Every Version of the Russian Bounties Story Looks Terrible for Trump

[babylonsister]

https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2020/06/russian-bounties-trump-intel.html

Every Version of the Russian Bounties Story Looks Terrible for Trump
No matter what the president knew, and when he knew it, this is inexcusable.
By Fred Kaplan
June 30, 20203:38 PM


It’s not yet clear if or when President Donald Trump heard or read the intelligence report that Russia was paying bounties to Taliban militias for killing U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan. But whichever version of the story is true, he and his senior advisers come off looking very bad—immoral, vaguely traitorous, astoundingly incompetent, or all three.

The most hideous version of the story is that Trump heard the report—it is well established that the finding was included in the president’s daily intelligence briefing sometime in February—and, apparently, didn’t care.

snip//

Finally, it is possible that Trump was told about the bounty payment in the oral and written versions of the briefing—and the fact just hop-skipped in and out of his brain. John Bolton’s recent memoir and Carl Bernstein’s CNN story about Trump’s phone calls with world leaders provide ample anecdotes suggesting that the president has the attention span of a fruit fly, that he flits from one subject to another with abandon, and that, during briefings, including intelligence briefings, he often does more talking than the briefer does. Those who talk more than they listen often forget what they are told.

So, on one level, the question to ask—and many in Congress, including some Republicans, are asking it—is the old saw from the Watergate inquiry: What did the president know, and when did he know it? But on another level, the answer is almost irrelevant. We have a president who either doesn’t know or doesn’t care what’s happening in the world—and a gaggle of senior advisers whose main job is to comply with his whims and cover up his inadequacies.

And all the other leaders in the world know it. That’s the peril we face, as a nation, for as long as Trump is still in power.

[MontanaMama]

1. Hope this sticks.

Nothing has so far or if it has it didn’t stick for long. I’ll bet there’s far worse things coming. Far worse. Adam Schiff was right.

[keithbvadu2]

2. Pence had access to the PDBs. How important did he consider it?

Pence had access to the PDBs.

How important did he consider it?

[Walleye]

3. Biden said that as vice-president he read the PDF's every day.

And also took an in person briefing with the President every day. Pence must’ve known everything. I can’t figure out what Pence’s game is.

[Baked Potato]

4. No matter what happens, he's forever damaged from this.