Putin Discards Trump Like Bad Trash: MSNBC -- Kremlin Release 2016 Communications From Cohen

[berni_mccoy]

Last edited Mon Dec 3, 2018, 02:18 PM - Edit history (1)

Wow, just heard this on MSNBC: They noted that the Kremlin just released communications from Cohen in 2016 about the Trump Tower Moscow, corroborating his testimony to Mueller.

If this is true, this is the nail in the coffin for Drumpf.

On Edit: screen cap added to appease doubters -

[Roland99]

1. Guess they realize those sanctions aren't gonna be lifted

[GeorgeGist]

18. Plan B is in the building ...

[Pluvious]

38. Or would that be "Plan P," Manafort's Plant, Pence... nt.

[bdamomma]

40. this picture is

interesting another sucker waiting in the wings perhaps.

[libdem4life]

42. Plan B is dirty...forced into VP by none other than Manafort.

That's the quickest, but hardly the greatest element, of Plan B's demise.

[moonscape]

83. I'm still not clear why Manafort/Russia wanted

Pence so much. So many Repubs are financially compromised, but what was/is it about Pence in particular?

[LittleGirl]

93. to get the evangelical votes. eom

[czarjak]

81. Surely Putin wouldn't give you any "inaccurate facts", huh, Mikey?

[flying_wahini]

84. Pence the Poser

Never leaves his mask at home. Always preening and suckin ass.

[BlancheSplanchnik]

98. Truth! Here, he does look a little like he's trying hard

To make sense of what uncle vlad is saying. He’s not the brightest tool in the shed. I have no doubt putin can run intellectual circles around him.

[KPN]

100. When was that picture taken/where?

[olegramps]

97. Putin has been playing this stupid oaf like a cheap fiddle. I wait for the release of porno tapes.

It doesn't take any brains to compromise a gangster without a conscience. Just wave the money in front of his face and he will crawl to hell and back for it.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

2. Oops, Daddy is mad at Tiny.

The next time Trump and Putin meet (if ever), Trump should be careful about accepting a cup of tea, and should keep an eye out for guys with stabby umbrellas.

[Moostache]

55. Or maybe he could be the usual obtuse doofus he is normally?

I would not be upset by that...not one little bit.

[brewens]

65. Imagine being Trumps food taster! They'd be thinking, of all the freakin' world leaders to have

this job with! McDonalds and KFC!

[not fooled]

90. One reason he eats McD and KFC

is that he's afraid of being poisoned (not just by putin). Seriously. He thinks random fast food is much harder to get at.

[manor321]

3. It's a warning shot from Putin to not reveal any more

[FakeNoose]

25. Michael Cohen has already told his story

Putin just agreed that Cohen told the truth. It looks like Putin's ready to dust off Trump, that's how it looks to me.

[onenote]

46. All this confirms is that Cohen communicated with Russia in January 2016

Which is probably why it wasn't a big story when it broke on Friday.

[pecosbob]

60. When you add the fact that financing was from VTB, a sanctioned entity

that becomes a separate violation of Magnitsky, up to 20 years in prison, up to a million dollar fine.

[CentralMass]

102. The useful idiot is now just an idiot.

[RockRaven]

4. If they can't get what they want most (lifted sanctions) they'll settle for their second choice:

chaos and discord, and their associated inattention and weakness.

[pangaia]

32. chaos, discord, crashing US economy, banks?, stock market,

exports, big time inflation.........

[Cirque du So-What]

5. Pooty-poot knows the sanctions won't be lifted

so why not create chaos & discord in the USA? Rump in office, rump getting his ass kicked...either way, chaos reigns.

[peggysue2]

6. Exactly!

Putin will do whatever he can to create disruption and chaos. Trumpy hasn't fulfilled his role in the Pootie Universe, so he's expendable. Just like everyone else.

[Roland99]

7. Know what's so funny about this? Kremlin trend on Twitter says opposite!

A lot of bots are posting links to zerohedge, infowars and newswars stating that mueller withheld “exonerating” info re: Cohen and the Kremlin. That Cohen never contacted them

Hilarious.

[pecosbob]

14. That deserves a post of it's own...

[Roland99]

15. When this claim on MSNBC becomes some verified info available to us I'll make an OP

[LiberalLovinLug]

24. that tread follows their MO perfectly

That's what they have been doing that has been so effective. They play both/all sides. Like they infiltrated Sanders and Stein sites. And allow RT news to host left of center hosts that attack Trump. Those two things alone caused a lot of grief right here on DU. With some of the less informed accusing actual supporters of those candidates as being responsible. Or that the hosts that took advantage of the platform of RT, are automatically Putin agents.

[Stinky The Clown]

8. I'm not so sure this is good news

If they have no further use for him, what have they gotten that the president of the USA is no longer an important asset?

[Kaleva]

9. They may see Trump as damaged goods and figure it's time to move on to Pence.

[Cartoonist]

10. Saudi Arabia

Control of the Middle East.

[Grasswire2]

12. it's what they didn't get

He was not able to deliver sanctions relief.

Therefore, useless.

He's exposed in the plot to weaken the west.

Therefore, useless.

Putin (as I noted below) will wring any possible leverage out of the situation, but Trump is finis.

[FakeNoose]

28. That's all Putin ever wanted was the sanctions lifted

It's billions of dollars frozen by Obama. It will be even more when the Magnitsky sanctions go into effect. Trump refuses to put them into effect but he'll be gone soon. His successor WILL start the sanctions immediately, you can bet on it.

[llmart]

31. It's also the reason...

Putin had to do whatever necessary to make sure Hillary didn't become President because he KNEW that Hillary would not be manipulated by Putin.

[Grasswire2]

34. well, it's also the weakening of Western alliances..

...and Trump has made some progress in that regard. And Trump has certainly diminished America's role as leader of the free world, but perhaps that's temporary if we can cleanse ourselves of Trump and set things right.

[FakeNoose]

36. I believe our new Democratic POTUS will be able to mend fences

It will take some time, I realize. The Allies will be patient & understanding with us, once Cheeto and the other GOP assholes are gone.

[libdem4life]

44. Perhaps, but a lot of damage has been done, structurally, that can't

be quickly undone. Trump has...well see the above...on the entire globe. Some by ignorance, some by hubris, and other just by plain being hateful. But even if and while we get rid of him, the US is, wherever possible for those who felt trodden down or overplayed, such as our European allies, Off The Table. And our enemies enjoy The Cretin's undying enabling.

[GetRidOfThem]

63. Exactly...

A lot of trust has been destroyed. Even if we now get a great Democrat in there, some of the damage abroad will take a long time to fix, because people will say "look, if the [new] President goes, they can get another idiot or worse, it has already happened once before, America has a hard time finding good leadership".

[libdem4life]

67. ...and, as I read the news, other countries/allies have been forced to forge alliances

that they never would have contemplated BT (Before Trump) and discovering they don't need us as much as they/we thought.

Just a bit off topic... Also,who's going to bring back all those jobs WE lost to global manufacturing and tariffs and taxes and no healthcare...which is provided by many of the really good jobs. Does anyone know how freaking expensive COBRA (emergency health insurance after layoff) is...even as you are laid off or lost your job. They upcharge you as if you did not have prior insurance...or at least they used to.

Timed just perfectly with cuts to Medicaid...health care for the poor.

I don't envy the next President.

[defacto7]

87. That's exactly what the Romans said in the 1st and 2nd centuries.

[fierywoman]

74. I agree.

[WeekiWater]

41. Trump is boxed in at this point when it comes to Russia.

And Putin can’t do anything to weaken the US any better than Trump is himself. Releasing info on Trump would simply aid in our destabilization.

[Grasswire2]

11. He is totally screwed.

Look at the history of people no longer useful to Putin.

Putin will gladly assist in taking him down, if not ordering an assassination.

Putin's strategy now will be to USE the denouement to HIS own best advantage in his war to weaken the Western Alliance and America in particular.

[Hortensis]

13. Wow if true, as you say. But the only question has been WHEN

and HOW Putin shafts Trump, not if. He may have released evidence a few times before for his own delight and we weren't informed, besides obvious teases to the world such as undocumented meetings held in public and ritual humiliations like in Helsinki.

He's made it very clear that he enjoys hurting and humiliating others as a side benefit of furthering his very aggressive hegemonic plans. In particular he's been getting a great deal of malicious pleasure from what he's doing over here.

What else may he choose to unload? Because this would be merely one grenade from a likely arsenal of explosives. Could he by any chance be pressuring Trump? Coming through on a threat?

[HAB911]

22. He could release the TAPE

[erronis]

30. Oh, please! Not the TAPE! Anything but the TAPE!

Actually, many of his fux-supporters would enjoy some real titillation rather than just bimbos crossing their legs.

[Hortensis]

48. Umhm. He may well have proof that Trump himself

committed what we think of colloquially as treason. I'm thinking that might have occurred in a number of situations by now.

[llmart]

33. I think it's the reason for Trump's scared shitless face...

before he left for Argentina. I think he got a disturbing/threatening phone call - I mean life threatening - which is why even Melania had to pat him on the back and hold his hand.

[Hortensis]

52. That's be interesting. I suspect it's not possible for

Trump to get a call that wasn't monitored and recorded by some of our intelligence services. Which could be part of the delivery of a threat in itself.

Incredible thing to be talking about.

Just heard Trump won't be speaking at the funeral. Also a sign of very strange times. No surprise, of course, but a relief to hear. He dishonors whatever he touches.

[Roland99]

16. Not seeing *anything* online backing this up.

Would be nice to see it in print.

[onenote]

17. +1

[berni_mccoy]

19. I took a screen cap

[Me.]

23. Credible Source

[EricMaundry]

20. Trump has outlived his usefulness

I'm sure they've wrung him dry.

Plus he now poses a threat to still important Russian assets, like Mitch McConnell.

[Me.]

21. It May Be A While Before The Media Runs With This

But it's another twist in the story and the knife in Comrade Trump's back. He should've never canceled the meeting. I also think the DEms winning the House is a contributing factor to the story and future Kremlin decisions.

[mia]

26. Dmitry Peskov emails?

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov revealed two emails on Friday from U.S. President Donald Trump’s former personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, who pleaded guilty the previous day to lying to Congress about a project in Moscow.

Peskov said that Cohen had used the January 2016 emails to request a meeting either with Russian President Vladimir Putin’s then-chief of staff Sergei Ivanov or Peskov himself.

In the emails, which Peskov showed to reporters, Cohen expressed interest in discussing a proposed Trump Tower project in Moscow. U.S. prosecutors referred to the emails in court documents related to Cohen’s plea deal.

“Over past few months I’ve been working with the company based in Russia regarding the development of Trump tower, a project in Moscow City,” Cohen wrote in one of the emails that Peskov showed. “I am requesting your assistance. I request someone preferably you contact me, so I might discuss the specifics as well as arranging meetings with appropriate individuals.”

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-11-30/russia-s-peskov-shares-2016-emails-from-ex-trump-lawyer-cohen

[libdem4life]

45. Well now, that's inconvenient...to say the least.

[world wide wally]

27. It will be far more beneficial for Putin to see America go through an impeachment process.

That will create more discord and chaos than just offing Trump.j

[yonder]

66. +1. Yes, agreed. Sanctions won't be lifted, next best thing

[nycbos]

29. Putin Starting to Wonder If His Puppets Are Smart Enough to Pull This Off

MOSCOW (The Borowitz Report)—Russian President Vladimir Putin is “starting to get concerned” that the puppets he installed in the executive branch of the U.S. government “might not be up to the task at hand,” sources confirmed on Tuesday.

According to the sources, the flameout of the national-security adviser Michael Flynn was only the most recent event that has caused Putin to wonder if the figureheads he propelled into office are “just too dim-witted” to serve the goals of the Russian Federation.

“When you choose a puppet, you’re looking for a sweet spot,” one source close to Putin said. “You want to choose someone who’s dumb enough to be manipulated, but not so dumb that he can’t find the light switches.”

“Increasingly, it looks like we missed that sweet spot,” the source said.

Putin is reportedly willing to have a “wait and see” attitude with his current puppets, but, if things do not improve markedly, he will not hesitate to “make some changes,” the source said.

https://www.newyorker.com/humor/borowitz-report/putin-starting-to-wonder-if-his-puppets-are-smart-enough-to-pull-this-off

[bearsfootball516]

35. Would be interesting to see if Putin just abandons Trump.

And makes him go without Russian help in 2020.

[colorado_ufo]

56. Oh, It's already done.

He made sure that Trump saw the very public bro shake with the Saudi Prince at G20.

[TeamPooka]

37. It's a funny thing when you're being used by someone like Trump is by Putin, you never know

when they're going to be done with you and dropped like a hot rock.

[thbobby]

39. The main difference in trump and Putin

is how stupid trump is. We can only guess what Putin's motive is if this reporting is accurate.

[bdamomma]

43. well didn't

trump meet Putin's objectives of screwing our democratic ideals and our reputation around the world.

[BigmanPigman]

61. Yep, Putin A LOT got a back on his investment already.

[onenote]

47. Contrary to what folks are saying, this actually doesn't show Cohen lied to Congress

I believe Cohen did lie to Congress. He's admitted as much.

But the Kremlin releasing emails from January 2016, and nothing from after that date, looks like an attempt to back up the original claim that communications about the proposed project ended in January.

If they had released communications from Feb-June, that would be something completely different.

[berni_mccoy]

49. I disagree... The Kremlin is walking back an earlier denial they made in 2017

Kremlin denies any such contact re Trump Tower Moscow back in August of 2017 (https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/russian-spokesman-says-there-were-contacts-trump-tower-they-disappeared-n942651) : "Peskov said in August 2017 that "we do not react to such business topics — this is not our work — we left it unanswered," the Washington Post reported."

Now the Kremlin is revealing that they did communicate and Cohen's testimony is it went on for months in 2016. The revelation of the emails and calls corroborates Cohen's testimony in his plea.

This is a shot at Trump, plain and simple.

Your claim this backs up Trump is what's being reported on infowars and other RW conspiracy sites.

[bronxiteforever]

51. +1 Also Putin's Media Roasts Trump: Russia 'Should Spit' on Him

“Following the abrupt cancellation of Donald Trump’s G20 meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Russian state media roasted him. Known for seamlessly adhering to the Kremlin’s viewpoint, the troupe of Putin’s cheerleaders took turns laying into the president of the United States.

Rossiya 1” news anchor Kirill Kleymenov pulled no punches, asserting that by canceling his G20 meeting with Vladimir Putin, "Donald Fredovych Trump" subjected the world to a roller coaster ride, everyone in the Trump administration needs tranquilizers, and Donald Trump himself could use a teleprompter—after all, he's "pushing 80." (Trump is 72.)

The addition of “Fredovych” means “the son of Fred,” but could also be interpreted as a double entendre, hinting at the disloyal Fredo Corleone who disappointed “the Godfather.” Kleymenov threw in a few more barbs about the age of the U.S. president, claiming that Donald Trump is so incoherent that he had to have "45" embroidered on his cuffs, just so he wouldn’t forget he is President number 45.

https://www.thedailybeast.com/putins-media-roasts-potus-russia-should-spit-on-trump-and-the-united-states

[onenote]

54. Where does it say the emails confirm communications after January?

The emails are described as being from January 2016.

If the Kremlin wanted to confirm that there were communications after January 2016, why didn't it say so?

Again, I am quite confident that there were such communications. I just don't think that the Kremlin statements are that big a deal since they just confirm what has always been known -- that there were communications in January 2016.


PS - I've never looked at, nor will I ever look at, Infowars or other RW conspiracy site. I just read the article that was posted here about the emails the Kremlin released.

[berni_mccoy]

59. You're arguing something I'm not

But go ahead, it's entertaining to watch.

[onenote]

62. Maybe you should change your OP

Because it says, in essence that the Kremlin release of emails from January 2016 corroborates Cohen's testimony that he continued to communicate after January 2016.

I fully imagine that Mueller has actual corroboration of those post January 2016 communications and wouldn't need or rely on emails from January 2016 to prove post-January 2016 communications.

[berni_mccoy]

68. It does corroborate his testimony. Until his testimony, the Kremlin denied any communications.

You're going beyond that in your "rebuttal".

[onenote]

69. It may undermine what the Kremlin said previously

But it doesn't corroborate the key point of Cohen's testimony to Mueller -- which is that he lied about ending communications in January.

But if you want to believe this is a big deal -- even though it has largely been ignored by the media -- have at it.

[berni_mccoy]

71. I never said it corroborated his "key point". Until Cohen's testimony there was outright denial

of *any* communications in 2016, especially from Kremlin side.

Because of Cohen's testimony, we know that is not true and the Kremlin's release corroborates that as fact.

Each statement made by a witness can be made stronger with each corroborating fact. There is no way this release by the Kremlin is good for Trump.

[Hekate]

50. Rachel tonight will be must-see. Well, as she is most nights these days.

She (and MSNBC, give full credit where due) took full advantage of unfolding the history of the downfall of Nixon to prepare us for what is going on now. I hope most take the lesson.

[Hekate]

53. Trump is now twisting in the wind, isn't he? Vlad is a bigger gangster & more murderous thug...

...than Trump with all his swagger and bluster could ever be, and Trump got into bed with him. Russian media is laughing out loud at Trump.

If this wasn't my country at stake, I'd take more satisfaction, but Putin scares me.

[Eliot Rosewater]

57. Fifty million assholes will say so what he lied about building a hotel.

Now, if a Democrat was profiting from position in the WH in any amount let alone like this, that Democrat would literally not be safe on planet earth, but rump can do it, no prob.

[Duppers]

58. K & R

[pecosbob]

64. Are some missing the detail that they were doing business with VTB, a sanctioned Russian bank?

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100211505523

And now it appears that he also was negotiating a deal to put a hotel in Cuba, while it was illegal to do so...

https://www.newsweek.com/2016/10/14/donald-trump-cuban-embargo-castro-violated-florida-504059.html

[hatrack]

70. "This is the moment Donald Trump became president."

[Mad_Mongol]

72. Classic usage and direction of a spy

To borrow & paraphrase language from "The Art of War":

A live spy (spy that returns) is most useful to confuse plans and thwart strategies.

A dead spy (spy that does not return) is most useful to enhance chaos and sow suspicion.

Looks like Putin got 2 for the price of 1.

[UCmeNdc]

92. K&R

Plus this was a message to keep Trump on the string. The Russians are saying we have more of this dirt if you get out of line.Trumpy!

[MineralMan]

73. The Writing Is on the Wall - IN CYRILLIC!

Дональд Трамп - это тост!

[malaise]

75. Stick a fork in the Con

Bye bye

[SeattleVet]

76. Russia, if you're listening...

release all the rest of the emails from these assholes!

[Jarqui]

77. A World Wide Premier of the Pee Pee Tape starring little Mario Cart would be perfect nt

[JCannon]

78. Putin has NOT turned on Trump

This is all a ploy -- one which I expected Putin to do some time ago. He needs to pretend to be Trump's enemy to decredibilize the evidence of collusion (and to credibilize the upcoming attempt to smear Hillary).

When the bots of St Petersburg start flooding the right-wing twitterverse with anti-Trump proclamations and conspiracy theories, then and ONLY then will I believe that Putin has turned against Trump.

[berni_mccoy]

79. That is a very kooky CT

[JCannon]

80. Conspiracy theory? What "conspiracy" do you think I have postulated?

It is hardly a conspiracy THEORY to say that Russian bots constitute a large part of the right-wing commentary on Twitter and elsewhere. That much has been established beyond rational debate at this point.

So you really think that it makes sense that Russian TV is now making anti-Trump noises while the bots of St. Petersburg are still as robustly pro-Trump as ever? Come on. That scenario actually makes SENSE to you?

I said (not on DU) before the election that Putin would be wise to make some loud anti-Trump statements, just to make the distract everyone from collusion. As I see it, he is finally instituting a course of action I thought would come in 2016.

You probably don't know this, but I was the first blogger to suggest -- on June 16, 2016 -- that Putin was engineering the election on Trump's behalf. My piece name-checked Carter Page, Dmitry Firtash, Roger Stone, and Paul Manafort. This was written well before the Steele dossier was compiled -- in fact, I don't think that Steele was even on the job at that time.

At the time, everyone thought my "theory" was crazy. It's not so crazy now, is it?

No, I'm not claiming to be infallible. I've called a lot of shots incorrectly over the years. But have a care before you denounce someone as a conspiracy theorist. The "theorist" may simply be someone who has done the research.

[Honeycombe8]

82. I wonder what the communications show? I wonder why Russia released them.

Hmmmm. I don't trust Russia. Is it possible it shows something that contradicts Cohen's testimony?

[yuiyoshida]

85. I wonder if Democrats will get an early

Xmas gift this year?

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

86. Where's the pee tape?

[dflprincess]

88. How long before he tells the oligarchs to call their loans in?

The walls are closing in.

[pecosbob]

89. Now they nix the planned Putin visit...

Not that I believe for a minute that they actually planned one...I think it was all just disinformation.

https://www.democraticunderground.com/10142215541

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2018/12/03/putin-trump-meeting-washington-out-question-kremlin-says/2195415002/

[UCmeNdc]

91. This was a message sent to Trump.

It says, “We Russians have the goods on you! Remember who’s in charge here Donnie boy!”

Blackmail

[JI7]

94. at this point for Putin it's just about Humiliating the US and anything else that would hurt the US

he knows trump is too stupid to actually pull off any actual policy moves which would benefit him.

so he will laugh at the US which is easy to do with Trump .

[lindysalsagal]

95. If true, democracy might just survive.

[BootinUp]

96. I guess it hasn't been made public?

If it’s been released who has it?

[NightWatcher]

99. RELEASE THE PEE TAPE!!! You know Putin will and it will fuck up trump at the most inconvenient time

[KPN]

101. And this is just a shgot across the bow by Putin. He's got a heck of a lot more on Trump

and is letting him know via stuff Mueller probably already had. Trump may and probably won't ever get his tower, but Putin still wants those sanctions gone -- and probably more.

[cstanleytech]

103. I suspect this is a scam and fake.

I dont meant the tapes either rather the idea that they are really discarding Trump.
After all he has done nothing about the Russian invasion of the Ukraine nor did he implement those other sanctions the US was going to impose so that helped them and I am sure they are counting on him to help them in the future when they really need him to.