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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsIt looks like Trump is backing down on letting Russia interrogate former US Ambassador.
The Russian president, at a news conference with Trump on Monday, suggested that his government would allow the investigators from the office of special counsel Robert Mueller to interrogate the 12 Russian military intelligence officials it indicted last week if the U.S. would reciprocate by allowing the Russian government to interrogate certain Americans with ties to Bill Browder, an American-born financier who has lobbied heavily against the Russian government.
Trump called the idea an "incredible offer" during the news conference. And on Wednesday, White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said that the president would meet with his team on Putin's proposal, setting off a Russia-related backlash against the Trump administration for the third straight day.
By Thursday, as the Senate prepared to formally rebuke Trump, the White House reversed course.
https://www.politico.com/story/2018/07/19/michael-mcfaul-trump-russia-question-732356
vlyons
(10,252 posts)Mattis must have taken him to the wood shed
oberliner
(58,724 posts)TheBlackAdder
(28,073 posts)C_U_L8R
(44,892 posts)Totally incompetent fool.
Eugene
(61,593 posts)Bad ideas never really die in the Trump administration. Once the firestorm subsides, expect them to try a another approach with a somewhat lower profile. That's how they roll.
dalton99a
(81,065 posts)coti
(4,612 posts)and others involved in passing the Magnitsky Act.
hopeforchange2008
(610 posts)lagomorph777
(30,613 posts)Tommy_Carcetti
(43,085 posts)The long game is to turn McFaul and Browder into Peter Strzok--a scapegoat they can lazily attach "deep state" conspiracies to in an attempt to discredit the Mueller investigation.
McFaul has a lot more to provide to the Mueller investigation than most people could ever imagine. He got a front row seat of what the worst of the Russian internet trolls and hackers had to offer.
bigtree
(85,917 posts)...and likely shook on it in the meeting.
But of course, he was really doing something even more insidious here.
Having those two offered up to Russian 'investigators' would complete Putin's self-obliging narrative that the issue here is really about Hillary's servers, and not about Russian hacking into our election.
Interesting, isn't it, how Trump's own ongoing narrative is practically the same. Given that he doesn't have the sense Putin gave him, it's not likely it's something he came up with himself.
coti
(4,612 posts)Following through on that would have created a cultural flashpoint and opportunity for Dems to show real character and courage, not to mention get serious media attention. Imagine a standoff between Browder/McFaul/another Magnitsky person's supporters and authorities. Moreover, even if they were ultimately gotten to by Putin, they would become martyrs or "Mandela's". Not a winning move by Trump or the GOP.
Bonhomme Richard
(8,992 posts)That is what I would watch for.
oberliner
(58,724 posts)Bonhomme Richard
(8,992 posts)kwassa
(23,340 posts)Browder pointed out this morning that Putin would have to talk to Theresa May.
I am surprised Putin is this ignorant.
Totally Tunsie
(10,885 posts)[link:https://www.cnn.com/2018/07/19/politics/senate-votes-republicans-russia/index.html|
How often these days will we get a unanimous vote out of this Senate?
Nevilledog
(50,677 posts)How exactly does trump think this would go down?. Here's exactly what would happen: whoever drew the short straws to "interview" the Russian Intelligence officers would be required to go to Russia where they would certainly be at legitimate physical risk. These 12 Russians, who are already under indictment, would be represented by attorneys and would receive Miranda warnings....... Once they were read to them and asked if they'd be willing to be interviewed the only response would be "Nyet".
The other part of this insanity would be Putin requiring the U.S. to send McFaul TO Russia whereupon he would be disappeared. Even if you were to ignore such a little thing like diplomatic immunity and this was allowed to happen.......WE WOULD RECEIVE NO BENEFIT!. Those Russians will never set foot on US soil.
Another example of dipshit's great negotiating skills.