In shake-up, Trump to set up 'war room' to repel attacks over Russia probe

[rooster59]

In shake-up, Trump to set up 'war room' to repel attacks over Russia probe

By Jeff Mason, Richard Cowan and James Oliphant

 

FILE PHOTO: U.S. President Donald Trump leaves the Oval Office of the White House before his departure to New York, in Washington, U.S., May 4, 2017. REUTERS/Carlos Barria

 

BRUSSELS/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Once U.S. President Donald Trump returns from his overseas trip, the White House plans to launch its most aggressive effort yet to push back against allegations involving Russia and his presidential campaign, tackling head-on a scandal that has threatened to consume his young presidency.

 

Trump's advisers are planning to establish a "war room" to combat mounting questions about communication between Russia and his presidential campaign before and after November's presidential election, while bringing new aides into the White House, administration officials and persons close to Trump told Reuters.

 

The strategic shake-up comes as Republicans in Washington increasingly have fretted that the probe, continued chaos in the West Wing and Trump's steady slide in opinion polls will derail the president's drive to reform healthcare, cut taxes and rebuild the nation’s infrastructure.

 

Upon Trump’s return, the administration will add experienced political professionals, including Trump's former campaign manager, and possibly more lawyers to handle the Russia probe, which has gained new urgency since the Justice Department appointed a special counsel to head the investigation, the sources said.

 

Beyond pushing back at suggestions that Moscow is unduly influencing Trump’s administration, the messaging effort will also focus on advancing Trump’s stalled policy agenda and likely involve more trips out of Washington that will feature the kind of raucous rallies that were the hallmark of Trump’s campaign.

 

A person in regular touch with the White House said it needed a different structure to focus on the “new reality” that there would be continued leaks to the media from the law enforcement and intelligence communities, leaks that have increased in frequency since Trump fired former Federal Bureau of Investigation Director James Comey on May 9.

 

“Since the firing of Comey, that really exposed the fact that the White House in its current structure ... is not prepared for really a one-front war, let alone a two-front war,” the person said. “They need to have a structure in place that allows them to stay focussed” while “also truly fighting back on these attacks and these leaks.”

 

The White House declined to comment on plans for a "war room" but said Trump will be looking to expand on momentum it believes it has built up during the president’s trip to Saudi Arabia, Israel, and Europe. A White House official confirmed plans to hold more rallies.

 

Trump returns to Washington on Saturday from his first trip abroad as president.

 

“The president has had an incredibly successful trip overseas and the White House looks forward to continuing an aggressive messaging strategy to highlight his agenda when we return to D.C.,” said White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders.

 

KUSHNER, BANNON INVOLVED IN 'WAR ROOM'

 

Jared Kushner, a senior adviser to Trump, will be involved in the new strategic messaging operation, as will Steve Bannon, another top adviser who specializes in managing Trump’s populist appeal and shaping his political image, the sources said. Bannon and Trump’s chief of staff, Reince Priebus, have been laying the groundwork for the plan this week, they added.

 

On Thursday, NBC News and the Washington Post reported that Kushner, who held several meetings with Russian officials following the election, is a focus of the probe, making him the first current White House official to be caught up in it, although Kushner, who is Trump's son-in-law, has not been accused of any wrongdoing.

 

Corey Lewandowski, Trump’s former campaign manager, is also expected to be part of the effort. Lewandowski, who has been seen in the White House recently, could join the administration as early as next week, a source close to him said.

 

Lewandowski was fired by Trump in June 2016 over concerns that he was not experienced enough to oversee the general election fight against Democrat Hillary Clinton, but has remained a trusted adviser to Trump and a steadfast defender of the president on news programs.

 

This month, the Justice Department named Robert Mueller, a former FBI director, as an independent special counsel in the probe.

 

REPUBLICANS WORRY ABOUT AGENDA

 

Trump has been frustrated of late that his communications team hasn’t done a more effective job at making the case that he isn’t implicated in the Russia probe and highlighting his administration's successes, sources close to the president said.

 

The White House declined to comment on the president's frustrations.

 

Another Republican close to the White House said the new team is taking a page out of former President Bill Clinton’s playbook. When Clinton faced impeachment in the late 1990s, he assembled a crisis-management operation that dealt with fallout from his affair with Monica Lewinsky while allowing the rest of the White House to deal with day-to-day policy matters.

 

“The goal of the White House is to try and contain the crisis and media coverage of the special counsel,” the Republican said.

 

Christopher Ruddy, chief executive of Newsmax Media and a Trump friend, said he expects the president will travel more when he returns from overseas and encouraged the White House to focus on issues that pump up his base voters.

 

“From my perspective, I think the president should be doing the stuff that he does best, which is talking about his agenda: jobs, trade and security,” Ruddy said.

 

Trump has scheduled a political rally for next week in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The White House said other similar events are in the planning stages.

 

Republicans in Congress are aching for Trump to leave the distraction of the Russia probe aside and focus on legislation and nominating officials to fill the hundreds of vacant slots across the administration.

 

“What we really want to be able to do is tend to our business,” Mike Rounds, a Republican Senator from South Dakota, told Reuters. "We've got a healthcare bill we're working on. We've got tax reform that we think is important.”

 

Some of Trump’s donors, too, say they are concerned. Stanley Hubbard, a billionaire radio mogul from Minnesota, said he worries that the White House continues to be distracted by the Russia scandal, but laid some of the blame on Trump himself.

 

“He talks when he shouldn’t," he said.

 

Former U.S. House Speaker John Boehner said this week that Trump's time in office has been a "complete disaster" aside from foreign affairs.

Boehner, a fellow Republican, told an energy conference he supported efforts to "get to the bottom" of any potential interactions between Trump associates and the Russian government but described any calls to impeach Trump as the purview of "the crazy left-wing Democratic colleagues of mine."

 

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2017-05-27

[darksidedog]

32 minutes ago, rooster59 said:

“The president has had an incredibly successful trip overseas

Really? I fail to see how. He embarrassed himself pushing the leader of Montenegro to one side so he could get to the front for a photo shoot, then pissed off all the NATO members by dribbling about supposed unpaid bills, which don't in truth exist. Only if showing yourself to be a complete clown was the objective,  was it successful.

Edited May 27, 2017 by darksidedog

[worgeordie]

Yes,better not let the truth get out.!

regards worgeordie

[Thailand]

Read my lips.

[boomerangutang]

I'm sure the 'War Room' will issue a statement with some such wording;

 

"We are concerned that an adversary government and/or their agents have influenced an important US election.  We will do all we can to find the truth, and move to punish any law-breakers."

 

......yea right, ha ha chortle ha - and the moon is made of styrofoam.  

 

 

[soalbundy]

They are going to bring out a comic to explain the strategy to Trump, plenty of pictures, not too many words so he can stick to the script. In office only 120 days and he has made a laughing stock out of the white house already, if he ever got Alzheimer's nobody would know the difference.

[Andaman Al]

A war room to be staffed with 'enablers'. I really do hope they all took that good advice recently and lawyered up ! I wonder if the news that Kushner asked Kisilyak for a secret communications channel with the Kremlin using Russian Diplomatic facilities in the USA has any of the 'enablers' worrying about their potential loss of freedom in the future.  The lawyers will be setting flight soon to circle like vultures. There are big bucks to be made on this.

[Traveler19491]

3 hours ago, rooster59 said:

Trump has been frustrated of late that his communications team hasn’t done a more effective job at making the case that he isn’t implicated in the Russia probe and highlighting his administration's successes, sources close to the president said.

The thing is, before you can highlight "his administration's successes", it would be helpful to have some successes to highlight. I mean, something beyond a truckload of Executive Orders, a number of which have been shut down by the courts for being unconstitutional. Maybe some successes that didn't open up the environment to total destruction, or that risked alienating every single one of our allies, or that actually made the lives of working Americans better. Like passing health care reform that DIDN'T take away health insurance from 23 million people while handing huge tax breaks to billionaires like himself, that won't let insurance companies gouge the elderly and exclude people with pre-existing conditions, that wouldn't take insurance away from people that need it to live. You know, maybe some little trifling successes like that.

[malibukid]

love it, hunker in the bunker a la Nixon in his final day's, will he pace the WH at midnight and talk to the portrait of Andrew Jackson?  madness

Edited May 27, 2017 by malibukid

[In the jungle]

Make it a big war room.  Lots of lawyers and hangers on.

 

After all it's on the taxpayer's dime.

[Andaman Al]

I imagine it might look like this very famous war room 

 

Edited May 27, 2017 by Andaman Al

[mtls2005]

Corey Lewandowski, Trump’s former campaign manager, is also expected to be part of the effort. Lewandowski, who has been seen in the White House recently, could join the administration as early as next week, a source close to him said.

 

 

Corey Lewandowski, or a bag of rocks, both have the same IQ. I'd go with the bag of rocks.

[Andaman Al]

27 minutes ago, mtls2005 said:

Corey Lewandowski, Trump’s former campaign manager, is also expected to be part of the effort. Lewandowski, who has been seen in the White House recently, could join the administration as early as next week, a source close to him said.

 

 

Corey Lewandowski, or a bag of rocks, both have the same IQ. I'd go with the bag of rocks.

I blame CNN for this appointment. Since Lewandowski was side-lined, they have given the obnoxious turd a free (in fact paid) platform to voice all the crap he comes out with everyday on the CNN news programs. Exactly the same as that other moron Jeffry Lord. CNN always complain bitterly about what Lewandowski and Lord say, so why the hell have them on the program.

[boomerangutang]

They should name it the 'Lie To Stay Out Of Jail' room. 

 

 

[heybruce]

7 hours ago, rooster59 said:

“The president has had an incredibly successful trip overseas

 

7 hours ago, darksidedog said:

Really? I fail to see how. He embarrassed himself pushing the leader of Montenegro to one side so he could get to the front for a photo shoot, then pissed off all the NATO members by dribbling about supposed unpaid bills, which don't in truth exist. Only if showing yourself to be a complete clown was the objective,  was it successful.

Expectations were very low.  He didn't start a war or irreparably damage relations with a major ally (we hope), so the trip is being called a success.

 

 

 

 

[chilli42]

Say what you like about Trump we can all expect that he will fight tooth and nail to hold on to power.  He has been doing this his whole life.  Lawyers, liars and dirty tricks are the tools he uses.  To see this process play out will be demoralizing for the country. 

[elgordo38]

Dear Donald explain something to me is your presidency really going to be about governing in some way shape or form in the future or constant damage control??

[KenKadz]

President Trump's only response needs to be, "You said it, now Prove It!".

With no tangible evidence, after months of investigation, his critics look pretty foolish.

[FritsSikkink]

He is history:

 

http://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/world/jared-kushner-wanted-secret-channel-with-kremlin-russian-ambassador-told-moscow/ar-BBBz2PO?li=AAmiR2Z&ocid=spartanntp

[ilostmypassword]

1 hour ago, KenKadz said:

President Trump's only response needs to be, "You said it, now Prove It!".

With no tangible evidence, after months of investigation, his critics look pretty foolish.

There is an ongoing FBI investigation. Would you be happier if the FBI released the results so far? You think that's a sound practice for an investigative agency?

[metisdead]

Off topic trolling posts and replies have been removed. 

[Andaman Al]

2 hours ago, KenKadz said:

President Trump's only response needs to be, "You said it, now Prove It!".

Ahhh ! I see and what about when President Trump said: "Obama wire-tapped me in Trump Towers", we are still waiting for him to prove it.

[RickBradford]

In days gone by, the "anonymous source" was the last refuge of a reputable journalist. Now it has becomethe first resource of disreputable journalists. 

 

The entire story is predicated on these vague and unnamed sources, in particular one described as "A person in regular touch with the White House ".

 

The postman?

[ilostmypassword]

20 minutes ago, RickBradford said:

In days gone by, the "anonymous source" was the last refuge of a reputable journalist. Now it has becomethe first resource of disreputable journalists. 

 

The entire story is predicated on these vague and unnamed sources, in particular one described as "A person in regular touch with the White House ".

 

The postman?

History has shown that the Washington Post and the New York Times have very good track records in their stories proving true. Not perfect, but they do acknowledge that when they get it wrong.

[Credo]

21 minutes ago, RickBradford said:

In days gone by, the "anonymous source" was the last refuge of a reputable journalist. Now it has becomethe first resource of disreputable journalists. 

 

The entire story is predicated on these vague and unnamed sources, in particular one described as "A person in regular touch with the White House ".

 

The postman?

No, anonymous sources have always been the stock and trade in journalism.  Fox News excelled in using anonymous sources.   

 

Reputable news agencies keep many of their sources anonymous, but the sources are vetted and they are known to the editors, who determine whether it is credible or not.   

[Rhys]

..are they locking down his tweeter..

 

[boomerangutang]

5 hours ago, chilli42 said:

Say what you like about Trump we can all expect that he will fight tooth and nail to hold on to power.  He has been doing this his whole life.  Lawyers, liars and dirty tricks are the tools he uses.  To see this process play out will be demoralizing for the country. 

He's like a bird caught in a filmy net.  It will flap and twist vigorously, but will only succeed in getting itself further enmeshed.  

 

5 hours ago, KenKadz said:

President Trump's only response needs to be, "You said it, now Prove It!".

With no tangible evidence, after months of investigation, his critics look pretty foolish.

                                    One of his supporters is a rich and very tricky-minded lawyer named Gershowitz. Gershowitz was part of the multi-million dollar law team which got OJ off of a double-murder wrap which every reasonable person (who followed it) knew OJ was guilty as hell.   In other words, tricksters like Gershowitz will always opt for tricks & money, over doing what's morally right. 

 

                      Gershowitz's latest trick is to say Jared is not guilty of a particular law (having to do with a private citizen not being allowed to represent the US gov't) because.... get this; .....because the law is old.

 

                     As for evidence:   THERE IS A LOT OF EVIDENCE.  There's much evidence which we, the public, have seen and heard,  .....and there's even more evidence which intelligence services (particularly US and Russian) have.  Transcripts of recorded conversations are evidence, btw. As are proofs of meetings, traveling, statements, bank account data,  .....and there's a lot more.  Stay tuned.

[boomerangutang]

12 minutes ago, ilostmypassword said:

History has shown that the Washington Post and the New York Times have very good track records in their stories proving true. Not perfect, but they do acknowledge that when they get it wrong.

the above is my vote for 'Best Post of the Day'

[jerojero]

                                    One of his supporters is a rich and very tricky-minded lawyer named Gershowitz. Gershowitz was part of the multi-million dollar law team which got OJ off of a double-murder wrap which every reasonable person (who followed it) knew OJ was guilty as hell.   In other words, tricksters like Gershowitz will always opt for tricks & money, over doing what's morally right. 

 

                      Gershowitz's latest trick is to say Jared is not guilty of a particular law (having to do with a private citizen not being allowed to represent the US gov't) because.... get this; .....because the law is old.

 

                     As for evidence:   THERE IS A LOT OF EVIDENCE.  There's much evidence which we, the public, have seen and heard,  .....and there's even more evidence which intelligence services (particularly US and Russian) have.  Transcripts of recorded conversations are evidence, btw. As are proofs of meetings, traveling, statements, bank account data,  .....and there's a lot more.  Stay tuned.

Indeed. Meanwhile he and the GOP ensure huge tax breaks for themselves and elites, while f.the poor. Sad. Feel sorry for the Americans who were conned by Trump. Double sad.

 

[RickBradford]

9 hours ago, Credo said:

No, anonymous sources have always been the stock and trade in journalism.  Fox News excelled in using anonymous sources.   

 

Reputable news agencies keep many of their sources anonymous, but the sources are vetted and they are known to the editors, who determine whether it is credible or not.   

It's not up to whether the editors think the story is credible or not. It's up to the public.

 

Which is why the Society of Professional Journalists' Ethics Committee states the rules as:

 

1. Identify sources whenever feasible. The public is entitled to as much information as possible on sources' reliability.

2. Always question sources’ motives before promising anonymity. Clarify conditions attached to any promise made in exchange for information.

 

The never-ending stream of anonymous sources issuing damaging — never positive — versions of what is happening inside President Trump's administration tells you all you need to know about journalistic ethics and motives nowadays.

 

Reuters may have the story right, or they may not. But only a fool would take what any of the legacy media says on trust.