This is not a joke. The republican President Donald Trump has been downplaying for years, the role that Russia played in interfering with the 2016 US elections’ infrastructure. It stands to reason that the American public would be receptive to the president warning the Russia’s President Vladimir Putin not to make the mistake to repeat Russia’s 2016 attacks on US elections in 2020, but instead at the June 2019 G20 conference in Osaka, Japan, when Presidents Trump and Putin had a side meeting, President Trump turned this issue into a laughing matter.
Donald TuskVerified account@eucopresident tweeted the following on 6/27/2019:
Adam SchiffVerified account @RepAdamSchiff tweeted the following on 6/27/2019 but this “Safe Act” will be DOA in the Senate because its GOP majority leader has been blocking all bipartisan security elections measures which is just another reason why I don’t get why the US House hasn’t commenced an impeachment inquiry against President Trump:
See MSNBC report: msnbc.com/ McConnell blocks bills to combat election interference
Here’s the rest of the story…
On June 28, 2019, Kevin Liptak of CNN News penned the following report, “Trump gives Putin light-hearted warning: ‘Don’t meddle in the election’
Excerpts:
“President Donald Trump issued a breezy warning to his Russian counterpart Friday against meddling in US elections, laughing and smiling as he told his counterpart not to interfere.”
Link to entire article: G20 summit 2019: Trump meets leaders in Osaka
See: G20: all eyes on Trump and Iran, but Putin’s date with Xi and Modi is …
South China Morning Post–Jun 27, 2019
Rex Tillerson tells all…Read: Tillerson’s testimony before the House Foreign Affairs Committee
On June 27, 2019, John Hudson and Josh Dawsey of the Washington Post penned the following report, “Rex Tillerson airs concern about Jared Kushner’s secret dealings with foreign leaders”
Excerpts:
“In newly disclosed testimony, former secretary of state Rex Tillerson said President Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, operated independently with powerful leaders around the world without coordination with the State Department, leaving Tillerson out of the loop and in the dark on emerging U.S. policies and simmering geopolitical crises.”
“In a transcript of his testimony to the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Tillerson also described the challenge of briefing a president who does not read briefing papers and often got distracted by peripheral topics, noting he had to keep his message short and focus on a single topic.”
“I learned to be much more concise with what I wanted to bring in front of him,” Tillerson told the House panel during a seven-hour session in May.”
“He stood by his previous characterization that Trump does not dive deep into details and said he learned not to give the president articles or long memos.”
“On several occasions, Tillerson said he was blindsided by Kushner’s discussions with world leaders.”
“In one instance, Tillerson said he learned that Kushner was meeting with Mexico’s foreign secretary, Luis Videgaray, because he happened to be in the same Washington restaurant while the 2 men hashed out a “fairly comprehensive plan of action” that Tillerson didn’t know about.”
“The owner of the restaurant . . . came around and said, “Oh, Mr. Secretary, you might be interested to know the foreign secretary of Mexico is seated at a table near the back in case you want to go by and say hello to him,” Tillerson said. “And so I did.”
“Tillerson said he saw the “color go out of the face” of the foreign secretary as he walked into the room. “I said: Welcome to Washington. . . . Give me a call next time you’re coming to town.”
“In another instance, Tillerson explained in detail being stunned by the 2017 Persian Gulf crisis in which key Arab allies severed ties with Qatar, another key U.S. ally. He said he was in Australia at the time with then-Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, and both were caught off guard.”
“I was surprised,” Tillerson said.”
“He also said he wasn’t aware of meetings that had been occurring between Arab leaders and Kushner, including a private huddle May 20, 2017, between Kushner, Trump’s former adviser Stephen K. Bannon and the rulers of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. During the meeting, Arab leaders discussed their intention to impose a blockade on Qatar, though the White House later denied prior knowledge of the June 5 closure.”
“What’s your reaction to a meeting of that sort having taken place without your knowledge?” Tillerson was asked by committee staff.”
“It makes me angry,” Tillerson said.”
“White House spokesman Hogan Gidley said that such a gathering to “discuss the blockade never happened, and neither Jared, nor anyone in the White House, was involved in the blockade.” (And I believe in the tooth fairy.)
“Tillerson said he asked Kushner to stop making trips overseas without consulting with the embassy or the State Department.”
“On occasion the president’s senior adviser would make trips abroad and . . . was in charge of his own agenda,” he said.”
“When he raised the issue, Kushner said he “would try to do better,” Tillerson recalled. But “not much changed,” the former secretary of state said, making it difficult because everyone was not working from the “same playbook.”
Link to report:
Great post!
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Dear Mary,
Thanks a million for your gracious feedback.
Hugs, Gronda
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You do so much research and hard work. I wish you had a National News venue.
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Gronda, I commented on another post about this issue. In short, when Trump complains that an athlete is not standing for the national anthem, the athlete could legitimately ask the following. “Comrade Trump, to which national anthem do you prefer me to stand, the US one or the Russian one? To be honest, I am confused with your allegiances, as you seem to be beholden to the Russian leader more than your own intelligence staff.” Keith
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Dear Keith,
Megan Rapinoe who very recently scored two goals to send the US Soccer Team through to the quarter-finals of the Women’s World Cup has really gotten under President Trump’s skin.She’s a hero to many women in US who are thrilled and excited about Megan Rapinoe and US wins. She’s not about to listen to President Trump and she’s already stated for the record that she will not visit the WH.
But she has been invited to spend the day with US House of Representatives for a day, and she has accepted the invitation.
Women in the past used to call a man like him, a “pig.” He’s also a wanna- be dictator after the likes of his idol, Russia’s President Putin.
Hugs, Gronda
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Gronda, why do folks who support so easily lap up his rationalizations. “They just don’t like me,” or “They are just Democrats,” or “This is another example of Trump Derangement Syndrome.”
I took pride in the Obamas opening the White House to concerts in the East wing. Every President before hosted and attended a the Lincoln Center annual honors. Sports team would invariably honor the President. Yet, with someone who brings dishonor to his office, people just don’t want to honor him.
I would attend just to ask him to do himself, the country and the planet a favor and tell the truth more than he does not, a very low bar for a President, but a high bar for the incumbent. Keith
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Gronda, below is an excerpt from a Pentagon risk assessment over thrur concern of a Russia’s increasing flobal influence along with their plan to discredit western democracies. This jives with our increasing concerns over the past two years.
“The U.S. is ill-equipped to counter the increasingly brazen political warfare Russia is waging to undermine democracies, the Pentagon and independent strategists warn in a detailed assessment that happens to echo much bipartisan criticism of President Donald Trump’s approach to Moscow.
The more than 150-page white paper, prepared for the Joint Chiefs of Staff and shared with POLITICO, says the U.S. is still underestimating the scope of Russia’s aggression, which includes the use of propaganda and disinformation to sway public opinion across Europe, Central Asia, Africa and Latin America. The study also points to the dangers of a growing alignment between Russia and China, which share a fear of the United States’ international alliances and an affinity for “authoritarian stability.””
Keith
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