Discussion: WH Challenges Hollywood To Condemn Depp's Assassination Comments

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#97

Maybe OT but not too much. This was two days ago – was the story posted at TPM? I was a bit swamped at work so may have missed it.

FBI official won’t say that President Trump is not a Russian agent: A first for an American president.

Donald Trump’s unprecedented actions as president are stacking up daily, but this is a truly new one: A top FBI official will not say whether the president is an “unwitting agent” who aided Russia during the 2016 presidential campaign.

Bill Priestap, the assistant director of the FBI’s counterintelligence division, testified before the Senate Intelligence Committee yesterday. He said that Russia “employed a multifaceted approach intended to undermine confidence in our democratic process,” including efforts to “discredit” Hillary Clinton and help elect Trump.

“Did Donald Trump become an unwitting agent of the Russians?” asked Sen. Martin Heinrich, D-N.M.

After a long pause, Priestap said, “I can’t really comment on that."

MJ also has their story.

@inversion
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#98

Let’s be honest about the threat that Johnny Depp poses. He could possibly drunkenly knock dump’s phone out of his hands. Would that really be so awful?

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#99

Also… (vid clip embedded)

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#100

I’m gonna just go ahead and assume Priestap’s hesitation was over the qualifier “unwitting”.

That Trump was an “agent of the Russians” is hardly in doubt.

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#101

I was thinking the same.

Aside from that though, the mere fact that he GLOMARed this is just… wow.

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#102

Also OT, but there’s a pretty decent diary up over at Kos called Republicans: Russia Was Meddling in the Republican Primary for Trump & Continues to Meddle. It’s heavily sourced and I confess that I didn’t click thru the numerous links but it makes a compelling case for Putin aiding Tramp well before he became the nominee. It also goes into background of the GOP’s own involvement as well as the Russianization of the alt-right “news” outlets.

Well worth the read if for no other reason than to add a few more dots to consider.

@inversion
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@leftcoaster
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@tena

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#103

Sen. Heinrich has been stellar in these hearings. Another rising star, IMHO.

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#104

I think it’s safe to assume that Putin (along with the rest of the post-Soviet, Russian-mob oligarchs) was aiding Trump through “loans”, “investments”, and “real-estate purchases” (i.e. money to be laundered) for years before Donald ever thought of running for office.

Let’s just say there’s a whole lotta interesting stuff in that sealed FBI file on Felix Sater and the boys.

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#105

Thank you for the link – I would have missed it otherwise. Will spend some time going over it including links.

Honestly, I am totally NOT surprised. Why? Because Putin would never pick his puppet at random or leave it to chance – and of course Trump’s Russia connections (and kompromats Russia collected along the way) go way, way back beyond the 2016 elections.

Given his hiring of Cambridge Analytica first, I still do not rule out the possibility Cruz is another favorite. But I am not aware of Cruz having such deep, complex ties with Russia as Trump does.

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#106

Oh, I absolutely agree that Putin et al have been propping up Tramp and his always failing dirty businesses for years, even a few decades. What I meant was that Putin was aiding Tramp’s campaign early on in the primaries. As @geofu54 said, why take a chance on him winning the nom if you already have your influence scheme just waiting to be tested out.

And it wouldn’t surprise me if Putin’s thugs have been planting, fertilizing and tending the seed of the presidency in Tramp’s tiny, addled mind for years, too. They know him better than he knows himself, they know which buttons to push and how best to push them. They saw him seethe at the WHCD when Obama ribbed him and then goaded him into making the run.

He is a cross between The Manchurian Candidate and the “asset” described by Clapper who didn’t know he’d become an asset - complete with devastating kompromat - until it was too late. How easily this man child is played and now we have to deal with the fallout.

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#107

And one more. It’s totally fair and just to ask what Russia has on Ryan.

https://twitter.com/ForeignPolicy/status/878348048220340224

@ncsteve
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#108

It would be fun to see a debate between Trump and Capt. Jack Sparrow.

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#109

Though the answer might have something to do with either him liking his good government job or his future presidential aspiration, I’m still trying to figure out why Rubio is still supporting Trump.

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#110

accidently, right?

(edited)

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#111

My guess? Rube’s got a safe senate seat for another 5+ years and he wants to run for prez again in 2020 so he doesn’t want to alienate Tramp’s debased base. Same goes for Cruz and Ryan.

Once Tramp’s approval dips below 30 - if it ever does - they’ll bail on him faster than he turns on his own loyalists!

#112

singing “he’s running against ‘45’”

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#113

No way 45’s on the ballot in 2020. He’s either already out of office or is painted as the do-nothingest president of all time.

I’m still praying for a massive stroke, though…

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#114

mind you, I get him running in 2024, but if they don’t get some control over the Trump wing, I can’t see him winning even then.

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#115

o/t

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#116

Okay, off to bed for me! Have a good night - nice chatting w/you, inversion!

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