'A Big Hoax!': After Week Of Walkbacks, Trump Returns To Doubting Russia Meddling

[turbinetree]

Source: Talking Points Memo

By Zeke Miller | July 23, 2018 6:36 am

WASHINGTON (AP) — Capping a week of drama, back tracking, a double negative and blistering statements from allies about his attitude toward Russian election interference, President Donald Trump on Sunday was back to referring to “a big hoax.”

Trump spent days trying to reassure the country that he accepts that the longtime foe interfered in the 2016 election after his public undermining of U.S. intelligence agencies in Helsinki while standing alongside Russian President Vladimir Putin. But Trump cast doubt once again in a Sunday tweet, diminishing at least the significance, if not the existence, of the interference and the U.S. investigation into Russia’s actions.

“So President Obama knew about Russia before the Election,” Trump tweeted. “Why didn’t he do something about it? Why didn’t he tell our campaign? Because it is all a big hoax, that’s why, and he thought Crooked Hillary was going to win!!!”

It was not immediately clear whether Trump was suggesting that the entire notion of Russian interference — U.S. intelligence agencies unanimously concur it took place and Trump reluctantly accepted their assessment amid the firestorm — was fraudulent, or just the investigation of potential collusion by Trump associates with Russian agents.

Read more: https://talkingpointsmemo.com/news/trump-returns-doubting-russian-meddling

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And over at the "ayn rand" Ryan and Devin Nunes conspirators get together.......................they released the names of the four judges in the FISA court...............way to go in undermining the DOJ FBI, and everyone involved in protecting this country..........what could possibly go wrong...................everything, the undermining of justice....................absolutely amazing..............


November 2018 cannot get here fast enough.............vote

[Botany]

1. This is what happens when the target gets buggy. M Nance

Trump, How come Obama didn't stop the thing that never happened

[turbinetree]

5. Malcolm Nance nails this stuff...............in his new book.............

And then there is head white nationalist.................falling back on his same old tired used narcissistic megalomaniac go to racism card every time..........................what amazing is that he was told back in day about this Kremlin crap and that he was involved, he was brought up to speed..............................his twisted logic that he will be delegitimized.........................that train left years ago................anyone with any sanity knew that this "guy" was a loser............

November cannot get here fast enough......................

[videohead5]

2. He's a lying MF!

His campaign was warned about Russia.

[Botany]

3. +1

"Donald J. Trump was shown highly classified intelligence indicating that President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia had personally ordered complex cyberattacks to sway the 2016 American election."


Source: New York Times

WASHINGTON — Two weeks before his inauguration, Donald J. Trump was shown highly classified intelligence indicating that President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia had personally ordered complex cyberattacks to sway the 2016 American election.

The evidence included texts and emails from Russian military officers and information gleaned from a top-secret source close to Mr. Putin, who had described to the C.I.A. how the Kremlin decided to execute its campaign of hacking and disinformation.

Mr. Trump sounded grudgingly convinced, according to several people who attended the intelligence briefing. But ever since, Mr. Trump has tried to cloud the very clear findings that he received on Jan. 6, 2017, which his own intelligence leaders have unanimously endorsed.

The shifting narrative underscores the degree to which Mr. Trump regularly picks and chooses intelligence to suit his political purposes. That has never been more clear than this week.

Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/18/world/europe/trump-intelligence-russian-election-meddling-.html

[BumRushDaShow]

4. "Why didn't he tell our campaign?"

He (the FBI) DID tell his campaign in an August 2016 intel briefing to the then-officially nominated candidates, the expected briefing of which was reported before it happened, and the subject matter widely reported about in December 2017 after NBC News broke the story.

FBI warned Trump in 2016 Russians would try to infiltrate his campaign
by Ken Dilanian, Julia Ainsley and Carol E. Lee / Dec.18.2017 / 12:08 PM ET / Updated Dec.19.2017 / 1:23 AM ET

WASHINGTON — In the weeks after he became the Republican nominee on July 19, 2016, Donald Trump was warned that foreign adversaries, including Russia, would probably try to spy on and infiltrate his campaign, according to multiple government officials familiar with the matter.

The warning came in the form of a high-level counterintelligence briefing by senior FBI officials, the officials said. A similar briefing was given to Hillary Clinton, they added. They said the briefings, which are commonly provided to presidential nominees, were designed to educate the candidates and their top aides about potential threats from foreign spies.

The candidates were urged to alert the FBI about any suspicious overtures to their campaigns, the officials said.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/fbi-warned-trump-2016-russians-would-try-infiltrate-his-campaign-n830596

Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton to Get Intelligence Briefings

July 28, 2016

WASHINGTON — Donald J. Trump and Hillary Clinton have each described the other as unfit to be trusted with classified information. But as is customary for the official nominees of both parties, the two candidates will get their first intelligence briefings as early as next week.

American intelligence officials will soon contact the two campaigns to schedule a wide-ranging briefing for each on global conflicts, the status of America’s military campaigns overseas and the latest maneuverings by foreign governments, both friend and foe.

This quadrennial rite of passage for presidential candidates usually takes place while few people pay attention. Not now. Recent statements on the campaign trail, and barbed accusations by both candidates about their opponent’s ability to handle classified information, have focused attention on the intelligence briefings and raised questions about how much, or how little, the spies will share with the candidates.

The subject came up again on Wednesday after Mr. Trump’s comments at a news conference, where he said he hoped the Russians had hacked Mrs. Clinton’s computer server and then encouraged them to publish whatever they had stolen. This drew outrage from current and former government officials, both Republicans and Democrats, who said a presidential candidate had for the first time invited a foreign power to carry out espionage on American soil. Some former senior intelligence officials said Mr. Trump’s comments bordered on treason.

https://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/29/us/politics/donald-trump-hillary-clinton-intelligence-briefings.html

[beachbum bob]

6. the noose is closing, he is surrounded and immersed in corruption of decades of doing "business"

with russian mob = PUTIN

[gademocrat7]

7. Putin's puppet

and his band of treason weasels trying to destroy our country by their greed and corruption.

[safeinOhio]

8. I think this is called....

...Gas lighting.

[pazzyanne]

9. We have a traitor in the White House!

Pure and simple. And unfortunately we also have traitors in the congress as well. Hope is but a small candle flame for me this morning.

[Ohioboy]

10. Trump doesn't want to know the truth

because, in truth, he is a total dupe. On some level Trump knows he has been played, but his narcissism won't let him do what is right for America. Malcolm Nance's latest book makes total sense when you see how Trump is acting. There is no doubt in my mind that Putin has been using Trump as an ASSet.

[NewJeffCT]

12. He knows that Russia helped him to win

he just doesn't want to admit it because it will taint his victory.

Why Russia helped and why Trump is so submissive with Putin and Russia is not entirely clear - Kompromat (pee pee tape)? Russian Asset? Debt to Russian Oligarchs? Promise of rich returns from Putin?

[olegramps]

15. I think the reality is that much of the nation was the dupe and continues to be so.

When does it get to the point of questioning those who continue to support him, regardless of the evidence, of their basic loyalty to our country? It is obvious that members of his cabinet and numerous aides are willfully and knowingly supporting his false denials. These include a number of highly ranked military. How can generals of the military, who are deeply knowledgeable of the threat of the Russians and Chinese who are intent on the actual destruction of our nation, firstly ever get involved with this man who has serious connections with the Russians? How do they blindly continue their support in view of the massive evidence? Just what is their agenda? It is emphatically clear that Trump askews the traditional role of the presidency in favor of unlimited authority that he admires in the dictators he longs to imitate. It seems that any objective observation would conclude that our form of government is under serious and determine assault by a cabal with questionable allegiance to the clearly stated articles of the constitution to which they have sworn allegiance.

[NewJeffCT]

11. and the four FISA judges

were all appointed by Republican presidents.

[Achilleaze]

13. flip the freaking republican flop

today

then flop it back to flip tomorrow

republican "integrity" appears to be a wholly owned subsidary of the freaking kremlin.

[duforsure]

14. trumps the hoax

He's putins puppet ,and again is showing us all who his loyalty is for, putin. Just listen to him or read his tweets. Putin attacked us , and is still attacking us now and has he publicly attacked putin, Nope. Has he threatened putin after he murdered another person on foreign soil, Nope, and has he given him his wishes, stopping military practice events in SK, yep. Did putin get him to agree to his offer against American citizens, Yep. Did putin start testing more powerful nuclear weapons right after putin had them meet , yep. trumps weak on russia and putin because he's a russian asset now, and this with Iran is for distraction away from that. Just like he used the NK thing so Stormy issue would be replaced with it. trump also allowed NK to be helped by putin when he ignored the sanctions, yet said nothing, again signs he's owned by putin now, a terrorist and corrupt dictator while the republicans are quickly becoming a russian asset too.