U.S. correspondent Wouter Zwart questioned Hoekstra about inaccurate claims that he had made in November 2015 at a panel titled "Muslim Migration into Europe: Eurabia come True?" hosted by the David Horowitz Freedom Center[75] that the Netherlands had "no-go zones" and that politicians and cars are being set on fire in the Netherlands due to radical Islam.[76][77][78][79] Hoekstra told Zwart that he had never said such things, saying, "we would call it fake news. I never said that."[76] Zwart then played the clip in which he made those remarks for his viewers. Later in the interview, Hoekstra denied that he denied it, saying "I didn't call it 'fake news'. I didn't use those words today."
3
Pete Hoekstra famously claimed that there are “no go zones” in Holland where cars and politicians are set ablaze by radical Muslims. When confronted with this claim, Hoekstra claimed he had not said such a thing. A reporter then played Hoekstra a recording of the panel where he made the false statement. Hoekstra then denied his initial denial.
Only the best people.
3
So this guy worked for a Russian gangster. I read that didn't I .......... and he's the intelligence officer? How convenient ? .. I think we are in a world of trouble.
13
Mitch & company get their wish - Donald unleashed on all our traditional norms!
Donald is “ Living His Dream” of “ I am the only one & everyone else should be afraid.
His dream is most normal folks worst nightmare!
Again - let’s not forget to give Mitch a big “great Job” shoutout come November!
7
Intelligence is now what Trump says it is. His new DNI is another empty suit with a bobble head attached. 1984, anyone?
11
Again, with my Republican party; all roads appear to lead to Putin and the Russia, aka the Soviet Union, aka the Evil Empire. Richard Grenell hires Kashyap Patel, a senior National Security Council staff member and former key aide to Representative Devin Nunes. Congressman Devin Numes, an advocate for Russia, and as John Heilemann noted and seriously suggested that Rep. Devin Nunes, California Republican, has been compromised by the Kremlin and is now a traitor. Looking forward, we can be certain the integrated efforts of Attorney General William Barr and now DOI Richard Grenell combined with Russian agents will bring the full capabilities of the evil empire, Justice and Intelligence community to generate false charges targeting Democratic candidates prior to the election and work to assure the election of Trump.
8
How on earth did Grenell ever get top secret clearance?
14
When the senate republicans couldn’t hold trump accountable for what he did regarding Ukraine they made him a dictator
11
Grenell may be a loyalist alright, but incompetent for the job assigned. And corrupt, like his boss. Is this chaos squared or what? Not even a banana republic will allow this...in the open, it knows better to at least pretend propriety. What a disgrace to this democracy, converted into an abusive autocracy. And the republican party, majority in the Senate, seems O.K. with this fraud, a treason to the constitution.
9
I thought Trump was trying to make America great again?
2
What does Vladimir want?
If you don't believe Trump is conspiring with Russia, you have not been paying attention!
6
The defining characteristics of Trump loyalists are incompetence and/or corruption. America is in a race to the bottom.
8
Robin Williams was once in a movie called ‘Moscow on the Hudson’. Movie about our current state of affairs will be titled ‘Moscow on the Potomac’.
1
Think about all the countries who allowed the Bush/Obama administrations to install a US surveillance apparatus in their backyard to monitor people. Including here.
THIS is the administration that everyone left of "if you have nothing to hide..." has feared and warned about.
1
I ain’t blind and I don’t like what I think I see.
10
It’s immoral that Trump is spending our manpower to pardon rich felons while doing nothing to control the global spread of the corona virus that is decimating our global economy. The infected global economy will undoubtedly really hurt our US economy. HUGE MISTAKE BY TRUMP.
16
If people don’t vote this president out,I believe he will eventually have a Lifeterm.he has said that several times,comparing himself to China,Russia.
He is building a fortress in the White House.
Only loyalists serve his administration,
This is the beginning of authoritarian rule in America.nah,it will never happen people say,they don’t want to believe it could happen in the once was the land of the free.
Eventually Americans will be fearful to express themselves if it goes against trump.
He has recently taken control of the justice department and all intelligence agencies.what does that tell you? No,it will never happen here.it is happening here fellow Americans.
The only way to stop this is to vote him out,get rid of the senate that has sold out the American people.they are as guilty as trump.
federal judges,superior court appointees are now in his pocket.
Watch how he helps stone with a get out of jail free card.
I write these words knowing they are futile.people like to argue every point,creating confusion and doubt.
Putin is guilty of cyberwarfare.an act of war,and this is allowed by our president whom defends corruption.
If you have ever been to a country that was not free,run by a dictator,you would realize what is happening right now,right here.
22
With very few people still alive who saw first hand the rise of Fascism in 1920s and 1930s Germany, we have forgotten that the unthinkable can happen. But anyone who cares to walk into a Holocaust museum learns, what leads to the unthinkable results from acceptance of each new normal until we lose perspective and are no longer shaken. It's the frog in the boiling pot of water. I'm not suggesting that the Trumpism is leading to a Holocaust, but I am suggesting that American Democracy is close to be exterminated. Great empires and civilizations at one time or another felt invincible - until they weren't. American Democracy is at that point. How will good people sit around and accept each new transgression thinking our forefathers vision will save us. Just ask a Holocaust survivor who thought each new Fascist edict would be the last. All good men and women on both sides of the political spectrum must speak up in unison, publicly and with authority and save our still relatively young experiment in democracy survive. Democracy is not a spectator sport.
27
This is approaching treason by “adhering to our enemies, giving them aid and comfort” as defined in the Constitution.
17
Mr. Grenell is a conflicted apparatchik of the ilk Mr. Trump loves. He shamelessly panders to Trump and during his Senate hearings, he was decetiful about paid work for a Moldovan dictator. He has no intelligence background or training and many suggest that he doesn't even have clearance to handle even basic classified information. The final nail is that according to Mr. Parnas, Grenell is a Putin asset. What's not for Mr. Trump to love?
17
Revolving door at work, once incompetent person in Trump’s administration leaves and another takes its place.
7
How can this guy get a security clearance after his foreign work for a corrupt oligarch?
Furthermore, how can he lead an agency he knoes nothing about?
11
I believe Trump's new mantra at his rallies will be "You're Fired!" He's gone from a reality tv show to a real life situation where his actions have real life consequences but in the worst possible way. We cannot change the channel or shut off the television or news. His actions are deeply affecting this country and the GOP sits idly by while Rome burns.
When a president eliminates differing points of view - he is no longer a president - he has become a dictator and a fascist leader who will not tolerate dissenting or different perspectives.
And that is how our democracy will die.
9
Anything goes so long asTrump is in office if an opening appears on the Supreme Court?
1
Fears? Try certainty.
8
he stench of cronyism just got a lot stronger. The stench of corruption just got more cohesive. The stench of lies just got much bigger. The dissary grows by the minute and the government continues to slide into the banana fields.
11
The question is, how will Trump supporters defend him when his “intelligence” people miss the warning signs of the next 9-11, because they were all to busy chasing his idiotic conspiracy theories.
15
Remember the brave and patriotic who despite Trump's order to not appear in the Impeachment Inquiry - DID? They represented the 1000's of Women and Men in ALL aspects of our Federal Government who are still there doing their jobs. If necessary and morally right, this includes not cooperating fully with 45's agents, disrupting the efforts of Trump's minnons, and yet still go about the maintaining of the REAL Mission of their Agencies, be it the National Parks, Justice, the Military, and here the Intelligence Community. These Americans and the 2020 Electorate are the Patriots who will preserve the Nation sending Trump away and sanitizing their Agencies of the Trump Swamp Traitors.
9
Amazingly, but not really a surprise, Trump is upset with our security people instead of Russia. The "mentally irregular" Trump is an ever-increasing threat to our nation's security.
The R enablers that form the core of Trump's cult show that the GOP is no longer a legitimate political party capable of governing
They are interested only in ruling.
14
It’s worthwhile to check the c.v.s of Richard Grenell, Doug Collins, and Kashyap Patel.
That they might have ANYTHING to do with national security is truly frightening - and an indication of how badly our government is broken.
Kakistocracy.
19
Whose side are Trump & his sycophants on?
Certainly not on the side of the American people.
Certainly not on the side of protecting our nation from hostile actors (Putin being amongst the foremost in this category).
Certainly not on the side of anyone who will reveal how Trump continues to commit high treason while continuing to hide 20 years of his income taxes which would reveal who bailed him out after 5 bankruptcies, & to whom he is beholden as President.
It is certainly NOT the American people & nation.
Whatever happens in the 2020 elections, this President's high crimes will go down into history (& they WILL go down into history, whether he likes it or not), proving beyond any shadow of a doubt that he, Trump, has betrayed the trust conferred to him when he took his oath of office; that this President has committed the worst form of perfidy & iniquity; that his Republican cult supporters shall be held to account; that we in the loyal opposition will no longer tolerate being mischaracterized as being part of the "swamp" or "deep state" which are only projections of Trump & his corrupted ilk.
All of the damage wreaked upon our democratic republic shall be overturned, no matter what the cost, what the price, whatever expenditures be needed. We shall not be idle. We are listening & watching those who continue to pillage & plunder from our nation's treasure. We shall remember & we shall seek justice. Those who commit treason will be brought to justice.
20
This destruction of our democratic system has to stop now.
How do we do it?
12
According to reliable reports, numerous GOP members of the Senate warned Trump against this appointment. But, of course, he did what his huge gut told him and brought in a lackey to do his dirty work, which started immediately. Now where are these so-called concerned GOP senators and others. Still on their knees?
15
Governing without compassion is tyranny. If putting children in cages was not cruel enough for us to understand what kind of dangerous people are ruling this country, I do not know what else can exceed that level of cruelty. We will keep dropping our jaws.
11
Governing without compassion is tyranny. If putting children in cages was not cruel enough for us to understand what kind of dangerous people are ruling this country, I do not know what else can exceed that level of cruelty. We will keep dropping our jaws.
3
In the few months after Trump’s inauguration and installation in the White House it became apparent to me from his all his official actions and general behavior that his intention was to take autocratic control of the country and become its first dictator. I said as much to anyone who would listen and commented the same to all the media I could on a regular basis, all to no effect whatsoever. It does not make me feel any better to see now from Trump’s most recent arrogant maneuvers that except for his mentally disadvantaged loyal base everyone else can see now what I saw 3 years ago. What I fail to understand is two things. First, that it took Trump’s spitting in everyone’s faces just to get their attention, and second, that the only people that can keep the country from becoming a full fledged dictatorship, namely the Republican party, are apparently okay with this and make no attempt whatsoever to keep it from happening.
9
You all know what they say about those who are ignorant of history. If you want a snapshot of the complete politicization of governmental institutions, just look at 1930s Europe.
11
"...Mr. Grenell has also requested the intelligence behind the classified briefing last week before the House Intelligence Committee where officials told lawmakers that Russia was interfering in November’s presidential election and that President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia favored President Trump’s re-election...
Clearly a rookie mistake – not taking the word of his senior-level staffers on faith...
5
The leaks by the real patriots, must now become a flood.
15
"On Friday, questions arose about Mr. Grenell’s past employment after ProPublica reported that he had done work for a Moldovan oligarch named Vladimir Plahotniuc who was banned from entering the United States because of his involvement in significant corruption."
The former ambassador who ham-handedly threatened German companies -- worked for a banned oligarch! And Rep. Devin Nunes is pulling the strings of the dirty-fish-conspiracy monger Kashyap Patel.
2016 Candidate Trump was ALMOST right ---
"I will (fire) all the best people".
Now President Trump can't get any qualified people because they won't obey his orders to make unfounded accusations in support of Operation "Vengeance is Mine!"
So, we're going without actual Intelligence leadership. Thanks, Republicans.
11
Grenell is not the problem, it’s Trump. It has always been Trump. Trump is the one gutting the intelligence department and all other government employees that do not agree with him. This will only end with the removal of Trump and the conversion of the Senate to Democrats. Even if Grenell is not confirmed, assuming that Trump does put him up for the permanent position, Trump will just find another stooge. You must cut the heat off a snake if you want to stop that snake. Even if only the Senate is converted to a Democratic majority it will be enough to curtail Trump if he were to be reelected. It cannot be said enough, this election in November will be the most consequential to the future of this democracy since the Civil War.
13
McConnell and the GOP are supportive of Russian interference, how can that change? Devin Nunes is definitely on the Putin payroll.
10
So much hysteria in the comments.
Trump is a sleazy, lying racist, but in questioning the US intelligence community, he has it right.
The intelligence community easily fits the intelligence to the needs of the Foreign Policy Establishment, Deep State, Military Industrial Complex, who are all fixated with horror at Russia's global ascendancy, while absolutely ignoring American provocations of Russia, including massive interference in its domestic political affairs and the expansion of NATO despite assurances to the contrary... more digression
Citizens should question any "intelligence" coming from US intelligence agencies, trying to discern if the "intelligence" is necessary to promote a pre-chosen narrative.
I do not know if it will ever be possible to have either Congressional or Presidential control over the CIA or the FBI, particularly, the CIA.
We need another "Church Committee", the U.S. Senate select committee in 1975 that investigated abuses by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), National Security Agency (NSA), Federal Bureau of Investigation...
1
Don't know what the final destination of the USA will be, but you're sure making good time getting there.
5
It would be great if a couple million people marched on the Capitol and expressed their disdain for trump, and how he is ruining America.
6
Things will continue on this path. If this creature Trump is re-elected, the United States will be unrecognizable in four years.
12
How can Trump get away with putting the country at risk? The Senate GOP is asleep! They are complicit, apparently short term stock market gains are enough to buy them into silence. Or their own Russian donations (how many millions did Derepaska spend in Kentucky?) We must vote them out! Bring back democracy and decency!
9
Law enforcement, the judiciary, and intelligence were the areas that were partisan free. Now Trump has corrupted every pillar of our democracy and put us all at risk.
9
For the Republican sycophants and co-conspirators who told us to “let the voters decide in November”: The U. S. as a democracy may not make it to November.
What we are witnessing is the dismantling of our institutions by a corrupt president, assisted by an entire political party. Most alarming is the decimation of our national security and intelligence agencies. We are in grave danger.
10
One thing Trump cannot abide is honest capable intelligence. Putin uses it to his own advantage but also requires his puppet Trump to destroy our ability. Not through any plain directive but simply by playing on Trump's childish insecurity and narcissism. As others point out the effects of Trump's malfeasance will be with us for a long, long time.
10
We are not safe with this corrupt administration. They have no respect for the rule of law and for the long-term health of the country and world.
9
If they chose to do so, Senate Republicans could stop this threat to national security in its tracks. But so far there has been no reporting that the egregious appointment of Grenell bothers them much. And most Americans have little idea what the DNI does, so the public outcry will be mostly muted.
On the plus side, I've always wondered what it must have been like to live through the fall of the Roman Republic or the reign of a Caligula. Now we may get to experience modern versions...
7
One longs for when professional intelligence officers ran the system and were not afraid to speak truth to power. In the 1960's Richard Helms was the director of the CIA. They disagreed, and said so, with President Johnson's contention that a communist victory in Viet Nam would lead to a domino effect and diminish our power. Helms had ready access to the oval office and could have been banned from ready access to the office but was not. see https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/29/opinion/vietnam-war-necessary.html
The CIA also had a running bitter dispute with the military over the number of Viet Cong which they claimed were far larger than the military's estimate.
Helms served as Director until 1973 and was later given a suspended sentence for lying to Congress over our involvement in the ouster of Chiles communist president. It is claimed he did this to protect President Nixon's approval over the ouster. Contrary to popular belief the CIA does not do anything really important without Presidential sign-off.
2
"Mr. Patel claimed without proof that journalists, diplomats, law enforcement and intelligence officials engaged in a vast plot to undermine Mr. Trump’s campaign and then bring him down as president."
You really must stop saying "without proof" anymore. You look like a bunch of clowns.
If you were curious to find out the truth, you would have found the evidence.
Just because you do not do an investigation for whatever reasons -- laziness, Trump derangement, paid for staying incurious -- you cannot sit by and repeat there is no proof.
At least Mr. Patel is curious for the truth. Good for him.
So Grenell was paid for writing articles defending a Moldavan oligarch but he wasn't acting at the direction of a foreign power.
Hmm. Who paid him? It wasn't a foreign power? Or did they supposedly pay him without directing his work?
6
This reminds me of a line from Godfather II when Michael is being squeezed by the Feds and is forced to testify before a Federal committee - "Hyman Roth played this one beautifully." Replace Hyman Roth's name with Vladimir Putin.
3
I was told when Trump was elected not to worry. “One man can’t do that much.”
Unfortunately, it’s not just one man. It’s everyone who believes in him, trusts him, or has been bought by him (via threats or bribery???). If only it was just one man!
7
Grab some popcorn and watch with pleasure as the Russians and Saudi's, who control 45, take over the U.S.
They'll do it quietly through intelligence, hacking and controlling 45's finances. It will be easy. This administration waives numerous security clearances for political toadies, uses unsecured phones among personnel, brings Russians into the Oval Office and has no experts in anything other than kowtowing to 45 and grifting from the government.
6
It's time to rename the National Intelligence Agency "The Ministry of Truth" where misinformation is fact, conspiracy is honesty, and revenge is patriotism.
10
Trump had done the right thing appointing Richard Grenell head of the NSA. Richard will aid in blunting conspiracy theories concocted by the leftist to bring Trump down. Trump will p [prevail with his loyal base and will be re-elected 2020. Go Trump Go eliminate the vicious leftists.
1
“As acting director of national intelligence, Mr. Grenell has access to any secrets he may want to review.”
After reviewing the U.S. secrets Grenell can change, hide or kill the ones Trump doesn’t like!
5
I just can't.get past the first couple paragraphs of these accounts of how things operate now. We have become the banana republic we used to be half jokingly warned of. And frighteningly, since no self respecting person can work under these rules, they won't. Truly a death spiral of the administration, if not the country.
8
The article states that the president wrote a letter stating Russia might be
"— employing aggressive acts to instigate and exacerbate tensions and instability in the United States, including interfering with the security of our elections.”
Really? The letter contains a slew of 3-, 4-, and 5-syllable words. Even accepting the preposterous idea that he wrote a letter at all, it certainly wasn't this one. Find a single rally or press briefing during the past 3 years where he used a 3-syllable word, much less ones with 4 or 5 syllables:. exacerbate, instability, come on!
5
It’s going to take more than an election to get rid of Donald Trump and all his enabling toadies. What’s next from our dear leader, loyalty oaths?
Perhaps this country will wake up when he has taken everything away, but I’m beginning to wonder.
It can’t happen here, right? Sorry, its already started.
6
So let me get this straight: the president signs a report (clearly unread by him) claiming a strategy to combat Russian interference with our elections, and our government.
But then he installs a bunch of cronies with no intelligence experience, and a heap of chutz pah in working on hidden projects for foreign oligarchs, to undermine the very report he signed?
You can't make this up. Goodbye America--nothing matters anymore except the zealous pursuit of fictional stories that support the president's delusional and self-serving version of truth.
What's next on the docket? Jailing journalists and banning press coverage of "government" activities? Or will that be reserved for a second term, to make sure Americans are kept in the dark?
This is a 47% national support president. Unless the remaining 55% rise up to reclaim truth, it will only get worse.
10
Of course they are being dismantled. He claims Russia is helping Sanders and will eventually say that the election is being corrupted by the D party and has to be "investigated." In the meantime, he suspends the 2020 election while he "looks into this," and there is no intelligence agency to dispute his claims, especially with his loyalist heading that agency. DT then has to remain in office for "national security" reasons.....forever.
16
First gay cabinet member. That's good.
Right or wrong, Trump supporters love seeing long time Washington DC insiders and folks critical of President Trump get axed, resign, leave the government. Doesn't seem to matter how that happens. The more the merrier.
This late Friday afternoon story won't be around Monday as the news cycle shrinks to hours and minutes. Change in the Intelligence community is probably good...hopefully a follow up story a few months or a year from now will give us the perspective we need...and I am fortunate enough to run across it and read it. Have a nice weekend.
5
@wedge1 ??? Your point being?
5
@wedge1 Couldn't care less about anyone's sexual valence.... what happened to the measure of an individuals qualification for a job based on skills, experience and the three "I's: Integrity, Impartiality and Independence? Experience here clearly counts and this partisan hack job will continue to erode National Security . I must say that it's hard to have perspective in the one-dimensional world of donald. I for one will be relieved when the heavy-handed self-dealing monkey-wrenching spree is OVER! Your sarcasm is appreciated however. Cheers!
10
So much of government is being realigned to promote the president's re-election.
One way to stop this from happening in the future is a Constitutional amendment to prevent presidents and vice presidents from being re-elected to either job. It is not as if an impeachment is likely to ever work.
And no, there is no such thing as a uniquely qualified POTUS in a country of 300 million with near-universal education. If there is such a person, we do a good job of hiding them somewhere.
We can call this the "Why we can't have nice things" Amendment.
3
Presidents are entitled to choose their advisors and department heads. While Mr Trump's selections have been almost universally atrocious, he is nevertheless fully within his rights to make those poor selections.
The question is: How many more of Trump's poor governmental decisions can the US cope with before crumbling completely? I hope it's a lot since we're almost certainly in for four more years of insults to the American body politic.
3
The impact of the policies of Trump will redound for decades. Just look at the judges, the hollowing out of the DoJ and the intel community, and the flouting of the military justice system. Trump may well go down as one of the most consequential presidents in our history. The sad part is that his going down as consequential means our country is going down from its heights of freedom and democracy.
6
Ever wanted to know how to build the "deep state"? This is how you do it. Trump is more transparent than a window. Everything he declares others are doing to him- he's doing - or going to do. Thinks people spied on him during the campaign? Guess what - the new guy is going to focus loyalists on doing it to the Dems. Why do you think he got put in place?
4
Trump has in mind an important mission for the agencies of government, including the intelligence community. The plan is to have a coordinated response to the corona virus when it spreads to the U.S. Because the virus is significantly more lethal for older people, which cuts into a major component of Trump's electoral support, he intends to declare a national emergency, including suspension of the coming election, all justified upon unanimous recommendation from governmental agencies.
1
We have made this extreme partisanship as a new and dangerous part of Trumpism. Using federal law enforcement and intelligence to do partisan bidding has been a part of our completely corrupt and irreparably broken political system for a very long time.
You might recall that the most recent universally despised President Nixon "ordered the FBI, CIA, and NSA to surveil New Left organizations and instructed the Justice Department to arrest several thousand anti-war protesters who marched on Washington, D.C., in May 1971."
What we are experiencing is very much like climate change; it is happening, is dangerous, and is equally as hard to change, even if the Oval Office is occupied by someone else and both houses of Congress change. There is too much money in politics now; the winner really does buy the election.
And with the victory come the spoils.
4
Any "fears of partisanship" would be well-founded in light of the extreme views and backround of these new appointments. Loyalty to Trump, not our laws or country, is the overriding concern. In such people one cannot have confidence.
These positions are too important to hand over to political hacks.
5
Any information out there about when we take to the streets? We’d better get out there before the end of the free press and the beginning of Trump Militias.
6
Putin has decided that his top priority is the destruction of the U.S. intelligence agencies.
Trump is enthusiastic and busy complying.
8
I'd ask all those in power to read Admiral McRaven's article in today's Washington Post: " If good men like Joe Maguire can’t speak the truth, we should be deeply afraid." Where are they, all these people of honor, patriots, and constitutionalists, and why aren't they speaking out with one voice against the horror that has become our government? Funny, they have no hesitancy in sending our young men and women to fight never- ending and un-winnable wars, but quail before a "president's" tweets.
Thank you for speaking out Admiral McRaven, and yes, I am deeply afraid for our country.
6
"fears of partisanship"? Ya' think? Let's be honest: partisanship has no place in the gathering and analysis of threats to our national security. Under Trump, it not only has a place it has the whole place. The president accords more credibility to Russia's intel agencies than to ours, because his delicate ego insists on it. He works for Russian intel and for Putin, not for the US nor its national security and interests. See dictionary for definition of "treason".
5
"Fears of partisanship." More like the certainty that intelligence will be thoroughly corrupted in the service of Trump' increasingly autocratic rule.
To describe what's happening as "partisanship" is to take euphemism into absurdity. And irresponsibility. The country needs a media that can accurately report the news.
3
“Prompting fears of partisanship” is so at odds with the moment we find ourselves in that it borders on false reporting. We have a lawless President openly consolidating his power, silencing/punishing dissenting voices by any means necessary, and threatening our country’s continuation as a constitutional democracy. He is not only failing to protect this country from an ongoing attack by a hostile foreign power, he is actively aiding and abetting it by denying its existence.
Under these circumstances, focusing on Trump’s partisanship is akin to reporting on an active serial killer by highlighting the fact that he’s acting selfishly: a true statement that only serves to obscure the far more dangerous truth about what is actually taking place.
4
The premise (and hope) that the adult in the room will monitor, step in or somehow save any situational crisis that arises, can be likened to a hot air balloon that has long plummeted to earth.
This gutting of the intelligence gathering capacity has to be one of the worst case scenarios, the nightmare that hopefully threatened the sleep of those in the GOP who chose mob rule four years ago; the Senate had a clear choice with impeachment, their country or themselves.
They shown America they believe the dream is dead: power does trump the patriot.
It is truly an outdated headline: prompting fears of partisanship. Trump fired the staff members for telling Congress that Russians are interfering in our election on his behalf. His anger is about publicizing the facts, and not about the assault on democracy for his gain. Will he tell the defense department to "stand down" instead of using aggressive cyberdefense to stop Russian interference? My point is that Trump's behavior is not "prompting fears". He is actively undermining democracy and we know his behavior is always partisan and self-serving. People who love democracy are already afraid, and are also channeling this fear to power resistance.
1
Grenell believed there was no conflict in or necessity of reporting being paid by an eastern Europeon oligarch under the influence of Putin, because Grenell claimed being paid to work for the oligarch was not the same as working under the direction of a foreign power. So being employed on the side by someone taking directions from and acting as an intermediary for a foreign power is not working at the direction of a foreign power? Does Grenell suggest that unless Putin himself cuts the check, it doesn't count?
Now he has hired the attack dog aide for Devin Nunes, in order to "clean house". That would add yet more weasels to the chicken coop.
The threats to what is left of the Republic are real, and won't simply go away on their own. A minority of extremists on the far right have wrested control of the White House and its administration. The won't stop until they have fatally infected and decimated the institutions of the US government from the inside.
3
It’s amazing to me how quickly Grenell found lackeys and fellow apparatchiks to man the positions left after long term intelligence officials are ousted. It’s almost as if he knew in advance he would have the position. I guess his work in Germany doesn’t keep him that busy.
1
I fully support anyone, deep state or whatever, in an effort to legally remove Trump from office, imprison him, and revoke his citizenship and that of his immediate family.
4
It IS scary about partisanship. These people have some very illegal stuff they are covering up. Like WHOA! Illegal. Like, people will be leaving the country or not enrolling here bc of this type abusive to national security, truly. I think the way to fight for our democracy IS to have Facebook Google, the platforms that host free speech, to testify in partnership with a national security rep about how THIS is was Russian interference in support of Trump's election 2020 looks like, and it was STOPPED, the interference.
Meanwhile, we spend 15 times more on defense than Russia and the same amount as China, Russia, and fourteen other countries combined, and we are slowly being taken over by Putin with his cyber attacks with Trump doing nothing to stop it. and it's pretty obvious why. After they rig our elections, their next target will be our power grids. They don't need to fire a shot. The Navy bemoans how long it is taking to get a 12th aircraft carrier. Russia has one. All that waste and now Trump is purging our intelligence community. The Russians want Bernie to get the nomination as does Fox News. Trump wants Bernie to get the nomination. They all think Trump can beat "Bernie the Socialist."
One way to restrain Trump is to go after the Murdoch’s and FOX news. Their propaganda has done and is doing untold damage to Australia, United Kingdom and America. Start publicizing in any way you can the fact that FOX is selling our democracy for money just as they fomented Brexit and other right wing and nationalistic movements. Rupert may be almost dead but his sons can be shamed until they feel the cost of destroying fairness standards and truth of news.
5
Well as Democrats are so fond of saying of Trump, “if he has nothing to hide what is he afraid they’ll discover by digging.” Let Grenell dig wherever he wants then by that logic, Dems should respect someone true to their words.
Virtually every day brings new evidence of a partisan "brain drain"in which experienced, competent officials are replaced by a revolving door of Trumpist hacks, like Grenell, who offer no qualifications other than obeissance to Trump and his endless efforts to pump up himself and denigrate any suggestion that Russia - RUSSIA - continues to work for him.
In normal times, the suggestion that a Grenell would head national intelligence would be sad joke, scoffed at by everyone on the Hill, including Republicans. But those days are history. Get ready for more conspiracies, more sad assaults on the truth. Putin and his minions are in ascendance.
3
Every Senate Republican, other than Mitt Romney, is as guilty as Trump is of destroying our democratic norms and the rule of law. They could have stopped him, but did not. They haven’t even censured him for his blatant and self-admitted wrongdoing.
Why do we even need Trump’s bloated defense budget now? The Republicans have done Russia’s work for them. Shortly, there will be nothing left of our nation and the Constitution to defend.
3
I’m worried that Grenell wil try to shred or hide unflattering or incriminating intelligence about Trump, Jared, Ivanka and others.
Grinned makes Matthew Whittaker look like a super well qualified non partisan public servant.
It is frightening that the majority of Americans no longer have confidence in the integrity of their government, the expertise of its appointees, the truth of its utterances, the impartiality of its Justice Department leadership,the uprightness of its Senate and the integrity of the “ loyal “ followers surrounding the president to do what is in the best interest of the country.
When the president derides our justice system,our intelligence community, our press, foreign leaders, settled policy,and anyone who disagrees with him, we are in serious trouble.
The fear of retribution is giving us extremely unqualified “yes,men and women “ like Mr. Grenell. And he won’t be the last.
We are in very dangerous territory. We feel unmoored and helpless. When, if ever, will our Senate leaders discover their spines and finally stand up and put a stop to this megalomaniac?
I go to bed every night fearful of what the next day will bring. The worse feeling since the Cuban Missile Crisis.
3
I served in the US Intelligence Community (IC) for 30 years as an analyst and manager of analysis under five presidents, 3 for whom I voted, 2 for whom I did not. Analysis that left my desk frequently wound up as part of the President's daily intelligence briefing. In no way did my personal views of the President or of any other senior intelligence recipient alter my mission, which was to provide the absolutely best and clearest call on the basis of all existing evidence, from both classified and open-source materials. This is precisely what officers of the US IC do on a daily basis. Certainly, ideological biases exist in the US IC. Intelligence analysts are trained to make judgments, but when their drafts become published documents or oral briefings, they are the institutional voice of the IC or a particular component, after passing through a stringent multi-level review. "Politicization" of analysis--either distorting an analysis specifically to please a senior official and reinforce his/her ideological biases or to caving to political pressure to produce intelligence products that support the a given policy, interest, or ideological bias--is a principal sin to intelligence officers.
That an American President is mandating a witch hunt for "disloyal" officers that will be based on, what? their voting records? what's been said in private conversations? is an affront to loyal civil servants and another Stalinist blow to truth from a president who respects neither.
4
It is unlikely the average American understands how serious and significant this is, especially as it is behind the scenes.
Trump is destroying the institutions that people take for granted - the professionals who keep us safe, their expertise and knowledge, the federal work force that runs things.
Acting like a third world dictator, he has already gutted many federal agencies, forced out many staff.
This is permanent damage, sabotage of the United States.
Once gone, this cannot be rebuilt.
And any new employees? The new federal workforce - Trump pals or their children.
1
How can the Republican Party stand by and let the intelligence services be taken over this way? While it’s true they’re being taken over by people on the right, it’s more true they’re being taken over by people who are, above all, loyal to Trump. When intelligence agencies no longer serve getting at the truth, even if the truth hurts the President emotionally or politically, we all lose, even Republicans. Sooner or later, intelligence will miss something big (beyond election interference, which is already disastrous) because of a loss of talent and a focus on what Trump wants rather than on national security. How can Republican leadership continue to put their heads in the sand like this?
1
There was a time in this country where there were not intelligence services" to the extent they exist now. These activities were performed by diplomats and patriot citizens. The union won. Sort of.
1
C'mon, all appointees are political.
7
@M But most, to an extent, have expertise in the area to which they are appointed. Not so in this administration.
36
C’mon @ M and I suppose likewise to you
All oaths of office are irrelevant as is the constitution. Sad. Very sad if political means false conspiracists installed in government
Oh yeah except for a political party that believes them. Russia has done an outstanding job getting to y’all
24
@M yes, all appointees are politically appointed, but not all appointees are political ideologues.
2
These people will be remembered as traitors in the history books.
114
Assuming that a history of this is allowed to be written and the existing books aren’t burned...
6
@Lisa - I'd like to think history would record them as traitors. But remember this: the winners write the history. We have to make sure Trump and his enablers are out of office after the Nov. election.
3
@Lisa
You know, as opposed to those Democrats and ‘progressives’ in the previous administration that used the FBI, the DoJ, the CIA, the FISA courts, and a foreign spy to undermine a candidate, president-elect, and president.
1
When Mr. Trump found out about this intelligence briefing telling Congress that Russia is continuing to meddle in our elections, his reaction should have been rage at Mr. Putin’s actions. Instead, once again, it was all about him.
These firings in our intelligence agencies should be terrifying all Americans. Unfortunately, there are still supporters of Mr. Trump who think this is a ridiculous coup attempt. Contact your members of Congress - especially any Republicans running for re-election - and ask them why they are supporting Mr. Putin and not their constituents.
103
@JCAZ agreed. Our Senator from Colorado has dropped any pretense that he cares about what constituents want. He knows he has a snowball's chance of getting re-elected so he is positioning himself for some unknown Koch-backed future. He gives no town halls, no one answers the phone.
3
Trying to blot out any truth that might hinder Trump's power grab has always been his main mode of attack. With the overhaul of the intelligence community Trump is attempting to blind us not only to his own deeds but to the influence of foreign powers who have aided him. And in the process he leaves our country open to a loss of our democracy, but the sanctioning of outside forces to rule our country silently and under the table through our media and internet. trump's newly appointed toady at the 'intelligence' agency will further this power grab and our down fall as a democratic leader around the world.
46
The "Power grab" meme is a very hard sell, considering that the president waited patiently for three years while the Democrats fruitlessly "investigated" him, before commencing to remove the leakers and saboteurs.
1
I cannot believe I'm seeing what I'm seeing, the continuing spectacle of Trump flying by the seat of his pants (in itself, a hugely disturbing image). To float the (loathsome and unqualified) toady Doug Collins as his nominee for the weighty post of DNI without informing said Doug Collins, beggars belief, but is not really a surprise. Trump is demonstrably non compos mentis. He's just making this all up as he's going along, thoughtlessly reacting to his ample, bilious gut, and there's enough good will and the assumption of good intentions built into our system of governance that he can get away with it. The cowardly, craven GOP should be ashamed of itself for allowing this to happen (and the Democratic party's ongoing side-show doesn't offer much encouragement, either). This is not going to end well - the sainted founders must be spinning in their graves.
57
@John Belniak "....there's enough good will and the assumption of good intentions built into our system of governance that he can get away with it" BINGO! I wish this important point were more widely circulated and understood.
4
@John Belniak
Somebody is running him. He's not coming up with this stuff all by himself, no doubt about it. He's just a vessel.
4
@John Belniak Yes, to even suggest Doug Collins, Mr. Unintelligible "Clock and a Calendar" ranting incoherent talking head for a National Intelligence position says it all about the current administration and our sad national state of affairs. Reminiscent of the movie "King of Hearts." They are all out of the asylum and have crowned their King.
2
As bad as the developing coronavirus pandemic seems to be, something even more serious has developed in the United States, posing a great and lasting threat to the republic and to the world: the Cassandra Epidemic. Engineered personally by President Trump, all arms of government available to him are being systematically culled of anyone who, in the President’s eye, are not sufficiently loyal to him. This obviously includes those who criticize him, but also those who simply disagree, those who don’t do his bidding immediately and unquestioningly, those who don’t praise him enough, and finally those who simply don’t kowtow low enough and often enough. Most of those dismissed are experienced, long-serving experts in their respective fields, and are being replaced with sycophants whose main credential consists of sufficient loyalty. Given Mr. Trump’s exceedingly poor judgement, domestic and foreign policy is becoming seriously degraded, resulting in national and global turmoil from which only our enemies will profit.
66
@gbdoc lo Well said ! Yet, while this is happening we hope they don't cheat another one. I fear we can't afford to do this, we can't afford to wait and see what happens. But, what is the alternative ?
3
I say it is time for the members of the Congress and the president's Cabinet to read James Thurber's short story, "The Greatest Man in the World." It would take less than a quarter hour.
Pat Smurch, the title character, revealed Thurber's uncanny ability to predict the future. The story would make a good movie, but I can't locate a version. Actually, just any old biography of Trump would do.
13
@TinyBlueDot
"The Greatest Man in the World" is a wonderful story, but government officials, like the rest of us, would do better to read Elmer Gantry... and the movie is a classic.
8
There are people that are truly trained to work in the intelligence agencies and then there is the president who has no intelligence.
The smartest executives always hire people that are trained in the job they are going to work in and the really smart executives listen to what they a being told.
39
@BTO
Best case scenario, if Trump is defeated in November, it will take at least a full term, and possibly more, just to rebuild our intelligence services, state department and other agencies (e.g. NSA, Homeland Security, EPA, FDA, etc.). Once positions are filled with qualified individuals and properly confirmed by the Senate, it will take time to get back up to speed, given the loss of decades and decades of experience through Trump's "purges." Even if Trump is defeated, restoring these agencies may not be possible if Republicans remain in the majority in the Senate. Republicans need to be eliminated from our political system. They are a cancer; even without Trump, they will continue to pursue the same agenda, using the same tactics. For this country to be "Great Again," Republicans must go.
3
It's not a question of training, but of honesty and integrity.
When the "elite" and "highly trained" operatives within our intelligence services choose to sabotage the president over mere political anger (theirs) they must be removed, even if not actually charged with the felonies they commit.
@BTO
Yes, but that takes the kind of humility that comes with maturity, and Donald is far too psychologically undeveloped and unstable to see that.
3
OK America, are we all scared enough yet? Now that the country's national intelligence agencies will be headed by, yet another, unqualified 'acting' director how could we feel any safer?
Who needs qualification to run an intelligence agency? Who needs actual intelligence background to keep America safe. We already have a failed business man as president so what's the problem?
The obvious problem here is all of our lives are now in the hands of a completely unqualified substitute bureaucrat who's only qualification is a bent knee to a wannabe king.
Here's a question; Isn't there some kind of law about protecting the country from idiocy? Come on Congress somewhere in this is an urgent responsibility for security, honesty and truth.
52
@Lalo
"Who needs qualification to run an intelligence agency?"
That would be anyone who isn't a well-known Democrat.
When will Trump’s enablers and base begin to understand that he cares nothing about them. If it was to his benefit, he would throw them all under the bus. Trump is interested in and cares about one thing only, and that is Trump. He doesn’t care about the nation’s security; if he did he wouldn’t appoint a lackey to a critical intelligence position who will tell Trump’s truth and not the real truth. The institutions of government that were supposed to protect our democracy are well on the way to being neutralized. Given carte blanche authority by the Senate Republicans he has anointed himself king.
36
This is another instance where we see career civil servants being insulted and disparaged. The reason - for being honest and truthful in discharging their duties. For being loyal to the country.
It is these professionals and experts, who know what is best in their respective duties and functions. Politicians have absolutely, no idea what they are doing, once elected. These career public servants, a fastly vanishing breed, are being disrespected by elected politicians. Very soon, we would see government agencies with individuals with very little or no skills and experience in their field of expertise.
20
And there’s an election coming soon, with primaries now. Hello media, time to hit hard at the danger our democracy is in. Don’t leave it Bill Maher and John Oliver and Stephen Colbert. If our elections aren’t protected from outside interference, we are no longer a democracy. The Republican party is standing aside and allowing this to happen. Citizens need to rise up, this is OUR country. Trump’s got the mistaken idea it’s all his. Republicans too seem to think it’s their country only, but if roles were reversed, they’d be on the streets with their guns. No, I do not want non-Trumpers on the streets with guns. But we do need to make our voices heard.
How are we going to stop him??? We’re watching anarchy unfold before our eyes. How does this happen? When good people do nothing.
29
Hopefully the heads of the various intelligence agencies will treat him like the Germans have been treating him; freeze him out of meetings, greatly curtail what he has access to. The FBI is going to have it’s hands full keeping track of all these Trump appointees over the next few decades. State secrets will be sold.
34
@Dudesworth State secrets have been sold, and have been given away, right there in the Oval Office, by Individual 1, on his first days, when he invited Kislyak in, told him classified information (while kicking out any Americans). Day One.
3
He is named acting director. It is known he will only be there a few days, maybe weeks. He has no experience. Yet he is setting himself up to 'clean house' and fundamentally alter the personnel.
He is there just to do that Job, act as hatchet man. So when the new guy comes in it will not be his responsibility for what what done.
He brings in Devin Nunez' hatchet man right away. One of trumps main co-conspirators in the house.
This is the top intelligence agency we are talking about here.
He and congressional GOP refuse to pass or even consider increased voting security legislation.
It is the way a mob boss would take care of business.
These people deserve no respect of any kind. They are what they look like.
They are putting every life in danger.
One question. Who is going to be guarding the voting machines, and their software?
28
D.Trump is going to accept V. Putin's offer of a loan of fully vetted non deep state members of the GRU to help out in American intelligence agencies.
They have promised to never upset or embarrass the President.
17
I continue to wonder whether Trump is angling or has ever angled to get family branded hotels in downtown Moscow, Beijing and Pyongyang? I also wonder what effect his huge loans from Deutsche Bank and his repayment obligations are having on his political machinations? As for Senator Sanders, why wouldn't it be reasonable for a country like Russia which wants Trump to remain as president to encourage the nomination of an opponent like Democratic Socialist Sanders because Bernie is less likely to be elected by our capitalist-minded voters
9
The fox is in the henhouse. Think about the consequences of political operatives having access to critical intelligence that’s designed to protect the country. They can destroy or massage intel to suit that aims of America’s first dictatorship. What’s frightening is that this isn’t the thin edge of the wedge. It’s the meat and potatoes of a takeover of the American political system.
The United States of America is in deep trouble.
31
There must be something broken with this system if we all just stay behind our phone screens complaining, while they continue to do whatever they like to destroy America. We live in a complacent Democracy.
21
Yes! thank you. I've been thinking this for a while. what do we do people? We have to get the momentum to march.
1
In this Trumpian world where everyone who attacks Donald Trump or every piece of information that offends Donald Trump is deemed baseless because the president believes our government is full of anti-Trump operatives, we as a people are not represented. We are ruled. The voice of objectivity has died with this president. Putin isn't supporting Trump because he thinks it's good for Russia, he's supporting Trump because he thinks it's bad for America. Same for supporting Bernie Sanders in the primaries. Putin's goal is to destabilize America because America is hurting Russia with sanctions.
15
Our long serving national security professionals have been warning that the greatest threat to our national security is Trump. With his current and previous actions can any fair minded person question that conclusion? Our democracy as the founders willed us is on life support. To save it our citizens must wake up and this time vote overwhelmingly to reject Trump and his enablers in the Senate. And consign them all to the dust bin of history.
16
The provision that allows Trump to appoint “acting” heads of departments and agencies is his greatest weapon in destroying our so called system of “checks and balances”, in order to bypass Senate confirmation.
Mulvaney is still the”acting” after how many months?
I am aware that the chief of staff does not have to be confirmed by the Senate. However, by making an appointee “acting”, this is yet another tool that Trump uses to control the individual.
Trump is ignorant about most things, except for those things that are in his interest.
There is too much power in the office of the president, which until now, I and many of us were not aware.
19
Just read the first lines and have to wonder how Putin and his destabilizes feel. In their wildest dreams did they imagine such success. Russia, by economic indicators, should be as meaningless in the west as the Ukraine or Romania and yet he has made himself one of the most powerful leaders in the world.
9
1) Congress needs to act to end this charade of "acting" this and "acting" that. It undercuts forming and implementing long-term stable policies in the interests of Americans.
2) Mr Patel "claims without proof that journalists, diplomats, law enforcement and intelligence officials engaged in a vast plot to undermine Mr. Trump’s campaign and then bring him down as president." Translation: he fabricated lies, or repeated lies that others fabricated. It's not a matter of "proof," folks--let the standard be a shred of evidence. He still can't meet it.
3) Should we still refer to it as "intelligence?" With people like this Grenell character in charge, it ought to be called propaganda, instead. With people like Trump in charge, we may eventually establish a department of Ignorance and Stupidity.
18
The ‘intelligence community’ , has been playing politics, entirely against the candidate, then president, Trump.
What right do they have to expect the president to nominate a ‘ thorough intelligence professional’, codeword for ‘ somebody who will let us carry on as before’ ?
3
the intelligence community, like all government employees, takes an oath to defend the Constitution of the United States. They do not take an oath to the president. Their responsibility is to protect this country and its citizens not advance the president's interestd at the cost of the country
2
Well, what goes around comes around.
Under Obama - whether with his approval or not - the IG has made it abundantly clear that there was a strong bias against POTUS when he was running in 2016.
Abuse of FISA and working with a foreign asset who at some time worked with our intelligence agencies - and then, the documented evidence of Fusion GPS working with FBI.
Well, if all that - does not show intelligence was politicized - I wonder what they were infected with.
This recent briefing - conveniently leaked - first to indicate Russians are helping POTUS - and a day later - influencing Bernie efforts.
What are these folks thinking??
At least give them credit - they warned Bernie himself which they never did with POTUS.
So, may be they are learning.
Increasingly, it is clear that after elections - Congress needs to hold hearings towards defining guard rails for these intelligence agencies when it comes to elections.
These selective leaks are doing more damage to our democratic processes than any purported Russian efforts.
3
@Neil Trump probably started the leak about Bernie. More projection
1
The Washington Post is reporting that:
"Johnny McEntee, Trump’s former personal aide who now leads the effort as director of presidential personnel, has begun combing through various agencies with a mandate from the president to oust or sideline political appointees who have not proved their loyalty, according to several administration officials and others familiar with the matter who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations."
I predict that the show trials will begin on Wednesday, April 1, 2020. (No, not an April Fool's joke, they just need a little time to write all the indictments.) The crimes will likely include "dissing the POTUS" and failing to genuflect when he enters the room. Putin must have mentioned during the last phone call that they do things that way in Russia, and that he expects Donnie to fall in line.
16
Trump is undermining the rule of law and the norms of government, is paranoid and power hungry, and is turning government authority against America's people. All business as usual for the GOP.
Trump personifies Republican excesses and impulses writ large. Willful ignorance of the world may prove the worst. Turning America's intelligence services on it's populace is one thing, but taking it's eye's off America's adversaries abroad, in order to focus on the president's perceived enemies at home, is just plain stupid.
Know thyself. Know thy enemy. Knowledge is power. Don't we know enough to unite, vote Trump out of office, and put our power to better use? We should.
13
No, no, no, no - the intelligence community has never been partisan before.
Well, maybe a teeny little bit partisan - under Clapper and Brennan.
Maybe more than a teeny little bit.
Maybe a LOT more than a teeny little bit.
As evidenced by their post-career commentaries and opinions, they were not neutral "professionals".
It is an untenable proposition to suggest that they were non-partisan.
4
@Sunny 4 Life Their commentary is about Trump's fitness and actions, not his politics. It's objectively true that he is a terrible manager, ignorant of history, can't sit through a briefing and not at all interested in the real work these agencies do, among many other failings. Pointing that out is just stating the obvious.
2
The last thing Trump wants anything to do with is intelligence. Both kinds are out of reach for this president. Bright he is not, but fearful, anxious, mean spirited and narcissistic he is. Trump wants to trample our freedoms and rule like a king. But to do this, both kinds of intelligence must be trampled so there is no threat to his well being. By allowing Trump to become our president even though we knew he cheated in the election of 2016 and is doing it again in 2020, we have allowed our democracy to be relinquished and it may take many years to fully return it.
9
“Fears of partisanship” is precisely the problem that the press causes. This choice of words reinforces a false equivalence. It makes the appointment of a sycophant “partisan” and not a threat to our National Security. It is not partisan to direct National Security so that it hides the truth, falsifies and suppresses evidence, and prevents a reasoned response. It cripples our country. It is not partisan, it is treasonous. Greater care must be made by the press. In this instance, if this is a partisan act who is on the “other side”? Is it the Democrats? It is not. This is capitulation to the Russians.
5
All this hair on fire in these comments. Really now. We learned from GOP Senators that whatever is done in furtherance of re-election is lawful and in our best interests. So, cleaning house to ensure total loyalty going into this election year and facilitating aid for re-election purposes from old friend Vlad are well within the parameters of the new normal as defined in the impeachment “trial”. Mr. Trump is showing us how well he is looking after our best interests. He should be proclaiming his skill at this as often as possible. Turn it all on its head; embrace it as fruits of the win; really lean into it! Don’t be such a wimp!
3
Well if the Russians succeed in throwing the election, there will be no more awkward pronouncements. Republicans once again head democracy off at the pass.
7
President Trump’s decision to transform the office of Director of National Intelligence into a wholly-owned, propaganda-spewing subsidiary of Trump Inc. has 52 Republican Senators sweating bullets right now.
It may be true that only Susan Collins was gullible enough to think that Trump would “learn his lesson”. However, the unfettered, anger-fueled acceleration of his character assassination and autocratic behavior was both entirely predictable, and something that the senators vainly hoped-against-hope would not happen.
Remember that their rationale was essentially:
• Trump did a very bad thing
• Given that the election was 10 months away, the people should decide his fate
It is now an unavoidable fact that the spineless 52 unleashed Donald Trump when they violated two oaths: one to “protect and defend the constitution of the United States from all enemies foreign and domestic” the other to be “impartial” in the Senate trial phase of impeachment.
More simply, they made a deal with the devil to avoid the backlash from Trump’s base, and the debt is coming due.
10
Clearly the foxes now rule the hen house. We will have no secrets from one of our greatest enemies.
6
C'mon, give Trump credit where credit is due. He is doing brilliant work on behalf of Putin.
8
Life is always a battle for hearts and minds.
For narrative and belief.
Trump spins his reality and draws people to it with repetition, consistency and a does of fear.
Let's play his game.
Only better.
I'd advise the opposition to always find the weak point in his moves. To let him play his card and then… trump it.
His card is:
American intelligence agencies are "Deep State" conspiring to bring him down.
In turn he has to make them into suplicants that serve his interests.
His needs.
Needs for a window shade to be pulled over his misdeeds and corruption. He's a burgler who needs all the police sacked so he can commit crimes with impunity.
Well, I say good.
He wants a weak US intelligence and security apparatus so he's free of scrutiny.
Here's our play.
Here's our line.
"Donald Trump is decimating the effectiveness of our security services. His need to have inexperienced yes men in critical national security positions, who can't do the job, weakens the morale of good public servants, makes it more likely we will suffer another 9/11 type attack."
"Donald Trump, for his own selfish needs, is destroying the systems that have kept us safe since 9/11."
"You and your family's safety takes a back seat to his needs."
"He cravenly derides and dismantles our intelligence services - leaving the nation more vulnerable to attack then it's been in decades."
Say it.
Say it like Trump says things.
Non-stop.
Trash him and scare the heck out people.
Be brutal.
9
Call it what it is. It’s not an overhaul; it’s a purge. Euphemisms normalize Trump. Stop it.
14
It certainly looks like Putin is very effectively advancing his anti-American agenda. Some of our top intelligence people are now out and conspiracy-theory propagandists are being installed. This does not bode well for our presidential election.
6
Trump has completely betrayed his Oath of Office and shredded the Constitution, Article by Article. And the Congressional Republican sits quietly by or applauds him on command and claims trying to hold him accountable is harassment by crazy do nothing Democrats. They're all Limbaugh conspiracy theorists now.
7
Democracy as we knew it is officially dead. Why? Because folks took it for granted and didn't do what was necessary to preserve it. There are no longer fair and free elections void of hacking, voter role purges, and other forms of cheating and disenfranchisement. Your vote no longer matters. You want the normal institutions of government back? You want the rule of law back? You want truth and justice back? Well, you're gonna have to take it back, and probably forcefully. I highly doubt Trump and his enabling clan will give back those reigns of power willingly. We are now operating under an authoritarian dictatorship and the Republicans have made the winning bet that nothing can be done about it. They'll be correct for as long as people fear revolution and civil unrest. That Dems think they can win back the White House through a normal electoral process demonstrates how out of touch with reality they truly are. I predict Trump will stay large and in charge until his kid succeeds him. And I DON'T think the military will ever stand up to him. He's won.
77
@Marvin8 The problem isn't that there is a segment of the population that believes as you do, that democracy is over. It's that there is a segment of the population that believes the Trump has restored freedoms and forcefully moved the country from an authoritarian, nanny, PC state back to a healthy, freer democracy. The fact that two groups of people look at the same state of affairs and come away with completely different interpretations is the problem. Part of me thinks that there is no way to reconcile these two divergent views and opinions about what America should be, and what it means to even be a 'real' American, and that some partitioning is inevitable.
17
@Marvin8 The other forms of cheating included voter suppression - closing voter stations and eliminating early voting
9
@Marvin8
When asked what the Constitutional Convention had created, Benjamin Franklin said: "a republic, if you can keep it."
We are at the "if you can keep it" part of that comment now.
Trump is doing his very best trying to make keeping it an impossibility.
He is a man of little vision and less understanding who wants to be a dictator. Dictators generally do not end their days well. Often, that end comes after considerable violence. Trump does not know history, so he might end up having history repeat itself.
12
This isn't about fear of partisanship, this is about corruption and authoritarianism. This is about the Senate unleashing a monster.
162
@Julie - the republican senate is/will be No help in preserving our country or it’s Democracy!
3
How does Grenell even have the security clearance necessary to see this intel? If the GOP doesn’t come to grips with the disaster they are foisting upon America we are going to be in serious trouble. This appointment is a total joke.
137
@Kathy - Grenell got his security clearance the same way Kushner did.
https://www.propublica.org/article/trumps-new-spy-chief-used-to-work-for-a-foreign-politician-the-us-accused-of-corruption
4
@Kathy - we are in very serious trouble right now! The American People have to somehow wake from their sleep.
2
This man is a stooge.
Term used for those replaced in purges, used as tools.
Began with commentary about Stalin, then his Soviet successors.
Known throughout history.
47
Really? This guy with no one’s approval has access to all our intelligence? Isn’t something wrong here? He could be a Russian plant, a conspiracy theorist (which seems likely), a man off the street?
95
@Sally He’s known to be strongly pro-Russian
I really hope the republican enablers are happy with their support of this criminal president. I also hope the rest of the country remembers their support also and votes every last one of them out of office.
83
Russia has already undermined our weak electoral system so that no one will believe any result come November. At the same time Putin's good friend, working through his personal AG and other cowardly officials, managed to obscure the evidence of his own complicity in Russian electoral interference. With the help of congressional Republicans, Putin's friend has actively damaged federal law enforcement, undermined intelligence agencies and is now stripping our national security apparatus of power to influence Presidential decisions. He is busily replacing department and agency leaders with clowns and sycophants, like Grenell. With acquittal in the Senate, lawlessness reigns in the executive branch. We are witnessing nothing less than a slow motion coup d'etat that will render the US constitutionally ungovernable and defenseless. Cui bono?
51
@Mario And next, Putin will know who in his government has been assisting our intelligence services.
1
Politicizing and weaponizing national intelligence and the Justice Department.
So scary. Downright terrifying.
Exactly how terrifying is enough, Republicans? Nothing is too terrifying to you, right, as long as your power grows and your states continue to get lucrative funding? Yeah, I’m talking to you, Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski, the “pretend deliberators” who always disappoint when one expects a morally right vote.
After one year of Trump as President, I figured we might be able to clean up his destruction once he left office.
After three years, I am wondering if I will ever again see a United States that I know, admire, respect and love. This authoritarian dictatorship, shaping up so well with AG Barr’s enablement, feels like I’ve traveled to another country, only to pinch myself and sadly realize — this is no dream.
125
Partisanship developed in the Intelligence agencies under Obama. Same with the FBI. It needs to be fixed.
10
@cleo the only thing that happens now is anyone who operates according to established democratic rules and procedures and threatens to expose trumps corruption is attacked and harassed. We’re couple years ahead of you guys here in Turkey. If you think you’ll be better off you are so sorely mistaken. You will not recognize your America in a few years if you keep it up.
2
"which claims without proof"
That right there is the only qualification you need to earn Trump's approval.
11
Partisanship??? Oh, NO. His goal is demolition.
Seriously.
28
As we have had civilian leadership running our military, it is just as wise to have a non-IC civilian running the DNI. Well done.
5
This is really OK because ever since W created this position of DNI, no one has been able to figure out what it is supposed to do.
6
Why doesn't Mr. Trump contract out national security and intelligence to Putin and the Russians, they've been in charge for the last three years anyway, might as well get paid for it.
39
Putin is the biggest winner again.
If there is a totally incompetent and inexperienced person in charge of intelligence, the traditional Allies will want to have nothing to do with America.
You won't be trusted, who knows who you are passing secrets to whether it be Russia or North Korea or even Israel.
As someone from New Zealand, who is a member of the 5-Eyes, I don't particularly like the idea of intelligence that is vital to Western Alliances being passed on to our enemies.
It's clear what is happening to US intelligence services - they are being cleaned out of all the ethical and moral people, those that value country and the Constitution, and being replaced with Trump's toadies, thugs and sycophants.
We all know Trump is sidling up to dictators and authoritarians, he will share secrets with them for favours.
America is being sold out, the West is being sold out, and there is only one word for it.
TREASON.
Trump tried to hide it before now, but with his impeachment acquittal and the knowledge he has the backing of the complicit Senate, he is now out in the open and no longer needs to hide.
All you can hope for is the election. Trump will win again, that is certain, and all you can hope is that Congress and Senate are both Democrat controlled - only then can another impeachment take place, and removal from office of the traitor.
62
This is the end of the United States as we knew it and the beginning of a new reality. It is no longer just crazy words and insane conspiracy theories.
This is a true turn and the beginning of a new reality.
Really scary. Shades of Germany in the 1930s.
88
@DB
Yes.
A new reality within which the progressive left sees its policies reversed and is subsequently sequestered in a rubbish tip, where it belongs.
@DB It’s time for the news media to start reporting it accurately.
" ... a vast plot ..."
There's an extensive section in the DSM-IV dealing with this type of delusion.
And Trump wanted to appoint a former Chaplain with no Intelligence background to head the office. To administer Last Rites, I assume ...
14
America is very much in trouble. It's time everyone should stop taking for granted this country's strength and see its vulnerability due to this president and the enablers.
71
I don't frequent the NYT comment section very often. I hope you all realize how insular the community here generally sounds to an outsider. "Trump did X, how dare he, doom is nigh!". I don't know much about Mr. Grenell and I'm fairly confident neither do most of you making your obligatory 'doom is nigh' comments. He was recently interviewed on the Rubin Report (youtube) so we have an opportunity to learn a little more about this guy. I'm listening to the interview now, I hear a reasonable person. Despite how this article spins it, Kashyap Patel was largely correct in the Nunes Memo. I'm glad these guys are tasked with doing some spring cleaning, it's much needed.
11
@ApeWithCarKeys
Mr. Ape- I got a bridge made of bananas to sell ya.
12
Yeah I don't get my news from 'youtube' because I'm an adult and I went to college. Thanks for stopping by.
2
The genesis of the turnover at the ODNI apparently is the recent briefing regarding assessment that Russia is/will continuing/continue to attempt to interfere in the 2020 US presidential election. Rather than either use this information as political ammunition or Russia bashing, more Americans need to realize that the "interference" can only succeed if we remain ignorant of the truth and gullible to believe the flood of social media babble. What needs to happen is that concerned and responsible citizens pay attention to the identities, or lack thereof, of various social media posters and bloggers. Who are these people and organizations? Why should what they say be remotely believable. We are now concerned with elections but we have been continuously assailed by the practioners of Madison Avenue who have honed their skills to have people believe they can't live without products that didn't exist a week, month, or year ago and they do so without any facts to support their claims. The same has been much of the content of previously identified "interference." The ONLY defense is an informed, critical, and skeptical electorate. WE are the defense. Blaming an adversary does not stop the effect of the interference - critical thinking does. Actually, Thomas Jefferson made this point some 200 years ago -- still relevant and applicable.
16
@George Fedoroff Great George. How do citizens do that? I am skeptical and try to be informed. The truth does still matter but more and more people seem resigned to the degradation of science, truth-telling, and a free country. I believe almost nothing I read in social media and absolutely nothing that comes out of Donald's mouth, but I don't see that it is helping anything or understand what I can do to make a difference.
18
The other terrifying thing I read today (actually there are more than one these days) involved the new head of the White House Personnel Office. A very young man in his late twenties who was fired by Kelly when Kelly was Chief of Staff for addictive gambling was rehired by Trump. His former job before he got fired I believe involved getting Trump his Diet Cokes. His current directive is now to root out all political positions in the Executive which are held by people who have ever spoken out against Trump.
The past few days, the fear has escalated.
41
There is a certain irony, not to mention hypocrisy, in the fact that until Trump, the Right vociferously defended everything our intelligence agencies did, while the Left equally vociferously objected. Since Trump, it has been reversed.
Let us adhere to some perspective and remember that the vast majority of agency employees are the same and that except for the top, management has largely stayed the same.
Now that everyone has felt burned, perhaps after Trump we can all get around to an honest and dispassionate discussion of the role and operation of our intelligence agencies.
8
@Steve Fankuchen You are speaking in absolutes which are over-generalizations. There are up and down sides to intelligence gathering and most people, of all political persuasions, have known that for a long time. Under Trump none of it matters because he is like a mad king, raging and purging at will. The Senate had a chance to take him down but they failed us, miserably. My heart breaks for the country I used to know. I hope sanity will return "after Trump" as you call it, but when? When will it be "after?"
3
To our military leadership, I implore all of you to be on guard and vigilant, more than ever before,in the defense of our country. With all the scrubbed, doctored and filtered information that will now be coming out of the White House courtesy of Richard Grenell, you are now our primary defender against the threats we face.
31
@Howard Herman The danger is not a military coup, but whether in the worst possible case imaginable, will our military take the super extraordinary action of standing up for the Constitution and removing a President who refuses to leave office?
4
This is part of a bigger picture.
Let’s keep focused on the real issue – stopping Trump from destroying America.
Trump has become a full-fledged corrupt dictator, and the GOP is supporting him.
Trump’s extreme narcissism presents an imminent danger to America and to the world. The GOP caters to Trump’s every whim.
Trump has betrayed our National Security by repeatedly and consistently aiding a foreign power, Russia. The GOP has become the Gang of Putin.
Trump sees enemies among immigrants, refugees, minorities, the Press, our government agencies, and our Allies. The GOP has endorsed all of this.
We need to get rid of Trump and his GOP apologists.
Vote Blue, no matter who!
56
@AKJersey
Trump isn't destroying America.
He's destroying the progressive left dream of the living constitution, collectivism, and statism.
Which is to say, putting things right again.
3
This is so scary.
40
I am concerned about disappearing documentation, and the exposure of intelligence. Trump defiantly and openly gave classified intelligence to the Russians the day after he fired Comey. He arranged to have his conversation with Zelinsky hidden in a classified server, where it didn't belong. He has torn up records of meetings. He has gone after whistleblowers.
This is very, very dangerous.
I hope there is enough G-man with enough sense to keep their heads down, and keep an eye on the official records and classified data. People's lives are at stake.
61
@r2w no.one is coming to save us
we have to save ourselves
6
As much as I agree with most of The TIMES'PICKS, I am getting very frustrated by the input of so many well informed and well spoken individuals who simply stoke the fire and stae the case and then WHAT?
in case you are wondering how many are willing to organize more ,do more and write less for impression and more for effect.We all talk alot and most do too little.
14
My children don’t deserve to grow up in a country where Donald Trump matters. My God, what happens if he actually wins in November?
57
@Steve Tunley
If he actually wins, you and your children will not want to live in this country. Two choices: get busy, energizing and promoting an anti-Trump voting tidal wave (talk to everyone you know, make sure they register, make sure they plan to vote, help them with transportation and/or babysitting) OR start looking for alternative places to live and raise your children.
15
Simple math. The way more registered Democrats than Republicans in the US, and huge percentage of 18-29 demographic who abhor Trump need to show up and vote him out.
4
This is an incredibly frightening article to read. It doesn’t take a very strong imagination to see where this leads: investigations and surveillance into and of any political adversaries or pretty much anyone that disagrees with this administration. Some will say there are laws in place to prevent this; but we’ve seen how much these folks care about laws. The most frightening aspect of it all is that it feels like there’s nothing we can do to stop it.
51
In reality, Trump/ GOP has taken us way past “ prompting fears of partisanship”!
We have another completely unqualified, right wing loyalist, appointed to an agency vital to the national security of our nation while career professionals are kicked out. The purpose is nothing BUT to serve the political interests of Trump, Inc.
Stop mincing words to promote moderate labels for these extreme, unethical actions and wholesale takeover of the intelligence community by Trump’s political loyalists.
41
@R Harrington What is being somewhat lost in this discussion is that the security of the country is being placed at risk with this political purge. We are very lucky that this country has not been attacked during this time because we certainly are vulnerable. Especially when intelligence is being compromised along with diplomacy via the gutting of the State Department.
20
Fun Fact:
Richard Grenell was and still continues to be the US ambassador to Germany in Berlin. In this capacity he has pretty much offended everyone in politics or government that had the duty to engage with him. On the upside, Grenell’s incompetence AND tendency to publicly berate and lecture has closed any and all doors of communication with German officials; thus he should have plenty of time to apply his non existing skills to oversea 17 US intelligence agencies.
Bon Voyage to Richard Grenell and Good Luck to America!
61
Folks, this is happening before our eyes. Not only might the damage to our intelligence apparatuses be irreparable, say they "clean house." As ominous as that sounds, you know what happens next. Real intelligence starts to land at their feet. They are the arbiters, the filters, of what makes it to the president and Congress - ostensibly those who need to know. Depending on how careless, or compromised, or corrupted Grenell and Patel (et al) become, Putin could very soon have a more granular understanding of our eyes and ears on the ground both from without and within our borders. I'm not prone to conspiracy theories or being alarmist. Part of me winces at even writing this. But another part of wonders why aren't we all in the streets? And then, I feel like it's already too late...
36
Intelligence operators lives could be at risk if covers are blown. I doubt Grenell will say no to any request that Trump, Jared or others have to get intelligence agencies data.
33
@Javaforce those thoughts, not being offensive, are almost quaint now compared to what's happening
1
President Trump’s decision to transform the office of Director of National Intelligence into a wholly-owned, propaganda-spewing subsidiary of Trump Inc. has 52 Republican Senators sweating bullets right now.
It may be true that only Susan Collins was gullible enough to think that Trump would “learn his lesson”. However, the unfettered, anger-fueled acceleration of his character assassination and autocratic behavior was both entirely predictable, and something that the senators vainly hoped-against-hope would not happen.
Remember that their rationale was essentially:
• Trump did a very bad thing.
• Given that the election was 10 months away, the people should decide his fate.
It is now an unavoidable fact that the spineless 52 unleashed Donald Trump when they violated two oaths: one to “protect and defend the constitution of the United States from all enemies foreign and domestic” the other to be “impartial” in the Senate trial phase of impeachment.
More simply, they made a deal with the devil to avoid the backlash from Trump’s base, and the debt is coming due.
85
Putin has now access to all information regarding our defenses, our strategies and position in foreign countries, primarily the Middle East and SE Asia.
While our country is bleeding to death from a thousand cuts administered by the GOP, Trump and Citizen United -what are we as citizens doing? Are we writing, calling and pwwsteringvour representatives in Congress? Are we registering people to vote?
Are we staying away from FB and Instagram and avoiding Twitter?
Are we educating ourselves about the major legislative changes this corupt administration is implementing on a daily basis?
23
@Jay Tan
I am doing those things + filling in anyone I meet who seems uninformed or vulnerable to fake news.
7
Recent developments compelled me to sign up as an overseas Voter Registration volunteer. Americans can vote wherever they are, not everyone realizes this.
5
It's kind of late to be "fearing" partisanship. Partisanship has been a hallmark of the system from the start ... but what Trump has instituted isn't "partisanship", it's deliberate destruction of a democratic system of government to suit his own narrow interests.
These people aren't "political party partisans", they are self-serving opportunists who couldn't care less if the system collapses, as long as they get a paycheck for as long as they can manage to keep Trump in power.
Trump's promise of "draining the swamp" was not only a broken promise, all of his promises have been that, it is a deliberate ruse so he could truck in tractor trailer loads of his personally chosen toxic sewage to dump INTO the swamp.
25
I do not want out nation's intelligence agencies compromised by the likes of Grenell or Nunes. Having a Fresno dairy farmer of limited intelligence -- extremely limited in Nunes' case -- advising the president on intelligence matters is horrifying, to say the least.
56
Deep down, Trump knows he was aided in the last election. He’s hoping the new arrangement will shield him from that 2016 reality and the current news.
Trump has never built anything of value, it’s always been winning by impeding the competition enough for him to be in front. He knows it, and is desperate for it to not come out.
And like everything else he’s done, he’s squandered the resources left to him and left others to deal with his bankruptcies.
33
The saying is, you’re entitled to your own opinion but you’re not entitled to your own facts. By putting strident partisans and conspiracy theorists in charge of our intelligence agencies, Trump is trying to get his own facts.
24
@Ecce Homo
"Trump is trying to get his own facts."
It seems that Mr Trump is trying to create facts he believes even if they are pure fantasy. Mr Trumps insistence that some "Conspiracy Theories" are real from the Central Park Gang ( the young black men accused of rape and cleared), being guilty, to Mr Obama not being born a U.S. Citizen, to the Deep State, that the mainstream media is peddling fake news, the Intelligence Community lying about Russian interference in our elections, on and on. In addition it's extremely hard to believe anything he says as fact checking has shown the amount of lies, misdirection and misinformation that slides out when he opens his mouth.
Then there is Mr Trump who peddles his being victimized by anyone and everyone not agreeing with him and giving him his way. Mr Trump has made statements about being a "Stable Genius", that he's the "Chosen One" to fix the worlds problems as he knows more about everything than folk that studied and have degrees in the fields of their study, to our top Military Commander and Leaders. It's mind boggling...And snake oil is a cure all for everything anyone interested in buying Snake Oil?
My TOS (Trump Overdose Syndrome) is acting up again so I need to stop.
Just an old white man's opinion based on observations...
1
Why did Trump hastily appoint Grenell, a loyalist? I'm viewing it as a reaction by Trump to the intelligence assessment being given the Congress bypassing Trump and Trump then knew he was under suspicion, so Grenell will be going in at the top to disseminate orders down through the chain to gather what is known about Trump hurredly. Can you imagine what would happen if anyone else infiltrated the spy community to get information with a mole? I do think Trump has erred.
7
Trump is attempting to purge the U.S. federal government of all he believes oppose his rule. Of course he is following the autocratic blueprint by installing loyalists, regardless of their level of compentence, to positions of power. Grenell, is simply the most recent example. However, Grenell is stepping into a live minefield and probably should not get too comfortable in his new office.
27
of course there will be partisanship. that is the only way trump and his horrible ideas work. he is the first narcissistic fascistic president that this country has ever had. he does not want intelligent people helping him. he only wants sycophantic loyalists that will do whatever nonsensical thing he asks them to do. how people can vote for a pathological lier who is as unintelligent as trump is is the most frightening.
24
Republicans are a disgrace.
They are listening to the murder of Democracy and closing their window blinds instead of calling the police.
64
@jaffa bazarro
If what you’re saying is true, why doesn’t he hire people with any level of knowledge ? We know the answer to that. He had republicans in those positions and they have all been fired. He doesn’t want the truth.
11
Hiring people, preferably competent, who have other qualities than pure loyalty to Trump and are not only partisan hacks would be a start. Given the flagrant disregard for process and qualifications here, we are way beyond the false equivalencies between Trump and Obama. Also, GOP could for once show spine and support a proper Senate vetting of these stooges as opposed to the 'acting' shortcut
4
Are we seeing actual treason before our eyes?
How long before they throw all our secrets in the floor and rummage through them for what gives Hannity his kind of red meat? When do people start dying?
Dark, dark days folks!
36
The Russians just keep on checking off their wish list.
39
Grenell's ambition vastly exceeds both his understanding of intelligence and its relationship to policy, global strategy, and most importanly, its long-term significance.
Here is a man on the make, at age 53, young enough to see a long future, but old enough to be in danger of being passed by. He's astute enough to know he is completely out of his depth in an intelligence community brimming with mid-level career lifers far more accomplished than he.
By kissing Trump's ring, he's hoping to find the launching pad to a place where he can command his own press conferences. Like many other senior officials, he knows that Trump is a delusional idiot, but imagined, like most of the others, that he can advance his own interests and maybe he can do it without breaking anything or harming too many.
The best our country can hope for is that he's not there long enough to do anything exceptionally stupid.
18
The inmates have bound and gagged the professional staff and are now running the insane asylum.
30
Is it just me, or does Grenell look just like the All State Mayhem Guy?
14
@Madeline Conant: I believe you nailed it! And if he’s on television, that means he’s qualified for the job, right? If it works for the President, Larry Kudrow, et al., it may as well work for this guy.
5
This is beyond insane. Impeach over and over .
22
@Tim c in case you missed it, they took over. There is no one left to do the impeachment.
3
Yeah, Patel was a conspiracy theorist with no evidence - until the IG reported the details of the FISA abuse alleged by him. Post Mueller and the IG report, there's more evidence that Patel was right than wrong. Once we get Durham's report, we might get even more proof of the Deep State-Media-Democrat conspiracy against Trump. As it stands, not only is it self-evident, but it actually has proof supporting it, unlike the failed Mueller Russia Collusion hoax.
4
@TL The IG report is weak tea. For example, there were no problems with the original Page application, and Page didn't even work for the Trump campaign when the warrant was granted.
15
@TL You really should read the first part of the Mueller Report, which documents in painstaking and fair-minded detail the ways Russia ran targeted intelligence operations to attack our election, boost Trump's candidacy, and suppress Democratic base support. I believe if you read it you might also be disturbed by the number and types of contacts between the Trump campaign and Russians. As Mueller concluded, we would know more if Paul Manafort and Erik Prince had not destroyed or hidden evidence and Roger Stone hadn't obstructed the investigation.
2
Kashyap Patel? Seriously?
According to Politico: "But Vindman was instructed “at the last second” not to attend the debriefing, Vindman told lawmakers, because Trump’s advisers worried it might confuse the president: Trump believed at the time that Kashyap Patel, a longtime Nunes staffer who joined the White House in February and had no discernible Ukraine experience or expertise, was actually the NSC’s top Ukraine expert instead of Vindman."
A circus, I tell you. Clowns, each and every one of them. Evil clowns though. Nothing funny there.
46
Every time I think this administration can’t get worse it does and it seems like no one really cares
32
Soon the daily intelligence briefing will be coming directly from Moscow.
38
@LCA: That has been the case since Trump took over. Remember his appearance with Putin in Helsinki July 2018, where he took Putin’s word over the info from American intelligence agencies? Make no mistake: Grenell is hand picked by Putin.
7
Fear of dictator ship ! Trump has the characteristics of a dictator !
Lock him out ! Lock him up!
God help the American people !
My fellow 'Americans who are Republicans, and those who are Trump supporter, get Trump out of the role of President.
The well-being of all our children and grandchildren, and those of others, depends on realizing that Trump's behaviors are dangerous !
20
I wonder if Mr. Grenell's appointment to the DNI is going to be a brief tenure where the main orchestrator is actually Kapshyal Patel, a former employee of what should be the disgraced Devan Nunes, Mr. Grenell is simply a face to this Department, he will most likely not have a say, would be interesting to know who is actually pulling the puppet strings, Hannity? Carlson? not Ingraham, she does not get yet with all her support, Trump hates women unless they service him, that also leaves out Piro a little too crazy. the one person recently added to the fold that I find will be more problematic is Ryan McElveen who already is playing the role of a hunting dog, why was he brought back in after refusal of a Security Check, though Trump can and has overruled this, what is McElveen's true role, sounds pretty shady but typical of a Corrupt, Incompetent, Trump Administration, fool the base,that's what Trump thinks of them regardless of their loyalty, where will they be and what will they do when Trump finally sees the inside of a Prison and they realize what a con he was and they were his entertainment.
12
American Democracy is dying a slow and painful death every day, with each malady inflicting its painful and contagious toxins on the unwitting public. They said it couldn’t happen here...
48
@Eric: Not so slow. This is how such things often go.
6
How is it that anyone who is a trump sycophant can become the acting head of intelligence and privy to top secret intelligence without a background check? Considering all of the criminals trump associates with, it’s pretty scary.
59
@Kb
For the same reason that Jared and Ivanka got top security clearance and became top political advisers despite having no experience.
It doesn't matter to Trump - as long as they are going to do as he wants, not cause a problem and not disagree with him - he doesn't care.
It's the same with Robert O’Brien, Trump's NSA, who apparently opens meetings with printouts of Trump's tweets so they can enact what he says, or find reasons to explain it. They are no longer there to develop strategy as they should be, they are now there to carry out Trump's wishes.
That's how bad things are getting now, Trump demands and Trump gets.
The WH is no longer filled with the best and brightest people for the roles, it is filled with Trump's henchmen and sycophants.
The WH is starting to resemble a palace of Saddam Hussein.
13
We are under attack from a hostile nation, aided and abetted by a man purposefully chosen to carry out the destruction of our democracy and rule of law. This man occupies the highest office in our country.
He is supported by a major political party who willingly join his efforts in return for unbridled power and wealth for all who comply. They are many and growing in number while we've been complacent and ignorant of this threat right under our noses.
Our only chance for survival as a country of free people who adhere to the notion that no one is above the law, that government is of, for and by the people, who give their consent to be governed, is to fulfill our highest duty: vote.
Vote in such overwhelming numbers that this mutinous cadre of usurpers can not succeed in stealing all we hold dear.
You may not like the person ultimately chosen to lead us and defeat this enemy, you may think your voice and your vote don't matter. You may feel it more noble to protest by not voting. You would be wrong. This vote matters more than any in our lifetime.
If you would not be ruled by amoral men of mean character, corrupt men who would declare themselves kings and cohorts, answerable to no one, you must vote.
The damage done to our foundation in just three years is staggering. If they succeed in 2020, it collapses.
Vote. Vote them out. You will not get another chance.
We have one chance to defeat this enemy. We must vote en mass in numbers so
59
Here we go again! Goal = This is the outcome we want, now let's bury or cherry pick the information we need to get it. Neither Grenell nor any future reports have a shred of credibility. It's like Deja Barr all over again.
24
@Charles almon;
Republican Party: check
Executive power: check
Senate: check
Justice Department: check
Intelligence agencies: check
6
And so the purge begins...
20
Overhauling before confirmation or tenure is another method to erode checks and balances from within; like termites. Hollow the wood and see the havoc.
Why have we not declared war on Russia? Tomorrow would be the perfect day to honor the birth of someone who really did care about foreign interventions. If I have to tell you who, this must be Trump or a sycophant surrogate.
10
How long does it take to fire everyone and replace them with sycophants?
Maybe 3 weeks is all he needs.
14
Well the purge is on. It's like Gulag or the SS with this president. Can't have a thought that doesn't go along with his thoughts, not that he has any. I find this disturbing and dangerous and the GOP just sits and watches. This is how democracy dies.
39
Why the quotes from only retired workers in Utah? Hardly representative of the Democratic Party. Ok Boomer!
4
"Partisanship"?
What do you think fueled the Mueller probe?
4
@John Corr
Partisanship had nothing to do with it.
It came about from a desire and need to get to the bottom of the Russian interference, to see if it really happened, the effect, how far it went and how much damage it did etc.
It was a balanced and fair investigation, and it was done with the future of elections in mind.
It's about time some grew up and stopped yelling partisanship every time something is said or done that they don't like.
If that's all some can come up with as an argument or defence, then the argument is weak to begin with.
22
Intelligence? Really? Trump administration? All oxymorons, led by the biggest one.
13
Early in Trump's administration, there was a march for science. My favorite sign read 'Knowing stuff is good. Jeez, do I really have to say this.' Yes, because too many prefer easy lies to hard truths.
Republicans prevent the NIH from researching the effects of gun violence - it does not stop the epidemic from spreading death and destruction.
Republicans deny climate science, defund research, compromise long term studies, and scrub government sites of data - it does not stop the disruptions of global warming.
Republicans distort the historic record of their misdeeds, as they did with the Nixon tapes - it does not keep the truth from coming out.
Republicans ignore intelligence and cyber security - it does not stop America's adversaries.
Republicans rally round Trump - it is not good for America. Jeez, do I really have to say this?
26
If he's looking at the info on Russian interference, why not just go to Moscow and get the straight scoop? Work out a story with Putin and then take it to fox news.
While I despise trump, this destruction of the intelligence "community" is awesome! More of this please before the election... just in case Trump loses. We need him to do as much damage as possible to this mess of spooks and war criminals in the military and CIA. Heck... it might just be worth voting for trump if he really does destroy the national security apparatus.
2
Meanwhile, Zuckerberg/Sandberg stuff their wallets and ignore how Facebook is harming our democracy.
Shameful behavior.
25
This is a classic authoritarian dictator move, putting people personally loyal to you into high offices in law enforcement and intelligence. Putin and Erdogan did it on their way to absolute power. Americans underestimate how much we are forced to take it on good faith that law enforcement and intelligence officials behave like professionals, and do not abuse their powers, such as conducting Watergate-style "dirty tricks" on the president's political rivals or reporters who write the wrong types of articles. Sure, there is congressional oversight, but suppose the agency heads simply lie? This is all the worse now because we've seen how whistleblowers are treated.
26
Yes, Grenell will be putting together a team that both Trump and, more importantly to Republicans, Putin will be pleased with.
Wake up NYT, media, press Democrats and the rest of us. This isn't normal but partisan politics as usual. This is new. This is different. This is the Republicans betraying the nation right before our eyes. They aren't even trying to hide it.
We need to stop pretending otherwise and start, at a minimum, to call them out for their treason.
37
Since we are not removing the President or even censuring him, we have arrived at our terminal: autocracy.
There is nothing left to do except wringing of hands and ineffectual whining.
If defeated in November, this man will not leave the WH.
Note to Ben Franklin: We couldn't keep it.
36
So Trump and right wing political hack Richard Grenell are denying and covering up Russian government attacks on our 2020 elections? How is this not treason?
Nancy Pelosi must defend her House majority, but it will be difficult for her to ignore the impeachable offenses that continue to stack up in the Trump administration.
23
Why aren't we calling this what it is? This is a purge. It's happened in pretty much every autocratic regime the world has seen and now it's happening here. You don't like the facts so you replace the fact-tellers with sycophants who will hide the facts from you and instead give you the Baghdad Bob treatment.
36
@DennisMcG Exactly. And the usual result is that the country is not ready for something that should have been obvious to anyone objective. Hopefully whatever happens will not be too traumatic or damaging to the folks on the ground.
13
You should call Patel a promoter of Trump conspiracy theories, not an expert on them. Expert implies at least some objectivity which he clearly doesn’t have. He’s just another Trump cult member.
21
This is very, very dangerous. Putting a loyal flunky in that position is insane. I am hoping our armed forces will force an overthrow of the Trump Dictatorship and begin rounding up those who have aided him and charge them all with subversion.
14
@ClydeMallory I hope not. I like living in a democracy where the military answers to civilian authority instead of the other way around.
1
@ClydeMallory It’s time for the Joint Chiefs to ask themselves, which side are you on?
Is Trump even aware of what he "writes"? Your country is sliding into a twisted autocracy.
I'm waiting for the Times, or any independent media, to start reporting on how the rest of the world views this direction your nation is taking and how the US has lost its leadership role.
I realize that I'm preaching to the choir here. I'd be better off writing a letter to the Grand Forks Herald.
20
Mr. Grenell is more than qualified to have his current appointment given his resume: no experience with intelligence, fondness and fascination with conspiracy theory, a total unabashed loyalist and sycophant. Yep, he has all of the Trump qualifications, bring him on. Prayers and all the best wishes to the dedicated men and women of our dedicated intelligence community - most of the country has your back.
28
From the failure to foresee the collapse of the Soviet Union, to the claimed presence of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq , the US intelligence has a miserable record.
An overhaul, to get it up to the level of the Mossad, is long overdue.
In the past, too many conflicts of interests between the CIA, the FBI, the DNA, the MIC to name a few, got this to a grinding halt.
Good luck Mr. Grenell
2
Why is it that with every turn Trump makes the next response is, Heaven help us! We now have long standing employees, who know everything about the system, being fired, or quitting. Countries like Russia, China, etc are probably popping bottles of champaign. I truly hope that certain people aren't rubbing their hands waiting to get hold of anything to use on others. About the only thing we can do is click our heels 3 times and hope we're back in Kansas. If not, then, Heaven help us.
9
After shoehorning in a nakedly political actor like Grenell, I wonder how other IC heads like Haspel, Ray and others will feel about reporting/working with DNI now. How can any of them expect to do their jobs effectively and with integrity knowing anything perceived as slightly negative for POTUS will be attacked and dismissed?
11
When future historians chart the decline and fall of the American Empire it was start with Donald Trump and the failure of long standing government institutions to check an obviously corrupt and unqualified president.
25
@Tom When future historians chart the decline and fall of the American Empire they will accurately write that it had its start when it was defeated by Vietnam.
1
Grenell and the President have every right to choose their subordinates in the executive branch. Based on what has transpired in the "national security" community during the last 4 years, a thorough house cleaning is called for. The FBI, DOJ, and the State Department could use a thorough housecleaning also.
3
@Concerned
Yep. All the patriots must go so Trump can consolidate his power furthering his aim to be a dictator.
2
It does seem as if Trump is working to make the title National Director of Intelligence an official oxymoron.
19
I take a slightly contrarian view. In order to sleep at night, I choose to believe that the vast majority of career intelligence professionals will hunker down and focus on protecting the United States in spite of Donald Trump’s pathologically narcissistic disdain for the intelligence community. I further choose to believe the vast majority will act in conformity with the oaths they swore to protect and defend this nation, regardless of Trump.
Perhaps this is the “Deep State” that Trump so abhors—people who have morals, integrity and values that are not easily corrupted by Trump’s delusional fantasy that he is the Emperor of the United States. If so, I applaud this Deep State who resist Trump by simply keeping their heads down and doing their jobs. They are keeping this country safe as Trump and his Republican enablers do everything in their power to destroy American virtues and values.
54
While certainly no fan of Trump, I am even a lesser fan of the intelligence community, a.k.a., the Deep State. Time to clean house and put in some reforms to keep a close eye on these people from outside oversight committees and agencies. They wield way too much power.
4
Why would other countries now want to share intel with the USA.
Another way Trump is not just damaging the USA, he’s damaging the world.
72
So the acting DNI will be an openly gay man who graduated from a christian university with an embedded seminary and will be serving in the administration of a president that the evangelicals who support him are convinced was "chosen by God" a la King Cyrus. Given the conservative christian attitude towards gay folks, maybe they'll lobby for a few rounds of conversion therapy for Mr. Grenell. You can't make this stuff up. I can't imagine how conflicted that man must be.
28
@Rep de Pan - Zealots are never conflicted. I'm sure he's worked out a rationale in his own mind for this, and any further horrors he and his ilk will inflict.
I'm sure members of the IC feel like the Inquisition has moved in.
1
One partisanship may be replacing another ... In this divided nation, who is surprised?
Not good for any of us, but that is what the search for power provokes in humans.
1
@Si Seulement Voltaire We are not divided 50/50, but 60/40.
2
So Honest Don has installed two political commissars atop the intelligence community. (Is Patel even an American citizen?) Grenell and Patel will ensure that nothing that reflects badly on The Great Leader ever sees the light of day outside CIA Headquarters. In fact, intelligence analysts at CIA and elsewhere probably will start self-censoring, that is, fail to analyze or report politically sensitive information that might set off Trump's two political commissars. Are there any Republican senators or congressmen who have the guts to denounce a Soviet-style power play to stifle the intelligence agencies?
21
The fake conspiracy theorists are now running the show. God help us. US Intelligence will be undermined and destroyed in six months.
32
No surprise a professional intelligence employee is being replaced by a Trump conspiracy theorist.
I might hazard a guess that there will be a steady supply of tin foil for the hats?
28
Thanks, Senate Republicans...this is ALL on you despicable people...150%.
119
@Mike Schmidt
No, it's on their voters. Senators are doing whatever gets them reelected.
5
What could possibly go wrong with an unqualified, ignorant, Trump sycophant, as the new acting director of national intelligence?
If this Trump appointment required confirmation in the Senate, I doubt Republican Senators would uphold their oath to defend the US Constitution, instead of their current blind loyalty to Trump.
36
Not surprising ; Trump is merely filling the post with another "Igor" except it's not Marty Feldman and as serious and bad as a heart attack . Even if he wins another term , it will be difficult to dislodge them with a shoehorn from their posts . This is the undoing of America ; bombarded with vile cries of wild conspiracies , while the real truth lies dead on the floor of planted distrust of a false reality .
31
Where are the Republican leaders in all this? Have they completely abandoned their responsibility and duty to the nation out of fear of and /or fealty to Trump? The Republican Party is truly lost.
172
@JBG
Where is the democrat party in continuing the hallucination that Russia is somehow tied to Trump or wants him to win .
Trump has done dozens of things that harm Russia so they dont want him to win
1
The Dictatorship has arrived! Government is being fundamentally ripped right out from under us, hour by hour.
But Democrats are just milling around, pondering purity points as always - and pretending the American people will wake up and do the right thing in November. Unfortunately, they rarely do. Even Democrats don’t do the right thing. They sulk, and “stay home on principle” on voting day... thinking they have done something intelligent.
Wake up America! The election will be corrupted, challenged, and even suspended by Trump and the Republicans. Even if Democrats win, they will fail to get a peaceful transition of power.
Then Democrats will sit around and make a speech or two, or wander aimlessly with their thumbs in their mouths wondering what happened to democracy.
The country is under incredible, daily attack - and Democrats are doing what they always do: focusing on each other instead of the danger.
128
@GWBear
We are the democracy. We keep waiting to be led. We have to lead ourselves.
11
@GWBear
I think your ire is misplaced. The Democrats impeached Trump. What else do you want them to do? They don't control the Senate. They have absolutely no influence on the White House. You think that by coalescing around one candidate right now, that will magically change anything?
It's the Republican Party that deserves your anger. GOPers are aiding and abetting a criminal. They are destroying the country.
36
@GWbear
That comment should be read out loud on national broadcast every evening until Election Day.
2
The President likes temps. He is using temping so he can dismiss someone on a moments notice and fill it with the next temp. All he has to do is stay within the timelines. Put up a borderline candidate that the Senate is likely refuse and keep on temping. The other possibility is that the well is running dry for qualified people that are willing to put their reputations on the line with a president that may turn on them as he has with many others. To fill the void left by a dearth of qualified candidates, enter the Trump loyalists, FOX experience or a reasonable facsimile is nice but not necessary.
27
I've always heard that many conservatives supported the idea of minimalist government -- that the only legitimate role of the federal government was to protect its citizens. They aren't even doing that anymore. Not only are Republicans allowing our adversaries to hurt us -- they are INSISTING on it after years of obvious evidence.
And, this is much bigger than just our own country. This is about weakening the entire modern Western democratic alliance. It's not just our own elections, it's Brexit, NATO, and much more.
The Republicans claim to be the party of national security.
This is mind boggling.
73
Trump has turned the DOJ, with the concurrence of AG Barr, into a personal law firm with the primary goal of protecting his back.
He now is in the process of turning the intelligence network into another apparatus aimed at providing the truth according to Trump.
The combined losses of experienced personnel, the damage done to the integrity of each endeavor, and the deprivation and deterioration of efforts aimed at protecting the United States and its citizens all deeply undermine the security of our country. Trump’s reinvention of government as an extension of his own interests must not and should not be tolerated, but the Republicans, especially those in the Senate, seem to believe that appointing ‘friendly judges’ and repealing protective regulations is worth the death of our democracy.
378
@Nyca
I believe we all now must realize our millions of lives are truly in danger and it is imperative that we suffer any pain of gauntlet to get to the polls to vote out ALL Republicans.
51
@Molly
I watched a program on Dr. Phil where he was interviewing a woman suffering from illusions. This woman appeared more rational than you. Maybe Dr. Phil could help you too.
37
@Nyca Trump is the Manchurian Candidate.
12
Only bad things can happen with this move. The clock has ticked closer to a Trump autocracy.
43
The Republicans in Congress gave Trump a pass and all bets are off as to what happens next. Meanwhile, the Democrats have assembled a circular firing squad aiming at each other rather than the most dangerous threat to democracy in the country's modern history. The corruption in this administration is systemic and continues to spread department by department.
When Trump was elected I was at first shocked and then I became angry and frustrated. Now I'm scared.
52
@Leo Gold I'm right there with you...shaking in my boots about what next will happen.
15
I really don't trust Trump and the Republicans with national security at this point.
21
So we now have conspiracy theory buffs running intelligence. At least I had faith in the intelligence community doing the right thing- I have my doubts now. Unless there’s an aggressive spike in whistle blowers, I am very concerned for our security.
28
As simply an Acting official, while also being the Ambassador to Germany, Grenell should not be firing all the people who run the day to day operations of this agency. He should be using them to assist him in maintaining the status quo until a new permanent Director can be found and confirmed. What is clearly happening is that Trump wants yet another way to take state secrets out of the nonpartisan closet at the DNI and parade them in public as Democratic hoaxes for his election purposes. It's disgusting and should not be something that any American citizen would agree to do. Grenell is not a decent person and will be doing whatever he can to ruin the agency and while he is in charge, the agency will be unable to function normally. We are all in danger because of that.
54
Checks and balances are useless when a legislative body, in this case the senate, refuses to challenge the executive branch. The electoral college is not going any time soon. Two Senators per state will remain. DC and Puerto Rico will not be getting senate seats.
What can be done? Stop voting GOP. It doesn't matter if your current senators have brought home the bacon. It doesn't matter that they provide seniority on committees. It doesn't matter that they say they support x, y, or z. If they are Republican, they (except Romney) have shown they don't love America.
This comes from someone that has voted since 1980 and has rarely not voted GOP. But that is over.
86
the erosion of the nation's security has consequences that President Trump's appointed cronies could never begin to comprehend. The nation is vulnerable now, but the president does not care because this vulnerability may help his re-election chances. Every American should be alarmed, the president is destroying the nation's security in the interest of re-election.
31
@Patriot All in service to graft. Trump wants to be reelected so that he can loot a lot more American treasure and so that he (believes) can run out the statutory clock on past crimes.
5
It's a tell. The Intelligence assessment was given to Congress bypassing the President. That means he is under suspicion.
19
@PATRICK the intelligence assessment is required to be given to Congress. It was given to the Senate first and you are assuming the administration wasn’t briefed first. It probably was and maybe no one at the NSC wanted to bring it to the President.
3
You know and I know, Trump is gathering what is known about him from the top down the chain of command to be sure he gets it by everyone ordering each other. It's Trump who wants to know what the goods are on him. You know Trump lives for the political minute without tactical long term strategy. He just wants to know what the goods are they have on him. It sure looks like that to me. And, uh? Maybe that's why Pompeo was C.I.A. Director for a short time?
12
If this statement from the article is true, “ As acting director of national intelligence, Mr. Grenell has access to any secrets he may want to review”, I am shuddering in fear. Who is left to guard the henhouse?
20
Look:
We have to choose someone who will beat Trump.
Even if he cheats—which he is and will.
Or we will lose our American democratic Republic.
Forget all other fractious intra-Party nonsense.
This is what matters.
144
@Joseph Bloe Agree. It's high time for Bernie, Biden, and Buttigieg to end their candidacies, leaving the field to Warren and Klobuchar. Those two represent the main wings of the Democratic Party and can fight it out without splintering the primary vote into little fragments.
7
Why does he have security clearance given his prior work for Vladimir Plahotniuk in 2016 without FARA registration?
42
@winchestereast So many people who work for Trump either don't have security clearance or have been given it over the objections of clearance personnel. Trump only hires or appoints stooges and traitors.
5
Amazing how much power is given to President of United States. Now, Americans, you can only watch what he doing and he can't be stopped.. You can't do anything. Actually for me, from Europe,reading what happening "over there" is scary. Even more, because he will win again in 2020.
38
So now Trump is going to try to control the efforts of the intelligence agencies, and therefore what they investigate and publicly report. He already has Justice in his pocket. The spineless Republicans look the other way. We are in more and more trouble every single day. This election will determine whether democracy lives or dies.
66
@Mike P Do you think this election will be honest? I don’t. Republicans will not investigate no matter how much proof there is of foreign interference. They have chosen power and a cult over our democracy.
27
Why doesn't Grenell just hire a bunch of Russians to work for him? That would be perfect for Trump...
87
@Mike C. Thanks Mike....and in a word...Done.
4
"I have in my hand, Mr. President, a list of 205 members of the intelligence community who have been actively working against you and your administration."
21
I am as qualified as Grenell or Patel and I am a retired elementary school teacher!
They have no real rights to be kept abreast of secrets or confidential information. They have likely NOT been vetted for such confidential materials. This "acting" and surrogate "snitch" positions are yet another way of shredding all norms and standards expected to keep our government running per the standards we have come to expect.
The REAL witch hunt has begun within the deepest counter-terrorism and national intelligence and from the rest of the news today, within ALL of the personnel, because if you are not on the tRump wagon, you are not allowed to even walk along side, you must be banished.
How any Republicans can stand by after they have helped to create this authoritative situation which is flushing all hope of non-partisan governance and rules of law down the toilet. Their lack of ny concerned aresponse shows that they are trading off the country's future for their short-lived careers and financial gains.
93
@Rebecca
to sound even more bold, I am even more qualified!
I speak 2 foreign languages, have traveled here and there and have read many spy novels!
How about that!
I guess, I should apply for a leadership position with the Intelligence community.
8
@Rebecca I’m sure Susan Collins is very concerned.
7
This has been like watching The Godfather or The Sopranos. Except that it is all too real, and affects every American.
64
The president has now taken control of the justice department over the investigation of his cronies and of the national intelligence services over the findings that he is being helped by Russia. The Republicans in the legislative branch just play along.
With this, what exactly distinguishes us any longer from a banana republic on its path into lawless totalitarianism?
48
Look at who's president. Look at who's attorney general. Look at who's secretary of state. Look at who's "acting" director of national intelligence. What you see, Mr. and Mrs. America, is that the most dangerous enemies of our democracy are within.
303
@Dotconnector Don't worry. Jared has it handled.
4
This is how to get ahead in Trump-land: tell The Donald what he wants to hear, and only what he wants to hear. Truth is worthless in this twisted land--in fact, it will get you fired and replaced with a bobblehead.
21
By the time November rolls around, it might be irrelevant.
19
How many ACTING directors of departments are there currently doing the government's business?
This is a shadowy, swampy way to make significant steps in various parts of governance with no oversight or approval by the legislative branch of government.
And it's not that the senate wouldn't confirm a lot of these people. (Just look at the impeachment vote) It's that they don't want to be on record as having voted to approve them.
Disgusting. Unacceptable. Dangerous.
43
This is incredibly frightening. It’s not only letting the fox into the chicken coop, it’s putting barbecue sauce on the chickens. No one associated with ethically compromised Devin Nunes should have any role in handling and interpreting sensitive intelligence information. If vital intelligence can be intentionally distorted or politically weaponized we are cooked.
125
@Robert O.
" No one associated with ethically compromised Devin Nunes should have any role in handling and interpreting sensitive intelligence information. "
In other words - Donald Trump.
24
Sickening to see how easily our country has been taken over by a criminal element.
89
I believe this is called foxes guarding the hen house.
12
With Republicans enabling his exoneration from impeachment and with more yes-men in high places Supreme Leader Trump is officially a dictator.
Thank you Mitch and Co. for killing democracy.
53
This is Trump's new Barr applied to the intelligence agencies. Those agencies that support our national security. Being corrupted and cartoonish. Grenell and Barr are like fixers. Michael Cohen all over again. But official. Both invested with the power of the executive branch. That does not mean that Russia will stop helping Trump cheat to be re-elected.
Why don't the Democrats start reading again and, publicizing the Mueller's testimony about his report? The part that starts: "as we are here... The Russians continue..."
it is not the Manchurian candidate. It is the Manchurian president trying to be re-elected.
16
Frightening, that our security is in the hands of someone who has zero intelligence experience. Why not just top that with his 2nd is a conspiracy theory junkie? I hate to write this but this really is smelling more and more like the SS of 1930's Germany. People with serious positions in government who appear to be a bit unhinged. The madness continues. I hope that we all do have to pledge allegiance to our exalted leader in the near future, or suffer the consequences, this I fear is coming. This is no longer R vs. D. this is insanity.
37
That is a great photo.
1
How are we going to put the country back together?
10
"prompting fears of partisanship?" the nytimes, wapo, et al should stop kowtowing to the gods of "objectivity" and just write what you see. partisanship is here, there, and everywhere in the trump administration.
just say it already. king donald and his courtiers are doing whatever they want.
24
Systematically dismantling our institutions one by one to bring doubt and distrust to them all; the free press, the justice department, the state department, the federal reserve, and now the latest... this is how dictators are born.
21
Is there nothing we can do to stop this administration?
Republicans, this is your doing. Are you willing yet to accept responsibility and give the rest of us a little help?
27
Reality check NYTImes . According to Federal guidelines and Constitutional Law ...
An ACTING director of ANY Federal agency neither has the power nor the authority to Overhaul - Change - Remove or Add personal - Remove or Add any positions etc etc et al
Fact ; The SOLE power of any ACTING director is to continue on with the present status quo until such time as a permanent director is installed
So if Grenell .. as reported ... is attempting to instate ANY changes ... he is directly contravening all Federal and Constitutional law in regards to the extremely limited authority of ANY acting director of ANY Federal agency .
In which case it is the responsibility of this and every other news agency to hold Grenell's feet to the fire .
33
@TJ Martin If you are correct, please advise Mr. Grennell, as he is already hiring/firing at will and stacking the department with conspiracy junkies and aides to Nunes (of all people). Whatever classified or mission-sensitive information he gets his hands on will be channeled up to Der Trump. And he'll discuss it on an insecure phone or in a tweet.
12
@TJ Martin There’s no one left to uphold the law or the Constitution. Bill Barr is making sure if that.
Why don’t more Americans vote? Why aren’t the masses protesting in the streets or flooding the phone lines of their Congressional members? Most Americans are so apathetic that I think we are getting the government we deserve.
8
@TJ Martin And when did this administration let the Constitution stop them from doing things that benefit them and their cronies?
11
Words fail me. This is government?
20
@Jay Dwight
And here I thought there couldn't be less qualified appointments than Ben Carson and Betsy DeVos.
4
Just in: Patel will bring in Blago and Joe Arpaio to assist with intelligence, as they have demonstrated same by winning pardons despite despicable conduct. Good enough for this crew.
8
My guess Devin Nunes back in business armed with access to the new DNI. Well Devin has a degree in Agriculture well suited for the task.
10
@texsun Indeed! There will be a heavy manuring of the fields.
3
I am so frightened..... This is truly the stuff of nightmares.
37
None of this bodes well for the future of this once proud nation.
I'm truly terrified.
Hey Republicans. How can you look in the mirror.
39
@Larry
Ask the ones on here.
2
From an outside perspective, America is becoming North Korea.
I hope the red hats like becoming worker drones for the new dictatorship.
America’s (former) allies will have no trust in your country anymore and will be reluctant to share intelligence.
17
This is how a democracy dies.
39
Grennell, Get your hands on that classified intelligence on Russia's interventions as soon as possible. The boss--i.e., Putin--wants to see it.
15
Why is he not just appointing Putin?
12
It can happen here.
27
Patel was the author of the politically charged memo that turned out to be 110% accurate according to Horowiz two years and millions of hours and dollars later. Thanks Mr. Patel
2
Not quite, Dennis.
4
@Dennis Byron
As one of the people voting for the Senators enabling this, you are essentially the root cause. Why? Why are you doing this?
1
As usual our so-called President finds a way to turn things into a lie. I thought Grenell was supposed to be there temporarily! It looks like he is measuring carpet and finding new curtains for this so called temporary office which no doubt he is a totally and completely unqualified for! Just another day in Trump world America with more Trump decisions putting the American people in danger to satisfy his huge unique narcissistic child like ego.
10
John McCain is spinning in his grave.
7
Grenell is a bad hombre.
9
Who doesn’t see the fire? Who will finally douse the flames?
Get that mess of a human being out of the White House.
Susan Collins and the rest of the toadies in the Senate get on TV and beg for forgiveness for being willfully ignorant during the impeachment trial. It should be a crime to deliberately refuse to uphold your oath of office. I am beyond fed up with the basket of deplorables running my government. Hillary was so right, she saw what these people were and called it.
32
As someone who is gay, I will never understand how a gay man can support, promote and enact Trump's agenda. Mind boggling.
25
@Michael
Yes, indeed.
5
I'll wager a paycheck, that history will eventually reveal, that Devin Nunes should have been put in front of a firing squad.
His full story has yet to be revealed in this sordid affair.
23
Trump has created the ultimate fever swamp of conspiracy theorists, supported by Faux News, and they won't be satisfied until Washington is completely crippled. It seems like they hate America's institutions, doesn't it? Somewhere the Russians are laughing.
17
The threat posed by this appointment is even greater than that posed by Russian interference and disinformation campaigns, since it legitimizes the paranoid fantasies of our mentally unhinged president and his ill-informed and delusional supporters.
It is frightening and sickening to see the Republicans abnegating their responsibilities by enabling this crazy man and giving credence to his truly lunatic and disturbed fantasies. That they consider themselves “patriots” is truly nauseating. At what point will this complicity be considered criminal? One wonders, though, with Trump’s overt compromising of the Justice Department and the American security establishment, would anyone care and would anything be done?
20
Be afraid. Be very afraid.
15
Wow. 1984 is actually showing up in 2020.
With the crew that tweetie bird is putting in charge of "intelligence" we will be subjected to doublespeak and conspiracy theories instead of the facts.
In my 70+ years of life in this country, I never imagined that we would be dealing with a totalitarian maladministration.
My dad served in the 101st in WW II and did not fight to defeat the Nazis so that they could take over the US now.
38
Are Americans receiving any National Security from this tribe of fox News conspiracy experts?
Nunes and his buddies could write the the national enquirer paper.
10
It can't be any more partisan than the CIA was under Obama's director John Brennan
4
@Amy ? Partisan? John Brenner was first appointed by George Bush as Acting Director of the Counter Terrorism Center in 2004.
10
@CTBartholomew
"John Brennan: President Trump’s Claims of No Collusion Are Hogwash"
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/16/opinion/john-brennan-trump-russia-collusion-security-clearance.html
However, no collusion is exactly what Muller found.
1
They’re taken over our country. Republicans, are you going to stand by while we become a dictatorship ?!!
9
When do republicans formalize their motto:
Stock the swamp!
10
Congressional Republicans had a chance to get rid of this treasonous tyrant. Instead they supported him.
Democracy can only die through complicity.
20
What could possibly go wrong? Someone who knows absolutely nothing about foreign intelligence being named the DNI and immediately appointing a former staff member of Devin Nunes. Nothing to see here, enjoy your afternoon.
14
Red alert. Our entire national apparatus is being taken over by these crazies. Calling Lindsay Graham! Susan Collins! Lamar Alexander! Lisa Murkowski! Mitt! Mitt!
7
These yes men need to go. One way or another. They are criminals like Trump.
10
This sends a clear message to these agencies: competence and integrity are no longer welcome here. Donald says the current reports of Russian meddling are a "partisan misinformation campaign", and his appointment of Richard Grenell guarantees that all information in the future will be exactly that. He has no problem with partisan misinformation as long as it's his.
300
We have a president and all senior officials who now reject science (the climate crisis as a hoax), expand burning fossil fuels, reject all our national security people and agencies in favor of junk and thoroughly repudiated lies by people who know nothing of true national security - all so that a sick president can proclaimed himself a "very stable genius" and "ruler of the world" with his master puppeteer - vlad putin calling the shots in exchange for a few billions $. This is very sick and extremely dangerous.
Where are America's real leaders - where are the trust voices who actually know what's going on.
407
@LoveCourageTruth
America's real leaders will, ultimately, be us. Come November, they have to be gone.
29
Excellent summary. Heartbreaking as well.
11
@Rick Morris , and he'll then claim it was rigged if he loses. And his loss is a big IF. Unless voters turn out in spectacularly large numbers.
12
It's time Trump started paying all White House staff out of his campaign contributions. The purpose of his hand picked staff is to cherry pick facts or make them up for the purpose of his reelection. Everything the White House does is for appearances not for the country.
The selection of Mr. Grenell is not for the security of the country but to assure that information that embarrasses Mr. Trump is not either obtained nor made public if it is obtained.
248
@DGP
I agree and I think Susan Rice is a pretty even-tempered individual. But this is what she said this afternoon:
"The problem is not just that Rick Grennell has absolutely no preparation, no background or knowledge to be the DNI. The problem is that Rick Grennell is one of the most massively dishonest people I’ve ever encountered. I’m not using this language lightly. He is a hack and a shill, and that’s all he’s ever been. And he has been put in that job for one reason only, which is to turn the intelligence community into a tool for the President’s re-election.”
43
The intelligence agencies have the power to do what they want and claim national security when asked to explain their tactics.
Putting people in place to critically review what the intelligence community is doing, the House Intelligence Committee certainly can’t, in regards to American political issues and report to the President is a good idea. If the intelligence community is not acting on behalf of the anti Trump democrats and media there should be no issue.
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@John Gilday They should, at the very least, be considered competent and have a intelligence background and understanding of USA security. Neither of these individuals have anything other than dedication to the administration to recommend them for their positions.
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And if they are acting for Trump, who protects America?
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I"m sure there's an appropriate quote from "1984" for this situation. Political weaponization of the national intelligence agencies is a really huge step towards authoritarianism, one that even a democratic administration would, I fear, not undo.
Why give up power? Nobody, not since Cincinnatus.
It is both sad and scary that George Orwell was so, so very frighteningly able to see the future so clearly.
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“Ignorance is strength” might fit here.
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Russia now has access to ALL American intelligence including sources,methods and identities. Allies such as Canada,Israel and Europe are all at much greater risk due to the runaway ego of President Trump. Is there no risk that Republicans consider serious enough to put country over party?
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@Bosox rule It's scary. If I was an american or european spy, working somewhere in Russia, I would fear for my life by now.
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It’s hard not to just laugh at “prompts fears of partisanship.” This administration is fiercely partisan and autocratic. We are fiddling while our republic burns.
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Yes, this awful. And, Russia is doing their best to tear apart the unions that are thwarting them. And yes, the GOP are willing accomplices.
How did the US get to the point where enemies from without and charlatans from within could take us apart so easily?
Some of us enjoyed the fruits of globalization while other parts to the nation floundered and were left behind--seething with resentment.
Globalization is de facto interdependence. And yet, rather than share the wealth, we let some states fester and basically said, "hey, we got ours".
The majority of Trump folks are Independent and not Interdependent. They understand loyalty, but not ethics. They do for those who do for them. And, really American, what have we done for them lately?
You want a change? Address the problem. We left those folks behind.
Push a Green New Deal funded by a repeal of that tax cut. And then BURY the rust belt states in money to rebuild the nations infrastructure. Assign a Trillion dollars to rebuild those states which fared the worst from globalization.
They understand loyalty. Put money in the pockets, food on the table, and hope in their hearts and they will side with you.
Then, let Trump explain why we can't afford that.
Are there any strategists out there? It's time to split Trump from his base.
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@Michael Collins the Boris Johnson method. Let’s see how it goes in Brexitland.
Scary stuff. This needs to be at the top of the page...above coronavirus and Harvey.
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@SarahK I'm sufficiently terrified.
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The next step is Trump has his enemies or accusers arrested.
"Lock them up" or "Lock her up" will be a reality soon.
Senate Republicans have left no check on him.
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This appointment is the result of a sycophantic Republican Senate The cost will be the rise of chaos and the undermining of our intelligence agencies. The Republican welcome interference by the Russians as it will help elect trump. I never in my wildest imagination did I think the Republican party would make a pact with the Russians. They no longer have any interest in protecting democracy
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The Republicans are consolidating power NOW. They want forever power, like the PRI in Mexico. There will be no more "rule of law" if that law goes against the agendas/wishes of the various GOP top donors: big oil, big pharma. Regulations will be gutted as required. This is our new reality. Citizens United? The irony is stark.
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@Elizabeth They've been warping reality and consolidating power for 40 years.
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Here's a conspiracy theory for you. This nation is Humpty Dumpty, and Humpty Dumpty was pushed. And I have my doubts about ever putting Humpty Dumpty back together again. If a history of this era is ever written, it will not be kind to partisan Republicans. And right now, is there any other kind.
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I've never been afraid of my own government before. I am 80- years-old, other than voting and emailing Senator Collins, which gets no response, what can I do?
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@Fran You an keep asking that question and then work to get the facts about what Trump/GOP are doing to destroy our democracy with appointments such as Grenell.
You can work to get voters to the polls and vote BLUE all the way up and down the ticket! Ask for a paper ballet.
What we do still matters. But the window is closing.
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@Fran Maybe get arrested for protesting? The publicity would be bad for the feds - maybe.
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Tell your friends and neighbors to vote Collins out of office.
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Republicans have dreamed of a total takeover of the government for decades. They hardly hide it, with both pols and GOP voters insinuating or outright stating that they alone are fit to govern. Excuse me, not govern but rather rule. They want to rule as a one-party government. Their propaganda outlets have made the case for years by tying the party to self-righteous, moralistic religioun and demonizing those who think differently.
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After all the paranoid accusations that all those public servants who testified in the impeachment hearing were “never Trumpers,” I guess no one cares if the acting director of national intelligence is a pro-Trumper. How is his work supposed to be objective? We are not safe with these people in charge.
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@Kally Those who value safety over freedom will have neither. Ben Franklin
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And now we have individuals who are effectively Russian operatives dismantling US intelligence agencies. How far the Republican Party has fallen, taking US democracy with it.
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@LNW Was he or wasn't he paid by the Vladimir Plahotniuc? It's not clear. Back in the 90s I was working for a communications agency. The government of Colombia was a client (to promote tourism). Every person on the team had to register as an agent of the government of Columbia. How is this even possible?
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This is INSANE.
Hey Republicans, you’re ok with this? Susan Collins? You’re ok with our intelligence agencies being run by conspiracy theorists?
We have very real threats. We can’t have these jokers in office.
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@M.
You bet they are OK with it. Some of the senators themselves are conspiracy theorists.
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@M.
A man with no intelligence picks a man with no Intelligence Community experience to lead National Intelligence.
Would he even qualify for a Security Clearance?
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@M.
It might be insane, but it is our new reality. Sycophants lie everywhere in the nooks and crannies of this worm infested administration. Grenell is only the latest. Barr, Pompeo, Mulvaney and the entire cabinet precede him. Trump will be spoon fed only what he wants to hear. This entire White House has become a security risk.
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Can it get worse? It just did.
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@dcs. Just wait. November is such a long long time away.
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It is so very, very scary. November can't come soon enough. PB
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@pbilsky there is no way on earth that this collection of miscreants will allow a fair a election to occur. Trump's 2nd term is a foregone conclusion, they will do anything and everything to maintain power. Short of riots in the streets, which Trump could quell with martial law given his limitless power conferred by the Senate, we are now an autocracy. Sad, scary and insane, yes, but also apparently unstoppable.
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@SDT - please - enough with the unstoppable defeatist woe is us stuff. That kind of attitude is self defeating and encourages the miscreants.
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@Deb - As a trained historian and political scientist, the writing is on the wall, and has been for a long time.
It’s not defeatism: it’s reality. Defeat is not inevitable, but FAR more aggressive action is needed - NOW!
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Another frighteningly unqualified political appointee to one of the most vital positions in the Federal government. Republicans enabling Trump have much to answer for.
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@Jasr
Or to put it more bluntly ... another step in Trump's misguided attempts to drain the Swamp ... turning it into a cesspool in the process
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@Jasr it's more than that. It's a coup by a foreign power - still
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