Then-businessman Donald Trump with Russian oligarch (and close Putin ally) Aras Agalarov (R) and his son, Emin (L). Sberbank is a state-owned bank and the largest in Russia, and Crocus is Agalarov's real estate development company.
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Do the Russians have compromising information on Donald Trump, either through his past business dealings with Russian oligarchs, or through election collusion, enough to blackmail him? Have the Russians entrapped President Donald Trump?
THAT is what the Mueller Trump/Russia investigation is about. Period. Hillary's emails and DNC rigging against Bernie Sanders, etc, are legitimate questions that can be addressed in some other venue.
President Trump thinks the investigation is an effort to deprive him of his legitimate election. Republicans think it's an effort to remove him from office, which they oppose as they think he's a political novice they can manipulate. Democrats want to discredit Trump/Republicans so they can regain power for themselves. They all have their own near-sighted selfish agendas....and they've all missed the point.
Even White House Counsel Don McGahn missed the blackmail point at first. He once asked the Acting Attorney General why the FBI cared if one administration official (National Security Director Mike Flynn) lied to another (VP Mike Pence)? She had to explain to him that Flynn had publicly stated he hadn't discussed sanctions with Russians (a really big deal) when the FBI had proof he had. And of course the Russians knew he had, too.
At any time of the Russian's choosing they could have blackmailed Flynn, threatening to unmask him as the Benedict Arnold of the 21st Century if he didn't cooperate and give them what they wanted. RUSSIA WOULD THEN HAVE A SPY IN THE INNER CIRCLE OF THE WHITE HOUSE!
The exact same thing could happen with President Trump. The Russians have their eyes on all high-profile Americans who visit Russia and/or do business with Russians. They've been watching Trump for decades. Russian oligarchs, all friendly with Vladimir Putin, have done business with him. Trump has been used, perhaps unwittingly, perhaps not, to launder their money. They've financed some of his hundreds of business ventures, primarily run through suspect Cypriot and German banks. Now all of a sudden he just might become the PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES! HOLY CRAP! The incentive was surely there for Russia to want to see him elected, hence entrapping collusion.
Everything else is just a smoke screen. The ONLY thing that matters is to find out once and for all if President Donald Trump is subject to being blackmailed.
Our national security demands that we have a President who is beyond ever being cornered in a compromising position. Those amateurs who say Trump is or isn't susceptible are just thinking wishfully based on their own prejudices. We need to know if President Trump passes muster. This is why it's imperative for Robert Mueller to finish his investigation.
S
Time to adjust your meds old friend.
ReplyDeleteThe investigation is covering several things. Russian hacking and influencing the election is one. Possible money laundering by the Trump organization is another. That could quite likely incriminate Trump and many high-profile Republicans who took dirty Russian money.
ReplyDeleteI'm a bit confused Zippy. Why is this delusional? Do you think Trump will eventually squash Mueller's investigation? Do you think there is no way the Russians entrapped him? Do you think all his Russian business dealings are above board and reputable? He might indeed be squeaky clean, but I think someone smarter than me and with a lot more expertise than any of us civilians needs to look into it. It was the potential of blackmail that cost Flynn his job. Why should the threat of blackmail not apply to Trump, too? Your thoughts?
ReplyDeleteTrue, Pat, it's about hacking and election influence, but both of those might dovetail with collusion, which could easily be blackmail material.
ReplyDeleteIf you look at all the various things that have happened or trump or his staff/friends/minions have done or said, with any other president the uproar would be deafening.....and impeachment would have been on every agenda in congress. Imagine if any one of these things, collusion, molestation accusations, number of weekend vacations (every weekend, essentially) at taxpayer expense had been done in Obama's term, the GOP would have been in convulsions.
ReplyDeleteI think the fact that something outrageous occurs in the WH every other day simply have overwhelmed the public, and the GOP, as you say, still hopes they can control him.
I"ve never seen this level of chaos and change and just plain sleaze in the WH ever, and I've seen presidents back to Eisenhower, JFK as an adult. What Clinton did with the Monica scandal is a yawn compared to trump. Clinton had a consensual affair. trump forced his attentions on women, several have accused.
Yet, millions of americans think it's fine. I don't get it.
I think the GOP is delusional Mike. Either that, or they've simply sold out their morals and ethics for political expediency. The religious right certainly has in defense of Trump. Heck, even General Kelly has drunk the kool-aid.
DeleteIt's all right now...Trump is a Christian. He says we can say "Merry Christmas" again, so he's gotta be OK.
ReplyDelete