Trump: Nothing wrong with accepting dirt from foreign governments on opponents

[jingjai9]

I think Trump is talking about what people really do. Whether it is right or wrong is a separate issue. How many people or governments would not at least listen to get information if they were comfortable with the source, for example an elected or appointed official or intelligence agent (domestic or foreign). The bigger issue is in deciding if the information is credible and what do do with it. As of now, the collusion thing is dead in the water unless more facts come up.  What about that dossier on Trump from the British intelligence officer - fact or fantasy??????

 

I disagree with Trump 98% of the time but he does posess a spontaneity rare in most politicians. However he cannot place issues in a solid political or historical context and this makes him look like a buffoon. He seems to apply a handful of superlatives to anything he talks about ofen repeating a sentence or phrase for emphasis or perhaps it is lack of rhetorical skills.

 

[Chomper Higgot]

4 minutes ago, jingjai9 said:

I think Trump is talking about what people really do. Whether it is right or wrong is a separate issue. How many people or governments would not at least listen to get information if they were comfortable with the source, for example an elected or appointed official or intelligence agent (domestic or foreign). The bigger issue is in deciding if the information is credible and what do do with it. As of now, the collusion thing is dead in the water unless more facts come up.  What about that dossier on Trump from the British intelligence officer - fact or fantasy??????

 

I disagree with Trump 98% of the time but he does posess a spontaneity rare in most politicians. However he cannot place issues in a solid political or historical context and this makes him look like a buffoon. He seems to apply a handful of superlatives to anything he talks about ofen repeating a sentence or phrase for emphasis or perhaps it is lack of rhetorical skills.

 

The bigger issue is deciding if you accept the interference of a foreign power in your own domestic democratic process.

 

 

Doh!

 

 

[johnnybangkok]

7 hours ago, TopDeadSenter said:

Trump is right, again. In light of the extreme and unending( some would argue unhinged)resistance to his legitimate rule, he needs to use every arrow in his quiver. These are not normal times.

 

 Also good to see Trump riding roughshod over the FBI. I had expected after they lost all credibility in the last few years with their partisan politics games that Trump would replace the agency lock, stock and barrel. Maybe in his 2nd term there will be time for this?

If you are still defending this abomination to the office of POTUS then the only thing that is 'unhinged' is yourself.

The President of the United States is advocating a criminal act and for some bizarre reason, you and the rapidly declining Trump fans on this site seem to think this is perfectly reasonable. From stonewalling congress to ignoring subpoenas, to advocating criminal acts, this administration is attempting to undermine the very foundations of the American legal system; a system that holds everyone accountable, even the President of The United States. 

This level of cognitive dissonance is truly breathtaking in its scope and I can only imagine how difficult and stressful it must be for you to keep coming up with these excuses on literally a daily basis.     

[Chomper Higgot]

8 minutes ago, johnnybangkok said:

If you are still defending this abomination to the office of POTUS then the only thing that is 'unhinged' is yourself.

The President of the United States is advocating a criminal act and for some bizarre reason, you and the rapidly declining Trump fans on this site seem to think this is perfectly reasonable. From stonewalling congress to ignoring subpoenas, to advocating criminal acts, this administration is attempting to undermine the very foundations of the American legal system; a system that holds everyone accountable, even the President of The United States. 

This level of cognitive dissonance is truly breathtaking in its scope and I can only imagine how difficult and stressful it must be for you to keep coming up with these excuses on literally a daily basis.     

I doubt very much TopDeadSener ever attended a single civics class, let alone ever read the Constitution. 

 

His ignorance on these matters is manifest. 

 

 

 

[Morty T]

7 hours ago, stevenl said:

So you don't mind foreign governments interfering as long as it suits you.

Like British Agent MI6 Steele. Oh, sorry, I forgot, he was paid for that information. Totally different. 

[user68677878]

Trump belongs in orange prison garb- no different to other dictators

[user68677878]

21 minutes ago, Chomper Higgot said:

I doubt very much TopDeadSener ever attended a single civics class, let alone ever read the Constitution. 

 

His ignorance on these matters is manifest. 

 

 

 

Typical of the Trump followers

[jingjai9]

Chomper Higgot. I am sorry but I think you miss the point of my post. I am attempting to discriminate between listening to the information and using it for dirty purposes. I am not endorsing foreign interference. Trump thinks people would listen and not call the FBI every time. 

 

I think there are more than two sides to issues. I also question how democratic the process is when third party candidates like Ralph Nader are kept out of the presidentail debates or the fact that it is a corporation that controls the debates. The parties are run like corporations and it seems as though super delegates were added by the Dems after the 1972 election so they did not get another McGovern. Super delegates seem to thwart democracy. There are some social critics who argue that the Supreme court elected George Bush in 2000. Is the Electoral College Democratic???? Maybe so but I am not so sure.

[jany123]

8 hours ago, TopDeadSenter said:

Trump is right, again. In light of the extreme and unending( some would argue unhinged)resistance to his legitimate rule, he needs to use every arrow in his quiver. These are not normal times.

Lol.... these were normal times until y’all elected trump to the highest office of the land.... the only thing not normal is your dear leader.

 

 

[marcusarelus]

10 minutes ago, porphyry said:

Typical of the Trump followers

Since he won the last election I guess you mean his followers are correct?  

[GroveHillWanderer]

1 hour ago, Morty T said:

Like British Agent MI6 Steele. Oh, sorry, I forgot, he was paid for that information. Totally different. 

I think you're a little confused. Christopher Steele, at the time he compiled the infamous dossier, was a private individual working for a US company, Fusion GPS - not an agent of a foreign government. (He had been an MI6 agent, but retired from that  agency in 2009.) Whatever you might think of it on a moral basis, it's perfectly legal for US companies to undertake opposition research and get paid for it.

 

Also, despite what Trump and his supporters would have us believe, the investigations into possible Russian interference in the 2016 US presidential election were not triggered by the Steele dossier. As the then Republican-controlled House Intelligence Committee stated in its April 2018 report, the probe was actually started because of information regarding Trump adviser George Papadopoulos that ex-Australian diplomat Alexander Downer turned over to the FBI. 

[spidermike007]

And this from the man who says no collusion. No obstruction. BS. He basically admitted he would collude again. I think in some nations what he is suggesting would be considered treason. But Mr. Treachery would know nothing about that. 

 

This man does not get how dumb he is. 

[JHolmesJr]

10 hours ago, webfact said:

FBI Director Christopher Wray, who told Congress last month that political campaigns should contact the agency about any suspicious communications from a foreign government.

 

well it seems the current protocol is to accept a dodgy dossier from a foreign source and pass it to the fbi (fib) who then go about using that spurious material to acquire unwarranted surveillance warrants and carry out an attack campaign against your political rivals...it's all going to come out in the wash. 

 

[mtls2005]

1 hour ago, jingjai9 said:

I think Trump is talking about

 

Fail.

 

Why should we have to try and decipher what the president is saying?

 

trump is defending his son's (and camapign's) collusion which was CRIMINAL.

 

trump called the FBI, even though he said he has never done so...

 

Trump’s Long History With The FBI: In 1981, He Offered To “Fully Cooperate”

 

https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/jasonaleopold/trumps-long-history-with-the-fbi-in-1981-he-offered-to-fully

 

 

 

 

[mtls2005]

Semi-annual performance review for trump coming up with Manager Vlad at the G20 in Japan.

 

 

[Thakkar]

China will run one candidate, Russia, the other. 

And while the American people will vote and decide the winner, whoever wins will not be working for the American people.

[GroveHillWanderer]

16 minutes ago, JHolmesJr said:

 

well it seems the current protocol is to accept a dodgy dossier from a foreign source and pass it to the fbi (fib) who then go about using that spurious material to acquire unwarranted surveillance warrants and carry out an attack campaign against your political rivals...it's all going to come out in the wash. 

 

As I just pointed out, that's not what happened. The so-called Steele dossier came from a US company, Fusion GPS and in any event, it was not the basis for the original FISA warrants used in the investigations, as was acknowledged by the Republican-controlled House Intelligence Committee.

[Waterloo]

You are all overthinking this, he is clearly working on his insanity plea for when the long arm of the law catches up with him.

5555 

[pedro01]

PMSL - at all the anti-Trumpers here.

 

He's baiting you. Where do you think the Steele dossier came from? LA?

 

He's calling you out on your hypocrisy!

[pedro01]

5 hours ago, Alan Michael said:

Didn't the previous US administration do it against Trump with their fake news about Russian collusion? Didn't Obama do it with his anti Brexit rhetoric, so why not Trump?

An even playing field.

 

Of course - Trump is trolling libs with these comments.

 

How they can't see it - is amazing and hilarious!

[Thakkar]

3 hours ago, mtls2005 said:

"Norway, if you're listening".

 

Weird that he derides the STeele Dossier in one tweet, then says he'd accept something similar.

 

The takeaway here is that Don Jr. took the Fifth during Grand Jury testimony - and we all know what Dad thinks about wiseguys who take the fifth, hint: they're guilty - and trump knows this will come out so he's burning the ground to make junior's crimes seem well, less criminal.

 

 

This.

With Don Jr’s enthusiastic email evidence agreeing to a meeting with Russians promising dirt on Hillary, and witnesses to the fact that Trump helped draft Jr’s bogus response to the revelation of that meeting—what other reply could Trump possibly give?

[Chomper Higgot]

1 hour ago, jingjai9 said:

Chomper Higgot. I am sorry but I think you miss the point of my post. I am attempting to discriminate between listening to the information and using it for dirty purposes. I am not endorsing foreign interference. Trump thinks people would listen and not call the FBI every time. 

 

I think there are more than two sides to issues. I also question how democratic the process is when third party candidates like Ralph Nader are kept out of the presidentail debates or the fact that it is a corporation that controls the debates. The parties are run like corporations and it seems as though super delegates were added by the Dems after the 1972 election so they did not get another McGovern. Super delegates seem to thwart democracy. There are some social critics who argue that the Supreme court elected George Bush in 2000. Is the Electoral College Democratic???? Maybe so but I am not so sure.

I agree with much of that, but right now the topic is Trump declaring there is nothing wrong with accepting dirt from foreign governments on political operants, apart from all else, it is a clear signal to foreign governments to trade dirt for favours with Trump.

[Bundooman]

So then - in that case, if the Democrats were able to convince Putin to release the bedroom urine tape - Trump would be OK about that, would he?

 

THAT would be the ultimate in 'dirt' on your opponent, eh?

[usviphotography]

Please remind me again what country Christopher Steele is from? The hypocrisy from the Left is simply mind boggling. Their candidate paid a foreigner for dirt on their opponent. Meanwhile they go crazy because Trump's son merely listened to a foreigner who, unsolicited, came to him with claims that Clinton was taking illegal contributions. 

[Thingamabob]

All politicians would welcome such info. Difference is that Trump openly admits to it.

[attrayant]

Quote

The hypocrisy from the Left is simply mind boggling.

 

 

Only to be outdone by the ignorance on the right.  To wit:

 

 

1 hour ago, usviphotography said:

Please remind me again what country Christopher Steele is from?

 

 

From Wiki:

 

Fusion GPS is a commercial research and strategic intelligence firm based in Washington, D.C. The company conducts open-source investigations and provides research and strategic advice for businesses, law firms and investors, as well as for political inquiries, such as opposition research. The "GPS" initialism is derived from "Global research, Political analysis, Strategic insight".

 

The nationalities of the employees are not at issue here, as they were providing a service to their employer, not to the campaigns.  By my reading of the law, it could have been a problem if either of the campaigns had directly solicited or enlisted the services of Steele or another foreign national.  But they did not.

 

By your loony reading of the law, no campaign can use Intel computers or Microsoft software because these companies have foreigners working on their staff.  

 

Quote

Their candidate paid a foreigner for dirt on their opponent.

 

 

NO, THEY DIDN'T.  You could have noodled this out for yourself simply by realizing that the FBI has not gone after either of the research firms (that hired Fusion) or any of the campaign staff for their actions.

 

34 minutes ago, Thingamabob said:

All politicians would welcome such info. Difference is that Trump openly admits to it.

 

A history lesson on Al Gore's campaign would prove you wrong.  But I'm not going to give it to you.  I'm done teaching grade-school lessons today.

 

 

 

 

[Mansell]

What the Liar in Chief is espousing is against the Constitution of the United States of America......end of story......impeach the bum!

[Destiny1990]

You’re fired!

[usviphotography]

17 minutes ago, attrayant said:

 

Only to be outdone by the ignorance on the right.  To wit:

 

 

 

From Wiki:

 

Fusion GPS is a commercial research and strategic intelligence firm based in Washington, D.C. The company conducts open-source investigations and provides research and strategic advice for businesses, law firms and investors, as well as for political inquiries, such as opposition research. The "GPS" initialism is derived from "Global research, Political analysis, Strategic insight".

 

The nationalities of the employees are not at issue here, as they were providing a service to their employer, not to the campaigns.  By my reading of the law, it could have been a problem if either the Washington Free Beacon (a conservative political website) or the Perkins Coie law firm (on behalf of Clinton & co.) directly solicited or enlisted the services of Steele or another foreign national.  But they did not.

 

You could have noodled this out for yourself simply by realizing that the FBI has not gone after either of the research firms for their actions.

Oh, I see, so it is perfectly acceptable to pay for a foreigner to dig up dirt on your opponent so long as you enlist a third party go between! If Trump Jr. had simply hired a law firm to listen to this woman's story, and then had the law firm report to him what she said, then everything would have been awesome! You people are something else.

 

 BTW- there is no law in America making any of this illegal. If Piers Morgan went directly to Hillary Clinton herself and said, "I have damaging videos of Trump and I snorting coke off strippers asses" there is no law that would make that conversation illegal nor is there any law that would bar Clinton from paying him to get the tape. What is being alleged by the Left, and this was a new invention of the 2016 election cycle, is that it is somehow unethical or unseemly or otherwise unpatriotic to ever accept such information from a foreigner. The entire thing is complete bullshit, which is why Clinton's campaign displayed no qualms whatsoever in enlisting the aid of British Spy to gather stories from various Ukrainians and Russians to smear Trump. 

[heybruce]

7 hours ago, Alan Michael said:

Didn't the previous US administration do it against Trump with their fake news about Russian collusion? Didn't Obama do it with his anti Brexit rhetoric, so why not Trump?

An even playing field.

The previous administration did not release fake news about Russian collusion.  Obama agreed with the official UK government position on Brexit.  Trump is stating he would do something that is clearly illegal.  Got it?