If we want to end inflation, we have to recognize how this dynamic is bound up in assaults on democracy around the globe and at home.
Opinion: Amazon, Starbucks, and Other U.S. Workers Fight the Putins at Home, While Ukraine’s Fight for Democracy Rages On
We need to recognize the role of labor and collective organizing in achieving democracy.
NY Times Haberman: Trump Came to Realization He Wasn’t POTUS Anymore When He Saw Biden Meet Putin
Donald Trump functions in a very different way than most politicians. The 45th president was coddled throughout his entire life and it wasn’t very often that he faced consequences for his actions.
So Trump is having a very tough time coming to grips with the fact that he isn’t president anymore. In fact, he reportedly told friends that he expects to be put back in office once electoral fraud is proven.
It has to gall the former president to see Joe Biden meet with the same world leaders he’d been meeting with the last 4 years. In fact, Maggie Haberman says, Biden’s meeting with Putin was the moment Trump realized that he wasn’t president anymore.
The New York Times reporter made the comments to CNN‘s John Berman. She told the host:
“This is the event that underscored for people around Trump and the former president himself the fact that he’s not president anymore. This was the kind of event on the world stage, getting enormous attention, that he really enjoyed, that he saw as one of the trappings of the office that he thought spoke to a sense of power and strength… it was the real moment of, ‘Oh, someone else is president and not Donald Trump.'”
Frank Figliuzzi: The GOP and Vladimir Putin Are Pushing the Exact Same Message on 1/6 Insurrection
Joe Biden has spent the last week on the first major foreign visit of his presidency. The reviews, so far, have been very good. Boris Johnson called the new president a “breath of fresh air.” French president Emmanuel Macron said that the United States is “definitely back.”
Still, Conservative media and Republican lawmakers would have you believe that the meetings haven’t gone well. And to aid that effort, multiple GOP Reps (and Tucker Carlson) are pushing the idea that the FBI “murdered” insurrectionist Ashli Babbitt. During a Wednesday appearance on MSNBC, Frank Figliuzzi pointed out that Vladimir Putin and Republicans have the same message.
The former FBI agent told Nicolle Wallace, “Yeah. This is about preservation of power. They will do whatever they need to do to be re-elected to stick with the base as long as Trump is the primary influencer of their party. “
Figliuzzi continued:
“I can’t, from the national security perspective can’t let the opportunity go to not point out that, as recently as today, Vladimir Putin at his press conference regurgitated the very same message that we have U.S. Congressmen saying, which is that the people that breached the security at the Capitol were simply looking for their political voice. They were simply looking for some political solutions. Vladimir Putin said that today at his press conference and these members of congress who refuse to honor the bravery of the Capitol police officers, who protected those members of congress are echoing the same thing as Putin.”
https://twitter.com/politicususa/status/1405284740916080644
The Biden-Putin Summit is Underway and the Right Wants It to Fail
President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin are currently meeting in Geneva, Switzerland, for a high-stakes summit. The meeting comes as Biden criticizes Russia for its interference in American elections and for its role in recent cyberattacks, and as the Biden administration imposes sanctions on Moscow for its aggression.
The two leaders shook hands at the start of the summit, which is expected to last four to five hours.
WATCH: President Biden and President Putin shake hands at opening of hours-long summit in Geneva. https://t.co/cNVeg73njZ pic.twitter.com/cNb4hKKqu2
— NBC News (@NBCNews) June 16, 2021
Soon after, criticism rained down from high-profile Republicans, including Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas), who likened the summit to a “pipeline” that will further Russian interests over American ones.
The Biden-Putin Pipeline Summit has begun!pic.twitter.com/jckUGuf08m
Prior to Biden/Putin Meeting Russian State TV Aired Interview With Insurrectionist Who Put His Feet up on Pelosi’s Desk
Vladimir Putin already realizes that Joe Biden is going to be much tougher on him than Donald Trump ever was. While Trump acted life a fawning fan towards the Russian president, Biden has called him a killer to his face.
The two men will soon be meeting. And Russian State TV is working overtime to make Putin look strong and Biden look weak. As part of that effort, the Kremlin propaganda machine is promoting the Trump insurrectionists as patriots. One channel even interviewed Richard “Bigo” Barnett, a man famous for putting his feet up on Nancy Pelosi‘s desk during the riots. Barnett’s lawyer Andrew McBride also joined in on the talk.
The Daily Beast reports, “
Barnett, a self-proclaimed white nationalist, was introduced as a ‘colorful’ individual, the same expression Putin frequently uses to describe Trump. McBride welcomed Rossiya-1 special correspondent Valentin Bogdanov into his office and FaceTimed his client, who appeared cheerful and at ease at his Arkansas
WATCH: CNN’s Kaitlin Collins Rips Trump For Attempting to Sabotage Biden’s Meeting With Putin
It should have been pretty clear to Donald Trump who the country’s allies were. Instead, the former president treated the country’s enemies like friends and alienated long term supporters.
And while Trump is out of office, he isn’t done hurting US foreign policy. Joe Biden is currently on his first major overseas trip and will be soon meeting with Vladimir Putin. Prior to that meeting Trump issued a statement siding with Russia over US officials.
Trump wrote, among other things, “Our government has rarely had such lowlifes as these working for it. Good luck to Biden in dealing with President Putin — don’t fall asleep during the meeting, and please give him my warmest regards!”
Former US president says he still trusts Russia more than the government he once led. pic.twitter.com/5Wkwj8KOwZ
— Andrew Feinberg (@AndrewFeinberg) June 10, 2021
CNN‘s Kaitlin Collins ripped Trump over the comments. She began, “The former president is putting out a stunning statement, essentially repeating his embrace of Putin at that summit, embracing him, of course, over U.S. intelligence. Instead framing it as siding with Putin over Obama officials, even though it was the president’s own intelligence officials at the time that said yes, they did believe interfered in the election.”
CNN's Kaitlin Collins accuses Donald Trump of attempting to sabotage meeting between Biden and Vladimir Putin. pic.twitter.com/LKBQ5wZ29A
Biden Says He Will Let Putin and China Know “That Europe and the United States Are Tight”
As President Joe Biden embarked on his first overseas trip since taking office, he told reporters that his trip, which will include a summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin, will serve as an opportunity to let Putin and China know “that Europe and the United States are tight and the G-7 is going to move.”
Asked whether he will address and come to understanding with Putin over the subject of Russian cyberattacks, Biden responded, “Who knows? We know it’ll be a subject of our discussion.”
Biden also added that he will announce a global vaccine strategy. “I have one and I’ll be announcing it,” he said.
Before President Biden departed for his first foreign trip, he said he will make it "clear to Putin and to China that Europe and United States are tight."https://t.co/bL0wrmnkJy pic.twitter.com/884FfYlJlO
Russia Bans Merrick Garland, John Bolton and Others From Entering Country
For 4 years, Donald Trump refused to respond to provocative actions of Russian President Vladimir Putin. In fact, Trump seemed to do nothing but praise the Russian leader.
Joe Biden, however, will be taking a much different tack with Putin. Biden has famously called the Russian President a killer and told him that, “he has no soul.”
And this week, the US President announced that he would be taking action against Russia for it’s Solar Winds hack on American federal agencies. When announcing the sanctions, Biden said, “
I was clear with President Putin that we could have gone further, but I chose not to do so. Now is the time to de-escalate.”
Putin Weakly Responds To Biden Calling Him A Killer
Russian President Vladimir Putin said “it takes one to know one” in response to a television interview President Joe Biden gave yesterday calling him a “killer.”
“I remember in my childhood, when we argued in the courtyard we used to say: it takes one to know one. And that’s not a coincidence, not just a children’s saying or joke,” Putin said. “We always see our own traits in other people and think they are like how we really are. And as a result we assess (a person’s) activities and give assessments.”
Biden Says Putin Will “Pay a Price” for Interfering in U.S. Elections
President Joe Biden said Russian leader Vladimir Putin will “pay a price” for interfering in United States elections after years of concerns from the intelligence community that Russian operatives meddled in the 2016 and 2020 elections to sow discord and spread disinformation.
“We had a long talk, he and I,” Biden said during an interview with ABC’s George Stephanopolous in an interview that aired today. “I know him relatively well. And the conversation started off, I said, ‘I know you, and you know me. If I establish this occurred, then be prepared.’”
Biden did not elaborate when asked what consequences Putin might face, only saying, “you’ll see shortly.” Biden also told Stephanopolous that he thinks Putin is a “killer” and confirmed that he once told Putin that he didn’t think he had a “soul.”
“I did say that to him, yes,” Biden said. “And his response was, ‘We understand one another.’ I wasn’t being a wise guy. I was alone with him in his office. That’s how it came about.”
EXCLUSIVE: Pres. Biden told @GStephanopoulos that he agreed Russian President Vladimir Putin is a "killer" and will "pay a price" for interfering in U.S. elections. https://t.co/rIe2ms8sSv pic.twitter.com/VtAGCvF9hp
Putin Critic Says Trump Damaged America’s Reputation Among Ordinary Russians
Speaking to NBC News in an exclusive interview, former oil magnate Mikhail Khodorkovsky said former President Donald Trump’s tenure damaged the United States’ reputation among ordinary Russians.
Trump was caught in the crosshairs of special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 general election
Biden Says U.S. “Will Never Recognize Russia’s Purported Annexation” of Crimea
On the seventh anniversary of Russia’s annexation of Crimea, a move that Ukraine and the global community largely consider a violation of international law, President Joe Biden condemned Russian aggression, saying the United States does not consider Russia’s intervention legitimate.
“The United States does not and will never recognize Russia’s purported annexation of the peninsula, and we will stand with Ukraine against Russia’s aggressive acts. We will continue to work to hold Russia accountable for its abuses and aggression in Ukraine,” Biden said.
“The United States does not and will never recognize Russia’s purported annexation of the peninsula, and we will stand with Ukraine against Russia’s aggressive acts. We will continue to work to hold Russia accountable for its abuses and aggression in Ukraine,” he noted. “The United States still believes in the promise of Ukraine and we support all those working towards a peaceful, democratic, and prosperous future for their country.”
Biden’s statements represent a more aggressive stance against Russia. Biden’s predecessor, former president Donald Trump, was often criticized for an often deferential relationship with Russian leader Vladimir Putin, whose government been at the center of disinformation efforts that impacted both the 2016 and 2020 general election cycles.
The Biden administration is preparing to order sanctions against Moscow for a major cyberattack that breached parts of the United States federal government. The Washington Post reported earlier this week that the Biden administration “
is casting the SolarWinds operation, in which government agencies and private companies were hacked, as ‘indiscriminate’ and potentially ‘disruptive.'”
Nancy Pelosi: Trump Supporters Who Stormed Capitol Were “Doing Putin’s Bidding”
For the last two years, Nancy Pelosi has spent much of her time holding Donald Trump accountable for her actions. In just two short days, though, Trump will no longer be her problem anymore.
The Speaker of the House spoke about her experiences during an appearance on Hillary Clinton’s radio show. Of course, the main topic of conversation was the recent attack on the US Capitol and how happy it must have made Vladimir Putin.
Pelosi told Clinton, “
I would love to see his phone records to see whether he was talking to Putin the day that the insurgents invaded our Capitol. But we now know that not just him, but his enablers, his accomplices, his cult members, have the same disregard for democracy
Romney on Trump’s Election Theories: “Russia and China Have to be Laughing”
Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin have long had a symbiotic relationship. For Trump, who is not respected by most world leaders, Putin’s compliments and support are welcomed. For Putin, there mere presence of Trump in the White House helps lower America’s power and standing around the world.
And Trump’s presidential term continues to be a gift for the Russian leader. The president’s refusal to accept the results in a free and fair election surely please Putin.
Frequent Trump critic Mitt Romney made this point while speaking to Wolf Blitzer on Thursday. The Utah senator told the CNN host:
“The attorney general has said there’s no there there. The courts have all looked at the evidence and said there’s no evidence there. Now, of course, there will be circumstances where one or two, or a handful, maybe even 100 ballots were incorrectly sent in or counted, and those things get adjusted and get fixed. But the idea of widespread fraud is simply not been shown to us.”
He Would Explode: Ex-CIA Officer Says Intel Officers are Terrified to Brief Trump on Russia
Donald Trump is not a very big fan of briefings. He is not briefed anywhere near as much as his predecessors. The memos to Trump also have to be broken down in ways that he can more easily understand them.
And there are some subjects that Trump isn’t briefed on at all. And these are subjects that would make him especially upset. Chief among these is the actions of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
During a recent interview with GQ correspondent Julia Ioffe, 26 year CIA veteran Marc Polymeropoulos tried to explain why this was the case. He told Ioffe, “No one’s going to brief anything on Russia to the president.”
The former CIA Officer continued, “
They’re terrified of doing that. I know that from the briefers. Because he’ll explode and the whole thing will get derailed, because he has this weird affinity for Putin.”
Trump Reportedly Had a “Public Meltdown” Over Missed Call from Vladimir Putin
Donald Trump publicly berated his former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn because of a missed call from Vladimir Putin, according to former senior figure in the British government.
Nick Timothy, a senior adviser to former British Prime Minister Theresa May, claimed in an interview that the President had a meltdown in front of May and others because of a missed call with the Russian president.
“
Somebody just mentioned in passing that Vladimir Putin had asked for a call with him, and right in front us he absolutely shouted down Mike Flynn,” Timothy told a podcast.
Trump Lashes Out at U.S. Officials, Disputes Claim He Trusts Putin Over U.S. Intelligence
President Donald Trump lashed out at government officials and disputed claims that he trusts Russian leader Vladimir Putin over United States intelligence agencies.
“John Bolton, one of the dumbest people I’ve met in government and sadly, I’ve met plenty, states often that I respected, and even trusted, Vladimir Putin of Russia more than those in our Intelligence Agencies,” Trump said of his former national security adviser.
“While of course that is not true,” he continued, “if the first people you met from so called American Intelligence were Dirty Cops who have now proven to be sleazebags at the highest level like James Comey, proven liar James Clapper, & perhaps the lowest of them all, Wacko John Brennan who headed the CIA, you could perhaps understand my reluctance to embrace!”
John Bolton, one of the dumbest people I’ve met in government and sadly, I’ve met plenty, states often that I respected, and even trusted, Vladimir Putin of Russia more than those in our Intelligence Agencies. While of course that is not true, if the first people you met from….
Mary Trump: President Trump Is ‘Drawn’ to Vladimir Putin Because He’s Like His Father
Mary Trump thinks the President is drawn to Vladimir Putin because the Russian leader is like his father. Donald Trump’s niece suggested he was primed to seek out people like Putin.
Mary Trump spoke to MSNBC’s Joy Reid on Wednesday about her uncle’s relationship with strongmen like the Russian president. She drew parallels to her grandfather, Fred Trump Sr.
“Fred had also primed Donald to be drawn to men such as [Roy] Cohn, as he would later be drawn to authoritarians such as Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong-un or anyone else, really, with a willingness to flatter and the power to enrich him,” she said.
Ms. Trump said the President might be trying to gain something from his relationship with Putin, but couldn’t say what that might be.
“I think there are plenty of reasons to believe that’s the case,” she said.
“But, you know, I can speak to the resemblance that Putin may have to my grandfather.”
“One of the things my grandfather did was, you know, through neglect, abuse, and pressure, was turn Donald into somebody who was eminently useful to smarter, and more powerful men.”
“And I think part of the charm, although, again, I am not privy to any conversations with them — I imagine Putin understands exactly how to manipulate Donald, you know, whether or not there are financial incentives.”
Trump recently defended Putin’s Russia arming the Taliban in Afghanistan.
Trump Never Asked Vladimir Putin About Russian Bounties on U.S. Soldiers
Donald Trump has not discussed reports of Russian bounties on U.S. troops in Afghanistan. The President admitted he hadn’t confronted Vladimir Putin about the issue.
The President gave an interview to Axios on HBO on Tuesday where he downplayed the intelligence on Russian bounties paid to the Talbian. He also confirmed he hadn’t mentioned them to his Russian counterpart.
Trump spoke to Putin by phone on Thursday and said of the call: We don’t talk about what we discussed, but we had plenty of discussion.”
“I have never discussed it with him,” Trump told Axios.
“That was a phone call to discuss other things, and frankly that’s an issue that many people said was fake news.”
The President claims intelligence agencies never briefed him on the bounties because they found the information less than credible. However, it later emerged the intelligence was contained in the Presidential Daily Briefing (PDB).
Several news outlets suggested that Trump simply doesn’t read the PDB and there’s plenty of evidence that he doesn’t like to read. In the interview he said he did read it.
“[T]hey like to say I don’t read, I read a lot,” Trump said.
However, he said the Russian bounties intelligence “never reached my desk” because agencies “didn’t think it was real.”
John Bolton: Vladimir Putin Can Play Trump “Like a Fiddle”
John Bolton says Vladimir Putin isn’t worried about Donald Trump because he can “play him”. The former National Security Advisor has made a series of serious accusations.
Bolton spoke to ABC’s Martha Raddatz in an interview to air this Sunday. He told her the Russian president isn’t “worried” about President Trump.
“I think Putin thinks he can play him like a fiddle,” Bolton said.
“I think Putin is smart, tough, I think he sees that he’s not faced with a serious adversary here.”
Watch the video:
.@MarthaRaddatz: “How would you describe Trump's relationship with Vladimir Putin?”
John Bolton: “I think Putin thinks he can play him like a fiddle.”
Watch more from the exclusive interview this Sunday at 9|8c on ABC. pic.twitter.com/196EVYw8ko
Opinion: The GOP is Silent on Russian Interference and Trump’s Dangerous Behavior Because They’re in on it
Media pundits often wonder why Republicans have turned a blind eye to and refused to call out the myriad and fairly well-documented behaviors of both Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin’s Russian government, which gravely undermine the U.S.’s national security, interfere in our election processes, and generally influence the White House to pursue policy that serves interests other than those of the American people.
And when it comes to impeachment, we even often hear Democrats fantasize about getting republicans on board.
The prevailing wisdom has been that Republicans don’t stand up to Trump because (1) they are afraid of the barrage of twitter attacks he will unleash on them if they criticize him, harming their relationship with their pro-Trump base and thus their chances at re-election, and (2) Trump pushes through the policies they want in terms of tax cuts, de-regulation, and so forth; and he also helps them pack the courts with severely conservative and intensely ideological justices who will aid and abet them in assaulting women’s reproductive rights, undermining union and workers’ rights (e.g. the Janus ruling), rolling back voter protections, endorsing gerrymandering, and on and on.
The investigation into Trump’s mob-routine with Ukraine (hey, I need a favor; lemme make you an offer you can’t refuse), however, is beginning to reveal much more.
It’s not just Trump who’s consorting with Russians and accepting their money to support his campaigns, and thus tacitly agreeing to do the bidding of Russia whether it serves the interests of the American people or not.
The Republicans are in on it, too.
Former Texas Republican Representative Pete Sessions reportedly accepted money from Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman, the two Soviet-born businessman recently arrested for U.S. campaign finance violations. This same report also implicates House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy and South Carolina Republican Representative Joe Wilson for having accepted donations as well. Remember when Joe Wilson called President Obama a liar in the middle of one his State of the Union addresses? Now who’s the liar, Joe!?
And the Tampa Bay Times reports that Florida Governor Ron DeSantis accepted and has now returned a $50,000 donation from Parnas and Fruman, and that U.S. Republican Senator Rick Scott also accepted money from these Russian-rooted operatives.
And remember when Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska just happened to build an aluminum plant in Mitch McConnell’s home state of Kentucky?
For a good while commentators and analysts have tried to separate Trump from the rest of the Republican party, seeing the party as a whole as not complicit in Trump’s questionable and corrupt self-serving deals.
It now turns out that many of them are in on it. Now we know why they deny the many truths regarding Russian interference and, yes, even collusion the Mueller report details.
It’s not just that they’re afraid of him or that they need him to push their policies and stack the court.
They’re in on it too. Russia is backing them too.
The Republican party is, we now know, truly the party of Trump, by which we mean Putin.
So, in 2020, it won’t be enough to oust Trump to rid our politics of the Russian corruption and infection; we’ll need to remove Republicans.
Dan Rather Denounces Fox News For Being ‘State-run Media’
Former CBS News anchor Dan Rather has denounced Fox News as “state-run media” according to a new article in The Daily Beast.
In the article Rather refused to say that Trump had done a worse job than George W. Bush, indicating that it was a tough call.
“I’m going to duck that question — and I’ll tell you straight-up, I’m ducking it — because I really haven’t thought of it in those terms,” Rather said, adding:
“I do agree that with the George W. Bush presidency, No. 1, going into Iraq was a strategic mistake of historic proportions, and that combined with the economic crash, those two things happening under his watch, drag heavily down his standing.”
“But the reason I’m taking a pass on the question is because we’re not finished with the Trump presidency.”
“George W. Bush had two terms, and there were things you could point to — attacking AIDS in Africa, for example — that were good. President Trump has just passed two years of his first term, so we need to see the Trump years, however short or long they turn out to be, in their totality.”
=&0=&
Fox News helped Bush’s reputation among conservatives during his presidency, and supported him even as his approval rating plummeted among a majority of American voters. And now, Rather said, Fox News has gotten even more partisan and misleading during the Trump years.
“It’s a fact: This is the closest we have come to
having state-run media
Exiled Russian Mobster Partied At Mar-A-Lago With Chinese Spa Owner
An exiled former friend of Vladimir Putin, wanted back in his home country of Russia for tax fraud, has been partying with other guests at Donald Trump’s exclusive Mar-A-Lago resort in South Florida
CIA Expert: Allies Fear Trump Shares Classified Secrets With Putin
Longtime CIA agent Steven Hall is very unhappy that President Donald Trump is continuing to attack United States intelligence agencies. In an opinion piece in this morning’s Washington Post, Hall said that never before in U.S. history has a president been so openly and aggressively hostile to his own intelligence community.
Hall also said that he believes that Trump’s open hostility is severely harming the national security of the United States.
A president, after taking the oath of office, is sworn to preserve, protect and defend the United States and its legal system, not undermine it. But according to Hall, Trump’s actions, such as possibly sharing information with Russian President Vladimir Putin, have had a very negative, and possibly long lasting, effect on the country.
In particular, Hall writes in his op-ed that Trump’s severely strained relationship with the CIA is damaging America’s important intelligence and military partnerships with key allies around the world.
He said:
“Many allied nations have already taken note of Trump’s cavalier attitude toward sensitive information, as well as his apparent failure to understand the basic rules of intelligence sharing.”
“Recall when our president shared sensitive intelligence obtained from one of our foreign partners with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, for example.”
In addition to that, Hall says that America’s key allies are now very reluctant to share sensitive information with the CIA or other U.S. intelligence agencies. From now on, they will be extremely hesitant to share intelligence due to worries about what Trump will do with the classified information.
Hall wrote:
“I would be deeply surprised if many of our best intelligence allies were not already holding back information they would normally pass to their U.S. counterparts, for fear Trump might not be able to keep a secret.”
“Their concerns might even be darker when they consider the possibility that our president has reportedly discussed sensitive matters with Russian President Vladimir Putin behind closed doors with no record of the conversation.”
Trump has had several meetings with Vladimir Putin, and he has kept these discussions secret. So the president may be committing treason and sharing classified information with the leader of a foreign enemy. Trump may even be committing espionage, by spying for Russia and passing on information that only he has access to.
Treason and espionage against the United States are not just serious crimes, they also carry
the possibility of the death penalty
Breaking: Putin Says Russia Will Also Pull Out of Nuclear Arms Treaty
President Vladimir Putin announced Saturday that Russia will withdraw from a long-standing and critical Cold War-era missile treaty with the United States. Putin’s move came following the Trump administration’s move to withdraw a day earlier.
Hillary Clinton Slams Trump: “He Has Not Spoken Up For Our Country”
Hillary Clinton appeared at the OZY Fest in New York City’s Central Park on Saturday night to talk about President Donald Trump and his summit meeting with Russian president Vladimir Putin.
Clinton criticized Trump for not taking a strong stand against Russian election meddling. She also said she is confused about Trump’s motives in meeting repeatedly with Russian President Vladimir Putin, and she doesn’t have a good feeling about them.
“The great mystery is why the president hasn’t spoken up for our country,” she said. “We don’t know what was said in the room with just the two of them.”
Hillary Clinton calls Trump and Putin Helsinki meeting “deeply disturbing” and “alarming on many, many levels”
Hillary Clinton calls Trump and Putin Helsinki meeting "deeply disturbing" and "alarming on many, many levels" https://t.co/wGZMhSsrDV pic.twitter.com/rsf1rphONJ
— Newsweek (@Newsweek) July 22, 2018
Clinton said she met several times with Putin while serving as President Barack Obama’s Secretary of State, but never alone.
“There were always at least one or two other people with us, and most importantly, a notetaker,” she said. “You particularly need a notetaker so there can be no mistake about what was said.”
The lack of any official notes from the Trump/Putin meeting is particularly troublesome because Putin has been talking about the details of his meeting with Trump and the White House has remained silent.
“What’s happening now is that Putin is basically telling the world what was decided in that room. He’s giving press statements, he’s calling in Russian ambassadors to other countries, he’s reaching out to other leaders,” she said. “Meanwhile, we’re hearing crickets from the White House. Nothing is being put out that is in any way contradictory or replacing the Putin agenda with whatever Trump was doing.”
Clinton said the whole thing was “deeply disturbing” and it should be a motivation to turn out to vote in this year’s elections.
“So this idea that somehow we are not sure where our own president stands is deeply disturbing,” Clinton said. “And the best way to deal with that is to vote in November.”
Clinton also warned that she believes Russia will continue to attack American elections, specifically suggesting Putin would directly influence vote counts in the midterms.
“There are some tech experts in Silicon Valley whom I have met who say that maybe what they will do this time is really disrupt the actual election,” Clinton said onstage. “Shut down the servers you send results to, interfere with the operations of voting machines because too many of them are linked to the internet. We are still very vulnerable.”
Hillary Clinton Says Russia Could Hack This Year's Election https://t.co/TNektjJKuK via @ozy
Trump Own Staff Admits That He Looked Weak Next To Putin
Even Trump's own staff is calling him weak after his terrible press conference with Putin.
Rachel Maddow Torches Trump For ‘Pouring Gasoline’ On The Russia National Security Threat
Donald Trump hasn't just let Russia get away with an attack on U.S. democracy – he's essentially encouraging the next attack, too.
Rachel Maddow Wants To Know Why We Always Learn About Trump-Putin Meetings From Russian News
"Why does this keep happening? Why do we consistently have to get news about the behavior and the meetings and the conversations of the American president from the Russian government?"
Stunning Report Shows The CIA Warned Israel That Trump Was A Putin Puppet Who Can’t Be Trusted
Before Trump was sworn in, the CIA warned Israel that Vladimir Putin had “leverages of pressure” over Trump.
Trump’s Own CIA Smacks Down His Claim That We Should Trust Vladimir Putin
The CIA remains confident in its conclusion that Russia waged a disinformation campaign in the U.S. to influence the election in Donald Trump's favor.
Russia First: Trump Admits He Trusts Putin Over The Entire U.S. Intelligence Community
"Every time he sees me, he says, 'I didn't do that.' And I believe, I really believe, that when he tells me that, he means it."
Republicans In Congress Are Plotting To Sabotage Russia Investigation If It Doesn’t End Soon
According to a new report, many GOP lawmakers are restless and "ready to close the books" on the probe.
Trump Is Sinking Fast As Robert Mueller Is Now Going After Air Force One Phone Records
The fact that Mueller is requesting Air Force One phone records shows that he is clearly ramping up his inquiry into whether Trump obstructed justice.
Russia Comes Roaring Back As Top Trump Aide Emailed Campaign Officials About Meeting With Putin
An email sent from a top Donald Trump aide referenced a previously unknown attempt to set up a meeting between Trump campaign associates and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Trump Brings Shame To America By Praising Putin’s Move To Kick U.S. Diplomats Out Of Russia
Instead of standing up for the men and women who selflessly serve their country, the president – once again – took the side of the man who helped put him in the White House.
Malcolm Nance Throws Hammer Down On White House, Says Trump Is Under Complete Russian Control
"He may not even know that he is an asset under your control until you pull that string, and then suddenly you need him to do things for you – and they do."
Senate Dems Slam Trump And Defend America As White House Considers Lifting Russia Punishment
A handful of Democratic Senators were fuming on Thursday as Donald Trump and the White House strongly consider giving back two compounds to Russia that were shut down by the Obama administration.
John Podesta Slams Trump Jr.’s Russia Meeting: “Starting To Smell More And More Like Collusion”
Each day brings another "drip" of information that increases the likelihood that there was collusion between the president's campaign and Moscow.
That Was Easy: Putin Says He Convinced Trump That Russia Didn’t Meddle In 2016 Election
Trump can pretend to be a strongman all he wants, but in his first real opportunity to put America first and show strong leadership, he backed down bigly.
Maxine Waters Slams Unpatriotic GOP For Not Standing Up To Putin Puppet Trump
"I'm questioning the patriotism of all of those Republicans who are allowing this president to side with Putin, to wrap his arms around Putin."
Ex-Intel Director Destroys Bogus Trump Claim: ‘No Evidence’ Russia Wasn’t Behind Election Hack
James Clapper said the Russians will continue to collect intelligence and interfere in U.S. elections so long as the United States, led by Trump, refuses to "push back."
Emboldened By Pro-Putin Trump, Russia Ramps Up Spying Efforts In The U.S.
Just as Hillary Clinton warned the country during the campaign, Trump is turning out to be a Putin "puppet" who is delivering every last item on Russia's wish list.
Rachel Maddow Destroys Trump’s ‘Inconceivable’ Decision To Give Putin A Face-To-Face Meeting
"How has [Putin] earned a face-to-face, full-scale, bilateral meeting with the U.S. president? What has he done to deserve that meeting and that respect?"
‘I Can’t Recall’: Carter Page Has Amnesia Over Ties To Russia, Says He’s The Real Victim
"It's been an ongoing assault. ... I was doing nothing, I was doing nothing. ... The meeting was about nothing," Page said.
Trump Plans To Lift Sanctions On Russia By Returning Their American-Based Intelligence Compounds
Regardless of the motivations behind the latest Trump move, it's clear the Russians are getting exactly what they had hoped for by helping this president win the White House in 2016.
Former Russia Ambassador Says Moscow Is ‘Laughing’ At The U.S. Under Trump
Not only did the Russians successfully interfere in last year's presidential election to help Trump become president, but now they are successfully shaping U.S. policy in their favor.
Russian Banker Jared Kushner Secretly Met With Is One Of Vladimir Putin’s Top Spies
If the Russians wanted to influence Trump, Kushner would be one of the top people they would use – and it appears Kushner had no problem offering his assistance.
Malcolm Nance Says FBI Should Assume Kushner Was Planning To Share ‘Nuclear Codes’ With Putin
"What did he intend to transmit through Russia's secure cryptographic systems to communicate with Vladimir Putin? The presidential daily briefing? The nuclear codes?"
Donald Trump Wants to ‘Ride Like Vladimir’ in Queen Elizabeth’s Golden Carriage
Trump wants to be like his hero, Vladimir Putin, who rode in the royal carriage when he visited in 2003, or President Xi, who rode it in 2015
Tom Cotton Says Donald Trump’s Syria Strike Restored U.S. Credibility
“But these strikes did more than simply punish Mr. Assad and deter future attacks; they have gone a long way to restoring our badly damaged credibility in the world.”
In His Own Words from 2013, Trump’s Unauthorized Attack on Syria Was ‘A Big Mistake’
Donald Trump to President Obama in 2013: "The President must get Congressional approval before attacking Syria-big mistake if he does not!"
Netanyahu Says Trump’s Illegal Attack on Syria ‘Setting Example For Free World’
“Israel fully supports President Trump’s decision and hopes that this message of resolve...will resonate not only in Damascus, but in Tehran, Pyongyang and elsewhere.”
Bombshell Report Exposes Secret Meeting Between Trump and Putin Representatives
The Post reports that Blackwater founder Erik Prince, acting on behalf of Trump, secretly met in Jan. with a representative of Vladimir Putin
Would-Be Tough Guy Trump Isn’t the Shark – He’s the One the Shark Feeds On
"Today, several members of Team Trump realized they're in the FBI's cross-hairs & in bed with a regime that kills those it no longer needs."
Opinion: Paul Manafort Was Already Planning Putin Influence In Washington in 2005
"Paul Manafort pledged to influence politics, business dealings and news coverage inside the United States to benefit President Vladimir Putin's government.”
Maxine Waters Condemns House Committee’s Focus on Trump’s ‘Incendiary Tweets’
Waters called for a "bipartisan, independent commission to investigate the Russian interference in our election and possible collusion with the Trump campaign."
Rex Tillerson Dodging First Meeting With Our NATO Allies and Flying to Moscow Instead
“Comey/Rogers JUST spent 8 hrs detailing how Russia tried to hack US election….Tillerson on a mission to make nice w/ Moscow.”
As Russia Hearings Begin, An Increasingly Desperate Donald Trump Tweets His Innocence
"James Clapper and others stated that there is no evidence Potus colluded with Russia. This story is FAKE NEWS and everyone knows it!"
Sean Spicer’s British Spying Accusations Came from Russia Via Fox News
The lie about British spying came to Sean Spicer from Andrew Napolitano, who got it from Russia via former CIA analyst Larry C. Johnson
Democrat Adam Schiff Tells Trump To Stop Treating NATO Like a Protection Racket
"Glad you think it was great, @POTUS. Would have been greater if you didn't treat NATO like protection racket, or allies like deadbeats"
Donald Trump Acts Like a Petulant Child and Refuses to Shake Angela Merkel’s Hand
As J.K. Rowling captioned the moment, 'Mommy was mean to me and I don't wanna hold her hand no more.'
Opinion: Sick Of Russians, John McCain Says Rand Paul “Now Working For Vladimir Putin”
“You are achieving the objectives of Vladimir Putin…trying to dismember this small country. If they object, they are now carrying out the desires and ambitions of Vladimir Putin."
Evan McMullin Poses a Blink Test for Conservatives: Rocky Balboa or Drago
If Putin is Trump’s friend and our press and intelligence community are his enemies, then Trump is not by any measure an American president.
Rachel Maddow Says Helping Trump Become POTUS Was Only The Beginning Of Russia’s Operation
Maddow says there is growing evidence that Moscow's work didn't end on Nov. 8, 2016 – that was only the opening act.
Putin Wants Ladies to Smile More Often on International Women’s Day
Women love to be told to smile by random men, it's part of their freedom marches.
So Donald Trump's best election buddy Russian President Vladimir Putin took International Women's Day to remind men that they should support women so women could do important things, like "smile more often."
Putin’s Puppet Trump Claims President Obama Let Putin Walk All Over Him
"For eight years Russia 'ran over' President Obama, got stronger and stronger, picked-off Crimea and added missiles. Weak!"
Darrell Issa Calls for Special Prosecutor to Investigate Trump-Russia Contacts
Issa said Sessions must recuse himself: "You cannot have somebody, a friend of mine Jeff Sessions, who was on the campaign and who is an appointee."
Trump Fails Again As FBI Denies His Request To Downplay Russian Connections
"Such a request from the White House is a violation of procedures that limit communications with the FBI on pending investigations."
Damning New Report Reveals Trump Team Communicated With Russia During The Campaign
The Trump campaign had repeated contacts with the Russian government at a time when Moscow was hacking the U.S. election.
Rand Paul Opposes Russia Probe Because Republicans Shouldn’t Investigate Republicans
"I just don’t think it’s useful to be doing investigation after investigation, particularly of your own party."
Sean Spicer Claims Trump Acted Decisively on Flynn – 17 Days After Being Told
Spicer claimed that talking about a 17-day delay “assumes a lot of things that aren’t true,” but what it actually involves is a suspension of reality.
Sen. Chris Murphy Says if Michael Flynn Lied ‘He Probably Has to Go’
"If there's evidence that makes it clear that Flynn lied to the Vice President and others...he can't continue to be national security adviser."
Trump Claims He Doesn’t ‘Know Putin’ But He Bragged About Their Relationship in 2013
Donald Trump claimed this morning 'I don't know Putin,' but in 2013, he said proudly, 'I do have a relationship with him.'
Trump’s Amateurish White House Thinks Poland Invaded Belarus
Trump was not the least bit interested in news about Russian incursions into Ukraine, which are anything but the product of overheated White House imaginations.
Mikhail Gorbachev Warns That ‘It Looks as if The World is Preparing for War’
Looking at both Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump, Mikhail Gorbachev said, "it all looks as if the world is preparing for war."
Trump Will Talk To Putin This Weekend As He Prepares To Roll Back Russian Sanctions
Trump has been silent on Russia since taking office, but he could be days away from dropping the crippling sanctions President Obama put on the country.
New Poll Shows More Americans Support Women’s March Demonstrators Than Donald Trump
There is very little, if anything, in the data to give the new administration hope that they have the support of the American people.
Senate Committee Approves Trump’s Pro-Russia Secretary of State Pick After Rubio Sells Out
The Florida senator talked tough during Tillerson's confirmation hearing but eventually sold out and voted in favor of the Putin puppet.
Trump Digs His Hole Deeper By Going On Fox News To Escalate Attacks On John Lewis
The president-elect is only making matters worse by continuing to lash out at the civil rights icon.
New Report Proves Donald Trump Lied About Not Seeking Business In Russia
Trump's history of seeking business in the country that helped him win last year's election is well-documented.
Rachel Maddow Shows You How to Spot Trump’s Big Fat Intelligence Briefing Lie
If you are curious how to spot Trump’s Russian hack lies for yourself, Rachel Maddow tells you how. Just two ingredients are required: First, you need the declassified version of The Office of the Director of National Intelligence report available to literally everybody who wants to read it (here) and Donald Trump’s own words.
As Maddow said, this report “taught us all a great deal about what the Russians did to influence our election this past year and why they did it.” Specifically, a 2011 grudge against Hillary Clinton.
“What we learned today…is that our new president will flat out lie to us. To our faces. And even put it in writing. Even when we can check for ourselves and see for ourselves that he is blatantly lying about a really big thing. He apparently will just bracingly lie to us even about really important national security stuff. And we learned that today if we didn’t believe it before.”
Watch courtesy of MSNBC:
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It is important to observe, as Maddow points out, that the conclusions of this report are identical in every way to the classified version of the report that Donald Trump was given. It says so on every page at the top:
This report is a declassified version of a highly classified assessment; its conclusions are identical to those in the highly classified assessment but this version does not include the full supporting information on key elements of the influence campaign.
U.S. Intelligence Report Finds That Top Russian Officials Rejoiced After Trump’s Win
"American intelligence agencies intercepted communications in the aftermath of the election in which Russian officials congratulated themselves on the outcome."
Deranged Trump Claims Real Problem Not Russian Hacking But Giving Debate Q to Hillary
"Why have they [the DNC] not responded to the terrible things they did and said (like giving the questions to the debate to H)"
2017’s Big Reveal: Useful Idiot Trump, Conflict of Interest Trump, or Meat Puppet Trump
The more he opens his mouth the more he damns himself. Sure he's a big crybaby. But the smart money is on him being Vladimir Putin's crybaby
President Obama Set A Trap For Trump With Russian Sanctions
Trump has only two equally detrimental choices in dealing with the effects of President Obama’s sanctions against Russia. and they're both damning.
Given a Chance to be Patriots, Too Many Republicans Bow to Putin Instead
Rep. Trent Franks (R-AZ) did one better than Trump, claiming that Russia's attack on our democratic institutions was somehow a public service
Trump Issues Weak Statement After Obama Reminds Russia That He’s Still President
Trump's response suggests that holding Russia accountable for its unprecedented election meddling isn't that high on his list of priorities.
President Obama Hits Russia With New Sanctions for Election Hacking
"These actions...are a necessary and appropriate response to efforts to harm U.S. interests in violation of established international norms of behavior."
Vladimir Putin Claims Obama Signed the NDAA to ‘Create Problems’ For Trump
“This policy has brought the current US administration...into a dead end. We hope the new administration will be more sagacious.”
Obama Plans Aggressive Retaliation Against Russia For 2016 Election Meddling
Not only is the president looking to punish Russia for interfering in the U.S. electoral process, but he's hoping to do it in a way that Trump can't undo.
Memo Shows That Russia Isn’t Even On Trump’s List Of Top ‘Defense Priorities’
The incoming president appears to be turning a blind eye to the growing threat of Russia.
Super PAC Connected To Paul Ryan Used Russian Material Against Dem. House Candidates
Speaker Ryan's spokeswoman never disputed that the material used against Democratic candidates was “stolen as an act of Russian espionage
Harry Reid Drops A Truth Bomb: Putin Was ‘Clearly” Involved in Hacking U.S. Election
Outgoing Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) charged that Russian President Vladimir Putin was "clearly, yes" involved in the election hacks. Reid added, “And his having been former head of the KGB, does that surprise you?"
Franklin Graham Praises Trump for Finding a Way to “Work With The Thugs” Like Putin
Trump's strategy for working with thugs is to let thugs be thugs as long as Trump gets a cut. And that includes the thugs in Trump's own cabinet.
Republicans Show True Colors As GOP Views Putin More Favorably Than Obama
Republican opinions of Putin spiked around the same time Trump called on Russia to hack Hillary Clinton's emails.
Report: Putin Directly Involved In Election Hack Meant To Put Trump In The White House
"Ultimately, the CIA has assessed, the Russian government wanted to elect Donald Trump," NBC News reported.
Bombshell Report Shows FBI Knew About Russia’s DNC Hacking Since 2015
"The low-key approach of the F.B.I. meant that Russian hackers could roam freely through the committee’s network for nearly seven months before top D.N.C. officials were alerted to the attack..."
All Those “Real American” Patriots and Oathkeepers Are Frauds
No American patriot will ever accept or defend a leader aligned with a foreign "aggressor that consistently undermines American interests."