Oh please. THAT’S the last straw? He’s probably just another shill pretending Trump’s going to be brought to justice any minute now.
Absolutely. The appearance of being in Putin’s thrall can be just as easily explained by his absurd ego and inability to contemplate that he didn’t win the election fair and square by a landslide. Of course, if that’s the “best case scenario” it still clearly demonstrates lack of fitness for the office.
Not for, perhaps, but maybe because of? What I’m saying is, how much money has he borrowed from the various russia-connected banks (since no one else would loan it to him)? What would happen if they called those loans? What threats might have been made regarding those?
And what would cause you to believe he was in Putin’s thrall?
I’m not a republican any more.
So good.
That’s what I was saying, you fine folks have already renounced them. :)
The work that Mueller is doing is some of the most important in the history of our nation.
I think you’re assuming a specific aspect in regards to the question, then. We just disagree one what Trump would feel concerned about.
edit - to clarify, no. Russia isn’t trying to get Trump’s cash. However, I think that’s the vulnerability that Trump has and the only thing they’d be able to use to successfully blackmail him.
What scott is curious about, though, is how anyone can be skeptical about Trump being in thrall to Putin, given Trump’s actions. That is, what would he have to do to convince someone who isn’t sure that he’s actually acting in Russia’s interests rather than the US?
Another way to phrase it might be: If he isn’t doing these things (destabilizing NATO and the EU, denying Russian meddling, ignoring potential 2018 meddling, lifting Russian sanctions, etc.) to pay Putin back for his help, then why is he doing them?
Why does that require blackmail?
I mean he could just be an ideological traitor, but he doesn’t seem to have anything resembling an ideology.
His ideology is enriching himself. I’d certainly assume bribery waaaaaaay before blackmail.
Oh, I see - you think he’s a Russian agent because they offered him a bunch of money and other monetary deals. I think most of us see the implicit threat of them turning off the money hose as also a form of blackmail, so, carry on then, I guess.
Giving the rest of Ukraine to Russia would probably do it, though it might depend on the circumstances. Honestly, there are not many plausible policy actions (ie, short of gifting Alaska to Russia or literally giving Putin the nuclear codes) that would definitively convince me, simply because all these things are entirely consistent with what I would expect him to do absent blackmail. He’s a terrible person. He loves strongmen. He views geopolitics as a zero sum game and thinks US military support for allies and having ordinary trade relationships with them are somehow them ripping the US off. He is pathologically incapable of accepting any criticism or challenge to his ego, such as suggesting he didn’t win the election by the biggest margin with the biggest crowds and the best campaigning.
There’s plenty of evidence that would change my mind, and I give Mueller a maybe 30% probability of coming up with it (that’s for blackmail or similar, as opposed to voluntary collusion for mutual benefit). But at this stage there’s very few policy actions that would. In case you hadn’t noticed, all of his policy positions are insane and damaging to the US, not just the Russia related ones.
So like, the NRA being a Russian front and most of the GOP being Russian assets has been, like, a meme. Like left wing outrage porn, but nothing behind it except insinuations.
But, it’s all real. Jesus Christ. I think up till now I’d been keeping this hope in the back of my mind that we’re gonna be ok, it’s all just we elected an idiot, but he’s just an idiot and half the government isn’t complict, just greedy, yadda yadda.
But, really, our government has been completely taken over by a party serving the agenda of Russia. How did this happen? I’m just at a loss for words… this has been a long game for decades and it’s finally coming to fruition. How far back does it go? Did it started during the first Clinton administration?
Bribery leads to blackmail once you get paid.
So now we know for sure that a Russian spy was working to influence the NRA.
All we need now is positive proof Russia was also funding the NRA (and people are working on that) and we’ll have a nice simple explanation for the “mystery” of why the GOP has been so incredibly cowardly and ineffective in fighting these blatant Russian attacks on our democracy.
All GOP candidates have been taking Russian money, in the form of NRA donations. All of 'em.
I’m sure it can and does, although thankfully I’m not too well-versed on the dynamics, lol.