Kut's Trump Approval Thread #1 (Starts Out at 100%)

[BugI02]

"National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster says no intelligence sources or methods were discussed and no military operations were disclosed that were not already known publicly."

I don't much care for this denial and it's careful parsing. One can still divulge information that is unique and can trace back to a source without "discussing" sources or methods

Anyone know McMaster's definition of "is"

 

[BugI02]

The Report This Evening By The Washington Post That POTUS Trump Allegedly Leaked Highly Classified Information To Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov - Appears To Be Part Of Putin's Disinformation Campaign Designed To Undermine POTUS Trump & America - A

The report this evening which dominated the evening news channels, a Washington Post story that POTUS Trump disclosed highly classified intelligence to Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov in recent days — has been FORCEFULLY denounced this evening by POTUS Trump’s National Security Adviser, LTG. H.R. McMaster. Gen. McMaster spoke publicly to the news media this evening, from the White House, and unequivocally said that “the Washington Post story/article, IS FALSE.” Gen. McMaster should know — he was one of 4 Americans who were in the room with Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov. The other three Americans were: POTUS Trump, SECSTATE Tillerson, Deputy National Security Adviser Dina Powell. In his televised remarks calling the Washington Post “FALSE,” Gen. McMaster stated that he checked with POTUS Trump,. SECSTATE Tillerson, Ms. Powell and of course his own recollection, and ‘everyone was on the same page,” that the Washington Post story was completely false.


What is also very disturbing is that the Washington Post did not speak, nor attempt to speak to any of the Americans named above who were in the room when this meeting/conversation occurred. The only others in the room, outside of the 4 Americans, were Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov, and Russia’s Ambassador to Washington.


Since neither POTUS Trump, nor SECSTATE Tilleroson, nor Gen, McMaster, nor his Deputy Ms. Powell spoke to the Washington Post, nor, authorized a subordinate nor anyone else they work with to speak to the Washington Post, this raises the prospect that this story was a deliberate disinformation leak/story, planted by Russia, to further feed the narrative being pushed by many Democrats and the left. Left-leaning publications like the Washington Post are so angry and upset that POTUS Trump was elected, that they, and many Democrats on the Hill, that they fail to realize that they themselves could be the one’s who are doing Putin’s bidding.

 

[jamil]

The Report This Evening By The Washington Post That POTUS Trump Allegedly Leaked Highly Classified Information To Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov - Appears To Be Part Of Putin's Disinformation Campaign Designed To Undermine POTUS Trump & America - A

Who? Fortuna's what? WTF is that?

But anyway. When I heard the story break, my first thoughts were, okay, whoever is leaking this is either lying or is stupid, because there couldn't have been very many people in that room. It can't be all that hard to figure out where the leak came from if it's true.

 

[BugI02]

Forums Corner - You Can Never Have Too Much Information, Knowledge Is Your Best Weapon - RC Porter

 

[Kutnupe14]

Who? Fortuna's what? WTF is that?

But anyway. When I heard the story break, my first thoughts were, okay, whoever is leaking this is either lying or is stupid, because there couldn't have been very many people in that room. It can't be all that hard to figure out where the leak came from if it's true.

Actually, the Wapo article says, that following the meeting, White House officials understood the gravity of Trumps words, and reported it to the CIA and NSA as a security precaution. As they should've done. From there, I imagine it went through a number of hands who could potentially be the source of the leak.

 

[Kutnupe14]

Who? Fortuna's what? WTF is that?

But anyway. When I heard the story break, my first thoughts were, okay, whoever is leaking this is either lying or is stupid, because there couldn't have been very many people in that room. It can't be all that hard to figure out where the leak came from if it's true.

Apparently he's having a slow private investigator day. National Security Expert by day, Sam Spade by night. How does one live with all that adventure?

 

[jamil]

Apparently he's having a slow private investigator day. National Security Expert by day, Sam Spade by night. How does one live with all that adventure?

Well, he's retired now, so...

 

[Kutnupe14]

Ya know, on second thought, why is the Trump telling the Russians classified info a big deal? The president has plenty of powers. He can fire the FBI director. No problem, right? Heck he can also unilaterally declassify information. What's the problem?

 

[BugI02]

Apparently he's having a slow private investigator day. National Security Expert by day, Sam Spade by night. How does one live with all that adventure?

As opposed to the vast real world intelligence experience of the WaPo reporters

Greg Miller covers the intelligence beat for The Washington Post. He was among the Post reporters awarded the 2014 Pulitzer Prize for coverage of U.S. surveillance programs revealed by Edward Snowden. He was a finalist for the 2013 Pulitzer Prize for a series of stories, Permanent War, on the Obama administration's counter-terrorism policies. He is co-author of a book, The Interrogators, and has made reporting trips to countries including Afghanistan, Pakistan, Kuwait and Serbia. Miller is a California native, and previously worked for The Los Angeles Times.

Greg Jaffe is a reporter on the national staff of The Washington Post, where he has been since March 2009. Previously, he covered the White House and the military for The Post.

 

[jbombelli]

Ya know, on second thought, why is the Trump telling the Russians classified info a big deal? The president has plenty of powers. He can fire the FBI director. No problem, right? Heck he can also unilaterally declassify information. What's the problem?

This is what I was wondering. I was always under the impression that the President was the ONE guy that COULD do that.

 

[Fargo]

Ya know, on second thought, why is the Trump telling the Russians classified info a big deal? The president has plenty of powers. He can fire the FBI director. No problem, right? Heck he can also unilaterally declassify information. What's the problem?

If the power to classify and declassify rests with the executive, then there is no legal issue whatsoever with him divulging the alleged information. It may be a foreign relations screwup and/or an intelligence partners screwup, but I believe that discretion lies with the executive as do most powers of foreign affairs.

We aren't in a war or even overtly hostile relationship with Russia no matter how much the Dems want to pretend like this is 1983 and Ted Kennedy is asking Andropov for help beating Reagan...

 

[Kutnupe14]

If the power to classify and declassify rests with the executive, then there is no legal issue whatsoever with him divulging the alleged information. It may be a foreign relations screwup and/or an intelligence partners screwup, but I believe that discretion lies with the executive as do most powers of foreign affairs.

We aren't in a war or even overtly hostile relationship with Russia no matter how much the Dems want to pretend like this is 1983 and Ted Kennedy is asking Andropov for help beating Reagan...

Im not sure I agree with your characterization of our relationship with Russia. It's not the Cold War, but if certainly classify it as hostile. It's not friendly, it's not normal, it's not strained... What else is there but hostile.

 

[BugI02]

Well, which is it? Trump is colluding with and overly cozy with the Russians, or we are in a hostile relationship with them. Pick one or pick cognitive dissonance

 

[hoosierdoc]

Im not sure I agree with your characterization of our relationship with Russia. It's not the Cold War, but if certainly classify it as hostile. It's not friendly, it's not normal, it's not strained... What else is there but hostile.

lots of things. Think of your personal relationships

 

[T.Lex]

Yeah, I'm of mixed minds about this.

Trump, as a novice who tends to go off script, he is certainly capable of screwing up something like this. And, the "denial" parsed the words very differently than what the story actually reported.

But, even the story itself doesn't really reveal anything earth shattering. If Trump disclosed the specifics of a Daesh threat, unless he came right out and said, "The Israelis tell us...." then he probably didn't divulge methods or sources. Heck, he may've been trying to say WE figured out their plan. As a narcissist, he's certainly capable of keeping secret about the real source if it feeds his self-aggrandizement.

Worst case scenario is that he tarnished our intelligence relationship with an ally. Depending on the ally, it may not matter much. It'll probably make agents and sources request that the information NOT go all the way to the top and/or agencies not giving the full info to the POTUS. Which is a whole different problem.

 

[jamil]

Well, which is it? Trump is colluding with and overly cozy with the Russians, or we are in a hostile relationship with them. Pick one or pick cognitive dissonance

Let's keep straight with what the accusation is. The United States doesn't have a friendly relationship with Russia. It is more adversarial, but not like the cold war. To have that kind of relationship, and have our president be accused of colluding with that unfriendly nation, is a big deal. But, as big a deal as it is, I prefer to have at least some real evidence that it actually happened before I call for the guillotine.

 

[T.Lex]

Well, which is it? Trump is colluding with and overly cozy with the Russians, or we are in a hostile relationship with them. Pick one or pick cognitive dissonance

Trump can have a warm relationship, while the nation at large, and our interests, are adverse. That level of cognitive dissonance would be appropriate for Trump.

It is not mutually exclusive.

And, even during the Cold War, there were many examples of the ground level troops getting along between the USSR and US.

 

[Kutnupe14]

Ya know, now I'm actually relieved Trump doesn't get intel briefings every day. Lol

 

[Fargo]

Im not sure I agree with your characterization of our relationship with Russia. It's not the Cold War, but if certainly classify it as hostile. It's not friendly, it's not normal, it's not strained... What else is there but hostile.

They have interests adverse to ours, in fact they probably have very many interests of that nature. What they do not have is an interest in invading or destroying us, what they really probably want is to sit on some sort of equal footing as they once did.

We have a ton of so-called allies who have interests just as adverse, if not more so, than the Russians. The difference is that they have very little chance of ever sitting on an equal footing with us. The Saudi's come to mind as well as a whole bunch of strongman dictators we have propped up, ala Saddam Hussein.. Hell, the Israelis have made it clear that they are solely in it for the Israelis and that their relationship with us is at its core one of self interest.

 

[Dddrees]

Just because he can doesn't make it the smartest thing he should have ever done. If not everyday or at least every week there's another crisis with this idiot. Damn Trump is such a loose canon. What a frigging idiot.