Trump calls for U.S. probe of NY Times after critical anonymous column

 

U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to reporters aboard Air Force One on his way to Fargo, North Dakota, U.S., September 7, 2018. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

 

ABOARD AIR FORCE ONE (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday called on the U.S. Justice Department to investigate the New York Times after the news outlet published a column this week by an anonymous administration official questioning his fitness for office.

 

Trump also said he was considering taking action against the Times, whose shares moved briefly lower after his comments were made public.

 

"We’re going to see. I’m looking at that right now," Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One.

 

Attorney General Jeff Sessions "should be investigating who the author of that piece was because I really believe it's national security."

 

The Times issued a statement saying it was confident the Justice Department "would not participate in such a blatant abuse of government power."

 

"The President's threats both underscore why we must safeguard the identity of the writer of this op-ed and serve as a reminder of the importance of a free and independent press to American democracy."

 

Trump did not indicate what sort of action he was considering against the Times and it was unclear what legal grounds he could act on.

 

A Justice Department spokeswoman said the department does not confirm or deny investigations. The Times could not be immediately reached for comment.

 

A number of top Trump advisers have disavowed the piece, which was published on Wednesday without a name in what the Times said was a rare but necessary move to protect the writer.

 

In the column, the writer slammed Trump's "amorality" and leadership style. The official said there were a number of U.S. officials who were part of an "quiet resistance" inside the administration who was "working diligently from within to frustrate parts of his agenda and his worst inclinations."

 

Trump regularly attacks the media for focussing on negative news about his administration and decries what he perceives as "fakes news." He repeated on Air Force One that he believes libel laws should be strengthened.

 

Trump had threatened to sue the Times when he was running for president in October 2016 because of its story about allegations of sexual assault against women. The Times stood by its story and dismissed a Trump attorney's demand for an apology and retraction. No suit was filed.

 

Earlier this week the Justice Department said is set a meeting with state attorneys general to discuss concerns social media platforms are stifling conservative voices.

 

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2018-09-08

Well, I'd like to see him take legal action.   Anything that gets him in the Court room is a good move.   He may as well take on the First Amendment.   

 

"...U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday called on the U.S. Justice Department to investigate the New York Times after the news outlet published a column this week by an anonymous administration official questioning his fitness for office..."

 

Good luck with that!

 

It is not a crime for people to point out that you are an amoral idiot. In all honestly, I suspect that there are large numbers of people who will happily, under oath, affirm that idea.

 

I truly can't wait until this... thing is out of the White House and the US can begin the process of healing; the world is a better place when the US has its act together.

 

 

mashugana

Perhaps he could probe his own staff and leave the NY Times alone.   The problem for him is that it could be just about anyone.   Probably not Ivanka, but that's about it.   

 

3 minutes ago, Credo said:

Perhaps he could probe his own staff and leave the NY Times alone.   The problem for him is that it could be just about anyone.   Probably not Ivanka, but that's about it.   

 

I honestly don't think the man-child would mind probing Ivanka.

Trump needs to get some serious lie detectors going on these people who are basically in the wrong job position. 

5 minutes ago, Boon Mee said:

Trump needs to get some serious lie detectors going on these people who are basically in the wrong job position. 

Hope he starts with himself. Although he probably believes his own lies, so a detector wouldn't do much good.

4 minutes ago, Boon Mee said:

Trump needs to get some serious lie detectors going on these people who are basically in the wrong job position. 

The man-child claimed he only would hire the best people and here you are saying they're "in the wrong position"!

 

Trump boasting....again

4 hours ago, rooster59 said:

Trump had threatened to sue the Times when he was running for president in October 2016 because of its story about allegations of sexual assault against women. The Times stood by its story and dismissed a Trump attorney's demand for an apology and retraction. No suit was filed. 

 

I wonder if no suit was filed, at least partly, because the truth is an absolute defense to libel. 

29 minutes ago, Boon Mee said:

Trump needs to get some serious lie detectors going on these people who are basically in the wrong job position. 

Irony. 

I find myself agreeing with boon mee but you have to ask them do you think he is an idiot and a danger to the country do you think he is competent just wonder what the results would be 

5 hours ago, rooster59 said:

"should be investigating who the author of that piece was because I really believe it's national security."

it's more like Presidential Insecurity 

2 hours ago, mamypoko said:

mashugana

Agree, he is.

Written by NYT staffers, not by White House official. Pretty obvious I would have thought.

4 hours ago, Boon Mee said:

Trump needs to get some serious lie detectors going on these people who are basically in the wrong job position. 

How about a lie detector on Trump? Oh yeah, it would probably burn-up and melt before he even answered a question. I would love to see Trump take the NYT or the author of this op-ed to court. Especially since he would have to prove defamation or any untruths.

IMO the article is genuine and accurate...BUT just for arguments sake, let's pretend for a moment it isn't. For this mad man...this deluded, disingenuous, lying, cheating, stealing, faking, charlatan con-man quack...to call for an investigation on something he deems fake/made up/inaccurate is ludicrous. Not to even mention all the freedom of speech...freedom of press...constitutional legal hurdles that will crash him out. If this is his standard, then he should be calling for an investigation of himself on a daily basis. 

 

Pot meet Kettle!  

Anyone who has even a shred of respect for Trump needs to read about Mcain's life and service, and realize our current president has done nothing more than the equivalent of sucking his thumb his entire life. The lack of respect shown toward Mcain is about as repulsive as it gets. 

9 hours ago, Tug said:

I find myself agreeing with boon mee but you have to ask them do you think he is an idiot and a danger to the country do you think he is competent just wonder what the results would be 

There would be no one left! ?

8 hours ago, Thingamabob said:

Written by NYT staffers, not by White House official. Pretty obvious I would have thought.

The NYT would not take the risk.   As it is, they could face some serious legal challenges and some staff could end up in jail.   At stake is also their credibility, which means more than one person vetted the source for authenticity.

 

It's also interesting that Trump & Co. didn't label it fake news, but started immediately looking at who in the administration wrote it.   

12 hours ago, Boon Mee said:

Trump needs to get some serious lie detectors going on these people who are basically in the wrong job position. 

Putting it on himself ....... the lie detector would burst  !!!!

At first it was surprising me people on the news were bringing up watergate. I understand now. This guy is going to go down and it isn't going to be graceful either. 

 

There is one thing Trump had going for him: money. That is it. 

 

What happens when a reprehensible man does reprehensible things. They file lawsuits and charges. What makes those things go away? Money does. 

 

What is going to happen is we are going to reach some threashold soon where it becomes en vogue for the payees of Trump's indiscretions are going to come forward. When that starts happening, there is no amount of money to buy your way out of it. Since that is his only card he can play, it will end badly. 

In his darkened, senile frame of mind, trump does not realize that he has a problem when his own employees want to protect him from harm.

The problem with attentively deficient people is that they do not realize that they are over-reliant. in the course of ancient senility, these processes are repeated. 

In these patients, light and dark moments change from one second to the next. It is obvious that these mood swings do not go unnoticed by his co-workers either.

This disease makes trump really unfit as president. Trump himself can not realize it himself.

The deposition trumps would actually have to be done through medical certificates.

Jared?

 

"The only solid bet is on Trump’s panic (but the op-ed was probably Jared)

 

...

Trump has loosed a rabid and foaming Rudolph W. Giuliani on Mueller, to no more effect than a Pekingese yipping at a Greyhound bus. 

..."

 

 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/the-only-solid-bet-is-on-trumps-panic-but-the-op-ed-was-probably-jared/2018/09/07/8c7b2aa0-b2d1-11e8-9a6a-565d92a3585d_story.html?utm_term=.3eb742dce1f7

 

Sent from my Lenovo A7020a48 using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

 

 

 

 

Waterboarding at 1600?

 

 

14 hours ago, tomacht8 said:

In his darkened, senile frame of mind, trump does not realize that he has a problem when his own employees want to protect him from harm.

The problem with attentively deficient people is that they do not realize that they are over-reliant. in the course of ancient senility, these processes are repeated. 

In these patients, light and dark moments change from one second to the next. It is obvious that these mood swings do not go unnoticed by his co-workers either.

This disease makes trump really unfit as president. Trump himself can not realize it himself.

The deposition trumps would actually have to be done through medical certificates.

it good to know you are so knowledgeable about these things and therefore must be right

Just when you think he can't say something dumber, he goes and proves us wrong.

 

 

 

 

This might just be a devious liberal plot.

 

Trump by authenticated sources is going generally ape crap nuts in the WH, has been been since he moved in and it only is getting worse. He got a shill to give him a good bill a health but why not see if they can cause a breakdown/meltdown/stroke or heart failure? He is old semi senile. not in good health and overweight.  

 

They could just be ratcheting up the toque wrench a bit - those libtards!

22 minutes ago, LomSak27 said:

This might just be a devious liberal plot.

 

Trump by authenticated sources is going generally ape crap nuts in the WH, has been been since he moved in and it only is getting worse. He got a shill to give him a good bill a health but why not see if they can cause a breakdown/meltdown/stroke or heart failure? He is old semi senile. not in good health and overweight.  

 

They could just be ratcheting up the toque wrench a bit - those libtards!

The New York Times would not have accepted a source like that.

The New York Times, though not perfect, maintains a sense of ethics.

Unlike the current president. 

3 hours ago, LomSak27 said:

This might just be a devious liberal plot.

 

Well, if most critics are to be believed we (liberals) can't seem to do anything right, so assuming we can pull off complex plots may be giving us too much credit?