The American (USA) 2016 presidential elections thread?

[husaberg]

If you will permit me to correct that. The first notification to US authorities was made by an Australian diplomat who had heard drunken boasting by a member of team Trump. That was some two months prior to the FBI receiving the Steele dossier.

True.......

[yokel]

It's about priorities really, first they have to bust Trump for being a Russian agent. Pity they can't charge him with treason though, he's as guilty as sin.

We should find out what happened to his campaign manager Manafort soon, his lawyers offered no defence.

Guilty as sin of what and how??
I guess bias is hard to see when you have the same bias yaself.

Speaking of guilty as sin, this popped up in the Qanon posts.

https://www.usnews.com/news/articles...eddit-for-tips

[yokel]

Can a non pilot baggage handler do barrel rolls??

Where did he crash?

Significant.........

[pritch]

Guilty as sin of what and how??
I guess bias is hard to see when you have the same bias yaself.

Speaking of guilty as sin, this popped up in the Qanon posts.

It's like this, I see Trump as a Russian plant. It's remarkable to me that everybody can't see it. In the fullness of time...

Qanon is a money making scheme hatched by a group of con artists. When you look at Trump supporters it's easy to see where they got the idea.

[husaberg]

It's like this, I see Trump as a Russian plant. It's remarkable to me that everybody can't see it. In the fullness of time...

Qanon is a money making scheme hatched by a group of con artists. When you look at Trump supporters it's easy to see where they got the idea.

I dont know if i would go that far but hes a pawn of Russian influence but hes a complusive liar.
For instance
He says

“I don’t see any reason why it would be [Russia]” who meddled in the 2016 election,

When he was briefed a week before hand that Russia had interfered.

Then the next week he was asked

"if Russia was still targeting the US"

he said "no"
That same day his spokesperson said this

Sarah Huckabee Sanders "The president and his administration are working very hard to make sure that Russia is unable to meddle in our elections as they have done in the past and as we have stated."

but the next day trump said this

“Let me be totally clear in saying that … I accept our intelligence community’s conclusion,” Trump said, reading from a prepared script. He then added: “It could be other people also. There’s a lot of people out there.”

then this

Russia did meddle in 2016 election & are trying it again. I’ve seen no evidence of collusion, plenty evidence of Russian meddling.
5:00 AM - Jul 17, 2018

But the Intelligence community said this

the [intelligence community’s] conclusions “The Russian effort was extensive, sophisticated, and ordered by President Putin himself for the purpose of helping Donald Trump and hurting Hillary Clinton.”

The Rublician house speaker said this

hey did interfere in our elections. It’s really clear. There should be no doubt about that. Russia is trying to undermine democracy itself.

Yet now hes saying this which is the complete opposite

I’m very concerned that Russia will be fighting very hard to have an impact on the upcoming Election. Based on the fact that no President has been tougher on Russia than me, they will be pushing very hard for the Democrats. They definitely don’t want Trump!
3:50 AM - Jul 25, 2018

Then we have this

Trump’s tariffs: “Tariffs are the greatest! Either a country which has treated the United States unfairly on Trade negotiates a fair deal, or it gets hit with Tariffs. It’s as simple as that,” the president tweeted on Tuesday.

The Treasury Department eased sanctions on Russian aluminum producer Rusal and said it would consider lifting them altogether

Rusal was sanctioned earlier in April by Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control because of Deripaska's stake in the company. The Russian billionaire is alleged to have conducted a range of illegal activities, including money laundering, extortion and ordering the murder of a businessman, according to Treasury.

[Viking01]

https://www.reuters.com/article/usa-...-idINKCN1IH0KY

[husaberg]

US tariffs: Steel and aluminium levies slapped on key allies
31 May 2018

The US said a 25% tax on steel and 10% tax on aluminium from the EU, Mexico and Canada will start at midnight
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the tariffs were an "affront" to the longstanding relationship between Canada and the US, especially to the "thousands of Canadian soldiers who fought and died alongside their American comrades-in-arms" in Afghanistan.
Canada, Mexico and the EU combined exported $23bn worth of steel and aluminium to the US last year - nearly half of the $48bn total steel and aluminium imports in 2017.
The tariffs have faced sharp criticism in the US from businesses and lawmakers, including Republicans typically allied with the president.
The US Aluminum Association, which represents major producers, also criticised the US decision, saying tariffs would alienate allies and fail to address oversupply.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-44320221

Maybe the comrades in Russia are more important.
Its an intersting contrast.

[jasonu]

It's like this, I see Trump as a Russian plant. .

Are you somehow related to katman?

[pete376403]

The US said a 25% tax on steel and 10% tax on aluminium from the EU, Mexico and Canada will start at midnight
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the tariffs were an "affront" to the longstanding relationship between Canada and the US, especially to the "thousands of Canadian soldiers who fought and died alongside their American comrades-in-arms" in Afghanistan.
Canada, Mexico and the EU combined exported $23bn worth of steel and aluminium to the US last year - nearly half of the $48bn total steel and aluminium imports in 2017.
The tariffs have faced sharp criticism in the US from businesses and lawmakers, including Republicans typically allied with the president.
The US Aluminum Association, which represents major producers, also criticised the US decision, saying tariffs would alienate allies and fail to address oversupply.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-44320221

Maybe the comrades in Russia are more important.
Its an intersting contrast.

So, no tariff on Russian steel or aluminium? That would be difficult to explain (to rational people, not the Drumpf base)

[husaberg]

Trump’s lawyers prepare to fight subpoena all the way to the Supreme Court
Rudolph W. Giuliani, President Trump’s lead lawyer for the ongoing Russia probe, said Wednesday that he is still awaiting a response from special counsel Robert S. Mueller III to the Trump team’s latest terms for a presidential interview, which were made last week in a letter that argued against Trump’s having to answer questions about his possible obstruction of justice.
In the meantime, Trump’s lawyers are preparing to oppose a potential subpoena from Mueller for a Trump sit-down by drafting a rebuttal that could set off a dramatic fight in federal courts.
“We would move to quash the subpoena,” Giuliani said in an interview. “And we’re pretty much finished with our memorandum opposing a subpoena.”
n recent weeks, Giuliani said members of Trump’s team have “had conversations” with Emmet T. Flood, a White House lawyer working on issues related to the federal investigation. He said Flood “would have a big role to play here and would assert presidential privilege” but declined to say more about those discussions.
White House officials have privately said Flood has cautioned Trump and others about the unpredictability of a subpoena fight that could be decided by the Supreme Court. Such a case would be unprecedented.
Mueller, who is heading the federal probe of Russian interference in the 2016 presidential campaign and of Trump’s conduct, has sought a presidential interview for months. The president’s lawyers and Mueller have not reached an agreement.
A letter from Trump’s lawyers sent to Mueller on Aug. 8 significantly lessened the possibility of a voluntary presidential interview, according to two people familiar with the discussions. The multipage response represents what Trump’s lawyers expect to be their last word on Mueller’s request,Mueller told Trump’s lawyers in March that he could issue a subpoena for Trump to appear before a grand jury if Trump declined an interview, according to four people familiar with the encounter.
Giuliani said the Trump legal team, which briefed Trump last week, is mapping out a subpoena battle that could stretch on for months.

Looks Like trump doesn’t want to give evidence or if he does he doesn’t want to answer questions about his obstruction of justice………….

So, no tariff on Russian steel or aluminium? That would be difficult to explain (to rational people, not the Drumpf base)

You would think so.
Odd that they were placed on the EU though.
NZ was not exempted but.

South Korea, Argentina, Australia and Brazil all where.

it seems that Rusal is now at 10% for Aluminium.
Russia have also demanded that the USA pay compensation though
https://af.reuters.com/article/africaTech/idAFL8N1RW2RU

Trump’s tariffs: “Tariffs are the greatest! Either a country which has treated the United States unfairly on Trade negotiates a fair deal, or it gets hit with Tariffs. It’s as simple as that,” the president tweeted on Tuesday.

[pritch]

I particularly liked the news item that states Russian media listed the names of eight people they said should lose their US security clearances, two days before Trump listed the same eight names. It's almost as if they knew something.

One thing that they didn't seem to know was that some of those people no longer have security clearances. Trump didn't know, but a recent comment indicates that he has been informed.




Update: While the detail above is correct as far as it goes, and it has gone viral - Sarah Huckabee Sanders had mentioned the list prior to the Russian publishing it.

[Banditbandit]

I particularly liked the news item that states Russian media listed the names of eight people they said should lose their US security clearances, two days before Trump listed the same eight names. It's almost as if they knew something.

One thing that they didn't seem to know was that some of those people no longer have security clearances. Trump didn't know, but a recent comment indicates that he has been informed.




Update: While the detail above is correct as far as it goes, and it has gone viral - Sarah Huckabee Sanders had mentioned the list prior to the Russian publishing it.

he had to get the final order to do it from Moscow ..

[Grumph]

For your consideration, LOL.

[husaberg]

For your consideration, LOL.

Last month, Rudy Giuliani, the president’s personal lawyer, suggested that Trump may pardon Manafort. Giuliani’s framing of terms for pardoning Manafort sparked instant political and legal controversy.

Giuliani first raised the prospect of a presidential pardon the day U.S. District Court Judge Amy Berman Jackson, who is hearing the Washington case, revoked Manafort’s $10 million bail for what prosecutors said was witness tampering, and ordered him to jail until his trial.
“When the whole thing is over, things might get cleaned up with some presidential pardons,” Giuliani told the New York Daily News June 15.
Giuliani elaborated on TV shows June 17, saying Trump’s criteria for issuing a pardon would be whether a defendant had been “treated unfairly.” Two days earlier, Trump had called Manafort’s jailing “very unfair.”

Giuliani’s comments were criticized by former federal prosecutors and legal scholars, with some suggesting that the former New York mayor was complicit in obstructing justice.

“I think there’s no other way to look at that than an invitation or exhortation to Manafort to keep quiet and stay the course and hope for the get-out-of-jail card,” said Harry Litman, a former federal prosecutor in San Francisco. “He has no business trying to telegraph to Manafort anything about pardon prospects.”
Giuliani said his comments were not “in any way improper.” In text messages to the Los Angeles Times, he said he did not believe that Manafort could interpret his comments to discourage possible cooperation with Mueller’s team.

[pritch]

As Grumph's cartoon suggests, Rudy Giuliani has been ranting and raving on TV that collusion is not a crime. He is right, collusion is a journalists' word, the crime is conspiracy.

The theory has been advanced that Trump wants to withdraw the security clearances of the people on his list to get even for their criticism. All of those people though would be witnesses in any impeachment or prosecution prodeedings. Losing their clearances would prevent them going back to review their files prior to making an appearance in court or before congress.

Following the withdrawal of Brennan's security clearance he has written an item in the New York Times. Sadly I can't read that, it's behind a paywall. Reportedly he is not mentioning collusion, he is talking conspiracy, and he's not talking maybe. So it seems the former head of the CIA may be saying a crime took place.

I really don't want to pay the New York Times but...