Mega-Thread: Trump Focused Discussion

[Ripster42]

Yeah sorry. But yeah, basically someone was seemingly trying to cover up the crime.

Another possibility: mueller restricted access so it didn't become public and he could catch cohen/trump/whoever lying about the payments. I have a feeling we won't know for a while if ever.

[Breccia]

Another possibility

Yeah going with Occam's Razor on this one. It wasn't there, because it was illegal as shit and Trump wanted it hidden.

[Ripster42]

Yeah going with Occam's Razor on this one. It wasn't there, because it was illegal as shit and Trump wanted it hidden.

We've been finding out what mueller has been doing months after he's done them. There's no reason to suspect he didn't know about this, as there was obviously some evidence of wrong doing, or they wouldn't have gotten a warrant for an attorney's office.

[Bullettime]

I mean, there's the possibility that it was removed from the "main" database but could potentially be in a hidden database for super sensitive documents/information. So it's possible that it wasn't actually scrubbed, but either way given all the behavior of the Trump administration so far it's not unreasonable to think that they'd have actively tried to hide it.

Exactly. What's the most likely is that the data was scrubbed from the database that law enforcement had access to, but knew another way to get it and released it because it was too fishy. We don't know the identity, for obvious reasons, of the leaker so we don't know how they got it, just that someone scrubbed it from the main FinCEN database.

Interesting situation.

[Breccia]

There's no reason to suspect he didn't know about this

Know? Absolutely. Remove from a federal database? Not buying it.

Just like when Giulliani says Mueller told him Trump can't be indicted I'm calling bullshit on that, too.

[Stormspark]

Know? Absolutely. Remove from a federal database? Not buying it.

Just like when Giulliani says Mueller told him Trump can't be indicted I'm calling bullshit on that, too.

Giulliani is Frito Pendejo levels of incompetent so yeah I'm calling BS on it too.

[Bullettime]

We've been finding out what mueller has been doing months after he's done them. There's no reason to suspect he didn't know about this, as there was obviously some evidence of wrong doing, or they wouldn't have gotten a warrant for an attorney's office.

I think it's entirely possible Mueller knew about it but to go as far as to wipe it from the main database? I'm kind of torn on this one. It's definitely a possibility, but my question is more of why would he need to go that far? And also, would Mueller even have the authority to make that call?

[Breccia]

Giulliani is Frito Pendejo levels of incompetent so yeah I'm calling BS on it too.

Mueller doesn't tell anyone, anything. He wouldn't tell Giulliani the sky was blue.

And, along a completely parallel parking here, would it matter if he did? This sounds a lot like "if you ask the hooker if she's a cop, she has to tell you" level of bullshit. Don't make me call @cubby a second time, we all know that one.

[Ripster42]

Know? Absolutely. Remove from a federal database? Not buying it.

Just like when Giulliani says Mueller told him Trump can't be indicted I'm calling bullshit on that, too.

I could see mueller doing it, because the payments becoming public knowledge means cohen won't even attempt to lie about them; he'll possibly just assert his fifth amendment rights.

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And also, would Mueller even have the authority to make that call?

I have no idea. I'm not even claiming that's definitively what happened; I'm just not willing to rule it out.

[Breccia]

I'm just not willing to rule it out.

Eh, fair enough.

Can't wait to hear more about that Chinese emoluments thing.

[Edge-]

Can't wait to hear more about that Chinese emoluments thing.

I want to know when Trumps party will start seriously asking him why he's fighting harder for Chinese jobs for a company that's flouted US law and represents a national security risk, than he is for American jobs. And more specifically, what Trump views the price for selling out the country is.

I don't ever expect them, but it would be nice.

[Ripster42]

Can't wait to hear more about that Chinese emoluments thing.

This is seemingly reaching the, "If we keep committing crimes, they'll never be able to stop the investigation," stage.

[Edge-]

http://time.com/5279995/they-arent-p...mbers-animals/

Oh boy, so not only are we comparing illegal immigrants to "animals" (because there's clearly not a long history of racists and genocidal maniacs calling others animals in an effort to dehumanize them), but he's also lying and saying that they're deporting at a rate "never seen before", which isn't true.

Before going and calling US immigration laws the "dumbest in the world". They're far from perfect, but it's amazing how frequently he just openly shit-talks the country he's supposed to be leading.

Oh, and he was talking about "gang members" I hear someone say? He's talking about the people being deported, people including the husband of a Trump supporter who was here illegally and ran a local business for over a decade. A guy who had no criminal history, gave back to and was a fixture of the community, and was the very type of immigrant that Trump claims to want in the US.

But I guess he's an "animal" now.

And I love Jerry Brown.

[Mormolyce]

My fear is, though a bit irrational, that Trump will start arresting leakers for treason. He's already more than hinted at doing much worst with his authority.

He would likely have to arrest the entire White House staff, his cabinet, and let's be frank, probably himself too.

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I want to know when Trumps party will start seriously asking him why he's fighting harder for Chinese jobs for a company that's flouted US law and represents a national security risk, than he is for American jobs. And more specifically, what Trump views the price for selling out the country is.

I don't ever expect them, but it would be nice.

I wonder which of the parade of cognitive dissonance shields they'll use this time?

We knew he wasn't a saint when we voted for him
What he meant was
Fake news

Etc.

[PACOX]

Looks at the Twitter, tabs to reddit, glances at newsfeed, turn on TV -- Trump calls illegal immigrants 'animals'

"Nah, they bullshit'. He is crazy but not that crazy"

checks MMO-Champ, clicks like of Trump on camera

"BRAH! You can't be serious, he really is insane"

----

Me 5 mins ago.

[Ripster42]

Looks at the Twitter, tabs to reddit, glances at newsfeed, turn on TV -- Trump calls illegal immigrants 'animals'

"Nah, they bullshit'. He is crazy but not that crazy"

checks MMO-Champ, clicks like of Trump on camera

"BRAH! You can't be serious, he really is insane"

----

Me 5 mins ago.

I can't imagine him doing this as anything else than a distraction from the senate intelligence transcripts, cohen's payments, and getting a billion in chinese financing for a project of his.

[Mormolyce]

The truth shall set you free!

So they say.

https://www.cnn.com/2018/05/16/polit...ort/index.html

Trump submitted the document on Tuesday, the deadline for administration employees to file their financial documents. The agency reviewed the form and made it public on Wednesday.
Trump's representatives said in the document that revealing the payments made to Cohen was not necessary by law, instead saying they were listing them "in the interest of transparency."
The ethics office seemed to disagree, annotating the document: "OGE has concluded that the information related to the payment made by Mr. Cohen is required to be reported and that the information provided meets the disclosure requirement for a reportable liability."

I wonder how they managed to write that with a straight face.

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More details emerge on Downer's involvement with Papadopoulos and the first trigger for the investigation (that we know of):

ALEXANDER Downer sat down for an interview with two FBI agents in London in 2016 to discuss potential Russian meddling in the US presidential election, a sensational report alleges.

The revelation the Australian government broke with diplomatic protocol and allowed Mr Downer, then Australia’s high commissioner to the United Kingdom, to be interviewed by the FBI could damage Australia’s recently repaired relationship with US President Donald Trump.

The New York Times first revealed late last year it was at a boozy night in May 2016, at London’s Kensington Wine Rooms, that Mr Trump’s then foreign policy adviser George Papadopoulos told Mr Downer Russia had dirt on Mr Trump’s political rival Hillary Clinton.

“Within hours of opening an investigation into the Trump campaign’s ties to Russia in the summer of 2016, the FBI dispatched a pair of agents to London on a mission so secretive that all but a handful of officials were kept in the dark,” the New York Times reported on Wednesday.

“Their assignment, which has not been previously reported, was to meet the Australian ambassador, who had evidence that one of Donald J. Trump’s advisers knew in advance about Russian election meddling.

“After tense deliberations between Washington and Canberra, top Australian officials broke with diplomatic protocol and allowed the ambassador, Alexander Downer, to sit for an FBI interview to describe his meeting with the campaign adviser, George Papadopoulos.” The FBI agents summarised “their highly unusual interview” and their report helped provide the foundation for a case that became the probe headed by special counsel Robert Mueller, who is investigating allegations of collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia.

Mr Trump has repeatedly slammed the probe as a witch hunt.

Mr Papadopoulos became one of Mr Mueller’s first scalps, pleading guilty to lying to officials.

He is co-operating with Mr Mueller’s investigation.

The FBI codenamed their probe Crossfire Hurricane, a reference to lyrics in a Rolling Stones song.

Crossfire Hurricane began exactly 100 days before the November 8, 2016 presidential election won by Mr Trump.

Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has carefully attempted to repair his relationship with Mr Trump after the leaders had a fiery phone call about a refugee deal a week after the president moved into the White House.

http://www.news.com.au/finance/work/...5fb7762ac521f7

It's awfully funny to me that out of everyone in Australian politics, that walking punchline Downer is at the center of this.

But yeah, something to remember the next time the usual suspects try to smear the Steele dossier thinking that that's the source of the FBI investigation.

[PACOX]

I can't imagine him doing this as anything else than a distraction from the senate intelligence transcripts, cohen's payments, and getting a billion in chinese financing for a project of his.

Makes sense because he has pulled similar stunts before.

Im picturing an entire list called 'In Case of Emergency' saved on phone. Its full all type of off the wall 'old man bigotry' nonsense to distract the press.

Next up: 'Maybe slavery wasnt so bad. I mean it kept people employed and out of trouble".

If I stop posting you guys will know that Ive been hired as the WHs new Communication Director.

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I wonder how they managed to write that with a straight face.

I dont about who could write it but i can only picture Sarah H. Sander's face saying it.

[Breccia]

In the ongoing effort to prove global warming is a Chinese hoax, Trump celebrated April as the third warmest month on record.

"What were the other two?"

April last year, and April the year before that.

[Gestopft]

it's amazing how frequently he just openly shit-talks the country he's supposed to be leading.

Just imagine what his supporters would say if Obama had said a tenth of the country-trashing rhetoric that Trump uses