Trump team met with Russian lawyer during campaign

[Breccia]

Trump learned of son's meeting with Russian attorney in 'last couple of days'

President Donald Trump only learned of his son's meeting with a Russian attorney in recent days, White House principal deputy press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders told reporters, echoing the claim made by the president's eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., over the weekend.

The answer Monday came in response to a question from ABC News' Jonathan Karl about when the president was made aware of the meeting between Donald Trump Jr. and lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya, which also included his son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner, and former campaign chairman Paul Manafort.

"I believe in the last couple of days is my understanding," said Sanders.

Trump is already trying to distance himself from this. That's not a good sign.

For the record, Sanders also said that Trump "heard" Putin's denial, but would not say if Trump believed it. Instead, she said Trump "He heard his answer, and he moved forward with places they thought they could work together."

So let's pretend this is true. Trump has been told by everyone in the USA except for himself that Putin and Russia are behind the hacks. Everyone in US intelligence, the GOP House and Senate, everyone. He then, after Putin denies it, tries to move forwards with Russia.

Which of the following must therefore be true?
A) Trump believes Putin.
B) Trump does not believe Putin, but wants to move forward with a country that interfered with the election.

Well?

[Breccia]

Trump is hoping to get Putin's secret so he can wander around tarmacs like a confused old man for decades to come.

First of all, you owe me a new cranberry-lime Izzy and a new keyboard. Well done.

Second of all, even if Trump didn't care -- and I disagree -- but even if he doesn't, the GOP does.

[Zeek Daniels]

Trump press secretary just said the DNC got information relating to Trump from the Ukranian government and yet the media does not care. There is nothing wrong with trying to find dirt on someone. Hell look at alot of campaigns world wide where ppl run smear campaigns. If you can find something negative that no one knows about a candidate then of course your going to seek it out and publish the information. Still Zero evidence of Trump/Russia Collusion.

[PosPosPos]

Still Zero evidence of Trump/Russia Collusion.

In far right alternative reality, that is.

In actual reality, the evidence is there and publicly accessible, just that it's still being collected and condensed into a form for legal prosecution.

[Flarelaine]

0 homeland terrorist attacks since January and a good economy? Give me more sand please.

2017 Olathe, Kansas shooting

2017 Fresno shootings

2017 Congressional baseball shooting

2017 Bishop International Airport incident

[mvaliz]

Trump press secretary just said the DNC got information relating to Trump from the Ukranian government and yet the media does not care. There is nothing wrong with trying to find dirt on someone.

There absolutely is when the source is an opposing hostile government superpower. Even getting that information from Canada instead of Russia would still make it illegal because that information means a deal was struck: Information for XYZ favor. If this was allowed, every superpower in the world would be digging up dirt and selling it to campaign officials to try to purchase favor influence that benefits themselves/their country in some way.

Still don't understand? OK - let me put it in a way you can understand. Lets say Hillary got some pretty good dirt on Dumbass Dump durring the campaign... and that source was from ISIS. Are you going to sit there and say "Well, harumph! There's nothing wrong with trying to find dirt on someone!"? Fuck no - you and I both know you'd be right here on the forums screaming for her to be swinging at the gallows, nevermind "locking her up".

Still Zero evidence of Trump/Russia Collusion.

That is not for you to decide, nor do you possess the information about what occurred. Only the investigation and what sources they have (that you and I do NOT have) can tell if there's evidence or not.

While we're at it - can we PLEASE stop with the "They clearly haven't locked Dump up yet, so clearly there's no evidence!" bullshit? Not only is that all supposition based on nothing, but the argument also works in the complete reverse by simply asking "If He's so innocent and there's no evidence, then why is the investigation still going on? Why are they continuing unless they actually have something on him?"

- - - Updated - - -

Being undone by emails has a touch of poetry to it.

...I never thought of that. That just put a smile on my face. Thanks! ^_^

So, emails are causing him being undone... via a special prosecutor's investigation. Both things Dumbass Dump promised to bring down upon Clinton. Awesome. ^_^

[Breccia]

Trump press secretary just said the DNC got information relating to Trump from the Ukranian government and yet the media does not care.

Spicer was probably talking about this one article published this one time in January which says
a) Ukraine would publicly question Trump's fitness for office. Which, by the way, almost every country on Earth either did before, or after, the election.
b) distribute documents showing Manafort was corrupt and tied to Russia. The allegations were either true, or true enough, and Manafort resigned. Incidentally, his Russian connection issues appear to have gotten worse, and Ukraine has nothing to do with that.
c) "Help research"

The article specifically and directly also slaps your whataboutism up and down, up and down the street until it cries for momma and pees its pants.

Russia’s effort was personally directed by Russian President Vladimir Putin, involved the country’s military and foreign intelligence services, according to U.S. intelligence officials. They reportedly briefed Trump last week on the possibility that Russian operatives might have compromising information on the president-elect. And at a Senate hearing last week on the hacking, Director of National Intelligence James Clapper said “I don’t think we’ve ever encountered a more aggressive or direct campaign to interfere in our election process than we’ve seen in this case.”

There’s little evidence of such a top-down effort by Ukraine. Longtime observers suggest that the rampant corruption, factionalism and economic struggles plaguing the country — not to mention its ongoing strife with Russia — would render it unable to pull off an ambitious covert interference campaign in another country’s election. And President Petro Poroshenko’s administration, along with the Ukrainian Embassy in Washington, insists that Ukraine stayed neutral in the race.

The WH is effectively trying to defend a murderer by saying "But that other guy! He mugged a guy that one time!"

There is a difference between trying to get damaging info, and trying to get damaging info from a hostile foreign power through criminal action, namely, hacking email accounts. There is zero to negative evidence suggesting Ukraine did that. There is consensus from all non-Trump people whose opinions are informed and whose opinions matter, that Russia did. Trump was told by Putin it was not true, and believed him to the point that he openly tweeted that he wanted to work with Russia on cybersecurity to safeguard elections. Or, as is seeming more and more where-there's-smoke-y, Trump knew it was true, because his team worked with Putin the whole time. The investigation is ongoing.

By suggesting the two things are in the same ballpark, the WH is being disingenuous. So are you.

Still Zero evidence of Trump/Russia Collusion.

The willful ignorance continues. I will let @mvallas take point on that one.

[jdbond592]

Still Zero evidence of Trump/Russia Collusion.

I concur! We will only send Flynn, Manafort, Trump's son and Trump's son in law to prison!

Oh wait, you think Trump's son is innocent too? You don't say!

Don't worry, we will get that "bank" info from Deutsche bank sooner than later that will show precisely how Trump mafia is laundering Russian money. Hell, someone at this moment likely is figuring out how to hack Trump's taxes. I can't wait to see them.


This shindig is only getting started. You reap what you sow! We are just being non-PC and calling it as we see it! Crooked King of deplorables? Am I right?

[minteK917]

If it was all annocent shit, why months of lies only to come foward once hit with facts lol. His son put his feet in his mouth, you can tell he was finally told what to do when facts forced a third story change. Tweet random shit that only trump clown would eat up.

[NYC17]

Well, from the AP...

https://twitter.com/AP_Politics/stat...44373827694592

BREAKING: Publicist says he set up meeting for Trump son and Russian lawyer on behalf of his Moscow client, Emin Agalarov.


Noah Kirsch wrote about Jr. and this guy a few months back

https://www.forbes.com/sites/noahkir.../#35d271fa69b3

Among Agalarov’s most striking claims: that he and his billionaire developer father, Aras, had plans to build a Trump Tower in Russia that would now likely be under construction had Trump not run for office; that he has maintained contact with the Trump family since the election and has exchanged messages with Donald Trump Jr. as recently as January; and that President Trump himself sent a handwritten note to the Agalarovs in November after they congratulated him on his victory.

“Now that he ran and was elected, he does not forget his friends,” Agalarov says.

The Agalarovs’ ties to Trump stretch back roughly five years, when they expressed interest in bringing Trump’s Miss Universe pageant to Moscow. After a visit to the Miss USA competition in Las Vegas, at Trump’s invitation, they signed an agreement, eventually paying an estimated $7 million in licensing fees to host Miss Universe at one of their properties.

This pic is interesting. Kind of blurry and hard to say with 100% certainty that it is Natalia but...

[Grapemask]

The "still zero evidence" people are hilarious. Not as hilarious as the "so what if he colluded?" people now that it's looking inevitable, though.

[Arvei]

Trump press secretary just said the DNC got information relating to Trump from the Ukranian government and yet the media does not care. There is nothing wrong with trying to find dirt on someone. Hell look at alot of campaigns world wide where ppl run smear campaigns. If you can find something negative that no one knows about a candidate then of course your going to seek it out and publish the information. Still Zero evidence of Trump/Russia Collusion.

"So what if he undermined our democracy?" is your defense now? lmfao

[Toppy]

At what point does "I didnt know what the people directly under me were doing so its not my fault" stop working as a defense?

Isn't a leader supposed to be responsible for his subordinates?

[Shadowferal]

I said it yesterday, as long as they think it's about getting a good deal, then it's not treason. Of course in this case a good deal is fucking over the election.

[Machismo]

Trump press secretary just said the DNC got information relating to Trump from the Ukranian government and yet the media does not care. There is nothing wrong with trying to find dirt on someone. Hell look at alot of campaigns world wide where ppl run smear campaigns. If you can find something negative that no one knows about a candidate then of course your going to seek it out and publish the information. Still Zero evidence of Trump/Russia Collusion.

Well, considering the administration just got caught in a bunch of lies... again, should we really believe them? I do enjoy the mental gymnastics, and I love the distance Trump apologists will go in order to deflect and rationalize.

[Felya]

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DEcQMIrXoAAhFuJ.jpg

Why are they sitting in a room with giant face pictures of Danzel, Pitt and that British chick from a bunch of stuff? I thought it would be former dignitaries... then look closer... nope, celebrities...

[TZucchini]

You've just won your parties Presidential Nomination....Congratulations!!!!!!!! Time to get serious.

But wait! A Russian lawyer, with connections to the Russian Government, wants to meet with your high ranking campaign officials to provide dirt on your political opponent.

Do you:

A). Accept the meeting with this unnamed, unknown Russian lawyer

B). Call the FBI

[Felya]

Trump press secretary just said the DNC got information relating to Trump from the Ukranian government and yet the media does not care. There is nothing wrong with trying to find dirt on someone. Hell look at alot of campaigns world wide where ppl run smear campaigns. If you can find something negative that no one knows about a candidate then of course your going to seek it out and publish the information. Still Zero evidence of Trump/Russia Collusion.

Not care or covered in January? You suddenly care 6 months later? Yeah, keep repeating that Trump didn't collude with Russia. I'm sure making him seem like an unwitting patsy is much better.

http://www.politico.com/story/2017/0...ackfire-233446

There’s little evidence of such a top-down effort by Ukraine. Longtime observers suggest that the rampant corruption, factionalism and economic struggles plaguing the country — not to mention its ongoing strife with Russia — would render it unable to pull off an ambitious covert interference campaign in another country’s election. And President Petro Poroshenko’s administration, along with the Ukrainian Embassy in Washington, insists that Ukraine stayed neutral in the race.

[NYC17]

Why are they sitting in a room with giant face pictures of Danzel, Pitt and that British chick from a bunch of stuff? I thought it would be former dignitaries... then look closer... nope, celebrities...

Well, I think the photo was from 2013. Which establishes the prior relationship.

[Felya]

You've just won your parties Presidential Nomination....Congratulations!!!!!!!! Time to get serious.

But wait! A Russian lawyer, with connections to the Russian Government, wants to meet with your high ranking campaign officials to provide dirt on your political opponent.

Do you:

A). Accept the meeting with this unnamed, unknown Russian lawyer

B). Call the FBI

I think most would accept the meeting, but few would forget to disclose it. Especially considering the current climate of the situation. It would be pretty stupid to try covering up a meeting where nothing happened.

By the way, this confirms FBIs assertions that Trump support called lies months ago. FBI did know of a meeting Trump associates failed to disclose, where sanctions were discussed. We now know that this is one of those meeting FBI couldn't talk about, while even knowing the specific sanctions they were aiming to get rid of.