving issues. Republicans will lose at the ballot box and pay dearly for years to come.
8
No Democrat has ANY credibility being anti-Trump on this matter as long as they are defending Biden with the other side of their face.
The Biden family took hundreds of thousands out of the terribly impoverished Ukraine, at the nadir of its desperate troubles against Russia, and then used blackmail regarding foreign aid to obstruct Ukrainian justice that was looking into this.
If that can be excused, then any opposition to Trump is purely partisan-political, and not based on any universal moral or legal standards.
2
@Observer
Wow! Where'd you get that?
8
"In making the request — one of many at Mr. Barr’s behest — Mr. Trump was in effect asking the Australian government to investigate itself."
If, in fact, Alexander Downer, a member of the Australian government with links to the Clinton Foundation, was complicit in assembling and peddling phony information about ties between the Trump campaign and Russia, why shouldn't Trump ask the Australian government to investigate itself? Of course, this allegation, which certainly has a ring of credibility about it, would implicate a US ally in interfering with as US presidential election. But apparently if a foreign government, even an ally, interferes with a US election that is no big deal to the progressives, as long as they are interfering on behalf of the side they deemed worthy of foreign interference.
1
What about the Qatar embargo?
When details of that affair explained, America will feel real shame.
Jared Requests money , When They didn't give money , Trump administration placed embargo.
I am waiting that news.
4
@su
I don’t know what you’re talking about but if what you say is true, that is clear and pure extortion.
1
" President Trump pushed the Australian prime minister during a recent telephone call to help Attorney General William P. Barr gather information for a Justice Department inquiry that Mr. Trump hopes will discredit the Mueller investigation, according to two American officials with knowledge of the call."
Hmm. Why would Trump feel this necessary, since he claims that the Mueller investigation completely exonerated him, and proved that there was no collusion and no wrong-doing at all. IN ALL CAPS. In repetitive tweets.
Why might this be?
4
If this was a script for a movie, no one would produce it.... it is just incredible. My head is spinning. Republicans have no clue what the Oath of Office really means. Democracy is at stakes.
6
And so the American soap opera continues....this is better than Dallas! Perhaps it's a bit more melodramatic and a bit more like daytime soaps...plus the lead actor : ( Not that believable...kinda over-acts. Sure...our Canadian leader has some flaws, but hey, who's perfect?
We're a bit early for Halloween so I don't think this is a witch hunt. Good luck America.
5
During the hearings the Democrats should to use a recording similar to the voice of the president every time they reference the transcript. Listening to the tape from Nixon had an incriminating effect.
As revelations step on themselves it appears Mr. Barr is now the focal point of shenanigans formally the main occupation of Mr. Giuliani and slowly diminishes his credibility concerning the Mueller-Report. ...The impeachment of Bill Clinton took three months with nowhere near the steady stream of this 'Keystone Cop' activity. ...With the unethical facts being compiled on this administration it's beginning to appear that the Nixon Watergate impeachment is a trickle compared to this and the resignation of Trump is becoming more of a reality.
2
Turns out Trump is a globalist - just more of a global crime boss than entrepreneur or president.
133
@IM
He's nowhere near smart enough to be a global crime boss.
(Would that he were ... it'd probably be the end of global crime, he's run it into the ground.)
3
In trying to collude with other global leaders, he’s exposing all the bad apples. Trump IS rooting out corruption! ...just not the way he intended.
1
@IM, his followers who are anti globalists have no idea that right in front of their noses Trump is inviting foreign governments to spy and find dirt on American citizens. The dictionary now has a new definition for traitors.
1
In addition to Trump’s own
impeachment—I would bet the ranch, at a minimum, the House will impeach him—we are poised to learn how many others were fools to do his dirty work, oh yeah.
43
Is Jeff Sessions the only one that Trump brought on board that left with his reputation intact? Now we may not agree with Session's political views, but he maintained his ethics.
38
All this smacks of a dictatorship. Using executive powers (and the Justice Dept in the form of William Barr) for personal political ends.
The only unusual aspect, given Trump’s general aversion to any place other the comfort of his own homes and to foreigners in general, is his insistence at obtaining assistance from abroad; or maybe like some Americans, he thinks he is master of the whole world, and the rest of the world exists to make Trump great again
22
@mm: trump was never great, simply an artful con artist and an outrageous, phony fraudster, from whom some people felt it was difficult to look away; they were caught in some horrible fascination...and as for making him great "again," --- No one has ever turned a pig's ear into a silk purse. He was always just what he is now.
5
So, basically, all we need to do is walk along Embassy Row and ask just how frequently the ambassadors and their governments’ leaders have been leaned on by the t-Rump protection gang. You know, the CIA probably already has this info. It is more than beyond time for the intelligence community to look to the spirit of the Constitution and speak out against sedition, abuse of power and flat out criminal acts of blackmail.
25
Our President reconsises no limits on his abuse of his power, which makes his impeachment ever more important
21
I guess I don’t understand why the Trump Administration is still harping on the 2016 election. He won, didn’t he? I find the chat between Trump and the Ukrainian President much more troubling since it appears to be focused on undermining Joe Biden in the 2020 election.
33
@BettyDavisEyes
If he can knock down the Russia interference in the 2016 election the those sanctions will have to be lifted.
Settle the invasion of Ukraine by forcing them to settle with Russia and the second sanctions have to be lifted.
Build Trump Tower Moscow, collect one billion dollars.
3
@BettyDavisEyes
Until the latest sham, Nadler was still going to impeach the President on 2016 Russia Hoax. Keep up.
@BettyDavisEyes
In Trump’s world all successes have to be “bigly,” and all failures — well they just don’t exist.
Trump will never stop trying to create “alternate facts” with created “evidence” until we all agree that:
1) Russia didn’t interfere in the 2016 election
2) Any interference from any foreign government was in support of Democrats
3) Trump won not only the Electoral College vote, but the popular vote, as well
4) The only reason the popular vote wasn’t recorded in his favor was because of all the illegal votes cast by undocumented aliens.
2
While I don't expect Trump to be logical, his actions are extremely contradictory to his statements. If there was "no collusion" with Russia and the Mueller investigation was "fake news," why the need to discredit them? If the Ukraine calls and Giuliani investigation into Biden and his son's business connections are so legitimate, why did it take subpoenas and the threat of impeachment to release the "transcript" of the call and why the threats to the whistleblower? While I previously felt that lying was a part-time, albeit daily, activity of Trump, now I've come to believe that everything he says is either twisted reality or outright lies. Impeachment cannot come too soon.
36
The Moscow Times reported that Putin doesn't want the text of his phone calls with Trump to be made public. Is that the next phone call to be released?
And really Vlad, there is no higher incentive than to tell the free press in free countries not to report something. That is tantamount to a major request to scramble to get the info and get it on the front page.
42
We can't afford school lunches for hungry kids. We can't afford health care for every American. We can't afford blankets, clean water, and diapers for the little children we cage on our border. But we can afford to cut taxes on the wealthy. And we can finance months-long investigations attempting to corroborate Trump's paranoid hallucinations, investigations that I'm sure involve worldwide luxury travel and government security precautions for an army of wackadoodle lawyers and cuckoo "informants."
Trump's priorities must make Republicans so proud to be American!
43
The most obvious conclusion from all of Trump's antics is that he is obsessed with his own election success and image, and not at all concerned about Americans and our nation. Remember his concern about the size of his vote? Then the crowd size at his inauguration. Then the idea that Russia had helped him, even though he asked for their help. This man is driven by and obsessed with his narcissism. No American should feel well served by such a self centered person.
41
@Maine Islands, his obsession with the number of empty seats at his rallies is ... interesting. He explained that there were only a few empty seats at a recent rally, and that the attendees were most likely in the bathroom.
Now, that's the attention to detail that makes a president great. :(
4
"The discussion with Mr. Morrison also shows the extent to which Mr. Trump views the attorney general as a critical partner." New York Times, you are a model of tact and restraint.
18
It is amazing to me that, when given the choice between believing what comes from the many voices that constitute our press and whatever comes out of Trump's big mouth, a lot of people choose the latter. Is it fear, or intellectual laziness that drives this?
19
@Susan
I can’t speak for those who continue to back this man, but I think it may be because they are both content with their current lot and have reached the point of intractability when it comes to admitting they might not be entirely right in their unbridled support of said individual.
For those who believe Trump may be guilty of requesting foreign interference in our elections, obstruction of justice, etc., please don’t rub it in the faces of fellow citizens who support him. “I told you so” makes it much harder for the one that was told to relent.
2
The Times does know that the Australian government responded to Trump's request back in May:
Dear Attorney General,
I refer to President Trump�s announcement on 24 May that you will investigate the origins of the Federal Bureau of Investigations probe into Russian links to the 2016 US election.
I note that the President referred to Australia, the United Kingdom and the Ukraine as potential stakeholders. Moreover, I note that he has declassified intelligence material to support your investigation.
The Australian Government will use its best endeavors to support your efforts in this matter.
4
So, Trump is turning to like-minded wanna be authoritarians who will toady up to him for a moment in the orange glare he casts?
And Bill Barr went to Italy last week to seek more support in the effort to pin the blame on anyone but Putin for the Russian interference in our election?
And Trump’s base, as well as the Republican Party, continue to parrot talking points provided by the likes of Sean Hannity and Tucker Carlson?
This isn’t from Orwell’s “1984.” This is a remake of George A. Romero’s “Night of the Living Dead.”
21
Quinnipiac Poll last week showed 57% against impeachment and 37% in favor. This week a swing, 47% against and 47% in favor. A 20 point net change in a week is dramatic; just how significant, we need more time to know.
22
@blgreenie: A CBS poll said 55% FOR impeachment.
3
Excellent.
We are getting to the bottom of the deep state coup against a lawfully elected president.
Hopefully, justice will come soon.
21
@Cjmesq0:
Ah, so that's the spin with which don's supporters are comforting themselves.
Was wondering.
108
@Cjmesq0 Impeachment is for lawfully elected Presidents who do bad things in office, guy.
91
@Cjmesq0
He lost by 3M votes. Hardly elected at all.
107
What a sick twisting of the truth. It is hard to discredit the Russiagate hoax any more than it already discredited itself. But one can and should find out how it came about, who instigated it and how, and what illegal acts were committed in the process. Crimes should be investigated and punished. Even if they were committed against Trump.
25
@David You have it backward. It should state "Even if they were committed by Trump".
There, fixed it.
26
You really think this Man cares one minute about truth. It is all about spin not truth. It is about muddling and mis representation. It all started the day after the inauguration When one Sean Spicer had to go out and pretend this was the biggest inauguration crowd ever. That was the beginning of the spin and now it has just been lie after lie after lie. When you all try to make the lies possibilities you undermine our constitution.
25
The Russiagate “hoax” resulted in numerous guilty pleas and indictments, and produced evidence of dozens of meetings between the Trump campaign and the Russians, as well as lies about those meetings. Not to mention multiple acts of obstruction by Trump himself. Read the report.
30
Although it has been proven that the Clinton campaign was behind the Steele dossier and the phoney Russian inquiry, what is wrong with our President trying to get to the bottom of the corruption within our intelligence agencies and those who tried to frame him? In addition, the NYT headline of this article is highly biased.
22
Actually, Republicans were initially behind the Steele dossier...
137
@Steve
How about personally pursuing an investigation is not within his job description and, wait for it, YOU DON’T ASK FOREIGN GOVERNMENTS FOR A HELPING HAND.
92
@Steve When you say "behind the Steele dossier," it isn't quite that cut and dried. Wiki:
"In October 2015, Fusion GPS was contracted by conservative political website The Washington Free Beacon to provide general opposition research on Trump and other Republican presidential candidates. In April 2016, an attorney for Hillary Clinton's campaign and the DNC separately hired Fusion GPS to investigate Trump, while The Free Beacon stopped its backing in May of 2016. In June 2016, Fusion GPS subcontracted Steele's firm to compile the dossier. DNC officials denied knowing their attorney had contracted with Fusion GPS, and Steele asserted he was not aware the Clinton campaign was the recipient of his research until months after he contracted with Fusion GPS. Following Trump's election as president, funding from Clinton and the DNC ceased, but Steele continued his research and was reportedly paid directly by Fusion GPS co-founder Glenn R. Simpson. While compiling the dossier, Steele passed information to both British and American intelligence services."
56
Trump is NOT our problem. Those who cover for him, support him, lie for him, and ignore every moral their parents ever instilled in them are our biggest problem.
They are all traitors - every single one. They are so wrapped up in "winning" and "beating" the Democrats that they've forgotten their basic responsibility to our democratic values, our democracy and to humanity as a whole.
As an example, Mitch McConnell and the RNC can only look towards spitting out vile ads in swing states vs. actually admitting and acknowledging that we have an unfit president.
Winning.
1127
@Kelly
Republican politicians don’t work for you or your country. They work for their sponsors and for their sponsors Trump is doing a great job. Biggest tax cut in American history, maybe in any history. Historic bigly tax cut, bankrolled by your country’s debt.
53
@Kelly
Please, this is not a time to go off the edge with weird discoveries or exaggerated language. Real, daily, discoveries are plenty:
"Trump is NOT our problem."
If not ours, whose problem is he @Kelly?
"Those who cover for him, support him, lie for him, and ignore every moral their parents ever instilled in them are our biggest problem."
Agree. If not for trump, what would these people be doing to subvert democracy in the United States this afternoon?
I get your idea, but your language suggests that we should focus on someone other than trump right now. That's not what I am doing.
26
@Kelly He'd be a good start.
19
Ukraine, Australia - where do we stop over next?
If Rudy Giuliani is the personal lawyer to the President, what exactly is the position of William Barr?
7
Trump: Hi, Xi, since we are good friends, could you do me some favor to help Ivanka has her business in China, or could you hack into DNC computer system? We will be very nice to give you a great trade deal.
Xi: No way unless you know how to do good gun control in your contry.
That's how the trade war begins......
3
Choose your narrative:
A) Trump and his administration are the deeper state fighting a patriotic battle to conquer the 'Deep State'
B) Trump and his administration have become a deep state and are now sinking deeper into both illegitimacy and illegality
2
Barr personally asked foreign officials to aid inquiry into CIA, FBI activities in 2016, NO WAY!!! If this is the case why do ALL GOP politicians have an American flag on their lapel? Who are they trying to fool?
11
The New York Timed is complicit in these illegal leaks.
Tomorrow I definitely will cancel my subscription and this time the “account recovery specialist” will get no where with me
Hey people, just call and complain and they’ll knock your fee in half, just like the cable people
9
“The discussion was another instance of the president using American diplomacy for potential personal gain.” Oh I get it... just like Joe Biden used American diplomacy for potential personal game for his son Hunter when he said “You ain’t getting that $1 billion Ukraine unless you fire the prosecutor who is investigating the company my son works for.” Oh, but the mainstream media has decided Biden is Innocent. Of course!
5
@David: Trump and his minions are spreading lies about Joe Biden because Joe Biden was beating Trump with two digits in recent polls. Standard Republican practice because they don’t have anything else to offer the American people. But now Trump got himself an impeachment investigation by trying to strong arm a foreign head of state to start an “investigation” to support his lies.
11
@David
The company Hunter Biden was working for was NOT under investigation when Joe Biden, on behalf the US, the EU and the IMF, got the corrupt prosecutor dismissed because he was not doing his job. These two points have been made repeatedly by multiple news sources. So tired that Republicans refuse to absorb these facts.
6
@David
The Hunter Biden investigation was dropped by Shokin long before Joe Biden and others, as part of an international coalition, called for Shokin's dismissal. This is another false equivalence deflecting from Trump's clear criminality.
6
Just when you think things couldn't get any crazier or worse,
both the president of the United States and the Attorney General implicate themselves for clearly impeachable offenses by seeking help from foreign nationals to:
1) completely discredit the work of U.S. Intelligence officers
(Republican and Democratic members at that) who found unequivocally that Russia interfered in our 2016 election to aid Trump's election with a well coordinated propaganda campaign; hacking and infiltrating all 50 states computer election systems mind you along the way.
2) discredit the FBI in their clearance of Hillary and her emails because the "deep state conspiracy theorists" just can't be all wrong.
3) ease the paranoia of a narcissistic, pathological liar who happens to sit in the Oval Office because voter fraud was
completely debunked and Trump can't handle the fact that he lost the popular vote by a margin of nearly 3 million votes.
4) thicken the smokescreen around the fact that multiple associates of Trump and his campaign team have been indicted for crimes and gone to jail.9And that's without all the sexual misconduct issues.)
5) Stroke Barr's ego that he is the roughest, toughest, (and most unethical and dishonest) Attorney General ever to jack up the premise of an imperial presidency since Roy Cohn.
(When Barr makes Sessions look preferable, you know we're in trouble.)
Wow just wow! Can we stoop any lower? It seems so.
13
You must be joking.
Trump asked a foreign power whose state employee had been complicit in a false narrative to look into it.
So. What.
11
@Tourbillon - Corruption is of no consequence, you say?
Sheez. This country is done.
12
It's beginning to look a lot like Chip-mas.
Lots of them are falling all over the place.
10
Like Hillary and the DNC did not seek foreign help in the last presidential election, The same rubes that believed that the assassination of ambassador Stevens was because of a video.
8
@Scott Ewing
She didn't, they didn't
Ted Cruz did
Besides, she wasn't President - abuse of the power of the office is the problem here
Glad you admit it
8
The info you refer was brought before the Clinton campaign. And she wasn’t a sitting president using the most powerful office in the world to coerce a foreign power into taking down a fellow American.
11
Trump could have at any time hired a company to do opposition research. Having Bar and Pompeo doing it is illegal.
Trump apparently sees himself as Emperor of the World with the power to boss and command petty rulers as though they are his hunting dogs. One day one of them may give him a bite.
17
George Papadopoulos ain’t George Smiley. Like so many people in Trump’s orbit, he was out of his depth, shooting his mouth off. How is this not obvious to so many people?
The real conspiracy here is the GOP’s conspiracy against critical thinking.
19
This just in.
Senior presidential aides have complained that fake news reports about President Trump's inauguration crowd size constituted a Democratic Party hack job generated by the failing New York Times, which was identified as the original source of the fakery.
In a Tweet, an angry President Trump sought the arrest of A. G. Sulberger and several prominent journalists for treason. Trump seeks identity of photographer who photoshopped the image of the inaugural crowd to make it look much smaller than it really was.
Mike Pompeo has pressured Prince Ranier of Morocco for evidentiary files to support the an on-going federal investigation.
10
Trump is not a quick study!
4
@Steve Shepard
The “stable genius” is not a genius, nor stable.
5
One of the most horrible things they are doing and have been doing since the beginning is disparaging our intelligence agencies and thereby undermining US security and damaging our institutions. We need to keep remembering "government by the people, for the people, of the people." We the people are sovereign. Trump is not king. We fought a little war called the American Revolution to make sure we would never be under a corrupt king again. Seriously folks, need I say it? Off with his head (metaphorically speaking of course).
12
It actually looks like Barr started his Hillary investigation on the behest of Trump & then asked him to involve foreign governments in gathering any implicating information. It still makes Trump guilty in abusing his Office at least twice with foreign heads of state.
Barr should be brought up on charges & disbarment.
24
Aside from our own ongoing horror show here in the US, it is sad to see Australia's PM kowtowing to Trump.
13
@Dave
Tell me about it :-(
2
It won’t go down well here. No one I know wants our Prime Minister and government to be another Trump lackey. Keep the insane conspiracy theories back home in the good ‘ol US of A!!
1