Trump leaks highly classified info to Russians

Legal or not, what legitimate reason did Trump have to release the highest classification of intelligence to the Russians?

All sorts of things wrong with that.

Quote: ams288

Quote: petroglyph

Quote: ams288

Trump revealed highly classified information to Russian foreign minister and ambassador

Unbelievable. Actually, it's completely believable.

Lock him up.

From your link, "As president, Trump has broad authority to declassify government secrets, making it unlikely that his disclosures broke the law." Do you read links before you post them?

Just to be clear:

Are you trying to defend what he did?

I don't know what he did, other than within his rights as POTUS. Your link confirms he didn't break law or do something illegal or worth getting in a tizzy over. We trade that kind of sensitive with Russia all the time re; Syria. We give each other coordinates so we don't accidentally kill each other and start ww3 in earnest. It might have been info like, "one of our subs is going to surface and launch 59 tomahawk missiles at NPRK. IF we are going to do something like that we had better damn well let them know in advance. Same with China.

I don't care about the little stuff. I didn't care about Lewinsky, or GW in prayer, their sexual appetites. Kennedy is rumored to have done Norma Jean on the side. There is a time when I would have myself.

We trade on a daily basis with Russia in the millions of dollars. This is no secret and so far they are not our enemy. Competitor yes, enemy no. This is current through Feb. https://www.eia.gov/dnav/pet/hist/LeafHandler.ashx?n=PET&s=MTTIM_NUS-NRS_1&f=M. I don't care if they split a bottle of Vodka and went home with Russian hookers. Good for them. Now let them get to work, making the world a better place without all this bs.

Trump derangement syndrome: http://www.shtfplan.com/headline-news/video-college-student-has-2-minute-freak-out-after-being-triggered-by-trump-sign-shes-going-nuts_05152017

Quote: petroglyph

I don't know what he did, other than within his rights as POTUS.

That's the problem.

I said long before Golden Boy lost the popular vote: he has no idea what governing entails, he doesn't feel he's won unless the other guy loses, he's petty and vindictive, he's corrupt as hell, he wouldn't know the truth if it kicked him in the groin, and he's massively ignorant about very relevant topics a chief executive should know.

As to the first and last, he's admitted as much. "No one knew healthcare was so complicated" (he certainly didn't). And the revelations that China cannot control North Korea like a puppet, or that he expected one of the most complex jobs in the world to be easy. I'm sure these three things surprised only one person in the whole world.

Then there's the whole Russia thing. I've no idea if anything criminal happened. But there's a lot of lies regarding even meeting with Russians coming from this administration, and constant clumsy attempts at cover-up. In brief, we see a lot of smoke emanating from the White House, and we're told "it's all smoke, there's no fire. Trust us," from a man who lies even about small, irrelevant and utterly unimportant things.

So, are you willing to put with four years of this shit?

Whether or not it was legal isn't the only thing that needs to be considered when you are evaluating whether or not a decision (or impulsive braggadocio action) is GALACTICALLY STUPID.

Quote: Paul Ryan

Individuals who are "extremely careless" with classified information should be denied further access to such info.

Quote: Politico

The information allegedly disclosed by Trump is sourced from an intelligence-sharing arrangement with a U.S. partner who did not authorize the president to pass its intelligence on to the Russians.

If Trump burns intelligence resources, we will lose them.

As you might expect, various people are calling for Trump to resign, and/or to be impeached, and not just for this one thing.

How low did Trump himself set the bar for these things?

Quote: Trump

In his remarks today, President Obama disgracefully refused to even say the words 'Radical Islam,' For that reason alone, he should step down. If Hillary Clinton, after this attack, still cannot say the two words 'Radical Islam' she should get out of this race for the Presidency.

Quote: Trump

Are you allowed to impeach a president for gross incompetence?

BTW on political mistakes (blunders, really) that a person utterly ignorant of politics would be ashamed of:

1) Do NOT pose smiling and having a jolly old time with the Russians, right after you fired the guy investigating your campaigns dealings with the Russians.

2) If you want to share intelligence info from a third country who hasn't authorized you to share it, DON'T EFFING DO IT! What are you, a moron? But if you absolutely must, then do it in as low-key and inconspicuous way as possible.

3) If one of your people sticks their neck out to protect you from your blunder, don't undercut him by admitting to the blunder in public. Seriously. What do you use for brains?

It turns out that the U.S. ally who was the source of the intel was Israel.

Interestingly enough, the largest daily newspaper in Israel (Ydioth Ahronoth) ran an article describing how the U.S. intelligence community had warned the Israelis not to divulge intelligence to the Trump administration due to the likelihood that Trump would pass the intel on to the Russians. The Russians could then pass the intel on to the Iranians. (Note that the newspaper article is dated January 12, 2017.)

Quote: Yedioth Ahronoth

The American officials also told the Israelis that the National Security Agency (NSA) had “highly credible information” that Russia’s intelligence agencies, the FSB and GRU, were responsible for hacking the Democratic Party (DNC) servers during the elections and leaking sensitive information to WikiLeaks, which hurt Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton.

The American officials further added that they believed Russia President Vladimir Putin had “leverages of pressure” over Trump – but did not elaborate. They were apparently referring to what was published Wednesday about embarrassing information collected by the Russian intelligence in a bid to blackmail the president-elect.

The Americans implied that their Israeli colleagues should “be careful” as of January 20, Trump’s inauguration date, when transferring intelligence information to the White House and to the National Security Council (NSC), which is subject to the president. According to the Israelis who were present in the meeting, the Americans recommended that until it is made clear that Trump is not inappropriately connected to Russia and is not being extorted – Israel should avoid revealing sensitive sources to administration officials for fear the information would reach the Iranians.

Right-wing blogger Erick Erickson says that he personally knows the leaker who tipped off the Washington Post. Erickson says it's a White House official who is very pro-Trump, but doesn't want Donald to ever divulge this sort of classified stuff again. Apparently the only way to get Trump's attention is to humiliate him in the press.

Quote: Erick Erickson

I am told that what the President did is actually far worse than what is being reported. The President does not seem to realize or appreciate that his bragging can undermine relationships with our allies and with human intelligence sources. He also does not seem to appreciate that his loose lips can get valuable assets in the field killed.

Quote: Nareed

So, are you willing to put with four years of this shit?

I still haven't watched a half hour of this election since it started a couple years ago. If I see Trump or others on my screen it is momentarily, and unintentional.

I quit thinking candidates would even try to fulfill their campaign promises a long time ago, and so far they haven't let me down because I don't believe them during their campaigns.

The only possible, miniscule reason Trump may have been partially better than HRC IMO, is he would be slower to war with Iran. Turns out he is right on time. War, war, war, it's what's for dinner. It's what we do. And unfortunately it is our only chance of keeping the $ afloat for any length of time.

Quote:

Nareed,
I think you missed a recent post where I said all politicians are corrupt, bottom-feeding scum.

Agreed. It's always the money. I have always said, " anyone who gets to be a billionaire has screwed somebody". That is not a revelation with Trump, or HRC. It's hard for me to imagine all the people that are ardent followers of any of them, that believe the issues the candidates campaigned on, are truly the problems we face. I also weigh them on how impossible their campaign promises are. BHO, originally was going to bring the banks to task for the collapse and skulduggery they foisted on the world. Also closing Gitmo, and getting us out of Afghanistan. Still waiting. The voters forgot all that so well, that HRC and DJT used some of the same false promises.

Just look at their sponsors, that is who they represent. I had mentioned on the other board years ago that they should be forced to wear jackets labeling their sponsors like Nascar drivers. The "real" government doesn't come in and out of office every election cycle. Our .gov now, is global corporations, simple as that. Everything else is bread and circus's.

Anyway, that's how I see it. Trump is probably guilty of all the things you say about him? Everyone is a bigot to some degree. He makes a great caricature in cartoons, and I was/am really sick of seeing HRC after all these years on the screen. For god sake, give someone else a turn that isn't a member of these dynasty's.

I"m no fan of either of them, never said I was. If I vote again, I will probably vote for Ron Paul again. No more foreign entanglements, as promised.

Just because I said Trump didn't fart in the punch bowl, doesn't mean I support him.

Quote: petroglyph

The only possible, miniscule reason Trump may have been partially better than HRC IMO,

Given all possible candidates this time around, there was no reason to think Trump could be any better than any of them.

I sympathize with the Libertarians who say "If you vote for the lesser evil, you still get evil." But this time around the EC drew the greater evil.

And lo and behold, there's a difference.

Quote:

is he would be slower to war with Iran.

I don't see anyone going to war with Iran.

Quote:

I"m no fan of either of them, never said I was. If I vote again, I will probably vote for Ron Paul again. No more foreign entanglements, as promised.

Are you a fan of being disappointed?

Quote: Nareed

Are you a fan of being disappointed?

We are more cunning than the other primates, that's all. .gov is just looking out for itself, The scorpion and the frog.

So I'm going to say no,,,, I'm not a fan, disappointment hurts.