Democrats: Trump comments give green light to foreign election meddling

[webfact]

Democrats: Trump comments give green light to foreign election meddling

By Richard Cowan and Doina Chiacu

 

FILE PHOTO: U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a joint news conference with Poland's President Andrzej Duda in at the White House in Washington, U.S., June 12, 2019. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque/File Photo

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Democratic lawmakers accused President Donald Trump on Thursday of giving Russia the green light to interfere in the 2020 U.S. presidential race, while a top Republican ally said Trump was wrong to say he would accept political dirt from foreign sources.

 

The uproar followed televised comments in which the U.S. president told ABC News he would be willing to listen to such damaging information about political opponents as he seeks re-election.

 

"I think you might want to listen, there isn't anything wrong with listening,” Trump said in an interview aired on Wednesday.

 

"It's not an interference. They have information, I think I'd take it. If I thought there was something wrong, I'd go maybe to the FBI - if I thought there was something wrong."

 

Trump's comments came less than three months after Special Counsel Robert Mueller submitted a report that found Russia waged a hacking and influence campaign to help Trump defeat Democrat Hillary Clinton in the 2016 presidential election.

 

Democratic lawmakers roundly condemned the remarks.

 

"What the president said last night shows clearly, once again, over and over again, that he does not know the difference between right and wrong," said U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, the top Democrat in Congress.

 

While some 2020 Democratic presidential candidates renewed their call to impeach the president, Trump's comments did not seem to move House Democrats who have been on the fence closer to initiating impeachment proceedings.

 

Trump's statement drew a rebuke, however, from one of his closest allies in Congress, Republican Senator Lindsey Graham.

 

"I think it's a mistake," said Graham, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee.

 

He accused Democrats of having accepted damaging information from foreign nationals on political opponents and said any public official contacted by a foreign government with an offer of help to their campaign should reject it and inform the FBI.

 

House of Representatives Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy said he was confident Trump was speaking hypothetically. Others prominent Republicans were outspoken in their discomfort, without naming Trump.

 

"It is never appropriate to allow a foreign government or its agents to interfere in our election process. Period," said Republican Senator Mike Rounds.

 

Mitt Romney, a senator and former Republican presidential candidate, said it was "unthinkable" to accept adverse information on a political opponent from a foreign source. "It would strike at the very heart of our democracy," he said.

 

Senate Democrats failed on Thursday to ram through legislation requiring U.S. presidential campaigns to report to the FBI offers of help from an agent of a foreign government. The move was blocked by Republicans who control the chamber.

 

Senator Mark Warner, who pushed the legislation, recalled Trump's "Russia, if you are listening" call for Moscow to dig up Clinton's missing emails during the 2016 campaign.

 

"The President has given Russia the green light to interfere in the 2020 election," Warner wrote on Twitter earlier.

 

'THING OF VALUE'

Any foreign contribution of "money or other thing of value" violates U.S. campaign finance law. Legal experts say knowingly soliciting information from a foreign entity would also be illegal.

 

In a statement on Twitter prefaced with the comment: "I would not have thought that I needed to say this," Federal Election Commission Chair Ellen Weintraub warned political campaigns not to accept foreign help, saying it risked putting them "on the wrong of a federal investigation."

 

An FBI counterintelligence investigation of Russian election activities in the 2016 presidential election sparked Mueller's probe, which confirmed U.S. intelligence agencies' findings that Russia worked to help Trump win.

 

Mueller, whose investigation examined a 2016 meeting at Trump Tower that Trump's campaign had with Russians promising dirt on Clinton, did not charge Trump campaign staff who attended the meeting.

 

Trump defended his remarks in a flurry of tweets on Thursday morning in which he said it would be "ridiculous" to report his contacts with foreign leaders to the FBI.

 

The top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee expressed alarm at Trump's comments.

 

"The president has either learned nothing in the last two years or picked up exactly the wrong lesson - that he can accept gleefully foreign assistance again and escape the punishment of the law," Representative Adam Schiff said.

 

Democratic presidential candidates who renewed calls for Trump's impeachment included U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren and Kirsten Gillibrand and U.S. Representative Eric Swalwell.

 

"A foreign government attacked our 2016 elections to support Trump, Trump welcomed that help, and Trump obstructed the investigation. Now, he said he'd do it all over again. It's time to impeach Donald Trump,” Warren said.

 

(Reporting by Richard Cowan, Doina Chiacu, Susan Heavey, Susan Cornwell, Makini Brice, Ginger Gibson; Writing by Doina Chiacu; Editing by Bill Trott and Peter Cooney)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2019-06-14

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[Tug]

It’s illegal as hell but that never stopped Donald before and he needs all the help he can get lol he is just pathetic 

[Tug]

Just now, Tug said:

It’s illegal as hell but that never stopped Donald before and he needs all the help he can get lol he is just pathetic 

 

Just now, Tug said:

It’s illegal as hell but that never stopped Donald before and he needs all the help he can get lol he is just pathetic 

Plus he is up against some fine people each and every one is a better more qualified and temperamentally fitt to be president than he

[Ozman52]

I didn't do it, nobody saw me do it, you can't prove anything, I'll do it again! 

[neeray]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

he does not know the difference between right and wrong,

If it's good for Trump and he thinks he can benefit ... It's right.

If somebody else does it, especially a Democrat ... It's wrong.

 

Simplistic, self-serving, twisted Trump rationale.

[Boon Mee]

Imagine any new dirt being dug up on Slo Joe Biden. Revelations thus far have him severely compromised in both China and the Ukraine. 

 

The rest of of the field are such a joke, no dirt needs to be be dug up! 555 

[Emdog]

"...if I thought there was something wrong "

"Good for me" can't be wrong

"Good for someone else (without some payoff for me)" can't be right

Trump's version of right and wrong

[HHTel]

And his interference in UK politics hasn't gone unnoticed.  Backing particular individuals in the Tory leadership contest then criticising the way BREXIT has been handled and how it should have been done!

Openly casting aspersions on British officials and using such foul language to insult individuals in American politics......... all whilst honouring the anniversary of D-day and amongst gravestones of fallen heroes. 

 

We are quite capable of making our own criticisms without his input.

The guy has no scruples.

[jany123]

17 minutes ago, tomazbodner said:

Sad part is that now people no longer vote for who is the best for the country, but who's least of an evil...

Lol.... ok... so to rephrase.... is mr trump the least evil candidate that the republicans can field (that sounds pretty bad and sad, doesn’t it)?

[howbri]

All the false accusations of DT being "crooked" STILL fail to show any evidence, after 2 years + and $40,000,000 with 27 Trump-hating lawyers. You all have TDS, Trump Derangement Syndrome.

[usviphotography]

51 minutes ago, jany123 said:

Just curious, but does anyone think that there is a viable republican alternative that is less crooked and therefore (by that metric) more acceptable... or, regardless of political persuasion, is mr trump the best that America has to offer? (If the above is true of democratic candidates, which I doubt)

Tucker would be the best America has to offer, but that will have to wait to 2024. Trump is imperfect, but he was probably necessary as a disrupter of the corrupt existing establishment. He's the paved the way for a better future, and hopefully we will get that better future in the form of President Carlson about five years from now. 

[HHTel]

I've said it before and I'll say it again.  In a country with 330+ million population, Trump and Clinton were the best they could field??!!

[atyclb]

what politician or party wouldn't be interested in listening to possible / dirt??????

[Chomper Higgot]

1 minute ago, atyclb said:

what politician or party wouldn't be interested in listening to possible / dirt??????

Which is precisely why the Hatch Act is necessary.

[atyclb]

3 minutes ago, Chomper Higgot said:

6 minutes ago, atyclb said:

what politician or party wouldn't be interested in listening to possible / dirt??????

Which is precisely why the Hatch Act is necessary.

 

hatch act is nice at least in theory just as communism is nice at least in theory.  then reality sets in

 

dont be confused!

[attrayant]

17 minutes ago, atyclb said:

hatch act is nice at least in theory just as communism is nice at least in theory.  then reality sets in

 

dont be confused!

 

So tell us - what's the "reality" of the hatch act that you think is confusing us all?

[atyclb]

5 minutes ago, attrayant said:

23 minutes ago, atyclb said:

hatch act is nice at least in theory just as communism is nice at least in theory.  then reality sets in

 

dont be confused!

 

So tell us - what's the "reality" of the hatch act that you think is confusing us all?

 

 #  what's the "reality" of the hatch act .  ;  how things work in an ideal world vs the real world, even in the usa

 

# confusing us all?  ;  i responded to one ( a single) 1 poster thus confusing "us all" is not applicable.

[attrayant]

27 minutes ago, atyclb said:

what's the "reality" of the hatch act .  ;  how things work in an ideal world vs the real world, even in the usa

 

We are seeing how things work in the real world.  This discussion is about events unfolding in reality.  Nobody has brought up hypotheticals (except for you when you said "what politician or party wouldn't be interested in listening to possible / dirt?") or unrealistic expectations of how the Act should work.

 

 

27 minutes ago, atyclb said:

# confusing us all?  ;  i responded to one ( a single) 1 poster thus confusing "us all" is not applicable.

 

 

Then feel free to frame your reply with respect to the poster whom you were responding to.  That post cited your hypothetical as a raison d'etre for the Act.  How is that response, or the person who made it, confused?

[atyclb]

10 minutes ago, attrayant said:

43 minutes ago, atyclb said:

what's the "reality" of the hatch act .  ;  how things work in an ideal world vs the real world, even in the usa

 

We are seeing how things work in the real world.  This discussion is about events unfolding in reality.  Nobody has brought up hypotheticals (except for you when you said "what politician or party wouldn't be interested in listening to possible / dirt?") or unrealistic expectations of how the Act should work.

 

 

Quote

# confusing us all?  ;  i responded to one ( a single) 1 poster thus confusing "us all" is not applicable.

 

 

Then feel free to frame your reply with respect to the poster whom you were responding to.  That post cited your hypothetical as a raison d'etre for the Act.  How is that response, or the person who made it, confused?

 

 

The Hatch Act of 1939, officially An Act to Prevent Pernicious Political Activities, is a United States federal law whose main provision prohibits employees in the executive branch of the federal government, except the president, vice-president, and certain designated high-level officials,^[1] from engaging in some forms of political activity. It went into law on August 2, 1939. The law was named for Senator Carl Hatch of New Mexico. It was most recently amended in 2012.^[2] .    

 

 

 

 

I did in fact reply to a specific poster quoting his/her post. the poster i quoted has in the past used many "confused" reactions so there was a bit of  légèreté in my post

 

[sherwood]

Please, someone, just get this loonball out of the Whitehouse

[SOTIRIOS]

..hopefully a few people can still read...and listen to....unaltered accounts of what POTUS says or doesn't say..

 

...seems like the 'Dems' are on some types of drugs or suffering mental illness...

 

...brought on by the stress of the fact that their gigs are up...

 

...and they...the true criminals...will begin to go to jail soon....

 

....and these warped renditions of reality will cease....

 

 

[metisdead]

A troll post containing a trolling representation of the Democrat party has been removed as well as the replies.  The same apples to members posting trolling representations of the Republican party.  

 

A post containing an outdated video has been removed. 

 

Other troll posts have been removed as well. 

[jany123]

3 hours ago, howbri said:

Of course, you have evidence of his being "crooked" that Mueller couldn't find after a two year anal exam? If you want "crooked" look at 35 years of hillary shenanigans. Lock her up.

Still in denial about what the mueller report states, I see. 

 

3 hours ago, howbri said:

All the false accusations of DT being "crooked" STILL fail to show any evidence, after 2 years + and $40,000,000 with 27 Trump-hating lawyers. You all have TDS, Trump Derangement Syndrome.

The evidence is being withheld by trumps AG, as y’all know, unless your trump delusional syndrome has caused temporary (or selective) blindness and deafness

 

these respected lawyers are only branded “trump haters” because they have unearthed the truth, and the only foil to the truth seems to be false allegations and more lies, in an attempt to discredit those who don’t bend over and lick trumps shoes. Rather pathetic really.

 

meanwhile the probing into mr trumps conduct, whilst not resulting in charges against him, (because the justice department won’t charge him regardless of wrongdoing... again, as y’all well know) has been a highly productive one in comparison with any other investigation, garnering a bus load of witches, highlighting flaws within the system and garnering a financial profit to boot.... now that’s winning maga style.

 

America.... reclaim your honor and position in the world order, and dump the chump 

 

[Chomper Higgot]

3 hours ago, atyclb said:

 

hatch act is nice at least in theory just as communism is nice at least in theory.  then reality sets in

 

dont be confused!

Just as permitting hostile governments to interfere in a national election seems like a good idea for the candidate that benefits from the interference. 

 

Then reality sets in.

 

 

[JHolmesJr]

4 hours ago, howbri said:

All the false accusations of DT being "crooked" STILL fail to show any evidence...

Yup, they don't have any credible, actionable, definitive, properly authorised and admissible evidence.

They got nothing but some measly crumbs they're trying to bake a cake with.

[Chomper Higgot]

12 minutes ago, JHolmesJr said:

Yup, they don't have any credible, actionable, definitive, properly authorised and admissible evidence.

They got nothing but some measly crumbs they're trying to bake a cake with.

I'd love to know where you get your 'news'.

 

[heybruce]

5 hours ago, howbri said:

Of course, you have evidence of his being "crooked" that Mueller couldn't find after a two year anal exam? If you want "crooked" look at 35 years of hillary shenanigans. Lock her up.

 

5 hours ago, howbri said:

All the false accusations of DT being "crooked" STILL fail to show any evidence, after 2 years + and $40,000,000 with 27 Trump-hating lawyers. You all have TDS, Trump Derangement Syndrome.

Mueller limited his investigation to Russian interference in the 2016 election, did not find sufficient evidence to bring charges against Trump campaign people for conspiring with Russia, and documented multiple cases of Trump obstructing justice but stated he could not indict a sitting President.

 

Multiple investigations on Trump's finances, his "charity" foundation, handling of security clearances, using the upcoming census for political purposes, etc. are ongoing, and Trump is fighting them in every way possible.

 

Hillary Clinton has been investigated many times over the years, sometimes with multiple investigations of the same subject, and no charges have been brought. 

 

TDS describes the detachment from reality and rule of law suffered by people who chant "Lock her up".

[heybruce]

5 hours ago, usviphotography said:

Tucker would be the best America has to offer, but that will have to wait to 2024. Trump is imperfect, but he was probably necessary as a disrupter of the corrupt existing establishment. He's the paved the way for a better future, and hopefully we will get that better future in the form of President Carlson about five years from now. 

Is that a joke?  Tucker Carlson has never had a job that didn't involve sitting and BS'ing into a microphone.  His fantasy rants amuse some people, and mislead many who think they qualify as news.  He has no qualifications to be President.

[heybruce]

4 hours ago, atyclb said:

what politician or party wouldn't be interested in listening to possible / dirt??????

What person, walking into a bank, wouldn't love to fill his pockets with money and walk out?  But since it's illegal, we don't do it.

[jany123]

4 hours ago, atyclb said:

 

hatch act is nice at least in theory just as communism is nice at least in theory.  then reality sets in

 

dont be confused!

Indeed, communism is nice in theory, but what history has shown us is a flawed communism system

 

democracy too, is nice in theory, but what America has developed is a flawed democracy

 

both are equally insidious when left unchecked.

 

any people’s of any race, nationality etc etc, who value real freedom and democracy, should condemn trump et al at every opportunity and oppose his attempts at establishing an autocratic rule, where checks and balances are ignored or discarded.