President Trump & U.S Election 2016 Investigation

Originally Posted by Damien

Or he didn’t want to cooperate. Don’t really see how it’s backfired. You go to court if you’re indicted. Mueller does this as a job, I don’t think he is surprised the incitement lead to court hearings.

Because Mueller is trying to get Manafort to crack, spill the beans if there is anything to spill, and play ball for lesser time in jail.

Originally Posted by Mick

Because Mueller is trying to get Manafort to crack, spill the beans if there is anything to spill, and play ball for lesser time in jail.

Yeah but that's a normal practise of investigations. Gates, Flynn and Papadopoulos agreed to work with Mueller's investigation, Manafort didn't. All of them were charged but some got to plead to lesser crimes. Manafort presumably has the full lot.

It's not really backfiring as such, that would imply Mueller was bluffing about the indictments which it's now clear he wasn't. He just wasn't able to get Manafort to turn. Either because Manafort didn't want too or doesn't have anything to give. Who knows on that question.

For that matter we still don't know what the others gave up for lesser pleas either.

[1andrew1]

Originally Posted by Mick

...someone who did not have security clearances in possession of classified material, I would say is a federal crime...

As we know, that also describes Jared Kushner.

Originally Posted by 1andrew1

As we know, that also describes Jared Kushner.

No, he had a temporary clearance that has now been revoked.

Originally Posted by Mick

Talking of the FISA Abuse investigation that Jeff Sessions just announced

Trump just tweeted this:-

I have to say here, don't tweet to the world about that Mr President, phone him up and tell him personally, he is your Attorney General, a subordinate, you can certainly do that, it's within your power and tell him your views.

Sessions has replied to this.

https://www.mediaite.com/online/jeff...ity-and-honor/

http://thehill.com/homenews/administ...om-white-house

Hope Hicks said Wednesday that she will resign from her post as White House communications director.

[1andrew1]

Most obvious conclusion is that Trump sees that it's in his interests to allow the Russians to continue to meddle. Other theories are welcome!

Clinton calls on Trump to act: 'The Russians are still coming'
Hillary Clinton on Wednesday accused President Trump of ignoring a threat to national security after Adm. Michael Rogers, head of U.S. Cyber Command, said he has not been directed to counter possible Russian meddling in the 2018 midterm elections.
In a tweet, the former Democratic presidential nominee said "the Russians are still coming" and implored Trump to take steps to secure America's voting infrastructure ahead of the midterms.
"I say this as a former Secretary of State and as an American: the Russians are still coming. Our intelligence professionals are imploring Trump to act. Will he continue to ignore & surrender, or protect our country?" Clinton tweeted.

http://thehill.com/homenews/administ...e-still-coming

Originally Posted by Hugh

Sessions has replied to this.

https://www.mediaite.com/online/jeff...ity-and-honor/

Yes I read that earlier. Given his statement, I have just seen a signed letter from several GOP Congressmen urging him to appoint a second special counsel.

[1andrew1]

Trump to slap 25% tariff on steel imports invoking national security
Donald Trump said the US would begin imposing heavy tariffs on imports of steel and aluminium “for a long period of time”, a move likely to trigger retaliation from the EU and China and potentially lead to a trade war between the world’s leading economies.
Mr Trump said on Thursday he would next week sign an order imposing tariffs of 25 per cent on steel and 10 per cent on aluminium, breaking a deadlock among his advisers that had delayed promised action for months.

https://www.ft.com/content/7b354ff8-...a-4574d7dabfb6

Such measures sound good on paper but as Obama found, they have unintended consequences as other countries retaliate and costs rise for users of the raw materials due to reduced competition and the tariffs, thus driving manufacturers to Mexico, Canada etc.
I've always been fair to Trump, and to continue that policy I will say that he is carrying out one of his election promises here and appealing to his heartland.

Trump confident and former special advisor dumped all this steel stock days before the annocument of steel tariffs : https://thinkprogress.org/trump-icha...-cf7deb8beaf0/

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-43239331

Russia's Putin unveils 'invincible' nuclear weapons

Russia has developed a new array of nuclear weapons that are invincible, according to President Vladimir Putin.

Mr Putin made the claims as he laid out his key policies for a fourth presidential term, ahead of an election he is expected to win in 17 days' time.

The weapons he boasted of included a cruise missile that he said could "reach anywhere in the world".

He said of the West: "They need to take account of a new reality and understand ... [this]... is not a bluff."

Giving his annual state of the nation speech, Mr Putin used video presentations to showcase the development of two new nuclear delivery systems that he said could evade detection.

One video graphic appeared to show missiles raining down on the US state of Florida...

...The US State Department said it was "certainly unfortunate to have watched the video animation that depicted a nuclear attack on the United States" - adding that it was not "the behaviour of a responsible international player".

Last time someone threatened the USA with nuclear weapons, there were lots of tweets about ‘Rocket Man’ and how he was going to sort North Korea out - so far, about Russia’s threats and Vlad the Invader, nothing...

Originally Posted by Hugh

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-43239331

Last time someone threatened the USA with nuclear weapons, there were lots of tweets about ‘Rocket Man’ and how he was going to sort North Korea out - so far, about Russia’s threats and Vlad the Invader, nothing...

Are they actual threats or just a pissing up the wall contest?

They have always been at it, space race, weapons race, as long as they are just showing might and not actually using it against each other.

President Obama did nothing when Russia annexed Crimea. What happened there then?

What do you expect the response to be ?

Russia is a lot lot bigger than the North Korea.

So do you expect the U.S to declare war on Russia plunging the rest of the world in to a nuclear conflict because you and it doesn't like Putin's new toys ?

North Korea over several decades has continuously threatened the U.S and other nations.

Only difference is, Russia has been a nuclear state for a long time, North Korea just over a year. Go Figure.

Originally Posted by Mick

Are they actual threats or just a pissing up the wall contest?

They have always been at it, space race, weapons race, as long as they are just showing might and not actually using it against each other.

President Obama did nothing when Russia annexed Crimea. What happened there then?

You keep saying this but Obama imposed increasingly punaltive sanctions which hit their economy pretty hard. Trump himself has yet to sign off sanctions voted for by congress and criticised Obama/Clinton for their hostile approach to Russia. When we argued on this before and you said we shouldn't upset them.

Russia is a lot lot bigger than the North Korea.

So do you expect the U.S to declare war on Russia plunging the rest of the world in to a nuclear conflict because you and it doesn't like Putin's new toys ?

No you impose sanctions in the hope it increases political pressure on Putin to play nice.

[1andrew1]

Originally Posted by Damien

No you impose sanctions in the hope it increases political pressure on Putin to play nice.

This to me sums up the benefits of sanctions:

A top national security official told lawmakers on Tuesday he had not been directed by Donald Trump to disrupt Russian efforts to meddle in US elections, and that Vladimir Putin had come to the conclusion there was “little price to pay” for such actions.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/...ng-mike-rogers

It's ironical that Trump is proposing steel tariffs that will potentially impact key allies like Canada, France, Germany and the UK but won't implement sanctions against Russia which Congress has agreed to.

[pip08456]

Surely it is the duty of national security officials to disrupt any meddling by any nation in all aspects of national security with out being directed to do so.