Trumps Oval Office meeting with Russian officials grows more alarming

[babylonsister]

Trump’s Oval Office meeting with Russian officials grows more alarming
05/11/17 10:11 AM—Updated 05/11/17 10:18 AM
By Steve Benen


At face value, it looked ridiculous. The day after Donald Trump fired the FBI director overseeing the investigation into the Russia scandal, the president welcomed Russian officials into the Oval Office for a chat. Soon after, the world was treated to photographs from the Russian Foreign Ministry – not the White House or U.S. news organizations – of Trump shaking hands with Sergei Lavrov and Ambassador Sergey Kislyak.

It wasn’t long before many started wondering why American journalists were barred from the event, but Russia’s official news agency was allowed in.

The Washington Post took this a step further, highlighting the possibility of a security breach.

A photographer for a Russian state-owned news agency was allowed into the Oval Office on Wednesday during President Trump’s meeting with Russian diplomats, a level of access that was criticized by former U.S. intelligence officials as a potential security breach.

The officials cited the danger that a listening device or other surveillance equipment could have been brought into the Oval Office while hidden in cameras or other electronics. Former U.S. intelligence officials raised questions after photos of Trump’s meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov were posted online by the Tass news agency…. Other former intelligence officials also described the access granted to the photographer as a potential security lapse, noting that standard screening for White House visitors would not necessarily detect a sophisticated espionage device.

Former deputy CIA director David S. Cohen was asked on Twitter yesterday whether it was wise to allow a Russian government photographer and his equipment into the Oval Office.

“No,” Cohen replied, “it was not.”

So why in the world did Team Trump let this happen?

Apparently, the White House was told that the photographer worked with Lavrov, not that he also worked for Russia’s state-owned news agency.

A White House official told CNN, in reference to the Russians, “They tricked us.”

If this explanation is intended to inspire confidence, it’s not working.

Postscript: Incidentally, why did the president agree to host this meeting? “He chose to receive him because Putin asked him to,” a White House spokesman said of Trump’s Lavrov meeting.

http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/trumps-oval-office-meeting-russian-officials-grows-more-alarming

[GusBob]

1. One would think that even his most ardent supporters would stop and pause

This may be a ridiculous assumption, but one has to wonder, even amongst his most hard-core supporters, the optics of this sequence of events would stick in their craw. Just for the timing alone

I mean, even if they agree with the firing of Comey, this whole thing of having the Russians in the WH the very next day....they would say 'jeez buddy, show a little bit of circumspection, this just looks stupid'

Now they are saying they were duped....see above

[Lucky Luciano]

37. It would only stick in their craw if Obama or Hillary did it. nt

[rpannier]

44. Anyone with a D after their name would have outraged them

Even if it had only been a discussion about the possibility of letting them in and then it had been discarded as a bad idea. They'd be complaining
Hair Douchengroper does it, nary a peep, except for lame enabling excuses

[PsychoBabble]

2. And here is the tweet evidence ...

https://www.democraticunderground.com/10029047471

[NCjack]

3. Future news: After a tumultuous period as president, #45 vacated the WH

and the newly elected DEM president prepared to occupy the premises. CIA "sweepers" found Russian "bugs" cleverly hidden such they could be detected only by "extreme sweeping", which #45 had not allowed. It seems #45 may have wanted to be "bugged". The CIA is especially impressed by the advanced state-of-art of the "bugs" which are smaller than anything we have and were recharged weekly by human blood. DNA analysis shows that #45 was the blood source. Apparently, he bled red for Pootie.

[orangecrush]

10. ..

Thanks for the first laugh of my day

[The Wielding Truth]

36. No kidding. I hope the CIA did sweep the room. This is insane to let the Russians in.

[NCjack]

43. but, did the CIA do an "extreme sweeping"?

[Generic Other]

42. In bed with Russia bug

[GoCubsGo]

4. I have reconsidered my opposition to firing squads.

The sooner these treasonous assholes are put in front of one, the happier I will be.

[regnaD kciN]

5. And, of course, had it been the Russian government photographer...

...we could have been sure he never would have done anything like plant a listening device!



Anyway, it's no big deal. It's only the Oval Office. If the Russians really wanted to listen in on Trump conducting sensitive presidential business, they would have needed to bug Mar-a-Lago.

[niyad]

6. a most excellent point!

[mopinko]

7. which i dont doubt they have already done.

[tblue37]

8. Nah, they would only have needed to have dinner there. nt

[colorado_ufo]

14. And Trump would have picked up the tab.

[tblue37]

33. Remember this security breach at Mar-a-Lago?

That is why the Russians wouldn't need to plant bugs there. Trump cavalierly conducts national security business right there where club members can take pictures and post them online, and where his aides use their cellphones (which can pick up and transmit audio to snoopers!) to light the pages for him.

The same guy who posted this picture also posted a pic of himself and the guy with the nuclear football:



And then there is the secure lockbag left out in the open with the key in it--while all sorts of people without the requisite clearance were traipsing about:



Putin doesn't need to incur any expense in bugging Trump, since Trump has no clue about security.

[WinkyDink]

9. "Putin asked him to"---If by "asked" was meant "commanded."

[colorado_ufo]

15. "Asked " would have been more than enough.

Trump would have been more than happy to comply.

[WinkyDink]

21. True dat.

[Fritz Walter]

11. After he was videoed during the "golden shower" incident

This comes as no surprise.

Hell, the Oval Office is probably already crawling with other types of bugs since April 20: head lice.
4 Hours at the White House with Ted Nugent, Sarah Palin and Kid Rock.

[Mr. Ected]

12. Suggestion for Sean Hannity's program tonight

Compare and contrast the suggested danger to national security due to Hillary's private server use vs. the very real security breach occasioned by a White House that allowed itself to be "tricked" by a hostile foreign sovereign.

[L. Coyote]

13. So now both Obama and putin tapp Trump?

He must be doubly paranoid today.

Trump's New Impeachable Offenses: Obstruction of Justice, Conspiracy, Abuse of Power

[TeamPooka]

16. So, White House officials thought the photographer with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov was

NOT an official Russian government photographer?
I want to play poker, negotiate a trade deal, or just barter and trade with these Trump suckers.

[GallopingGhost]

17. And these Repub clownfucks

had the balls to try and prosecute Clinton over some irrelevant e-mails.

[FailureToCommunicate]

18. Putin was just testing the strings...

[Alice11111]

29. I hope this is spread everwhere. Remember when Banon,

As the puppeteer, was on the Economist. DT was so threatened that he got busy lowering Banon's status.

Ridicule is one of the few, and the best, tools we have in this country now, which has nearly lost it's checks and balances. Thanks to our late night comedians!

[Catherine Vincent]

19. So where are all these republicans...

So where are all these republicans that were outraged when WJC allowed Monica in the oval office insinuating that she could have been a mole for a foreign government and possibly blackmail the potus?

[librechik]

20. Good Lord!

how does it feel to be an occupied country?

[nolabear]

22. How do you say "stooge" in Russian?

[neeksgeek]

26. марионетка

It's pronounced "marionetka" ...

[dae]

34. LOL

[The Wielding Truth]

39. marionette....puppet. Putin's stooge. This is so embarrassing and also dangerous.

[suffragette]

23. Helluva postscript there. Talk about burying the lede.

[Jopin Klobe]

24. A White House official told CNN, as they watched the incoming missiles ...

... “They tricked us.” ...

[Alice11111]

30. Unreal! How naive &stupid we look to the world.

Some of these people are paid top dollar with lifetime benefits to do an extremely competent job, and no one caught that? I bet if you presented this scenario to a Jr. High class, "what is wrong with this scenario, if you are an US intelligence agent?" At least half of the class could tell you.

[BigmanPigman]

25. Did the Donald have a taster for his glass of water?

Plutonium is easy to conceal too.

[neeksgeek]

27. Polonium is much easier to work with.

Intense

[NewJeffCT]

28. How could Trump be tricked so easily?

I mean, he tells us over and over that he's "really really smart" and that he knows more than the generals. I mean, he had an uncle that was a professor at MIT, so that means Dollhands Donny must be smart, too.

[procon]

31. So its true; Trump is Putin's Bitch!

[Enoki33]

35. And had to show something tangible for

all that grooming..

[Beartracks]

32. "Because Putin asked him to." eom

[kairos12]

38. I figure there was already a direct link between Drumpt and Putin in the Oval.

How else would Drumpt get his marching orders.

[keithbvadu2]

40. Theremins Bug: How the Soviet Union Spied on the US Embassy for 7 Years

Theremin’s Bug: How the Soviet Union Spied on the US Embassy for 7 Years

http://hackaday.com/2015/12/08/theremins-bug/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Thing_(listening_device)

[TalenaGor]

41. he could have been assassinated....

Dumbass omfg

[malthaussen]

45. A Russkie planting a camera? Oh, noskies!

-- Mal