Trump Attacks Whistle-Blower's Sources and Alludes to Punishment for Spies

[Miles Archer]

Source: New York Times

WASHINGTON — President Trump on Thursday morning told a crowd of staff from the United States Mission to the United Nations that he wants to know who provided information to a whistle-blower about his phone call with the president of Ukraine, saying that whoever did so was “close to a spy” and that “in the old days,” spies were dealt with differently.

The remark stunned people in the audience, according to a person briefed on what took place, who had notes of what the president said. Mr. Trump made the statement about several minutes into his remarks before the group of about 50 people at the event intended to honor the United States Mission. At the outset, he condemned the former Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr.’s role in Ukraine at a time when his son Hunter Biden was on the board of a Ukrainian energy company.

Mr. Trump repeatedly referred to the whistle-blower and condemned the news media reporting on the complaint as “crooked.” He then said the whistle-blower never heard the call in question.

“I want to know who’s the person who gave the whistle-blower the information because that’s close to a spy,” Mr. Trump said. “You know what we used to do in the old days when we were smart with spies and treason, right? We used to handle it a little differently than we do now.”

Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/26/us/politics/trump-whistle-blower-spy.html

[durablend]

1. ahem

“You know what we used to do in the old days when we were smart with spies and treason, right? We used to handle it a little differently than we do now.”

Electric chair? Guess you'll need to test it out.

[bigbrother05]

5. Traditionally a firing squad

[durablend]

8. Whatever does the job!

[mnhtnbb]

13. Personally, I'm in favor of using a guillotine

when 45 is convicted of being a traitor.

Such a fitting end to the narcissistic orange anus mouth ugly a$$hole known as Hair Fuehrer.

[Stallion]

16. Should Be Reserved for Deposed Dictators

[Dave Starsky]

34. I believe the Rosenbergs got the chair.

But I'll really settle for anything he has in mind in dealing with traitors.

[SergeStorms]

39. How would Donnie-Dumb-Ass know....

what they used to do with spies? He knows nothing about our government, past, present or future!

And who would this alleged spy be spying for? His own country? The people of The United States of America? That's not called "spying", asshole, that's called OVERSIGHT, and it's the DUTY of every government employee.

[ck4829]

49. Ha

[Moostache]

2. He really cannot control himself...

THAT statement is ANOTHER crime...another article of impeachment right there...attempting to intimidate and silence whistleblowers by threats of "different treatment" is another example of behaving like an out of control mob boss.

He is seriously deranged and should be relieved of the office via the 25th amendment TODAY until the resolution of the impeachment inquiry, period.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

25. +1. Your text makes two excellent points. . . . nt

[tclambert]

47. His threat also implies what the whistleblower reported is true.

You make up false stories. You can make them up on your own. You don't need a spy with access to real classified info to make up a fake story. Spies leak true stories.

[ffr]

3. Full blown retribution while he still has some power to punish good people.

More harm to our great country.

LOCK HIM UP ALREADY!

[SergeStorms]

40. They'll impeach him, remove him from office. He won't be imprisoned.

The SDNY will imprison him, or the New York State Attorney General. Or he could be imprisoned by Federal Courts in Virginia, or a host of other districts nationwide who he's pissed off with his lawlessness. He's facing more criminal charges outside of Washington than you can shake a stick at. Being a past president won't hold any water for this criminal. Or his parasitic family.

I'm also willing to bet the new Democratic president will not pardon his orange ass.

[Hotler]

42. All the candidates running now need to pledge .....

that if elected to the Presidency they will not pardon tRump.

[SCVDem]

4. Treason

IS punishable by death!

Keep throwing shit Donnie!

Even the anti death people may make an exception.

[ffr]

6. Who gets arrested next?

I'm on the edge of my seat. And I don't mean the people tRump thinks he's going after.

[joost5]

7. More than likely

he will resign and claim vindication, claim everyone is out to get him, how unfair everything and everyone has treated him, he'll incite more reich-wing violence and try to shift blame by accusing the accuser of doing exactly what he did.

[Mr.Bill]

28. I honestly think he's a good candidate for suicide. n/t

[rickyhall]

30. That'll work...

[Danmel]

31. Too narcissistic for suicide

[Dave Starsky]

33. And way, way too cowardly.

This is a dude who completely freaked out when an elderly gentleman passed out on the floor at Mar-a-Lago, hit his head, and bled on the marble. He did nothing to help and complained about the terrible mess.

[yaesu]

9. he's sending emails to all his dummy supporters begging for his new impeachment defense fund

[Chakaconcarne]

10. He's flailing miserably...

[mahatmakanejeeves]

11. I know it's a waste of time with him, but:

Whistleblower Protection Act

Long title: An Act to amend title 5, United States Code, to strengthen the protections available to Federal employees against prohibited personnel practices, and for other purposes.
Nicknames: Whistleblower Protection Act of 1989
Enacted by: the 101st United States Congress
Effective: April 10, 1989

Citations
Public law: 101-12
Statutes at Large: 103 Stat. 16

Codification
Titles amended: 5 U.S.C.: Government Organization and Employees
U.S.C. sections amended: 5 U.S.C. ch. 12 § 1201 et seq.

Legislative history
Introduced in the Senate as S. 20 by Carl Levin (D–MI) on January 25, 1989
Passed the Senate on March 16, 1989 (97-0, Roll call vote 24, via Senate.gov)
Passed the House on March 21, 1989 (Agreed voice vote)
Signed into law by President George H.W. Bush on April 10, 1989

The Whistleblower Protection Act of 1989, 5 U.S.C. 2302(b)(8)-(9), Pub.L. 101-12 as amended, is a United States federal law that protects federal whistleblowers who work for the government and report the possible existence of an activity constituting a violation of law, rules, or regulations, or mismanagement, gross waste of funds, abuse of authority or a substantial and specific danger to public health and safety. A federal agency violates the Whistleblower Protection Act if agency authorities take (or threaten to take) retaliatory personnel action against any employee or applicant because of disclosure of information by that employee or applicant.

[Bradical79]

12. Suggesting whistle blowers should be executed

Lovely. Millions of people out there really need to get their heads out of their asses.

[ck4829]

50. Yep, we are seeing the "tyranny" we keep hearing them talk about

[onetexan]

14. Richard Painter is on MSNBC and just spoke of how dangerous this deranged man is

and shocking that he is still head of the country.

[duforsure]

15. Claiming they are spies

Shows how corrupt he is. He's desperate to make others look bad , when he's totally the one who is the bad guy, the one who breaks the law then accuses others of it by abuse of power, and a corrupt AG working for him, and him only.

[bucolic_frolic]

17. Well some are calling it a bit more extreme, did he almost say this?

Link to tweet

[onetexan]

19. yes he said it - they aired it live about 20 minutes ago. Mob-boss style no less.

[bucolic_frolic]

21. The FBI should investigate like they do ordinary citizens making threats

Have to ensure public safety and there's not plot against someone

[onetexan]

24. this is why the safety of the whistleblower is paramount right now

[cstanleytech]

18. He's trying to shift the narrative.

[earthside]

20. Trump's Big Mouth

The whistleblower is not a spy -- credible, loyal, acted in good faith in sworn testimony from Trump's Acting DNI Maguire.

Of course, a person in authority who receives briefings and reports from subordinates is getting "secondhand information."

Indeed, that is the most likely explanation for who this whistleblower is.

[Firestorm49]

22. Hey Trump, can you spell TREASON?

[iluvtennis]

23. George Conway: Threatening actual and potential witnesses constitutes obstruction of justice

George Conway
@gtconway3d
Threatening actual and potential witnesses, of course, constitutes obstruction of justice.

Link to tweet

[Stuart G]

26. Proof that Trump has lost it, get the straightjacket and get him out of there..

[wysimdnwyg]

27. How it must grate on him

He's ranting about people leaking information about his calls, and as soon as that meeting is over, someone leaks it. HA!

[orangecrush]

29. Threatening a witness.

[Gothmog]

32. From the Hoarse Whisperer

Link to tweet

[Bernardo de La Paz]

35. The Orange Queen said "Off with his head!" . . . nt

[marble falls]

36. Donnie Two Scoops is worrying the punishment for the wrong guy. Donnie need to worry for himself.

[yellowcanine]

37. You know he had lost the argument when he begins the spy talk.

[johnnyfins]

38. He knows what should be done with spies

He won't say it. Just like "corruption" is the code word for dirt on Biden."Khashoggi" is the code word for spy punishment. Trump: "I got that from MBS, you like?"

[Gothmog]

41. I am told the NYT cancellation wait time on the phone is up to 130 minutes

Link to tweet

[Gothmog]

43. #cancelNYT

[dalton99a]

44. Trump Calls for Killing of Whistleblower

is what the headline should read

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

45. Now Lindsey Grahan is piling on

https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/463220-lindsey-graham-imperative-we-find-out-which-white-house-official-talked-to

[not_the_one]

46. Hey Leningrad Lindsey....

Any person who aids and abets someone in the act of treason is ALSO guilty of treason.

Maybe you should get your own affairs in order.

Just a suggestion. You don't want to be caught with your pants down (like on Putin's kompromat tape).

[Gothmog]

48. It is hard to cancel

Link to tweet