The reason Trump uses unsecured phones ...

[NanceGreggs]

... is because Putin demanded it - so that he could monitor what Trump was doing at all times.

There IS no other explanation.

"When you work outside of 'official channels', use communications I can easily intercept - understood, comrade?"

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

1. Honestly?

I think that Trump simply has no clue. Putin is going to be able to get to the phones, if that's what he really wants. Meanwhile, Trump is an ignoramus about technology. And does not understand how it works or why secure phones might matter or anything like that.

[NanceGreggs]

2. Trump doesn't 'need a clue' ...

... in order to do what he's told to do.

[Hermit-The-Prog]

7. he's been briefed

He routinely goes against what the intelligence community tells him. It is not reasonable to attribute this to ignorance.

[TheBlackAdder]

17. I'm with Nance on this one. Trump is using it to send Putin live updates.

.

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100212756223

.

[mercuryblues]

26. Just like every other president,

trump was sat down and told all about the hacking unsecured phones, how important it is for a president to always use 2 way secure phone calls to avoid hacking. He was told that even calling an unsecured line, with a secure phone was a no-no. Since at least 2017 trump has been giving out his phone# to foreign leaders to call him directly.

The stablegenious simply refuses to listen.

[Merlot]

30. I'm sure the Secret Service cleared everything up for trumpft regarding

the phones and how they could be listened in on easily by putin. That's what gave trumpft the idea.

trumpft is a lot of things, including being an awful human being. But he's gotten to where he is and faced no consequences for his actions his whole life by acting stupid and being ok with people underestimating him.

[fescuerescue]

33. totally true.

Fact is most people underestimate the power of being underestimated.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

3. I do think that people often ascribe intentionality

to many of Trump's behaviors when I personally think no intentionality is happening.

Just my opinion, and of course yours may be different.

[NanceGreggs]

4. I take your point.

What I'm saying is that the only 'intentionality' necessary here is intentionally doing as your told to do.

If the guy who you owe tells you to wear a bow-tie on the third Thursday of every month, you don't ask why - you just do it. If you're being blackmailed, you don't question the blackmailer's demand that the ransom money be wrapped in pink tissue paper - you just deliver the cash in the form in which you were told to deliver it.

Trump's 'intention' - or lack thereof - is irrelevant.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

10. Interesting.

Thank you.

[lostnfound]

21. He doesn't want call logs. Nt

[scarytomcat]

35. exactly

who is he talking to in bed, it sure ain't Melania she is in her own suite

[Cosmocat]

15. Agreed

He does shit like this because he is a half assed, and to not do it the way it should be done cause he is special.

He knows what he is doing generally cause his master skill is manipulating the lesser instincts of the human spirit, but just simply goes by impulse and gut, there is not some grand master plan or well thought out plan of action.

[lunatica]

5. Maybe it was in that meeting when Trump came out

looking like he had a sore ass and Putin came out with a strut and a skip. Putin probably told him he would show the world the goods he has on Trump if he didn’t do what he was told.

I absolutely believe you’re on to something, although I think there was a threat involved too. It’s the only thing that would keep Trump groveling like he does. A serious threat.

[Lars39]

14. Might not be a threat...

Trump could have thought or been promised that he had “graduated” to the next level of mob-dom. Putin brutally set him straight, outlining new goals.

[lunatica]

22. Yes. That makes sense

Putin would, of course, use the friendly generosity action backed up eventually by the fear inducing threatening action.

[Lars39]

24. An Polonium "stick" probably.

With the carrot being money and power.

[lunatica]

25. I didn't think of that as a verbal threat

Wow! This is scary shit now that I think of the ramifications.

But yeah, why not? If you want absolute power that would do it.

[duforsure]

6. I've thought the same thing, and its their way of

Being able to deny being complicit, who both have used that for self protection.

[DFW]

8. I thought it was another reason altogether.

Whoever he gets his phones from, they know that 95% of what he says is garbage, and what better way to confuse our enemies than to let them hear it?

[lunatica]

23. Who's enemy are you referring to?

Because Putin had Trump figured out years before the rest of us did.

[DFW]

29. I was thinking of the Chinese, actually

Although Putin is probably thinking at this point that he installed the Sorcerer's Apprentice.

[lunatica]

32. LOL!

I really got tickled at your reference to the Sorcerer’s Apprentice!

[MartyTheGreek]

9. Agree... I think the Sonland restaurant call was staged for that very reason!

What a SOAB!

Remember when Ty Cobb and the other lawyer went to a restaurant and began speaking loudly? Convo was picked up by a jurnos known to be there. And, he knew that Vlad would pick it up.

[DeminPennswoods]

11. Last night I heard it reported that

John Kelly had convinced Trump to use the land lines in the residence to make his late night calls. And Trump did until he found out Kelly et al could see who he was calling, then he went back to making calls on his cell phone.

[Guilded Lilly]

12. Plain and simple. I agree.

[eppur_se_muova]

13. No, it's so *our* gov't does NOT know what he's up to.

He has been very insistent about calls and conversations not being recorded. He hates people who take notes, and lashes out at people with notepads in meetings.

He wants NO records of his criminal activities. It's that simple.

[NanceGreggs]

28. Two sides of the same coin ...

Our own gov't doesn't know what Trump is up to - but Vlad knows it all.

[2naSalit]

16. Exactly what I have been thinking

for quite a while.

[Generic Brad]

18. It's because Obama said he always used a secure cell phone

I remember Obama telling Bear Gryllis on "Man Vs. Wild" that he did not use a personal cell phone. If we really want to know why Trump does this, it's because Obama did not.

[Gothmog]

19. I heard that it was to keep Kelly in the dark

trump is a small child and did not want Kelly to know who he was talking to

Link to tweet

[struggle4progress]

20. "I always feel safer when my boyfriend Vlad listens to my phone-calls!"

[Atticus]

27. Exactly. This is how he commu icates with Putin. E

When he tells Rudy what he needs, he is telling Vlad what he needs. And Vlad sees that Rudy "finds" it.

And, if it is ever proven that his phone was hacked, he'll be all "How was I to know?"

[SalmonChantedEvening]

31. Employee loyalty.

Vlad first, screw the rest of us.

[scarytomcat]

34. a violation of the Presidental Records Act

you have to keep everything and record everything
Having meetings with world leaders with NO record a violation

[NanceGreggs]

36. Yeah, remember presidents ...

... who followed laws? So quaint an idea.

[scarytomcat]

37. indeed