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Donald Trump Presidency discussion Thread VI

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  • Moderators, Category Moderators, Entertainment Moderators Posts: 36,711 CMod ✭✭✭✭pixelburp


    Yeah, I think we're all more than familiar with Trumps tweets to know when something is dictated to him. That middle sentence is such a giveaway, don't think I've ever seen such considered, tidy comma usage from him.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,236 ✭✭✭mcmoustache


    peddlelies wrote: »
    How sincere, exclamation points and all. Could have been worse I suppose

    https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1184815052546809862

    I think I've seen this show before. First you get Scavino's finest work sent out via tweet and then a few hours later, at some press conference or other, Trump starts badmouthing him.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,307 ✭✭✭Stallingrad


    He certainly did not write that, the exclamation mark is sorry attempt to make it sound like he did. Sad!


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 36,034 ✭✭✭✭Penn


    No.10 saying that despite what Trump said, Boris Johnson never asked Trump to arrange for a meeting between the family of Harry Dunn and the wife of the US Diplomat who killed him by driving on the wrong side of the road in the UK before claiming diplomatic immunity and returning back to the US.

    No.10 says Boris had asked Trump to do all he could in terms of helping the family and resolving things. Seems Trump/WH took it upon themselves to take it that meant Jerry Springer-style ambush and photo op.

    https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/oct/17/no-10-denies-boris-johnson-asked-donald-trump-set-up-anne-sacoolas-meeting?utm_term=Autofeed&CMP=twt_gu&utm_medium=&utm_source=Twitter#Echobox=1571317481


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 36,034 ✭✭✭✭Penn


    Sondland testifying in closed session. His opening statement was released online however. Only took a quick look, but some bits that jumped out:
    On May 23, 2019, three days after the Zelensky inauguration, we in the U.S. delegation
    debriefed President Trump and key aides at the White House. We emphasized the strategic
    importance of Ukraine and the strengthening relationship with President Zelensky, a reformer
    who received a strong mandate from the Ukrainian people to fight corruption and pursue greater
    economic prosperity. We asked the White House to arrange a working phone call from President
    Trump and a working Oval Office visit. However, President Trump was skeptical that Ukraine
    was serious about reforms and anti-corruption, and he directed those of us present at the meeting
    to talk to Mr. Giuliani, his personal attorney, about his concerns. It was apparent to all of us that
    8
    the key to changing the President’s mind on Ukraine was Mr. Giuliani. It is my understanding
    that Energy Secretary Perry and Special Envoy Volker took the lead on reaching out to Mr.
    Giuliani, as the President had directed.
    Indeed, Secretary Perry, Ambassador Volker, and I were disappointed by our May 23,
    2019 White House debriefing. We strongly believed that a call and White House meeting
    between Presidents Trump and Zelensky was important and that these should be scheduled
    promptly and without any pre-conditions. We were also disappointed by the President’s
    direction that we involve Mr. Giuliani. Our view was that the men and women of the State
    Department, not the President’s personal lawyer, should take responsibility for all aspects of U.S.
    foreign policy towards Ukraine. However, based on the President’s direction, we were faced
    with a choice: We could abandon the goal of a White House meeting for President Zelensky,
    which we all believed was crucial to strengthening U.S.-Ukrainian ties and furthering long-held
    U.S. foreign policy goals in the region; or we could do as President Trump directed and talk to
    Mr. Giuliani to address the President’s concerns.
    We chose the latter path, which seemed to all of us – Secretary Perry, Ambassador
    Volker, and myself – to be the better alternative. But I did not understand, until much later, that
    Mr. Giuliani’s agenda might have also included an effort to prompt the Ukrainians to investigate
    Vice President Biden or his son or to involve Ukrainians, directly or indirectly, in the President’s
    2020 reelection campaign.
    But let me emphasize: I was not on that July 25, 2019 call and I did not see a transcript
    of that call until September 25, 2019, when the White House publicly released it. None of the
    brief and general call summaries I received contained any mention of Burisma or former Vice
    President Biden, nor even suggested that President Trump had made any kind of request of
    President Zelensky. I had heard afterwards that the July 25, 2019 call went well in solidifying a
    relationship between the two leaders.
    As I stated earlier, I understood from President Trump, at the May 23, 2019 White House
    debriefing, that he wanted the Inaugural Delegation to talk with Mr. Giuliani concerning our
    efforts to arrange a White House meeting for President Zelensky. Taking direction from the
    President, as I must, I spoke with Mr. Giuliani for that limited purpose. In these short
    conversations, Mr. Giuliani emphasized that the President wanted a public statement from
    President Zelensky committing Ukraine to look into anticorruption issues. Mr. Giuliani
    specifically mentioned the 2016 election (including the DNC server) and Burisma as two anticorruption investigatory topics of importance for the President.
    14
    Let me be clear: Mr. Giuliani does not work for me or my Mission and I do not know
    what official or unofficial role, if any, he has with the State Department. To my knowledge, he
    is one of the President’s personal lawyers. However, my understanding was that the President
    directed Mr. Giuliani’s participation, that Mr. Giuliani was expressing the concerns of the
    President, and that Mr. Giuliani had already spoken with Secretary Perry and Ambassador
    Volker.
    Ten weeks after the President on May 23, 2019 directed the Inaugural Delegation to talk
    with Mr. Giuliani, I had my first phone conversation with him in early August 2019. I listened to
    Mr. Giuliani’s concerns. My goal was the keep the focus on Ukraine and the strengthened
    relationship with the United States.
    Please know that I would not have recommended that Mr. Giuliani or any private citizen
    be involved in these foreign policy matters. However, given the President’s explicit direction, as
    well as the importance we attached to arranging a White House meeting between Presidents
    Trump and Zelensky, we agreed to do as President Trump directed.
    Although Mr. Giuliani did mention the name “Burisma” in August 2019, I understood
    that Burisma was one of many examples of Ukrainian companies run by oligarchs and lacking
    the type of corporate governance structures found in Western companies. I did not know until
    more recent press reports that Hunter Biden was on the board of Burisma.
    On September 9, 2019, Acting Charge de Affairs/Ambassador William Taylor raised
    concerns about the possibility that Ukrainians could perceive a linkage between U.S. security
    assistance and the President’s 2020 reelection campaign.
    Taking the issue seriously, and given the many versions of speculation that had been
    circulating about the security aid, I called President Trump directly. I asked the President:
    “What do you want from Ukraine?” The President responded, “Nothing. There is no quid pro
    quo.” The President repeated: “no quid pro quo” multiple times. This was a very short call.
    And I recall the President was in a bad mood.
    Let me state clearly: Inviting a foreign government to undertake investigations for the
    purpose of influencing an upcoming U.S. election would be wrong. Withholding foreign aid in
    order to pressure a foreign government to take such steps would be wrong. I did not and would
    not ever participate in such undertakings. In my opinion, security aid to Ukraine was in our vital
    national interest and should not have been delayed for any reason.

    https://assets.documentcloud.org/documents/6486433/10-17-19-Sondland-Opening-Statement.pdf


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 21,380 ✭✭✭✭everlast75


    https://twitter.com/mkraju/status/1184823928532983808?s=19

    Now, can we once and for all call this what it was - an abuse of power now that the "it wasn't quid pro quo" has been blown out of the water?

    We can rule out the excuse of stopping corruption too.

    What other BS excuses were there?

    Elect a clown... Expect a circus



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,152 ✭✭✭26000 Elephants


    What a mixed bag Sondlands statement is. He appears to be sticking this well and truly to Trump and that he was just following orders, "which I must do"....

    I wonder if his call to Trump was after Trump was advised to roll back his demands? Why add the "He was in a bad mood" unless this was not what he wanted.

    And 'irony of the day" award goes to the pay-to-play hotelier who says he "would not have recommended that Mr. Giuliani or any private citizen be involved in these foreign policy matters. "

    Indeed.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 86,683 ✭✭✭✭Overheal


    More Trump emoluments as he announces G-7 won’t be held at a government owned location like it was the last time the summit was held in the US under Obama but rather will be held at his resort in Miami

    https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/national/wp/2019/10/17/trump-has-awarded-next-years-g-7-summit-of-world-leaders-to-his-miami-area-resort-the-white-house-said/

    All that entourage money


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 21,380 ✭✭✭✭everlast75


    Overheal wrote: »
    More Trump emoluments as he announces G-7 won’t be held at a government owned location like it was the last time the summit was held in the US under Obama but rather will be held at his resort in Miami

    https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/national/wp/2019/10/17/trump-has-awarded-next-years-g-7-summit-of-world-leaders-to-his-miami-area-resort-the-white-house-said/

    All that entourage money

    It's almost as if he is some sort of sado-masochist and wants to be impeached

    Elect a clown... Expect a circus



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 13,563 ✭✭✭✭peteeeed




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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 14,392 ✭✭✭✭Professor Moriarty


    peteeeed wrote: »

    The ironing is delicious.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 41,324 ✭✭✭✭Itssoeasy


    NBC news has breaking news saying that chief of staff mick Mulvaney has acknowledged that trump held up aid to Ukraine for political reasons. I mean can we now stop the messing ? The call speaks for itself and trump has been caught doing something he shouldn’t have been doing.

    Also that Don Jr clip is brilliant in the sheer lack of self awareness and he’s supposedly the brains of the trump organisation.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 10,423 ✭✭✭✭Outlaw Pete




  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,236 ✭✭✭mcmoustache




    Do you know what a ceasefire is?


    This isn't one. Read the agreement and have a think instead of just taking the word of the administration at face value. Have you not learned yet?


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 86,683 ✭✭✭✭Overheal


    That will be such a comfort to the countless dead that Trump could have avoided by withdrawing in the first place with that precondition - or not withdrawing at all. Again the administration is pretending they’ve done something wonderful when in reality they have poorly duct-taped over their own ineptitude


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 1,047 ✭✭✭Jamiekelly



    Brilliant news. But it's kind of left me wondering. Who caused the conditions that led to a ceasefire even being needed in the first place? ;)


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,877 ✭✭✭abff


    Overheal wrote: »
    More Trump emoluments as he announces G-7 won’t be held at a government owned location like it was the last time the summit was held in the US under Obama but rather will be held at his resort in Miami

    https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/national/wp/2019/10/17/trump-has-awarded-next-years-g-7-summit-of-world-leaders-to-his-miami-area-resort-the-white-house-said/

    All that entourage money

    Typical Trump. A toxic mixture of cupidity and stupidity.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,388 ✭✭✭Billy Mays


    Someone get the Mission Accomplished banner


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,236 ✭✭✭mcmoustache


    The Turks still get to take over that safe zone. This is a green light to allow the Turks to cleanse the area. It's a capitulation. The US is not being taken seriously anymore.

    https://twitter.com/kaitlancollins/status/1184900281928208387


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 86,683 ✭✭✭✭Overheal




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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,236 ✭✭✭mcmoustache




  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 41,324 ✭✭✭✭Itssoeasy


    Rick Perry has told trump he is out the door.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 41,324 ✭✭✭✭Itssoeasy


    Also it’s easier for Romney to go a bit further than others as he is in a fairly safe senate seat.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 14,378 ✭✭✭✭StringerBell


    Itssoeasy wrote: »
    Also it’s easier for Romney to go a bit further than others as he is in a fairly safe senate seat.

    Not up for election again till 2023 or something is he? He should be going further in all honesty but it's always nice to see the wall keep getting chipped away at.

    "People say ‘go with the flow’ but do you know what goes with the flow? Dead fish."



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 21,380 ✭✭✭✭everlast75


    Fox News going to bat against DJT again.

    Can't argue with the logic.

    https://twitter.com/SpeakerPelosi/status/1184925740841816067?s=19

    Elect a clown... Expect a circus



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,881 ✭✭✭EltonJohn69


    Is this Trumps worst week ?


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 86,683 ✭✭✭✭Overheal


    His base is already deprogrammed from trusting the news division. They don’t tune into Fox until The Five. During the day they instead listen to Hannity and Limbaugh.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,881 ✭✭✭EltonJohn69


    And...romney must be looking good to some republicans for 2020


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,618 ✭✭✭Cody montana


    Is this Trumps worst week ?

    It's his worst week since last week.


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  • Moderators, Category Moderators, Entertainment Moderators Posts: 36,711 CMod ✭✭✭✭pixelburp


    And...romney must be looking good to some republicans for 2020

    Romney was more than willing to kiss the ring once the GOP primary had shaken out. He has consistently talked tepid, from the sidelines, with the bare minimum of conscience. I don't seriously believe he's going to decide those flaccid words aren't enough anymore.


This discussion has been closed.
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