[W:492] F.B.I. Opened Inquiry Into Whether Trump Was Secretly Working on Behalf of Russia

HumblePi · Jan 11, 2019

It seems that the FBI opened up an investigation into Donald Trump and possible collusion with Russia out of concerns that this could be a security concern for the U.S.

F.B.I. Opened Inquiry Into Whether Trump Was Secretly Working on Behalf of Russia

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/11/us/politics/fbi-trump-russia-inquiry.html

Following President Trump’s firing of James B. Comey as F.B.I. director, the bureau grew increasingly concerned about whether the president’s actions constituted anti-American activity.CreditSarah Silbiger/The New York Times

WASHINGTON — In the days after President Trump fired James B. Comey as F.B.I. director, law enforcement officials became so concerned by the president’s behavior that they began investigating whether he had been working on behalf of Russia against American interests, according to former law enforcement officials and others familiar with the investigation.

The inquiry carried explosive implications. Counterintelligence investigators had to consider whether the president’s own actions constituted a possible threat to national security. Agents also sought to determine whether Mr. Trump was knowingly working for Russia or had unwittingly fallen under Moscow’s influence.

The investigation the F.B.I. opened into Mr. Trump also had a criminal aspect, which has long been publicly known: whether his firing of Mr. Comey constituted obstruction of justice.

Amelia · Jan 11, 2019

Re: F.B.I. Opened Inquiry Into Whether Trump Was Secretly Working on Behalf of Russia

HumblePi said:
It seems that the FBI opened up an investigation into Donald Trump and possible collusion with Russia out of concerns that this could be a security concern for the U.S.

F.B.I. Opened Inquiry Into Whether Trump Was Secretly Working on Behalf of Russia

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/11/us/politics/fbi-trump-russia-inquiry.html

Following President Trump’s firing of James B. Comey as F.B.I. director, the bureau grew increasingly concerned about whether the president’s actions constituted anti-American activity.CreditSarah Silbiger/The New York Times

WASHINGTON — In the days after President Trump fired James B. Comey as F.B.I. director, law enforcement officials became so concerned by the president’s behavior that they began investigating whether he had been working on behalf of Russia against American interests, according to former law enforcement officials and others familiar with the investigation.

The inquiry carried explosive implications. Counterintelligence investigators had to consider whether the president’s own actions constituted a possible threat to national security. Agents also sought to determine whether Mr. Trump was knowingly working for Russia or had unwittingly fallen under Moscow’s influence.

The investigation the F.B.I. opened into Mr. Trump also had a criminal aspect, which has long been publicly known: whether his firing of Mr. Comey constituted obstruction of justice.

I am still inclined to believe the answer is "unwittingly fallen under Moscow’s influence".

HumblePi · Jan 11, 2019

Re: F.B.I. Opened Inquiry Into Whether Trump Was Secretly Working on Behalf of Russia

The first response from the White House comes from Sarah Sanders;

"This is absurd. James Comey was fired because he's a disgraced partisan hack, and his Deputy Andrew McCabe , who was in charge at the time, is a known liar fired by the FBI.Unlike Pesident Obama, who let Russia and other foreign adversaries push America around, President Trump has actually been tough on Russia"
Sarah Sanders

Funny how Trump makes her tweet stuff that not even he can post

Amelia · Jan 11, 2019

Re: F.B.I. Opened Inquiry Into Whether Trump Was Secretly Working on Behalf of Russia

HumblePi said:
The first response from the White House comes from Sarah Sanders;

"This is absurd. James Comey was fired because he's a disgraced partisan hack, and his Deputy Andrew McCabe , who was in charge at the time, is a known liar fired by the FBI.Unlike Pesident Obama, who let Russia and other foreign adversaries push America around, President Trump has actually been tough on Russia"
Sarah Sanders

Funny how Trump makes her tweet stuff that not even he can post

How much do you want to bet he wrote the tweet though?

Logician Man · Jan 11, 2019

Re: F.B.I. Opened Inquiry Into Whether Trump Was Secretly Working on Behalf of Russia

an actual 'national emergency.'

Slyfox696 · Jan 11, 2019

Re: F.B.I. Opened Inquiry Into Whether Trump Was Secretly Working on Behalf of Russia

Given that he has repeatedly worked in a manner consistent with an asset, it is not surprising. Still, the chief law enforcement agency in America opened a counterintelligence investigation into the President whom they worried was betraying America.

Just stop and think about how incredible that concept is.

Rexedgar · Jan 11, 2019

Re: F.B.I. Opened Inquiry Into Whether Trump Was Secretly Working on Behalf of Russia

Amelia said:
I am still inclined to believe the answer is "unwittingly fallen under Moscow’s influence".

Useful idiot argument sailed long ago, imo.

Slyfox696 · Jan 11, 2019

Re: F.B.I. Opened Inquiry Into Whether Trump Was Secretly Working on Behalf of Russia

Rexedgar said:
Useful idiot argument sailed long ago, imo.

The more likely context is Trump is financially broke without Russian money and owes his monetary well-being to Russia.

Amelia · Jan 11, 2019

Re: F.B.I. Opened Inquiry Into Whether Trump Was Secretly Working on Behalf of Russia

Rexedgar said:
Useful idiot argument sailed long ago, imo.

I don't think so. Trump's profound witlessness is his alibi.

So far everything that's filtered its way into the public makes him look like someone who can't even collude properly but who is extremely easy to manipulate with flattery from the powerful in nondemocratic countries.

Slyfox696 · Jan 11, 2019

Re: F.B.I. Opened Inquiry Into Whether Trump Was Secretly Working on Behalf of Russia

Amelia said:
I don't think so. Trump's profound witlessness is his alibi.

So far everything that's filtered its way into the public makes him look like someone who can't even collude properly but who is extremely easy to manipulate with flattery from the powerful in nondemocratic countries.

Not flattery. Money. That's what all this comes back too.

He's a narcissist, for sure. But he needs his money to keep his ego. Russia is who provides his money (according to Trump's own sons). It's all about money.

Lethargic Aptitude · Jan 11, 2019

Re: F.B.I. Opened Inquiry Into Whether Trump Was Secretly Working on Behalf of Russia

Amelia said:
I am still inclined to believe the answer is "unwittingly fallen under Moscow’s influence".

I am of that mind too, but it gets harder to believe that he was just used. I am starting to think that he did both: That Trump did not understand that what he was doing could turn into Russian influence over the oval office. Trump probably thought that he could play Putin. Or he believed whatever Putin told him...

Still could just be that Trump is stupid and put himself and the country in a bind.

HumblePi · Jan 11, 2019

Re: F.B.I. Opened Inquiry Into Whether Trump Was Secretly Working on Behalf of Russia

It's absolutely astonishing and something this country has never experienced. All those times like when he promised at his rally that he would be making a big announcement about HRC in a few days, that was when he was being fed 'dirt on Hillary Clinton'. And we all thought....what the heck does he mean? Then the fact that Russia's top spies were invited into the Oval Office and he told both of them that he fired that 'nut job' Comey and he no longer felt 'great pressure'. Then there was the secret meeting with Putin in Helsinki. Then the scorn and criticism of NATO, and then, etc etc.

We all thought WTF? Why isn't someone doing something about him, he's destroying our country, he's working for Putin! Well thank God, the FBI thought the exact same thing. Who would EVER imagine that the President of the United States would be the subject of a counter-intelligence investigation.

Saladin4 · Jan 11, 2019

Re: F.B.I. Opened Inquiry Into Whether Trump Was Secretly Working on Behalf of Russia

The Headline is actually pretty shocking.....FBI Believed trump working with the Russians...Let that sink in America

Saladin4 · Jan 11, 2019

Re: F.B.I. Opened Inquiry Into Whether Trump Was Secretly Working on Behalf of Russia

HumblePi said:
The first response from the White House comes from Sarah Sanders;

"This is absurd. James Comey was fired because he's a disgraced partisan hack, and his Deputy Andrew McCabe , who was in charge at the time, is a known liar fired by the FBI.Unlike Pesident Obama, who let Russia and other foreign adversaries push America around, President Trump has actually been tough on Russia"
Sarah Sanders

Funny how Trump makes her tweet stuff that not even he can postView attachment 67247820

Sarah Sandbags is No Baghdad Bob...Bob was an artist, a poet and a sage, a true master of his craft...Sandbags is a disgusting obese Liar

Hatuey · Jan 11, 2019

Re: F.B.I. Opened Inquiry Into Whether Trump Was Secretly Working on Behalf of Russia

Lifelong supporters of law enforcement claiming that FBI is crooked in 3.... 2 ... 1.....

Sent from Trump Plaza's basement using Putin's MacBook.

Xelor · Jan 11, 2019

Re: F.B.I. Opened Inquiry Into Whether Trump Was Secretly Working on Behalf of Russia

F.B.I. Opened Inquiry Into Whether Trump Was Secretly Working on Behalf of Russia

Well, duh! People in the general public were considering whether that's so. You had to know damn well the FBI could see the same plausibility.

Xelor · Jan 11, 2019

Re: F.B.I. Opened Inquiry Into Whether Trump Was Secretly Working on Behalf of Russia

Amelia said:
I am still inclined to believe the answer is "unwittingly fallen under Moscow’s influence".

"Unwittingly?" I don't know that I'd go that far.

Xelor · Jan 11, 2019

Re: F.B.I. Opened Inquiry Into Whether Trump Was Secretly Working on Behalf of Russia

HumblePi said:
The first response from the White House comes from Sarah Sanders;

"This is absurd. James Comey was fired because he's a disgraced partisan hack, and his Deputy Andrew McCabe , who was in charge at the time, is a known liar fired by the FBI.Unlike Pesident Obama, who let Russia and other foreign adversaries push America around, President Trump has actually been tough on Russia"
Sarah Sanders

Funny how Trump makes her tweet stuff that not even he can postView attachment 67247820

Red:
That remark doesn't even address whether Trump be a Russian asset.

Amelia · Jan 11, 2019

Re: F.B.I. Opened Inquiry Into Whether Trump Was Secretly Working on Behalf of Russia

Xelor said:
"Unwittingly?" I don't know that I'd go that far.

Would a U.S. president who had any sort of awareness of how he had fallen under Moscow's influence openly profess to have more faith in Putin than in U.S. intelligence agencies? Someone with awareness would know he should not publicly share that belief.

He's sublimely naive.

I think FreedomFromAll had it correct here:

FreedomFromAll said:
.... I am starting to think that he did both: That Trump did not understand that what he was doing could turn into Russian influence over the oval office. Trump probably thought that he could play Putin. ....

Trump thinks he can stand toe to toe with the big boys and give as good as he gets. And the big boys stroke him and keep him believing that that's how they see the situation -- one of mutual respect between worthy adversaries. He's utterly clueless about how he is being played.

... or so it appears to me.

HumblePi · Jan 11, 2019

Re: F.B.I. Opened Inquiry Into Whether Trump Was Secretly Working on Behalf of Russia

Xelor said:
Red:
That remark doesn't even address whether Trump be a Russian asset.

Nope, no denials. Tomorrow we'll hear it multiple times "no collusion, nope....no collusion"

In my dreams anyway, I wish they could prove that Pence was a part of all this. Guess who's 3rd in line to be president in the event that neither the president or vice president can serve? Yep, Nancy Pelosi. 'President Pelosi', yes that has a good ring to it.

jghiretire · Jan 12, 2019

Re: F.B.I. Opened Inquiry Into Whether Trump Was Secretly Working on Behalf of Russia

Xelor said:
"Unwittingly?" I don't know that I'd go that far.

I don't think he cared. All he could think about was how much money he stood to gain and how much pay to play there was in the presidency.

jghiretire · Jan 12, 2019

Re: F.B.I. Opened Inquiry Into Whether Trump Was Secretly Working on Behalf of Russia

Double post - oops

Xelor · Jan 12, 2019

Re: F.B.I. Opened Inquiry Into Whether Trump Was Secretly Working on Behalf of Russia

Amelia said:
Would a U.S. president who had any sort of awareness of how he had fallen under Moscow's influence openly profess to have more faith in Putin than in U.S. intelligence agencies? Someone with awareness would know he should not publicly share that belief.

He's sublimely naive.

I think FreedomFromAll had it correct here:

Trump thinks he can stand toe to toe with the big boys and give as good as he gets. And the big boys stroke him and keep him believing that that's how they see the situation -- one of mutual respect between worthy adversaries. He's utterly clueless about how he is being played.

... or so it appears to me.

Red:
A POTUS with Trump's hubris and who knows he's in cahoots with an adversary damn sure would.

Look at how monarchical he's been throughout his presidency.
Look at how he's directed his rhetoric toward pandering to his base rather than to the country as a whole. His base of conspiracy theorizing and anti-establishment buffoons is large enough to afford him political endurance and let him get away with the BS we've been seeing for three years now.
Look at how he's repeatedly attacked the major institutions and bulwarks of our democracy -- the press, the DoJ, the FBI, the intelligence community, the military, and our allies -- yet availed his position to sow seeds of socio-political discord to tear it down.
Look at how many people having no subject matter gravitas he's appointed to positions of power.
Look at how solicitous Trump's been toward Putin, KJU and Erdogan, despotic strongmen each. And why has Trump met in secret with Putin and KJU? Hell, why did he meet at all with KJU, thus giving that guy stature he otherwise would never have obtained?
Consider the odd secrecy Trump has maintained about pretty much everything pertaining to his affairs. When has so much ever been secret
Look at all professionals and experts whose input he's rejected and of whom he's declared he knows more than they: generals, mainstream economists, academics, and diplomats.
Look at Trump's insistence that his finances are off limits.
What have we been hearing and seeing for the past few weeks?
- Trump's truculence regarding funding major units of the US government, including the DHS, and for what? A frigging wall for which there's absolutely no business case for installing. A wall that he didn't bother to get funded when his party controlled both chambers of Congress, but is now the lynchpin to whether essential units of the government is funded.
- Is it coincidental that the NYT's article about the FBI investigating whether Trump is a Russian asset appeared literally hours after Trump backed down, somewhat, from his threat to declare extant a fictitious national emergency? I ask because a POTUS obtains vast powers to circumvent Congressional an other oversight units of the government.
A POTUS is the one person who obtains access to all of America's security "secrets" and who doesn't undergo a background check.

A POTUS is the one person whose bizarre behavior and remarks, particularly if they have a material degree of popular support, can be gotten away with and framed as politics rather than insurgency.

So now we know the FBI opened an investigation into whether Trump has been acting as a Russian asset. The verb tenses discussants have used, deferentially, imply the investigation to that effect happened and ended, concluding that Trump wasn't. Is that what the FBI concluded? Is the inquiry to that effect indeed over? I don't know. The FBI hasn't commented. Nobody on any Congressional intelligence committee has commented on the matter. We still don't know who that mystery firm is that tried to disregard a subpoena. We have yet to learn what matter pertained to all the redactions in the Flynn sentencing documents. Did the redactions pertain to the counterintelligence inquiry into Trump?

Cardinal · Jan 12, 2019

Re: F.B.I. Opened Inquiry Into Whether Trump Was Secretly Working on Behalf of Russia

Slyfox696 said:
Given that he has repeatedly worked in a manner consistent with an asset, it is not surprising. Still, the chief law enforcement agency in America opened a counterintelligence investigation into the President whom they worried was betraying America.

Just stop and think about how incredible that concept is.

Which they would not have done had they not concluded that his actions were specifically putting a foreign country’s well being over his own.

“Big takeaway: The FBI opens a counterintelligence investigation on the President of the United States if it has a reason to believe that his actions are putting the interests of a foreign country over those of our own.”
-Asha Rangappa, former FBI agent

Oborosen · Jan 12, 2019

Re: F.B.I. Opened Inquiry Into Whether Trump Was Secretly Working on Behalf of Russia

HumblePi said:
It seems that the FBI opened up an investigation into Donald Trump and possible collusion with Russia out of concerns that this could be a security concern for the U.S.

F.B.I. Opened Inquiry Into Whether Trump Was Secretly Working on Behalf of Russia

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/11/us/politics/fbi-trump-russia-inquiry.html

Following President Trump’s firing of James B. Comey as F.B.I. director, the bureau grew increasingly concerned about whether the president’s actions constituted anti-American activity.CreditSarah Silbiger/The New York Times

WASHINGTON — In the days after President Trump fired James B. Comey as F.B.I. director, law enforcement officials became so concerned by the president’s behavior that they began investigating whether he had been working on behalf of Russia against American interests, according to former law enforcement officials and others familiar with the investigation.

The inquiry carried explosive implications. Counterintelligence investigators had to consider whether the president’s own actions constituted a possible threat to national security. Agents also sought to determine whether Mr. Trump was knowingly working for Russia or had unwittingly fallen under Moscow’s influence.

The investigation the F.B.I. opened into Mr. Trump also had a criminal aspect, which has long been publicly known: whether his firing of Mr. Comey constituted obstruction of justice.

Wait, are the kids still crying about Comey being fired? Even though it's already been shown that there was no wrong doing when he did so?
Well, that's the desperation of left and to an extent, this who idiotic "resist" group as well.

I'll be here waiting to see if they can actually prove anything this time around. Though I'm not going to hold my breath on this one either.

[W:492] F.B.I. Opened Inquiry Into Whether Trump Was Secretly Working on Behalf of Russia

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[W:492] F.B.I. Opened Inquiry Into Whether Trump Was Secretly Working on Behalf of Russia

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