President Trump- The Implications

[Conan71]

Nicely played, President Dumbass.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/trump-revealed-highly-classified-information-to-russian-foreign-minister-and-ambassador/2017/05/15/530c172a-3960-11e7-9e48-c4f199710b69_story.html?hpid=hp_hp-top-table-high_trumpintel-0504pm%3Ahomepage%2Fstory&utm_term=.008fb4b2c1c2

The journalism employed in this article is just as bad as Trump trying to play President.  "Former" U.S. officials and other un-named sources we are not even sure were a part of the meeting?  That's considered great journalism?

I'm hardly a Trump apologist, but it's obvious there's a good deal of shoddy journalism going on to try and shine a bad light on the Trumpster Fire.

[joiei]

I know the context of this "story". I also know this is from CNN. Home of the "let's give Hillary debate questions" and the pee pee dossier...

HI Guido,  I regret for you the day that you realize the orange one does not give a hill of beans about you. 

[erfalf]

The journalism employed in this article is just as bad as Trump trying to play President.  "Former" U.S. officials and other un-named sources we are not even sure were a part of the meeting?  That's considered great journalism?

I'm hardly a Trump apologist, but it's obvious there's a good deal of shoddy journalism going on to try and shine a bad light on the Trumpster Fire.

At least it was pointed out in the article that literally no laws were broken. So they have that going for them. 

[guido911]

HI Guido,  I regret for you the day that you realize the orange one does not give a hill of beans about you.  

But you know what I do realize? Hillary is not the president. That's what I realize. That's the "hill of beans" (do real people still even say that?) that I stand on proudly and from where I wake up every morning laughing. And I am probably going to get a tax cut, and see less funding for PP, and better border control, and just about everything other than what Hillary would have pushed for if she had won. So to you, and to the others...

[guido911]

At least it was pointed out in the article that literally no laws were broken. So they have that going for them.  

This guy, who I do not consider credible on many things, is reporting that Trump's top secret disclosure was the laptop computer ban on air travel. Yep. That thing people were talking about a week ago.

Richard Engel
✔
@RichardEngel

Us intel official tells me trump told russians about laptop airline threat. Told it wasnt anything they didnt already know. @washingtonpost
8:44 PM - 15 May 2017

   972 972 Retweets
   1,276

[Hoss]

The journalism employed in this article is just as bad as Trump trying to play President.  "Former" U.S. officials and other un-named sources we are not even sure were a part of the meeting?  That's considered great journalism?

I'm hardly a Trump apologist, but it's obvious there's a good deal of shoddy journalism going on to try and shine a bad light on the Trumpster Fire.

But then, this morning, he goes in and essentially verifies that he did just that.

This guy is not just incompetent, he's now becoming a danger.

https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/864436162567471104

https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/864438529472049152

And the regular players on here can try and spin this however.  He has those in his own party worried now.  If only allowing Russian state media into the meeting weren't bad enough.

[erfalf]

But then, this morning, he goes in and essentially verifies that he did just that.

This guy is not just incompetent, he's now becoming a danger.

https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/864436162567471104

https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/864438529472049152

And the regular players on here can try and spin this however.  He has those in his own party worried now.  If only allowing Russian state media into the meeting weren't bad enough.

Again, this really is a non-story. You think past presidents didn't do this in times of great struggle (and make no mistake this is one of those times)? And those tweets only convey what the reader wants them to convey. You want it to be nefarious, so it is. I personally don't have a vendata against Trump so I am open to the possibility that Trump may in fact be acting in our best interest. How are you to know and judge that sharing classified information (which is not illegal nor did he admit to) is not in the best interest of this country? Has the Russian boogey man completely switched parties now. I remember Republicans being mocked for even mentioning the geopolitical threat that is Russia. Now anytime Trump even hints at discussions or meets with a Russian interest, well you know.

Iran 2015 = Russia 2017 (less palates of cash in unmarked planes)

[heironymouspasparagus]

But you know what I do realize? Hillary is not the president. That's what I realize. That's the "hill of beans" (do real people still even say that?) that I stand on proudly and from where I wake up every morning laughing. And I am probably going to get a tax cut, and see less funding for PP, and better border control, and just about everything other than what Hillary would have pushed for if she had won. So to you, and to the others...

That's exactly what joiei was talking about.  You may get the tax cut, if you are rich enough already.  But you won't get the rest of it.  That will be your big disappointment.

[heironymouspasparagus]

This guy, who I do not consider credible on many things, is reporting that Trump's top secret disclosure was the laptop computer ban on air travel. Yep. That thing people were talking about a week ago.

Trump most likely forgot that the Russians had already told him about it a week earlier... You know how hard it is to keep all those lies straight !!

[guido911]

That's exactly what joiei was talking about.  You may get the tax cut, if you are rich enough already.  But you won't get the rest of it.  That will be your big disappointment.

You read THAT in that post in which the "orange one" was mentioned?

[heironymouspasparagus]

You read THAT in that post in which the "orange one" was mentioned?

And you didn't understand that??

Wow...!

[TeeDub]

Wow.   Are people still wishing Hillary was elected?   

[cannon_fodder]

There's an awesome gaslighting pattern to the Trump administration.  I think I almost have it pegged:

Some administration crisis or scandal breaks:

Step 1:  DENY

Phase one - a general denial.  Say it didn't happen, call it "fake news" or blame it on journalists that are out to get Trump. If that doesn't work -
Phase two - present "alternative facts" and point to fringe sources.


Step 2: DEFLECT

If attention hasn't moved on, the White House then starts to deflect without acknowledging the story true.

Phase one - but Obama/Hillary did something worse or similar.  If nothing comes to mind, change the subject or self praise an unrelated topic (if they insist, hide in the bushes).
Phase two - Sudden action.  Sign an executive order out of the blue, announce a new initiative with no detail, or if all else fails - bomb someone.


Step 3: ACCEPT, MINIMIZE and EXPLAIN

If you can, go back to deny and move on, even if evidence is directly contrary to the denial. But if attention still hasn't moved on and the story has gained traction as truth, acknowledge the truth and start damage control.

Phase one - so what?  Yes that happened, but it really doesn't matter because [reasons].
Phase two - It had to be done for the greater good/security/humanitarian reasons/reasons we can't divulge.
Phase three - Yes it happened, but it wasn't illegal.


Step 4: If required, recycle back to deflection, now acknowledging as true.  If new elements of the story emerge, repeat entire process.




- - -

It's really becoming a speedy art form, but it burns through credibility and seems to be burning through spokesman just as fast. The current situation evolved so fast, it seems to have skipped the deflection phase entirely:

1) General denial.  I was there, it didn't happen.  Russia even called it fake news.

2) Deflection was skipped here, because after the denial multiple news agencies reported verifying the story overnight.

3) Accept the basic premise but point out what wasn't said, then minimize the importance of anything that was shared.  Then at 3AM Eastern Time, the Tweeter in Chief acknowledge he did share intelligence, said he did it for humanitarian reasons, and then said it wasn't illegal.  All in two back to back tweets just hours after having a cabinet  members say "I was there, it didn't happen."

4) We are now back to deflection - Trump tweeted 2 hours ago:

I have been asking Director Comey & others, from the beginning of my administration, to find the LEAKERS in the intelligence community.....

This tweet is awesome.  Just truly amazing with 144 characters.  Lets ignore the passive voice, all caps, and 5 ellipses in a single tweet from the President.....

He fired Comey, he isn't a director of anything. 

Plus, Trump was a huge fan of leaks, praising them frequently during the campaign and all the way until leaks showed Flynn wasn't transparent with his Russian ties, and then that Trump was warned about that and didn't do anything until it was leaked.  In short, he liked leaks until they started making him look bad.

Now he's mad about a leak about him leaking classified information.  So are definitely recycling the Deflection angle.  I'd expect Phase 2 sudden action soon.

[Hoss]

There's an awesome gaslighting pattern to the Trump administration.  I think I almost have it pegged:

Some administration crisis or scandal breaks:

Step 1:  DENY

Phase one - a general denial.  Say it didn't happen, call it "fake news" or blame it on journalists that are out to get Trump. If that doesn't work -
Phase two - present "alternative facts" and point to fringe sources.


Step 2: DEFLECT

If attention hasn't moved on, the White House then starts to deflect without acknowledging the story true.

Phase one - but Obama/Hillary did something worse or similar.  If nothing comes to mind, change the subject or self praise an unrelated topic (if they insist, hide in the bushes).
Phase two - Sudden action.  Sign an executive order out of the blue, announce a new initiative with no detail, or if all else fails - bomb someone.


Step 3: ACCEPT, MINIMIZE and EXPLAIN

If you can, go back to deny and move on, even if evidence is directly contrary to the denial. But if attention still hasn't moved on and the story has gained traction as truth, acknowledge the truth and start damage control.

Phase one - so what?  Yes that happened, but it really doesn't matter because [reasons].
Phase two - It had to be done for the greater good/security/humanitarian reasons/reasons we can't divulge.
Phase three - Yes it happened, but it wasn't illegal.


Step 4: If required, recycle back to deflection, now acknowledging as true.  If new elements of the story emerge, repeat entire process.




- - -

It's really becoming a speedy art form, but it burns through credibility and seems to be burning through spokesman just as fast. The current situation evolved so fast, it seems to have skipped the deflection phase entirely:

1) General denial.  I was there, it didn't happen.  Russia even called it fake news.

2) Deflection was skipped here, because after the denial multiple news agencies reported verifying the story overnight.

3) Accept the basic premise but point out what wasn't said, then minimize the importance of anything that was shared.  Then at 3AM Eastern Time, the Tweeter in Chief acknowledge he did share intelligence, said he did it for humanitarian reasons, and then said it wasn't illegal.  All in two back to back tweets just hours after having a cabinet  members say "I was there, it didn't happen."

4) We are now back to deflection - Trump tweeted 2 hours ago:

This tweet is awesome.  Just truly amazing with 144 characters.  Lets ignore the passive voice, all caps, and 5 ellipses in a single tweet from the President.....

He fired Comey, he isn't a director of anything. 

Plus, Trump was a huge fan of leaks, praising them frequently during the campaign and all the way until leaks showed Flynn wasn't transparent with his Russian ties, and then that Trump was warned about that and didn't do anything until it was leaked.  In short, he liked leaks until they started making him look bad.

Now he's mad about a leak about him leaking classified information.  So are definitely recycling the Deflection angle.  I'd expect Phase 2 sudden action soon.

There are some twitter accounts that purport to be of high-ranking WH staff that post a lot of insider happenings.  Typically I wouldn't believe any of it but some key things happened during the last 100 days or so that make me think it's a legit account.

The Comey firing was reported on this account two days before it happened because this account evidently knew CJ was fuming about the investigation.

There are other things that chronologically make sense.  If you're interested in following (even if it turns out to be troll account it's still pretty funny but I tend to think there is some truth to what is being said) then you can find the account at:

https://twitter.com/RogueSNRadvisor/

[heironymouspasparagus]

Wow.   Are people still wishing Hillary was elected?   

People will be wishing for a whole lot worse before this is over...  And a whole lot worse will still be better than what we got now.

But then again, look who is next in line....!