I don't want to be attacked as a conspiracy nut but my mind flashes back to the WH visit

[Samrob]

of the Russians to Trump. We couldn't see inside except for the media photos and videos allowed by Trump but I was alarmed then and even more so now. Just how much was our Intel and security compromised during that visit? We all know that at the time Trump was busing maligning NATO and the US, for that matter. He was involved in a "love affair" with KIM and was touting Putin as his hero leader. Where were these men allowed to go within the confines of the WH, were they always accompanied by secret service?

Putin's moves now around Ukraine make me nervous that Putin knows so much more about our military, readiness, and Trump sympathizers among the ranks (thinking about Flynn). Trump is certainly ignorant enough to have promised and revealed more than just the bathroom codes.

I don't believe that military weapons alone is enough to alarm Putin. I think we would need to pull out all stops with our NATO allies joining us and shutdown Putin money stream and those of his supporters. We are going to have immediate pain from that but long term what do we think we could live with? Looks like France is willing for another revolution. What are we preparing for?

Based on what we know about who the Jan6 insurrectionists were, has our military, law enforcement, and intel communities been infiltrated in numbers that would make them turn against us? How many in the Senate have been irreversibly turned?

My nephew who works for one of those entities has alarmed me with his speculations.

OK, please walk me back.

[Cracklin Charlie]

1. His money stream is definitely at risk.

We have many tools at our disposal.

[Ilsa]

2. I think the videos and photos came from Russian "media",

weren't they? No US press allowed into the Oval while Lavrov planted his bugs.

[Alice Kramden]

4. Tass, the Russian news agency

The only media allowed was Tass. Let that sink in.

[whathehell]

5. No US media was allowed in that meeting.

I found that very questionable at the time.

[Ilsa]

6. The question is why Republicans would think that was okay. nt

[MrsCoffee]

9. It was probably something promised in return for all the cash that poured in from Russia.

Not so much that they thought it was okay, but they thought they would get away with it.

And they did.

[whathehell]

13. Of course, and perhsps just as importantly, why

didn't the Media jump on it when it happened?

I remember being baffled about both at the time.

[OAITW r.2.0]

15. A clue may have been the Republican trip to Moscow - 7/4/17.

Why would a large delegation of Republicans be visiting Putin on July 4th? I'm guessing the Russians had all of the RNC's internal correspondence on various compromised Republicans and that visit was a mandatory exercise demanded by Putin. Show up or we released the emails....

[Ilsa]

16. The clues were staring the media in the face.

So much for "liberal media" and "deep state."

[PatSeg]

18. And that was at the beginning of his presidency

As always, he told us who he was from the very beginning.

[whathehell]

23. Yes..

I was, and still am, wondering why he was able to "get away with it".

[PatSeg]

24. And if a U.S. President can get away with that,

what else can they do?

[Rebl2]

19. I remember

that US press not allowed in. That should have been a big flashing red light right there. As for planting bugs, they would have swept the oval before Biden came in. I would not be surprised if they didn’t do that when tfg was still in office while he was away from the White House on one of many golfing trips to Mara largo or one of his many trips out of town, but who knows.

[Irish_Dem]

3. It is a reasonable to assume Trump passed info to the Russians.

And we also have had sitting US Congress critters making the pilgrimage to Moscow.

Anybody who took money or favors from Putin had to give something in return. And it was not MAGA hats.

[sop]

21. We don't have to assume...

"WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump disclosed highly classified information to Russia’s foreign minister about a planned Islamic State operation, two U.S. officials said on Monday, plunging the White House into another controversy just months into Trump’s short tenure in office.

The intelligence, shared at a meeting last week with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Russian Ambassador Sergei Kislyak, was supplied by a U.S. ally in the fight against the militant group, both officials with knowledge of the situation said."

[Irish_Dem]

22. Yep. And wasn't the only time he did it.

[Scrivener7]

7. I think of the July 4 trip by all the republiQan Congress people to Russia.

We weren't allowed to know what that was about either.

[Hoyt]

8. Nowadays, there is not much that is unknown about military in various countries.

Assuming Russia invades Ukraine, trump will say it wouldn't have happened under his watch. Some fools will believe it.

[Whiskeytide]

10. Тяцмp undoubtedly passed secrets to Russia. He did so ...

… either because he’s compromised, or because he’s stupid about issues relating to foreign policy. Or perhaps some of both.

Someone above said the real question is why are republicans ok with Тяцмp‘s relationship with Putin? And someone else noted that you don’t take $ or favors from Putin without giving something back in return. It doesn’t take a stable genius to realize that’s the answer to the question.

[Kid Berwyn]

11. You're not imagining things.

In the Oval Office in the merry month of May 2017

President Trump gestures to Russia's ambassador to the U.S., Sergey Kislyak, as he speaks to Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in the Oval Office on Wednesday, May 10, 2017. (Alexander Shcherbak/TASS/Getty Images)

“I just fired the head of the FBI. He was crazy, a real nut job," Trump said, according to The Times. "I faced great pressure because of Russia. That's taken off.”



"I'm not under investigation," he added.

Sources:

https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/05/10/527755991/trump-meets-with-russias-lavrov-at-the-white-house-today

https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-nut-job-james-comey-russia-2017-5

[Wounded Bear]

12. Hardly in the "conspiracy nut" category...

I think all truly patriotic Americans were concerned about that meeting.

[Midnight Writer]

14. I freely admit I am a "conspiracy nut" and I have no interest in walking you back.

I hope more people wake up and smell the coffee.

[BlueIdaho]

17. Trump made it clear almost from day one

He has nothing but contempt for democracy. He made clear his blatant admiration of strong arm dictators and ended his shame filled term in office by trying to violently overthrow our democracy by force. It would be no surprise if he operated back channels with at least Russia, China, and North Korea. Just look at what we know from America’s pitiful press.

Now imagine what we don’t know about his dictatorial plans… Conspiracy nut? Not bloody likely.

[japple]

20. And the meeting in Helsinki...

https://www.axios.com/at-helsinki-summit-trump-defers-to-putin-at-expense-of-us-security-5355e1b6-e9fd-4ce5-a0da-5c46ca9b316e.html

A picture that is worth 1000 words. And there were a lot of pictures like this at that summit meetin.