Senior Trump official describes resistance inside administration - NYT Op-Ed

[helpisgood]

43 minutes ago, mtls2005 said:

 

Can't see this happening unless the president is physically incapacitated (some severe medical condition, trauma, and not some early stage dementia).

 

Section 4. Whenever the Vice President and a majority of either the principal officers of the executive departments or of such other body as Congress may by law provide, transmit to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives their written declaration that the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office, the Vice President shall immediately assume the powers and duties of the office as Acting President.

 

Thereafter, when the President transmits to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives his written declaration that no inability exists, he shall resume the powers and duties of his office unless the Vice President and a majority of either the principal officers of the executive department or of such other body as Congress may by law provide, transmit within four days to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives their written declaration that the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office. Thereupon Congress shall decide the issue, assembling within forty-eight hours for that purpose if not in session. If the Congress, within twenty-one days after receipt of the latter written declaration, or, if Congress is not in session, within twenty-one days after Congress is required to assemble, determines by two-thirds vote of both Houses that the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office, the Vice President shall continue to discharge the same as Acting President; otherwise, the President shall resume the powers and duties of his office.

Good point!

 

Thus, the constitutional crisis if govt. officers try to invoke this amendment.

 

In Trump's case, saying that he's not psychologically capable of "discharg[ing] the powers and duties of his office" may not be a clear-cut call like having a serious stroke, for example.  At what point, and how, does the cabinet, etc. get medical professionals to say that he's not just rather eccentric with even some minor psychological disorders, but truly so clinically insane that he cannot discharge his duties?  To borrow an expression, Trump would have to go way off the rails for the right people to comfortably get each other to take a such a stand. 

 

And, if it doesn't work, then that would be a mess and may set a bad precedent. 

 

Although, Mr. Trump's diet, his weight, etc. may change the scenario. 

[bendejo]

5 hours ago, pegman said:

Kelly Ann Conway

First person I thought of.  Or Pence.  Certain jingo-ist terms being used....

 

 

 

[neeray]

8 minutes ago, helpisgood said:

 

Although, Mr. Trump's diet, his weight, etc. may change the scenario. 

I am hoping he eats lots of Big Macs, morning, noon and night. KFC too. And wash the grease down with lots of soda.

[bendejo]

7 minutes ago, neeray said:

I am hoping he eats lots of Big Macs, morning, noon and night. KFC too. And wash the grease down with lots of soda.

 

I've been saying all along he doesn't actually eat that crap, he just poses with it to show how he's a regular guy.  If he actually ate a Big Mac he'd pull the burger out of the bun, same way he doesn't eat the crust on pizza (this pizza thing is not speculation, he's been recorded doing it).  We know he has something to hide health-wise from his goofy med reports.  My bet is he has type 2 diabetes.

 

I have wondered that if there was a temporary military coup on the WH, is Kelly there to take the helm when this guy is removed? 

 

You have to appreciate the timing of the 25th Amendment.  A few years before Barry Goldwater ran for president, with heavy talk of the use of nukes to solve overseas problems.  Some people thought he was a madman for this.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited September 6, 2018 by bendejo

[sfokevin]

Donald has taken to carrying his 9 Iron anytime he is in the West Wing... 

[Credo]

There is a lot of speculation that it was written by Pence.   He has the most to gain by getting rid of Trump and he is the only hope to save the Republican party at this time.   He's also the one that Trump can't get rid of very easily.   

 

One Word Has People Convinced Mike Pence Wrote Anonymous New York Times Op-Ed

 

https://www.yahoo.com/news/one-word-people-convinced-mike-003505270.html

[wayned]

33 minutes ago, Credo said:

There is a lot of speculation that it was written by Pence.   He has the most to gain by getting rid of Trump and he is the only hope to save the Republican party at this time.   He's also the one that Trump can't get rid of very easily.   

 

One Word Has People Convinced Mike Pence Wrote Anonymous New York Times Op-Ed

 

https://www.yahoo.com/news/one-word-people-convinced-mike-003505270.html

 I doubt that Pence wrote it, he couldn't write a long article like that without a quote from the bible!

[pegman]

1 hour ago, bendejo said:

First person I thought of.  Or Pence.  Certain jingo-ist terms being used....

 

 

 

 

1 hour ago, bendejo said:

First person I thought of.  Or Pence.  Certain jingo-ist terms being used....

 

 

 

Yeah, she has been outed a couple times as hating Trump. Plus her husband   regularly trolls Trump on Twitter. The bookies have Pence with the best odds. Obviously he is the one with the most to win it Trump gets pushed aside. Host on MSNBC tonite says it's Coates. We my never know.

[utalkin2me]

It has gotten to the point where even if he was greatest president ever, and balanced the budget and cured unemployment, he would still be a disgrace of a president based on his behavior alone. This stuff with J Mcain is just pure Trump. 

[mogandave]

Once tRump confirms what a blundering fool he is, the author will “come out”, tRump will go ballistic and fire them, causing an even bigger backlash and the author will end up with a plumb position somewhere, perhaps the Times...

[bendejo]

14 minutes ago, wayned said:

 I doubt that Pence wrote it, he couldn't write a long article like that without a quote from the bible!

 

Something I learned in Catholic school, and then later in life as I traveled the world and visited lots of other countries with varying religions: anybody who makes a big display of religious devoutness a major feature in his/her personality is covering something up.  From Pence's behavior I guess maybe something extreme, like a snuff film collection.

 

[mtls2005]

9 minutes ago, pegman said:

Host on MSNBC tonite says it's Coates.

 

This one, DNI Dan Coats, makes the most sense to me.

 

Can't see Pence doing it, maybe his "wife" wrote it for him to help him up a notch? CoS Kelly's too much of an Empty Barrel. 

[Becker]

2 hours ago, neeray said:

I am hoping he eats lots of Big Macs, morning, noon and night. KFC too. And wash the grease down with lots of soda.

Preferably caustic soda!

[Sakeopete]

7 hours ago, Samui Bodoh said:

"...Many senior officials in the Trump administration have been working from within to frustrate parts of the president's agenda to protect the country from his worst inclinations, an anonymous Trump official wrote in a column published by the New York Times on Wednesday..."

 

Few people are more critical of the Trump administration in general and Trump himself in particular than I, but this story gives me the willies. It is scary as hell for someone to sit within an administration showing one public face while secretly showing a different one in private; the arrogance and deceit are truly frightening.

 

Like it or not (and I REALLY don't like it), Trump was elected by the American people (more than 60 million votes), and I have yet to see proper, unequivocal evidence that the election wasn't 'free and fair'. 

 

If this secret 'resister' truly feels that his or her actions are really necessary to stop Trump and protect the country, then they should stand up and say so publicly.

 

Allowing/tolerating people to execute their own agenda secretly might sound good to people (like me) who think Trump is a dangerous menace, but what would have been your reaction if there was a similar column when Obama was President? Would you have been okay with that? I would not have been okay with it. Period.

 

Sunshine is the best disinfectant.

 

 

The media would have never attacked Obama. Print and tv media are losing readership to internet sources , they have been for years. Trump is a God sent to them, a rich white man that is why they attack him so much they need the drama to pull in viewers otherwise they will continue to lose advertising revenue. They couldn't attack Obama because he was the first black president. Hillary would have been handled lightly also if she had won. Don't get me wrong Trump's firebrand style is what won him the presidency. The media spoke his name 10-1 compared to Hillary. Not to mention that the Democrats paid a huge amount to the media for exposure. Trump got the exposure for free but now he pays the price being attacked. I predict Trump will win 2020 also as long as the economy is strong. His name is mentioned thousands of times daily you just can't beat that kind of exposure. Celebrities do the same thing they know any exposure is good for them. They need to stay in the headlines or they lose celebrity status/revenue. Starlets know that getting out of a car wearing a short skirt with no panties will expose them to poparazi. They are not stupid it is planned. Trump does the same thing with his tweets remember he is a realty tv star.

Edited September 6, 2018 by Sakeopete

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

7 hours ago, Samui Bodoh said:

 this story gives me the willies. It is scary as hell for someone to sit within an administration showing one public face while secretly showing a different one in private; the arrogance and deceit are truly frightening.

 

You mean like what Trump does every day, day after day, constantly lying and dissembling, making false statements and accusations, on virtually anything that he touches as president?  Yes, that is scary as hell!

 

Edited September 6, 2018 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

6 hours ago, Chomper Higgot said:

So let’s leave a psychotic malignant narcissist in the Oval Office - that’s terrifying, more so that the whole oh the Republican administration knows but refuses to act.

 

The contents of the new Bernstein book and this latest piece in the NYT just go to show that what many of us have been saying here about Trump for months -- boil it down to the fact that he is ill-suited to be President of the U.S. and is a danger to the U.S. and its democracy -- is fully recognized by those who work with him every day inside his own administration.

 

That portrayal of Trump isn't fake news. It's not political spin from the Democrats or the left. It's the simple TRUTH and COLD REALITY that anyone with eyes and a brain would have been able to clearly see for a long time now. It's long past time for the brain dead Trumpists to open their eyes and see what's really going on and the reality of who is occupying the White House.

 

Liar, adulterer, obstructor of justice, Russia stooge, treasonous traitor, lover of autocrats, antagonist to the U.S.'s long-time and closest allies, hater of the First Amendment, would-be dictator of the U.S. who seems to believe he is entitled to unfettered power.

 

[Berkshire]

10 minutes ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

 

You mean like what Trump does every day, day after day, constantly lying and dissembling, making false statements and accusations, on virtually anything that he touches?  Yes, that is scary as hell!

 

Yes, Trump lies constantly.  But even beyond the public lying, there is the behind-the-scenes lying that is rather insidious.  I just read an article about how the Trump Administration is lying about security threats posed by refugees and immigrants in general.  Lying is one thing, but setting government policy based on that lie is just wrong on so many levels.  Imagine all the other lies this Administration is engaged in....

 

[WASHINGTON — The Trump administration has consistently sought to exaggerate the potential security threat posed by refugees and dismissed an intelligence assessment last year that showed refugees did not present a significant threat to the U.S., three former senior officials told NBC News.]

 

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/trump-admin-rejected-report-showing-refugees-did-not-pose-major-security-threat/ar-BBMVBcy?ocid=wispr

 

[neeray]

15 minutes ago, Sakeopete said:

The media would have never attacked Obama. Print and tv media are losing readership to internet sources , they have been for years. Trump is a God sent to them, a rich white man that is why they attack him so much they need the drama to pull in viewers otherwise they will continue to lose advertising revenue. They couldn't attack Obama because he was the first black president. Hillary would have been handled lightly also if she had won. Don't get me wrong Trump's firebrand style is what won him the presidency. The media spoke his name 10-1 compared to Hillary. Not to mention that the Democrats paid a huge amount to the media for exposure. Trump got the exposure for free but now he pays the price being attacked. I predict Trump will win 2020 also as long as the economy is strong. His name is mentioned thousands of times daily you just can't beat that kind of exposure. Celebrities do the same thing they know any exposure is good for them. They need to stay in the headlines or they lose celebrity status/revenue. Starlets know that getting out of a car wearing a short skirt with no panties will expose them to poparazi. They are not stupid it is planned. Trump does the same thing with his tweets remember he is a realty tv star.

Hogwash:

Trump as a candidate and Trump as POTUS gets the attention because he is so totally outlandish and such a fool that he is definitely something to talk about. Very newsworthy.

2020! He won't be around by then.

[Basil B]

 Thankfully not everyone in his administration wears rose tinted glasses.

 

Unfortunately I see another witch hunt, "you not wear rose tinted glasses therefore you must be a witch"  

[Chomper Higgot]

There’s a credible suggestion, based on the language used in the OP-Ed, that the author is Mike Pence.

[sukhumvitneon]

5 minutes ago, neeray said:

Hogwash:

Trump as a candidate and Trump as POTUS gets the attention because he is so totally outlandish and such a fool that he is definitely something to talk about. Very newsworthy.

2020! He won't be around by then.

lol. Another bad take from our Canadian friends.

 

This opinion article reads like political thriller fan fiction written by some college age poli sci student.  The article might be fake but if it isn't, Tom Clancy would blush.

 

In the event it is true, well, the US has hanged people for doing the equivalent of things such as government officials actively attempting to thwart the sitting government in office.

[Thaidream]

7 hours ago, Samui Bodoh said:

Trump and protect the country, then they should stand up and say so publicly.

We are of similar mind- while I dislike Trump and his policies, I am somewhat miffed that an unelected person or persons within his inner circle is taking it upon himself/herself to thwart policy and somehow conduct what amounts to  a clandestine presidency.  The term- 'silent coup' almost comes to mind .

 

While I am  sure the writer of the OP/Ed piece believes he and his cohorts are doing all this for the security of the Nation- to me it is 'chilling'- first of all to know a sitting President may be incompetent and lacking any emotional discipline  but also to know that there are people who have come together- probably discussed this in a clandestine meeting- and are in sense actually controlling the US Government by some type of committee.

 

Since when does the President's staff withhold documents from a sitting President.  Since when does a President's staff make their own decision as they believe theirs is the right decision.

 

If whoever wrote this letter really believes that President Trump is a threat to American security and is indeed incompetent- they need to go to Senior Members of the Us Congress-both House and Senate- with definitive proof.   In addition- I would hope that senior members of Congress immediately start an investigation.

 

There are ways to remove a sitting President and it is not up to the President's staff to determine what is a constitutional crisis and what is not.  No one voted for these people.

[Berkshire]

3 minutes ago, Thaidream said:

If whoever wrote this letter really believes that President Trump is a threat to American security and is indeed incompetent- they need to go to Senior Members of the Us Congress-both House and Senate- with definitive proof.   In addition- I would hope that senior members of Congress immediately start an investigation.

Seriously?  You do realize that this is a Republican Congress who will not lift a finger to defy Trump.  You're living in fantasyland. 

[mtls2005]

8 minutes ago, sukhumvitneon said:

the US has hanged people for doing the equivalent of things such as government officials actively attempting to thwart the sitting government in office.

 

Really. Do tell. When was this exactly?

 

What was the crime?

 

I'm hoping you're not referring to Southern Justice?

 

Treason can only be charged when there has been a formal declaration of war.

 

 

[bobbin]

Hopefully the Mid-Terms will neuter him...at least politically. About pussy-grabbing, I don't know

 

Meanwhile the Trumpistas are getting antsy..

 

Can't watch the NFL.

Can't enjoy their Harleys.

Have to burn all their Nike stuff.

No Netflix or Starbucks.

Have to love Putin but hate the FBI.

More to come...

[Becker]

52 minutes ago, Sakeopete said:

Trump does the same thing with his tweets remember he is a realty tv star.

Yes, he is certainly not a president.

[Thaidream]

11 minutes ago, Berkshire said:

Seriously?  You do realize that this is a Republican Congress who will not lift a finger to defy Trump.  You're living in fantasyland. 

I understand completely-  but there is a time when even a Republican Congress and a Democratic minority- have to put the country first or is it really too late for this? If so- then our Democracy is at stake and then what do we left- a military coup- all done in the name of 'the country'.

 

While I disagree with Trump vehemently-I just don't like the feel of all this - in which unnamed people have decided that they will in essence take over the running of the US Government because THEY believe the President will make the wrong decision.  The Constitution of the US provides for checks and balances- but it does not provide for un elected officials deciding on their own that what a President is doing is wrong. It may well be and knowing the way Trump operates- it probably is.

 

However- these people of 'good intentions' need to bring their issues directly to elected representatives of the people and that would be the US Congress. Anything else involves a 'silent coup'/

 

[SheungWan]

Remember who was the culprit on Murder On The Orient Express?

 

[wayned]

Can you imagine what would happen if Mueller indicted a large group of close Trump ally's including some of his immediate family tomorrow!!! Trump would be having "nuke" burgers and Molotov cocktails for lunch!

[Berkshire]

Just now, Thaidream said:

I understand completely-  but there is a time when even a Republican Congress and a Democratic minority- have to put the country first or is it really too late for this? If so- then our Democracy is at stake and then what do we left- a military coup- all done in the name of 'the country'.

 

While I disagree with Trump vehemently-I just don't like the feel of all this - in which unnamed people have decided that they will in essence take over the running of the US Government because THEY believe the President will make the wrong decision.  The Constitution of the US provides for checks and balances- but it does not provide for un elected officials deciding on their own that what a President is doing is wrong. It may well be and knowing the way Trump operates- it probably is.

 

However- these people of 'good intentions' need to bring their issues directly to elected representatives of the people and that would be the US Congress. Anything else involves a 'silent coup'/

 

I agree with you on all counts.  But this spineless Congress that we currently have--which has been an utter embarrassment for the country--just refuses to go against Trump.  For example, we currently have a massive investigation going on, led by Mr. Mueller.  Even if Mueller presents a mountain of evidence against Trump, are we confident that the Congress will do the right thing?  I'm certainly not.  If I was this anonymous insider, I'd know that there would be nothing to gain and a lot to lose by coming out against Trump.  But it is astonishing and unprecedented that someone would come out with this "reassurance" for the American people that insiders are trying to save America from Trump.