vyshka
4081
I can’t imagine being on that detail and having to decide if I’m going to take a bullet for him.
TheHill: Controversy over Trump Jr. meeting shows no signs of losing steam
The White House continues to deny the Trump campaign coordinated with Moscow during the presidential election, but some lawmakers have expressed concern over the Trump Jr. meeting and called it a smoking gun in the Russia probe.
“Nothing in that meeting that would have taken place even if it was about the topic of an opposition research paper from the Russian lawyer is illegal or a violation of the law,” Trump’s outside attorney Jay Sekulow said on “Fox News Sunday.”
But Sen. Mark Warner (Va.), the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, raised questions about Trump Jr.'s meeting and said he wants to hear from everyone involved to get the story straight.
[…]
Warner also said he thinks news of the meeting moves the Senate Intelligence Committee’s investigation “to another level.”
“This is the first time that the public has seen in black and white on the email thread clear evidence that the Russians — and particularly there was a Russian government effort to try to undermine [Hillary] Clinton, help Trump,” Warner said on CBS’s “Face The Nation.”
“And what was remarkable was you saw not only willingness but actually glee from the president’s son as well as involvement of the campaign manager and the president’s son-in-law to say in effect, ‘Yes, bring it on.’”
Menzo
4083
I don’t think this will happen, but let’s pretend a minute.
What would happen if we found clear and conclusive proof that Russia not only interfered, but actually hacked/rigged the election in a meaningful way? Would you throw out the results and make Clinton President? Would there be a do-over election?
Probably one of the reasons people don’t want to even investigate whether actual hacking took place is because nobody can fathom what would happen if it did.
There is no mechanism for this. I can’t imagine any more severe result than impeachment, and then President Pence (or whichever person in line is not implicated).
ShivaX
4086
This is correct.
The most bizarre, impossible scenarios one could possibly conceive of would just throw it to the House to decide anyway.
I think the biggest “hacking” that happened was of voters, not voting machines. Voters were manipulated. Otoh, being stupid isn’t much of a defense. So, no, I don’t think the election will ever be invalidated, no matter what they uncover, but we need to be concerned about future elections, which the current WH certainly is not.
No, it wouldn’t change the election. But it could or should change what we do to Russia as punishment. Now it is helluva of a lot harder to successful hack this year election in Russia. But I think making sure that all of the corruption of the Russia is known to the people of Russia as well as stirring up dissension among the oligarchs is fair play. Detailed documents that show how Vladimir ripped off $50 million will not only piss of the Russia people but will piss of Boris who only got $5 million.
On election day, I think it is important that Putin has fewer votes than his brave but foolish opponent I’m not at all picky how those votes are created.
If Putin is facing opposition from both the people and his fellow kleptocrats, he may have fewer resources and/or inclination to screw with us in the future.
ShivaX
4089
Putin’s opponents meet with unexpected tragedies.
Polonium isn’t that expensive when you have a bunch of reactors. And a good old car bomb or knife works just as well.
Timex
4091
Trump’s lawyer says, “if it was so nefarious, why didn’t the secret service so anything?”
Secret service says, “Trump Jr wasn’t under secret service protection, jackass.”
Secret Service dismisses Trump lawyer’s claim about Russia meeting
Yeah, when I first heard that I wondered how long it would take for them to make a statement.
I read somewhere that by saying the above, Sekulow effectively got the Secret Service to release a statement implying that POTUS wasn’t at the meeting because they didn’t protect it.
I could see that as weird damage control, but … was anyone saying he was there?
Nobody was saying he was there, but with new attendees popping up seemingly daily someone in Trumpland decided to cut off speculation before it started.
Though I’m not sure what it gains them, since now we just jump to speculation about whether Donnie knew about the meeting before it happened (seems likely to me) and did Jared and Junior tell him about it after it was over (almost certainly.)
vyshka
4096
I think it was also pointed out that the Secret Service detail would only be ensuring the physical safety of whomever, so they wouldn’t be determining if it was right to meet someone. My thought was that if Sekulow is bringing it up, maybe it will come out that Trump himself was there since he was the only one being protected.
Tim_N
4098
Since we’re laying our bets on the table: I bet that Trump was either watching FOX news or tweeting at the time.
Djscman
4100
Yeah, this. Wasn’t there reporting during the campaign that Businessman Trump had a habit of listening to meetings on other floors via unannounced speakerphone?
What are the odds a recording of the call will come out?
I’m linking an interesting article from Slate, a conversation with a journalist who has been in Moscow the last five years. It’s got some interesting thoughts about what Putin may have been thinking, what drove his decisions. One thing in particular that strikes me is the bit about the complete cynicism that the Kremlin operates under, their complete certainty that “the system” would never allow Trump to win, they were mostly out to damage Hillary.
