Spicer: WH Slow To Act On Yates Warning Because She Was 'Political Opponent'

[DonViejo]

Source: Talking Points Memo



By ESME CRIBB Published MAY 9, 2017 2:49 PM

The White House on Tuesday said President Donald Trump’s administration was slow to act in January on warnings about ousted National Security Adviser Michael Flynn from former acting Attorney General Sally Yates because she was “a political opponent of the President.”

White House press secretary Sean Spicer on Tuesday said Yates “is not exactly someone that was excited about President Trump taking office or his agenda.”

“I think if you flip the scenario and say, what if we just dismissed somebody because a political opponent of the President had made an utterance, you would argue that it was pretty irrational to act in that manner,” Spicer said.

“How is she a political opponent of the President?” the Daily Caller’s Kaitlan Collins asked. “She was the acting attorney general that he kept on.”

“Appointed by the Obama administration and a strong supporter of Clinton,” Spicer replied.

Read more: http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/trump-delayed-action-on-yates-flynn-warning-because-she-was-political-opponent

[applegrove]

1. Gaslighting.

[L. Coyote]

35. It's true, Sally Yates is an American, not a Russian.

America is trump's enemy, Russia is his friend.
Now who's gaslighting?

[MontanaMama]

2. Spicey

you're gonna need a bigger shovel.

[2naSalit]

40. and chest waders....nt

[delisen]

3. His Spicer is making the administration sound paranoid.

[Kber]

4. That's crazy

I mean, legit, nutz.

[underpants]

11. :-)

[L. Coyote]

36. No, that's insane.

[Freethinker65]

5. Dangerous territory there Mr. Spicer

You should be fired for even uttering it.

[PA Democrat]

6. Yes because when the national security of the country is at risk

the most important thing to consider is the imagined political affiliation of the messenger.

Good thing she was not there to alert the White House of an impending military attack on the US!

[The Wielding Truth]

22. She wasn't the only one who warned them and Flynn needed to have higher clearance.

She brought along another person of high standing from the DOJ and had the papers ready for them to see before they fired her. She was notified by the FBI. Do they not trust the FBI,too? Trump praised the FBI during the campaign.

God. They are terrible liars.

[Roy Rolling]

8. Stupid

But it's not politically correct to call him stupid.

Let's just say he's a moron if he expects anybody other than Trump-ettes to believe such a statement.

Oh yeah, that's EXACTLY who he's targeting with this crap---those who trust him to NOT be a moron and are fooled.

[CincyDem]

9. And, just like ALL Ambassadors...he could have asked her to vacate at 12:01 on 1/20/17

Sorry guys - she was a senate confirmed political appointee who served at the pleasure of the president (ewwww...that phrase just sounds so ugly in the context of AccessHollywood - but I digress).

He could have just as easily said we're done here. Instead, he kept her - in effect re-enlisting her to Team Trump, even if only for days.

As someone said elsewhere, Spicy is going to need a much bigger shovel (backhoe maybe ?) to dig out of this one.

[gademocrat7]

10. Disgusting liar.

[yallerdawg]

12. If you tell them something they don't want to hear...

you're a 'political opponent' - and what you say and what evidence you provide is automatically invalid and considered FAKE.

That explains why he dismissed Daily Intelligence Briefings - wasn't what he wanted to hear.

[JHan]

13. this fucking dumbass every week.

[louis-t]

14. It's the same rationale Ashcroft used for not listening to Clarke.

And we know how that worked out.

[Paladin]

15. So.....Sally Yates: Bad. Vladimir Putin: Good.

Thanks for that clarification, Spicer. You little worm.

[narnian60]

27. +1

[George II]

16. No Spicey, she is an AMERICAN who has served the Justice Dept. and AMERICA for 3 decades!

And in hindsight, idiot, she was correct!!!!! Why can't they simply admit that?

[padfun]

17. NO Sean! A Political Opponent is a Russian!

Wow! Just wow. The shit is getting deep.

[Snotcicles]

18. That she didn't do the secret hand shake was the real giveaway. nt

[genxlib]

19. Calling Bullshit

A) If she was acting as a political opponent, she would have no reason to try and save your ass by helping you. And make no mistake that she was helping you since members of your Administration were out defending him in public. She had to assume they were acting in good faith and did not know about Flynn. As such, she was in a position to save you from further embarrassment.

B) She offered to show you the evidence so you had every opportunity to check for yourself.

[notdarkyet]

20. They are just looking for any excuse for the eighteen days. Now it's Yates fault. Of course.

[SHRED]

21. That dog won't hunt

He is full of sh*t.

[llmart]

23. Lame

He's scraping the bottom of the barrel of excuses now.

[bucolic_frolic]

24. The Job Creators now call themselves the Truth Creators

Truth Fabs are incubators of the most stupendous lies

[CakeGrrl]

25. They are absolutely INCAPABLE of taking responsibility for ANY mistake.

They love to steal credit, but take responsibility? They twist themselves into pretzels.

They're like a bunch of children who squirm around before pointing their finger at someone - anyone - else.

If character truly mattered to Trumpsters, they should be embarrassed for this bunch.

[kairos12]

26. Putin over Democrats.

[alcibiades_mystery]

28. Somebody tells you that your National Security Advisor is compromised by the Russians

And you say, "Oh well, it's just a Clinton supporter, so..."

The very best reading of that is that the people in the White House are deeply incompetent children. That's the BEST interpretation of Spicer's defense.

[HopeAgain]

29. Sally Yates just had her professionalism questioned...

Sean Spicer and the paranoid psychos he rides with are all unaware that there are, unlike them, honorable people in this world.

[HAB911]

30. Political Opponent asked to stay on

right?

[BadgerMom]

31. She was a dedicated, professional public servant with courage and integrity

They can't recognize any of that because they're greedy, disloyal, insufferable oligarchs wanna-bes . Oh, and they're deplorable.

[FuzzyRabbit]

34. She indeed is a dedicated, professional public servant with courage and integrity

She is a dedicated, professional public servant with courage and integrity. That's the reason why they call her a political opponent. Integrity and honesty are not virtues to Trump and his people.

[Historic NY]

32. Bullshit she was a career Attorney of more that 20yrs.

[yellowcanine]

33. 18 Days; 18 minute gap on Nixon Watergate Tape. Coincidence? I don't think so.

[Leghorn21]

37. Boy, I just want to say, "Fuck with Sally Q. Yates at your own risk, motherfuckers."

which, of course, she would never say, but I will. And I hope it's true, and that justice is done sooner rather than later because - who can deal with much more of this appalling "administration"...gets more personal by the minute, doesn't it.

Oh, and that's "The Honorable" Sally Q. Yates, traitors.

[iluvtennis]

38. Then Do Your Own Due Diligence if you didn't trust what she said...this is the same sad argument...

...that Dumpty made about the CIA and FBI and the need for his own separate intelligence org. OMG, this is LOONEY TUNES CRAY CRAY.

[SCVDem]

39. So it's party first

Over America?

To Gitmo with all your traitorous asses.

Simply esad!

[maddiemom]

41. Was this the same reason...

that Bush ignored the Clinton administration's warning about Bin Laden? Gotta love the Republicans! Always sure the Democrats will put party before country just like they do.

[6000eliot]

42. What a fucking bullshit excuse!

They expect this shit to fly?