The 45th POTUS - Donald J. Trump

[BurtReynolds]

Trump Names New Press Secretary



http://babylonbee.com/news/trump-picks- ... secretary/

[wease]

What happened to Spicer?

[epilogue]

Nothing. He's still an idiot.

[Bi_3]

What happened to Spicer?

[Strat]

http://cnn.it/2rYNPpj

"I love all people -- rich or poor -- but in those particular positions, I just don't want a poor person."

[Rangi Guy]

Donald Trump commits golf etiquette atrocity by driving on a green

As president of the United States, Donald Trump is used to doing pretty well anything he wants.

It would seem that attitude extends to the golf course, where he was filmed committing one of the worst golfing etiquette atrocities earlier this month.

In the video, the leader of the free world can be seen driving a golf cart across a green at the Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, New Jersey.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/golf/93995 ... on-a-green

[Strat]

Fatass doesn't want to walk too far. Doesn't want to drain his battery

[Rangi Guy]

So the building of the wall is still a thing? I thought he'd dropped it

[McParadigm]

Obama’s secret struggle to punish Russia for Putin’s election assault

https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics ... 26f2530027

Early last August, an envelope with extraordinary handling restrictions arrived at the White House. Sent by courier from the CIA, it carried “eyes only” instructions that its contents be shown to just four people: President Barack Obama and three senior aides.

Inside was an intelligence bombshell, a report drawn from sourcing deep inside the Russian government that detailed Russian President Vladi­mir Putin’s direct involvement in a cyber campaign to disrupt and discredit the U.S. presidential race.

But it went further. The intelligence captured Putin’s specific instructions on the operation’s audacious objectives — defeat or at least damage the Democratic nominee, Hillary Clinton, and help elect her opponent, Donald Trump.

At that point, the outlines of the Russian assault on the U.S. election were increasingly apparent. Hackers with ties to Russian intelligence services had been rummaging through Democratic Party computer networks, as well as some Republican systems, for more than a year. In July, the FBI had opened an investigation of contacts between Russian officials and Trump associates. And on July 22, nearly 20,000 emails stolen from the Democratic National Committee were dumped online by WikiLeaks.

But at the highest levels of government, among those responsible for managing the crisis, the first moment of true foreboding about Russia’s intentions arrived with that CIA intelligence.

The material was so sensitive that CIA Director John Brennan kept it out of the President’s Daily Brief, concerned that even that restricted report’s distribution was too broad. The CIA package came with instructions that it be returned immediately after it was read. To guard against leaks, subsequent meetings in the Situation Room followed the same protocols as planning sessions for the Osama bin Laden raid.

It took time for other parts of the intelligence community to endorse the CIA’s view. Only in the administration’s final weeks in office did it tell the public, in a declassified report, what officials had learned from Brennan in August — that Putin was working to elect Trump.

[McParadigm]

Wow:

Jeh Johnson, the homeland-security secretary, was responsible for finding out whether the government could quickly shore up the security of the nation’s archaic patchwork of voting systems. He floated the idea of designating state mechanisms “critical infrastructure,” a label that would have entitled states to receive priority in federal cybersecurity assistance, putting them on a par with U.S. defense contractors and financial networks.

On Aug. 15, Johnson arranged a conference call with dozens of state officials, hoping to enlist their support. He ran into a wall of resistance.

The reaction “ranged from neutral to negative,” Johnson said in congressional testimony Wednesday.

Brian Kemp, the Republican secretary of state of Georgia, used the call to denounce Johnson’s proposal as an assault on state rights. “I think it was a politically calculated move by the previous administration,” Kemp said in a recent interview, adding that he remains unconvinced that Russia waged a campaign to disrupt the 2016 race. “I don’t necessarily believe that,” he said.

Stung by the reaction, the White House turned to Congress for help, hoping that a bipartisan appeal to states would be more effective.

In early September, Jeh Johnson, was tasked with securing voting systems and arranges meetings with dozens of state officials. James B. Comey was one of four senior officials to participate in meetings in the Situation Room on how to respond to Russia's interference. Comey particpates in a briefing for members of Congress on Russia's activities, but the meeting disolves into partisan bickering. Lisa Monaco briefed key members of Congress on the intelligence. arrived on Capitol Hill in a caravan of black SUVs for a meeting with 12 key members of Congress, including the leadership of both parties.

The meeting devolved into a partisan squabble.

“The Dems were, ‘Hey, we have to tell the public,’ ” recalled one participant. But Republicans resisted, arguing that to warn the public that the election was under attack would further Russia’s aim of sapping confidence in the system.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) went further, officials said, voicing skepticism that the underlying intelligence truly supported the White House’s claims. Through a spokeswoman, McConnell declined to comment, citing the secrecy of that meeting.

Key Democrats were stunned by the GOP response and exasperated that the White House seemed willing to let Republican opposition block any pre-election move.

[wease]

Jesus.

[bune]

Wow:

Jeh Johnson, the homeland-security secretary, was responsible for finding out whether the government could quickly shore up the security of the nation’s archaic patchwork of voting systems. He floated the idea of designating state mechanisms “critical infrastructure,” a label that would have entitled states to receive priority in federal cybersecurity assistance, putting them on a par with U.S. defense contractors and financial networks.

On Aug. 15, Johnson arranged a conference call with dozens of state officials, hoping to enlist their support. He ran into a wall of resistance.

The reaction “ranged from neutral to negative,” Johnson said in congressional testimony Wednesday.

Brian Kemp, the Republican secretary of state of Georgia, used the call to denounce Johnson’s proposal as an assault on state rights. “I think it was a politically calculated move by the previous administration,” Kemp said in a recent interview, adding that he remains unconvinced that Russia waged a campaign to disrupt the 2016 race. “I don’t necessarily believe that,” he said.

Stung by the reaction, the White House turned to Congress for help, hoping that a bipartisan appeal to states would be more effective.

In early September, Jeh Johnson, was tasked with securing voting systems and arranges meetings with dozens of state officials. James B. Comey was one of four senior officials to participate in meetings in the Situation Room on how to respond to Russia's interference. Comey particpates in a briefing for members of Congress on Russia's activities, but the meeting disolves into partisan bickering. Lisa Monaco briefed key members of Congress on the intelligence. arrived on Capitol Hill in a caravan of black SUVs for a meeting with 12 key members of Congress, including the leadership of both parties.

The meeting devolved into a partisan squabble.

“The Dems were, ‘Hey, we have to tell the public,’ ” recalled one participant. But Republicans resisted, arguing that to warn the public that the election was under attack would further Russia’s aim of sapping confidence in the system.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) went further, officials said, voicing skepticism that the underlying intelligence truly supported the White House’s claims. Through a spokeswoman, McConnell declined to comment, citing the secrecy of that meeting.

Key Democrats were stunned by the GOP response and exasperated that the White House seemed willing to let Republican opposition block any pre-election move.

Key Democrats were stunned by the GOP response and exasperated that the White House seemed willing to let Republican opposition block any pre-election move.

Thanks, Obama. Your continual efforts to reach across the aisle led to this and every other problem with your term. You had isiots and assholes working against you and you said, "I can work with them." Not if they don't want to work with you.

[bune]

Comey's testimony may have changed due to tapes, Trump says

Politics · 3 hours ago

After confirming that he did not have any tapes on the former FBI director, the president alluded that the possibility of tapes may have resulted in Comey being more honest in his hearing.

What?

[McParadigm]

Comey's testimony may have changed due to tapes, Trump says

Politics · 3 hours ago

After confirming that he did not have any tapes on the former FBI director, the president alluded that the possibility of tapes may have resulted in Comey being more honest in his hearing.

What?

"I totally lied about tapes in the hopes of manipulating important testimony."

[McParadigm]

[bune]

I'm seeing witness tampering all over twitter.

[bune]

[wease]

It's a good thing Comey said he hopes that's actually are tapes, then.

[96583UP]

isn't this also the kind of thing that he can also get in trouble for? attempting to obstruct justice by attempting to manipulate someone's testimony ?

i read an article somewhere (not sure if it was originally posted here) that indicated that a lot of times someone in Trump's position ultimately gets taken down not for what he was originally investigated for; but for mistakes he makes after the investigation starts while he is still under investigation ... the story is not over and he can still do things that break the law ... and this sounds like he is admitting to attempting to affect someone's testimony to congress ... and is that not an attempt to obstruct justice right there?

[Strat]

isn't this also the kind of thing that he can also get in trouble for? attempting to obstruct justice by attempting to manipulate someone's testimony ?

i read an article somewhere (not sure if it was originally posted here) that indicated that a lot of times someone in Trump's position ultimately gets taken down not for what he was originally investigated for; but for mistakes he makes after the investigation starts while he is still under investigation ... the story is not over and he can still do things that break the law ... and this sounds like he is admitting to attempting to affect someone's testimony to congress ... and is that not an attempt to obstruct justice right there?

He already said he fired comey because of Russia. Im not sure why he is still president. I clearly don't understand these things.