General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsIt's looking more and more like blackmail.
It's easy to dismiss it as ignorance, stupidity, or new to the job but maybe it is much more?
Donald Trump's relationship with Putin has been a suspicious one since he entered the race for the Presidency.
Why did he fire the FBI Director?
And the next day, why did he invite the Russian Ambassador and the Russian Foreign Minister to the White House.
Donald said he had a "good conversation" with Putin and he asked if the Ambassador and the Foreign Minister could visit the White House? Donald says, "Of course!"
But when the Russian officials arrived, they also had a photographer from the Tass News Agency. Why? Could it be that Putin knew Trump well enough to know that he could not be trusted and he wanted a video of the meeting? It was very strange that no American reporters or photographers were permitted into the White House while the Russians were visiting.
What did Donald get from the meeting? Did he get a promise of Russian silence? Putin got what he wanted from Trump.
Could it be that Trump is an asset of the Russians? Could it be that he is being blackmailed by Vladimir Putin?
We should no longer over-look this very real possibility.
triron
(21,981 posts)Insightful observation.
unblock
(52,112 posts)it wasn't illegal for him to be making business deals with russians, at least not until obama put putin's cronies on the sanctions lists.
i think he made deals willingly.
i also think his business is such a monstrous mess that he couldn't possibly untangle everything before inauguration even if he were so inclined (which he's clearly not). i think he believes he's entitled to continue doing business as he (oh, i mean his kids ) see fit.
blackmail implies he's doing it only under duress.
he does not carry himself like a man who is being coerced into doing something his conscience tell him he shouldn't be doing.
in fact, he carries himself like a man with no conscience at all.
i think the russians *could* blackmail him if they wanted, but my guess is as of yet they've not had to.
kentuck
(111,049 posts)What did Donald get?
I would agree that Donald has been making business deals with Russia. Maybe he got a promise of oil revenues from the North Sea? Maybe he needed Russian money so he could keep building Trump Towers and golf courses around the world?
That is a possibility.
But there may have been something in the dossier that doesn't want to be made public, also?
We don't know, but I am inclined to believe that he has been under duress, as he threatens to fire his entire communications team and advisers.
unblock
(52,112 posts)He's just negotiating price and terms.
kentuck
(111,049 posts)He wants to be the richest man in the world...surpassing Putin. The White House is all about business connections, in my opinion.
DallasNE
(7,402 posts)When Trump fired Comey so fast I said at the time that Putin made the demand and it had to be done before the Russian spies showed up. Putin said jump and Trump said how high. For Putin it was to shut down the money laundering investigation and who knows what else. Always follow the money. The Kushner's are probably involved too.
tblue37
(65,212 posts)unblock
(52,112 posts)yeah, to benedict donald, all that is just red tape trying to keep him from making deals and taking money.
legal shmegal. he's got lawyers for that.
pilfering from the treasury to fill his hotel rooms and boost the value of a mar-a-lago membership is also just common sense business to him.
Skittles
(153,104 posts)WHY IS THAT?
kentuck
(111,049 posts)They see nothing wrong anywhere, at any time. It is all about leaks and anger from the Hillary supporters and "fake news".
ProudLib72
(17,984 posts)Yes, tRump is a Russian asset. I have taken that as a given. What Putin has over him is anyone's guess. None of that concerns me. What does make me a little incredulous is a combination of a few things. First, Flynn was fired for meeting with the same person tRump met with behind closed doors. How is that supposed to look? Secondly, Putin must be well aware of the leakiness of the WH. Why would he risk the meeting especially immediately after Comey was fired? Now this leads to me to the conclusion that tRump was always seen as an expendable asset. However, you would think that it would serve his interests to keep conservatives in power. Why risk the entire GOP? Either he wants to sow chaos in democratic countries no matter the cost, or he never foresaw the GOP being such sycophants.
kentuck
(111,049 posts)the Russians had not given us the photos.
ProudLib72
(17,984 posts)I'm looking at the situation from the Russian side and trying to figure out what Putin's game is. It's almost as if he is pushing the boundaries to see just how far he can go. Now that is a scary thought!
Or he was gloating.
global1
(25,219 posts)was that explained anywhere?
kentuck
(111,049 posts)Somebody helped?
Horse with no Name
(33,956 posts)IIRC, it is mandatory to record them. He has already confessed to the call. Let's hear it.
ProudProgressiveNow
(6,129 posts)radical noodle
(7,997 posts)That's all trump cares about and it will get him to do anything they want. They don't have to blackmail him, they just offer him more money and he'd let Putin move into the Lincoln bedroom.
grantcart
(53,061 posts)radical noodle
(7,997 posts)Demtexan
(1,588 posts)Maybe Putin knows his game is over.
He has gotten what information he wanted.
There is no telling what other information has been given to him already.
This would be a way of getting rid of trump and crew.
We do not know how deep it goes in the republican party.
I would bet there are more russian moles in the republican party.
Trump cannot be the only one.
Next time a smarter one might get in.
There is lot more going on.