Senate Republicans defend Trump's response on Russian bounties

[brooklynite]

Source: The Hill

By Tuesday, however, Republican senators started to rally around Trump, defending his handling of intelligence after receiving a briefing at the White House from Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe and national security adviser Robert O’Brien.

Republican lawmakers who attended the White House briefing said media reports about the intelligence were “inaccurate” or based on “unverified” intelligence.

GOP senators argued that Democrats on the Senate Intelligence Committee had access to the same intelligence the president did and didn’t sound an alarm, implying the recent controversy has a political motive with the election four months away.

Sen. Todd Young (R-Ind.) who attended the briefing with Ratcliffe and O’Brien Tuesday morning, said “major national newspapers” reported “on unverified and inconclusive intelligence as though it had been conclusively determined that Russia paid bounties on U.S. troops.”

Read more: https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/505348-senate-republicans-defend-trumps-response-on-russian-bounties

[mucifer]

1. I will be pissed if the dems knew and did nothing about it.

[TomCADem]

18. I Think Trump and Republican Are Trying to Flush out Democrats

As the source of the leak of classified info through this strategy. Now Democrats are boxed in, because if Democrats own up to being a source of the leak, then Trump/Barr can prosecute them. If they do not, then Republicans can try to are argue that it is there fault.

[Lock him up.]

27. Doesn't matter if the orange menace still does nothing to mobster vlad.

And more troops risk getting blown up due to his pandering to his puppetmaster.

Dems won't call putin to tell him to stop. That's not in their job description.

The orange virus still won't do anything to anger the mobster he owes his sphincter to.

Joe Biden woulda (and will...) on a RUMOR of bounties to kill troops. He owes nothing to him.

Vote Blue And Make Justice Great Again!

[TomCADem]

33. NY Times: Pelosi on Trump and Russia: 'This Is as Bad as it Gets'

It is also demonstrably false talking point that Democrats have been all over Trump for giving Russians a free pass on killing American soldiers. Democrats are hardly sitting on this information.

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/29/us/politics/trump-pelosi-russia-racist-tweet.html

A Times investigation, published Friday, found that Trump was briefed on an intelligence report three months ago showing that Russia had offered cash rewards to Islamic militants launching attacks on American forces in Afghanistan. But the White House still hasn’t taken any steps to retaliate or make the Russians stop.

“This is as bad as it gets,” Nancy Pelosi said on ABC’s “This Week,” pointing out that Trump denied having been briefed on the intelligence. “Whether he is or not, his administration knows, and our allies — some of our allies who work with us in Afghanistan — had been briefed and accept this report.”

Joe Biden weighed in during a virtual town hall event held by Asian and Pacific Islander American Vote, a voters organization. “His entire presidency has been a gift to Putin, but this is beyond the pale,” Biden said. “It’s a betrayal of the most sacred duty we bear as a nation, to protect and equip our troops when we send them into harm’s way.”

Intelligence officers and Special Operations commandos had been reporting since at least January that they suspected the Russians might be offering payments to Taliban fighters. This would represent a significant escalation in Russia’s known involvement in conflicts between American forces and Afghan rebel fighters. Back in March, administration officials discussed registering a diplomatic complaint with Moscow or implementing new sanctions, but they’ve ultimately chosen to do nothing.

[cstanleytech]

23. I suspect a Republican leaked it with the goal of using it to slime the Democrats

and potentially helping Trump rally his base which could give a frog's ass over Russia paying to have US troops murdered.

[Lock him up.]

28. See my reply #27 up here.

Vote Blue To Make Justice Great Again.

Lock him up.

[Grokenstein]

2. They're all complicit.

They should all swing.

[TomCADem]

20. It Is Odd That So Many "Democrats" Buy Into This Right Wing Talking Point

That was hatched after a Republican only briefing.p, which is false. In fact, Pelosi specifically said that this is as bad as it gets, yet some “Democrats” seem ready to accept the Trump/Republican talking point.

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/29/us/politics/trump-pelosi-russia-racist-tweet.html

[soothsayer]

3. Well the GOP briefing left out the bit about the unusual financial transactions discovered

I wonder whether they’ve noticed that.

[LastLiberal in PalmSprings]

17. They weren't there to be briefed, they were there to drink the Kool-Aid

and get their wagons circled around Fat Boy Don. If the Democrats are using the bounty issue for political purposes, why did the Repugs get their briefing first, instead of at the same time as the Dems, as is usually done. Only the Repugs could politicize the deaths of military members.

[not_the_one]

31. Exactly. They were being TOLD just exactly how high to goosestep.

The turd must have his choir behind him lip-syncing his every word.

They could be finalists in RuPaul's AllStar Drag Race Lip-Sync FOR YOUR LIFE!!!

Now THAT is disgusting and I apologize profusely to RuPaul for even typing it. I am a BAD BAD BAD person. I should have my membership card taken away.

[bullimiami]

4. But he said he didn't know anything about it. Maybe they need to get their lies straight.

Didn’t know anything about it but his response was aok??

Pretty double-thinky even for a republican senator.

[beachbumbob]

5. awesome but makes no difference if democrats will not investigate in the House

with an investigation AND enforcement of subpoenas, this becomes another wedge issue for Nov 3rd that GOP senators running will not like to contend with

[Iliyah]

6. Beware . .

Only republicans attended that meeting.

Blame games as always. Who controls the Senate and who is in the WH.

[no_hypocrisy]

7. That was then. This is now.

1. Get the Intelligence Community to provide indisputable evidence.
2. Act on it STAT.

No Coulda/Shoulda/Woulda.

[droidamus2]

8. My only question is...

Was this one of those White House briefings on an important subject to which only Republicans were invited? If so. was this to inform them of the details of the situation or to give them the talking points so they could defend Fat Donnie?

[caraher]

11. Number 2

This is purely CYA and deflection

[Botany]

9. How many of those GOP senators took Russian money too?

Sen. Todd Young likes to use the big word conclusive because it makes him sound smart.

Sen. Todd Young (R-Ind.) who attended the briefing with Ratcliffe and O’Brien Tuesday morning, said “major national newspapers” reported “on unverified and inconclusive intelligence as though it had been conclusively determined that Russia paid bounties on U.S. troops.”

BTW US intel has already tracked the payments.

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/30/us/politics/russian-bounties-afghanistan-intelligence.html

American officials intercepted electronic data showing large financial transfers from a bank account controlled by Russia’s military intelligence agency to a Taliban-linked account, evidence that supported their conclusion that Russia covertly offered bounties for killing U.S. and coalition troops in Afghanistan, according to three officials familiar with the intelligence.

Though the United States has accused Russia of providing general support to the Taliban before, analysts concluded from other intelligence that the transfers were most likely part of a bounty program that detainees described during interrogations.

Investigators also identified by name numerous Afghans in a network linked to the suspected Russian operation, the officials said — including, two of them added, a man believed to have served as an intermediary for distributing some of the funds and who is now thought to be in Russia.

The intercepts bolstered the findings gleaned from the interrogations, helping reduce an earlier disagreement among intelligence analysts and agencies over the reliability of the detainees. The disclosures further undercut White House officials’ claim that the intelligence was too uncertain to brief President Trump. In fact, the information was provided to him in his daily written brief in late February, two officials have said.

[doc03]

10. So Trumpy didn't see it, didn't read it and knew nothing.

But Democrats should have, it's their fault.

[DVDGuy]

12. Good!

If they want to tie themselves to the anchor that is the Trump presidency and jump into the lake, be our guest!

[Lock him up.]

13. Democrats on the Senate Intelligence Committee aren't Commanders-In-Chief.

That so-called President's duty includes to protect the troops he sends in harms way. It's neither the Democrats' duty, nor the repugnants'. Only the Oval Office in a "normal" presidency, so they usually rely on the top executive to do their jobs.

Just a RUMOR of bounties being paid by any adversary should mandate a forceful warning to stop immediately, and if it proves to be true after a thorough investigation, SANCTIONS are a MUST (if not a naval blockade enforced... following such an act of war).

And what Rat-cliff (who wears his name...) actually admits is that they KNEW of -- at a MINIMUM -- such RUMOR and they did nothing, not even informing the Golfer-in-Chief to begin with? And nothing else will be done?

Don't think so...

Vote Blue
Make Justice Great Again
And LOCK HIM UP!


Caps for emphasis.

[ChiTownDenny]

15. According to these Repubics,

everyone knew about it; the Republics, the Democrats, and the President. It was an open secret that Nancy Pelosi was supposed to address and have resolved, not the Commander in Chief, who claims he knew nothing!

[Miguelito Loveless]

16. Sorry, but if Dems knew and kept silent

they are complicit. I really have a difficult time understanding how anyone on "our side" could have known about this and remained quiet.

If this accusation is false, then Pelosi, Schumer, et al, better pipe up now.

[ChiTownDenny]

24. I find it highly uncredible that everyone in Washington

knew about this, except the president, and the MSM is just now reporting about it.

[Miguelito Loveless]

29. I don't for one minute think Trump didn't know

But, that does NOT change the fact that if the Dems knew and didn't speak up they are as bad as Trump, possibly worse, since they, ostensibly, are not sociopaths.

[Orangepeel]

14. IF that were true, the correct thing would be to find out

or was inviting Putin to rejoin G8 a supersecret plan to get him to confess? Yeah, that's the ticket!

[Turbineguy]

19. Republican approach learned from Watergate

"For God's sake, don't follow the money!"

[SKKY]

21. This is a stupid argument. ALL INTELLIGENCE IS INCONCLUSIVE...

....and that's why it is called intelligence. It can be more validated, or less validated, but ALL INTELLIGENCE IS INCONCLUSIVE. The difference is judgement. When Republicans act on intelligence, we end up in a 20 year war in Iraq. When Democrats act on intelligence, global terrorist leaders cease to be.

[keithbvadu2]

22. Trump's pals; the Russians

[Thekaspervote]

25. Traitors ...everyone of them

[marble falls]

26. I'm surprised any Republican would want to lift that load, specifically this guy ...

Todd Young - Just a few weeks after graduating from high school, Young enlisted in the United States Navy and reported for duty in Newport, Rhode Island. In May 1991, he received an appointment from the Secretary of the Navy to attend the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, where his classmates elected him a class officer and he earned a varsity letter as a member of Navy's NCAA Division I soccer team. He graduated cum laude in 1995,[4] earning a B.S. in political science, and accepted a commission in the U.S. Marine Corps.

Upon graduating from Annapolis, Young trained for six months at the Basic School in Quantico, Virginia. In 1996, he completed the Naval Intelligence Officer Basic Course in Dam Neck, Virginia. Young then led the intelligence department of VMU-2, an unmanned aerial vehicle squadron based in Cherry Point, North Carolina, where he participated in various military operations, including counter-narcotics activities in the Caribbean, and was trained in Anti-Terrorism/Force Protection.[citation needed] While stationed in the Chicago area, Young earned an M.B.A. from the University of Chicago.

He's also a member of the Federalists and the Heritage Foundation.

[Blue Montana]

30. The WH is and has been for four years a propaganda machine...

News media that has been extremely reputable for years beyond my own years do not report willy-nilly. They are quite certain before they put themselves out there as to the validity of a story. I believe very much so that Trump has deceived and lied to the world about his agenda to side with Putin and other dictators to take control of America and turn it into a dictatorship and that the stories we are hearing regarding such affiliation are very accurate. Trump is a traitor to us and all that is good and decent in the world and as a US Navy Veteran I am appalled to learn he has condoned the killing of our active duty troops in league with Putin. It is not just a crime against them as proud honorable men and women but it is a crime against America and humanity. His crimes should not go unpunished. I see a future for Trump in GITMO for life if I had my way. The Resistance is strong.

[turbinetree]

32. Okay for all of the republicans that were in this "meeting" was there "one democrat'.............

, you know to make it bi-partisan well no there wasn't so who is gas lighting who.................republicans trying to shift the blame ..................they can go pound sand.................treason is still fucking treason and still trying to go around and deflect isn't going to work..............you have fucking blood on your hands, this is what this is about, you were given the opportunity to remove this abject homicidal narcissistic maniac................and you fucking did not...............the only thing your were and are concerned about is the fucking federalist society getting judges on the bench.............

November 3, 2020 cannot get here fast enough and then January 21, 2021 to clean the fucking filth out...............