Trump Timeline ... Trumpocalypse

[Michael Scally MD]

Garry Kasparov ...

The clearest message from this pathetic display is that Trump doesn't represent America, much like Putin doesn't represent Russia. And he just spent two hours alone with a KGB agent.

This is Putin's dream, bilateral equality with the US despite his dictatorship & aggression, one on one with the US president instead of confronting American interests, international institutions, and free world values.

That Trump not only allows this, but happily defends the dictator who recently ordered a Russian military intelligence unit to attack the USA, is either an overwhelming display of weakness or treason.

Trump hits Obama for not stopping Putin's attacks on the US. He hits Merkel for making a pipeline deal with Putin. But next to Putin himself, he won't say anything. Is he wearing a tie or a leash? #PutinsPoodle

And there's the next item on Putin's wish list, offering "help" in investigating his own attacks on the US in exchange for Trump's help stopping @Billbrowder and the Magnitsky sanctions that target him & his oligarchs.

Trump's "We're all to blame" says it all. Attacking his own administration and flattering Putin. America First? A sick joke. Where are Trump's supporters right now? Where are you? You fools and enablers selling out your country and the world for this traitor?

I'm ready to call this the darkest hour in the history of the American presidency. Let me know if you can think of any competition.

Thread by @Kasparov63: "The clearest message from this pathetic display is that Trump doesn't represent America, much like Putin doesn't represent Russia. And he ju […]" #PutinsPoodle

 

[Michael Scally MD]

 

[Michael Scally MD]

 

[Michael Scally MD]

 

[Michael Scally MD]

 

[Michael Scally MD]

 

[Michael Scally MD]

 

[Michael Scally MD]

 

[Michael Scally MD]

 

[Michael Scally MD]

There are exactly two possible explanations for the shameful performance the world witnessed on Monday, from a serving American president.

Either Donald Trump is flat-out an agent of Russian interests—witting, unwitting, from fear of blackmail, in hope of future deals, out of manly respect for Vladimir Putin, out of gratitude for Russia’s help during the election, out of pathetic inability to see beyond his 306 electoral votes. Whatever the exact mixture of motives might be, it doesn’t really matter.

Or he is so profoundly ignorant, insecure, and narcissistic that he did not realize that, at every step, he was advancing the line that Putin hoped he would advance, and the line that the American intelligence, defense, and law-enforcement agencies most dreaded.

Conscious tool. Useful idiot. Those are the choices, though both are possibly true—the main question is the proportions.

Whatever the balance of motivations, what mattered was that Trump’s answers were indistinguishable from Putin’s, starting with the fundamental claim that Putin’s assurances about interference in U.S. democracy (“He was incredibly strong and confident in his denial”) deserved belief over those of his own Department of Justice (“I think the probe is a disaster for our country”).

I am old enough to remember Lyndon Johnson and Richard Nixon telling lies on TV, about Vietnam in both cases, and Watergate for Nixon. I remember the travails and deceptions of Bill Clinton, and of George W. Bush in the buildup to the disastrous Iraq War.

But never before have I seen an American president consistently, repeatedly, publicly, and shockingly advance the interests of another country over those of his own government and people.

Trump manifestly cannot help himself. This is who he is.

 

[Michael Scally MD]

President Trump today, at a press conference with Russian President Vladimir Putin, said he didn't see "any reason" why Russia would interfere in the 2016 election, in response to a question on whether he believed Putin or U.S. intelligence agencies.

Our thought bubble from Jonathan Swan in Helsinki: "I just have no words. As press in this room, we are all sitting in here speechless and stunned. Trump cast doubt over the U.S. intelligence community and endorsed Putin’s denial. Trump was given an opportunity to denounce the meddling and he didn’t; he just pivoted to lines about the missing server and Hillary’s emails. While Putin spoke forcefully, lying, Trump nodded along. There’s no way of sugar coating or spinning this."

Why it matters: This comes just days after Trump's own administration indicted 12 Russians for hacking the DNC with the intent of interfering with the election. The U.S. intelligence community has repeatedly concluded that Russia actively sought to interfere in the election, and plans to again.

When asked if he wanted Trump to win the election, Putin said, "Yes I did. Because he talked about bringing the US-Russia relationship back to normal."

 

[Michael Scally MD]

 

[Michael Scally MD]

WASHINGTON (AP) — Donald Trump’s “America First” slogan morphed Monday into “Me First” as the president unloaded on his own intelligence community and Justice Department to portray himself as the victim of a conspiracy to deny him legitimacy. Trump also blamed American “foolishness and stupidity” for the poor state of U.S.-Russia relations, returning to themes he has repeated at political rallies around the United States.

This time, though, he was on foreign soil, standing next to Vladimir Putin, the very man whose government is accused of interfering in the 2016 election to favor Trump. As such, his extraordinary performance fueled criticism of his presidency from both the right and left. And it will likely embolden Putin, who faced no pushback from Trump over the election allegations or a long list of other Kremlin actions, ranging from Syria to Ukraine.

Sure enough, critics and even some usually reliable defenders were quick to pounce.

Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., called it “one of the most disgraceful performances by an American president in memory.”

 

[Michael Scally MD]

 

[Michael Scally MD]

 

[Michael Scally MD]

 

[Michael Scally MD]

 

[Michael Scally MD]

 

[Michael Scally MD]

 

[Michael Scally MD]