Were Trump's revelations to the Russians criminal, or just stupid? We can't rule out either

[DonViejo]

TUESDAY, MAY 16, 2017 12:10 PM EDT

Were Trump’s revelations to the Russians criminal, or just stupid? We can’t rule out either

After blurting secrets to the Russians, Trump faces a NATO meeting dumbed down for his benefit. Can it get worse?

HEATHER DIGBY PARTON

Back in January, there was a little-noticed story among all the hubbub surrounding reports of Russian interference in the election and possible ties with the Trump campaign. YnetNews reported the following:

Donald Trump’s upcoming inauguration as the next president of the United States is causing Israeli intelligence officials to lose sleep as well. Discussions held in closed forums recently raised fears of a leakage of Israeli intelligence top-classified information, clandestine modus operandi and sources, which have been exposed to the American intelligence community over the past 15 years, to Russia – and from there to Iran.

The following month the Wall Street Journal reported this:

US intelligence officials have withheld sensitive intelligence from President Donald Trump because they are concerned it could be leaked or compromised, according to current and former officials familiar with the matter . . .

These reports were received in right wing circles as evidence of ongoing treason by the intelligence community. I recall coming across them and thinking that it seemed paranoid. It was hard to imagine that even Trump could be so dumb or craven as to give secret information to anyone, particularly to the Russian government. Sure, he had a thing for Putin and was precipitously tilting toward Russia for shallow and unstrategic reasons, but the presidency would have to sober him up and require him to operate in a more serious manner.

Nobody in their right minds could ever have believed that within four months Trump would unceremoniously fire the FBI Director over what he admitted were concerns about the Russia investigation and then, the next morning, meet with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in the Oval Office. The meeting had been previously scheduled, but it looked terrible. It looked even worse when the American press was kept out of the meeting while Russian government media were allowed in. they posted pictures of President Trump grinning like a jack-o’-lantern with Lavrov and a surprise guest at the meeting, Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak, the man at the very center of the Russia probes.

more
http://www.salon.com/2017/05/16/is-trumps-handling-of-foreign-policy-criminal-or-just-stupid-we-cant-rule-out-either/

[Hortensis]

1. Well, there're other choices. Being found unfit for office

based on his actions, for instance endangering our national security and/or other misdeeds, would not require a law to be broken or psychiatric diagnosis to remove him from office. The actions themselves would be cause.