You certainly implied it was directed by Moscow.
Are you going to write for the next four years that whatever Trump says is directed by Moscow?
That’s simplistic and boring.
I suspect its much simpler and much less strategic than that. Let’s assume for a moment that Trump was indeed aware of the Russian interference in the campaign, and that he or his campaign staff had some communication with some Russian forces or proxies during the campaign on these issues.
Trump would have a pretty good idea of what is going to be in the IC report on the election concerning Russian interference. And it won’t look good for him.
So, preemptively he launches into an attack on them and then tosses out this leak that he will gut the IC. That puts him in a position where he can discredit any further news or leaks as being from “sore losers” who are just mad at him cleaning house. That provides enough cover with his supporters, both voters and in government, to brush off allegations.
Add to that, Flynn does indeed have a major axe to grind with the Intel community, and has been whispering into Trump’s ear for a long time now. On this point, for his own agenda, he will definitely be nudging Trump towards gutting the Agency, and using Trump’s ire at having the legitimacy of his win questioned as the means to do so.
The real problems for Trump are several…(1) an Intel community at “war” with the President can make for a disastrous Presidency…their ability to do so shouldn’t be in doubt; its merely a matter of motivation. (2) The Five Eyes program ensures that any information that the US Intel community has on Russia interfering with the elections…including the players they used and contacted as part of that…will be in the hands of England, Canada, Australia and New Zealand at the very least (depending upon how big one thinks that program has gotten, or how many other similar ones have been implemented). (3) Its doubtful he could pull off the sort of “restructuring/gutting” being discussed in the WSJ article without Congress, but what isn’t in doubt is any such public move, regardless of its success, will create an Intel community decidedly unwilling/unable to work with the Administration. That will create very real, very big problems for a Presidency looking to change the world’s “global alliance” paradigm to a “bilateral treaty” paradigm.
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Does seem rather ballsy of him. Trump seems like the type of person who believes the CIA did in JFK…
If they took out a popular president, why would he think he’d be safe if he’s going after the very institution that they’ve dedicated their lives to?
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Oh. My. God.
Josh this morning:
What sounds to be in the offing here thought is not some considered reform but institutional vengeance and the rankest kind of politicization.
I believe “purge” would be the word he was looking for there. Because that’s the collective mindset at work, the paranoid psychotic totalitarian regime purge mentality. Devastate institutions that are a threat and purge all potential traitors from positions of power and authority where they might be in a position to undermine the Leader. Even if they fall short in execution (hopefully not a pun), they’re going to render the CIA about as effective as Stalin’s officer corp was after 1936.
And worst case scenario, it works like this: anyone who dares buck Tremendous Leader and his close associate Lavrenti Pavlovovich Flynn gets demoted and sent to the sticks. Anyone who might have information embarrassing to Tremendous Leader or Comrade Flynn gets exiled as far from Congress and the press (which, after all, no longer has much international reach due to all those smart MBA’s killing off unprofitable branches) as possible. Anyone responsible for Comrade Flynn having been fired in disgrace for the sin of having been right about everything and in sole possession of the Truth that Obama and his hacks were too suborned by Sharia to see? You’re a constructive traitor and your career gets wrecked immediately.
And, above all, anyone who’s might be in a position to leak information that might expose Tremendous Leader to impeachment gets put into a covert op in a dangerous country under a thin cover. Analyst, not a field operative? Should have thought about that before you bucked the regime.
And Gleen Greenwald and the Purity Warriors for Jill Stein left are going to cheer and applaud while it’s happening because CIA = Evil and anything that they don’t like must be good.
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Simple and boring things are often the truth.
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It sure sounds to me as if Trump is trying to threaten and intimidate the CIA in advance of tomorrow’s briefing. Is it because he doesn’t want them to say that Russia was behind the hacks? Unlikely, since they already have announced that this is their view. Instead it seems more likely that the intelligence agencies have evidence that Trump colluded with Russia–or, at least, he is very very worried that they do. I would guess that this is what the threats are all about.
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Then stay with this; it’s easier than thinking, and takes all responsibility away from Trump
Not even necessary…
If the shoe fits
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Trump: “Fall in line or else.”
CIA: “Time to uphold that part of the oath ‘… against all enemies, foreign and domestic.’”
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Because it was “thought-provoking” when Obama has been accused of being a Marxist/Kenyan/socialist agent stacking the deck with Muslim Brotherhood agents, right?
Windrip deserves every bit of innuendo thrown at him, certainly since he has made it clear he does not want to either a statesman or a leader for all Americans.
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This Russia theme is fake insight. It’s not provable.
No, the evil comes from Trump.
Well allrighty then we’ll leave it at that and see what unfolds.
Sincerely,
simplistic and boring.
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Just like a bratty kid who thinks he can change the rules because he is losing the game. Trump will in for a rude awaking when he discovers it’s not that easy anymore
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Moscow determines everything in your universe?
Does it decide what brand toilet paper you buy too?
Of course, when the inevitable terrorist attack occurs, it will be all Obama’s fault.
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I suspect that is precisely what he is attempting. He seems to be very worried and irritated about all of this.
To further back that up, his tweet storm attacking Obamacare and demanding that Dems be blamed is a classic Trump distraction move Create another controversy to the press with its limited attention span, can’t follow both at the same time.
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Just do some critical thinking.
& @overthefalls96: seems to me I remember some guy named Occam who envisioned a principle that covers this. And another guy named Woodward who updated it.
@tiowally and others: Apparently it caused some confusion with the Woodward I meant. Theodore Woodward was the medical school guy who told his students, “When you hear hoofbeats, think horse, not zebra.” Sort of a colorful version of Occam’s Razor.
People will “believe” what they want. Why point out the obvious?