Is he Right, Left, or is He Nothing at All? Trump thread continued.

[TheClaws]

My bet is on nothing.

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/3024189-In-the-dim-corner-we-have-Trump-In-the-dictator-corner-we-have-Kim-Or-is-that-mixed-up

www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/sep/26/donald-trump-north-korea-nuclear-fix-mess

From The Guardian: Trump vows to fix the ‘North Korean mess’. The article quoted China’s Global Times (an outlet of state media, more or less) -
Hu Xijin, the editor of the nationalistic Global Times tabloid, blamed Trump for the war of words.

“Pyongyang cannot just take his words as empty threats ... Pyongyang believes a US military attack is imminent ... the country is truly anxious,” Hu said in an online video commentary.

“Perhaps Trump sees his threats ... the same way he sees criticizing an NFL player. But what we see are grave errors in judgement.”

wishful because I'm not talking about how I should be describing myself on official government mandated forms, or any forms, I'm talking about how I see myself. If you read the comment where I used the term, I first referred to myself as a poc but said it felt a bit unnatural to do that because it's not a label I usually apply to myself, I usually primarily think of being British/British Asian/brown. I don't really care if that doesn't help anyone work out my specific ethnicity/racial background because it's what springs to mind when I think about how I see myself and is nothing to do with what box I'd tick on a form. I think we're talking at cross purposes unless you're saying I'm wrong to think of myself as British because it's too ethnically ambiguous?

Great news about the IRS teaming up with special counsel. Following the rubles (quite literally in the case of the Facebook ads) will probably yield lots of useful information.

More on Facebook:

Russian-funded Facebook ads backed Stein, Sanders and Trump

At least one touted Jill Stein, the Green Party candidate, who Clinton says "may well have thrown the election to Trump."

www.politico.com/story/2017/09/26/facebook-russia-trump-sanders-stein-243172

And also

Facebook Can't Say For Sure Whether Russians Bought Election Ads In France And Germany

A company official said so far "we have found no significant coordination of ad buys" in Germany, but did not have an update on France.

www.buzzfeed.com/amphtml/craigsilverman/facebook-cant-say-whether-russians-bought-election-ads-in

Puerto Rico aid update:

US won't waive shipping restrictions for Puerto Rico relief

thehill.com/homenews/administration/352597-us-wont-waive-shipping-restrictions-for-puerto-rico-relief?amp

The Trump administration on Tuesday denied a request from several members of Congress to waive shipping restrictions to help get gasoline and other supplies to Puerto Rico as the island recovers from Hurricane Maria.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) declined the request to waive the Jones Act, which limits shipping between coasts to U.S.-flagged vessels, according to Reuters. DHS waived the act following hurricanes Harvey and Irma, which hit the mainland U.S.

The agency has in the past waived the rule to allow cheaper and more readily-available foreign vessels to supply goods to devastated areas. But DHS said Tuesday that waiving the act for Puerto Rico would not help the U.S. island territory due to damaged ports preventing ships from docking.

"The limitation is going to be port capacity to offload and transit, not vessel availability," a spokesperson for Customs and Border Protection told Reuters.

In a letter to the department on Tuesday, Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) urged DHS to rethink the decision, citing the agency's willingness to waive the Jones Act for relief efforts in the wake of hurricanes Harvey and Irma.

"The Department of Homeland Security has been given the ability to waive the Jones Act to accommodate national security concerns, and has done so twice in the last month," McCain wrote. "These emergency waivers have been valuable to speed up recovery efforts in the impacted regions. However, I am very concerned by the Department's decision not to waive the Jones Act for current relief efforts in Puerto Rico, which is facing a worsening humanitarian crisis following Hurricane Maria."

A collection of Alabama items:

Moore wins Alabama primary

thehill.com/homenews/campaign/352552-moore-wins-gop-alabama-primary

----------

John Aravosis @aravosis
How long until the gop establishment in Washington gets behind Roy Moore? That party is doomed.

Chris
Chris @iheartcarnitas
Replying to @aravosis
and, done. [see photo]

Matthew Yglesias @mattyglesias
One reason it’s important for Dems to compete seriously in AL-SEN is to draw out the national GOP into vocally backing this clown.

----------

After Alabama, GOP anti-establishment wing declares all-out war in 2018

www.washingtonpost.com/amphtml/politics/after-alabama-anti-establishment-wing-declares-all-out-war-in-2018/2017/09/26/96d1f54a-a2d0-11e7-b14f-f41773cd5a14_story.html

The stunning defeat of President Trump's chosen Senate candidate in Alabama on Tuesday amounted to a political lightning strike — setting the stage for a worsening Republican civil war that could have profound effects on next year's midterm elections and undermine Trump's clout with his core voters.

The GOP primary victory by conservative firebrand Roy Moore over Sen. Luther Strange could also produce a stampede of Republican retirements in the coming months and an energized swarm of challengers.

It marked yet another humiliation for the Washington-based Republican establishment, particularly Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), whose allies pumped millions of dollars into the race to prop up Strange and reassure his colleagues that they could survive the Trump era.
---------

The Hill
The Hill @thehill
McConnell congratulates Moore on Alabama victory: I'm also frustrated with Washington hill.cm/gtDRuQj
----------

The Hill
The Hill @thehill
Bannon declares Moore's victory the start of "revolution" for GOP

thehill.com/homenews/campaign/352610-bannon-celebrates-roy-moores-victory-over-trump-pick-revolution-for-gop?amp

Rosie Gray
Rosie Gray @RosieGray
Bannon at Moore party: "who's sovereign, the people or the money? Alabama answered today: the people."

Tommy Vietor @TVietor08
So says the former Goldman Sachs employee backed by the billionaire Mercer family.
---------

Anna Claire Vollers
Anna Claire Vollers @acvollers
Replying to @jonfavs
Moore's done so many crazy things it's even hard for Alabamians to remember all. But here's a highlight reel

m.youtube.com/watch?v=83uIAwNc3E0&feature=youtu.be

Anna Claire Vollers @acvollers
Replying to @acvollers and @jonfavs
Also, fun fact: Moore autographs Bibles.

----------

Kaitlan Collins
Kaitlan Collins @kaitlancollins
Here's what Trump said would happen if Luther Strange lost to Roy Moore.

"If Luther doesn't win, they're not going to say we picked up 25 points in a very short period of time," Trump told the crowd. "They're going say, 'Donald Trump, the President of the United States, was unable to pull his candidate across the line.'"

Renato Mariotti
Renato Mariotti @renato_mariotti
THREAD: What does today's news of millions of dollars in contributions to Trump by Russian-Americans mean for the Mueller investigation?

1/ Today @ABC News published this article about very large donations to Trump by Russian-Americans.

abcnews.go.com/amp/Politics/investigators-follow-flow-money-trump-wealthy-donors-russian/story?id=50100024

2/ It's very interesting that Mueller is looking at these donations, because on their face, donations by Russian-Americans are not illegal.
3/ Generally Americans of any background are able to donate. So why is Mueller looking at the donations? The article gives us answers.
4/ It is illegal for foreigners (or foreign governments) to funnel money into campaigns via Americans. Look at this part of the story:

Three Americans with significant Russian business connections contributed almost $2 million to political funds controlled by Donald Trump, ABC News has learned.

The timing of contributions coming from US citizens with ties to Russia is now being questioned by investigators for special counsel Robert Mueller, according to a Republican campaign aide interviewed by Mueller’s team.

5/ When the article mentions "timing," that is suggests that the donations correspond to communications and other evidence Mueller has that
6/ indicate foreigners were really behind those donations. The size of the donations was massive--the final donations totaled $1.25 million.

A review of Trump campaign records conducted by the Center for Responsive Politics for ABC News found large contributions coming from two émigrés born in the former Soviet Union who now hold U.S. citizenship, and from a third American who heads the subsidiary of a large Russian private equity firm.

Those donations began flowing to the Republican National Committee, the group says, just as Trump was on the verge of securing the Republican nomination and culminated in two large gifts – totaling $1.25 million – from these individuals to the Trump inaugural fund following his victory.

7/ The article reveals one key communication that Mueller has--the notes taken by Manafort on his cell phone during the Trump Tower meeting.
8/ Until now, we didn't know what Manafort wrote. But we now know that during the meeting, Manafort wrote "active sponsors of RNC":

Government officials familiar with the House and Senate investigations into Russian election interference told ABC News that near the conclusion of the June 2016 Trump Tower meeting involving Trump’s son Don Jr., son-in-law Jared Kushner, then-campaign chairman Paul Manafort, and Russian emissaries interested in curtailing U.S. sanctions, Manafort made a cryptic and cursory notation on his phone. It said, “Active sponsors of RNC,” a phrase that some investigators have viewed as a reference to campaign donations, the sources said.

9/ That's interesting, given that supposedly the meeting focused on "adoptions," meaning the repeal of the Magnitsky Act. The Russian
10/ lawyer in that meeting was purported to be a Russian government representative that was part of Russia's plan to aid Trump, per the
11/ emails released by Trump Jr. Trading an official act (repealing sanctions) for donations is a federal crime. It would also be a crime
12/ for Russians to funnel donations to Trump or the RNC via Russian-Americans. The Americans who took part in the scheme would also have
13/ liability. This news is important because it is a totally new line of inquiry that we did not know about before. Also, for the first
14/ time the Trump Tower meeting is linked to other evidence that Mueller has. Mueller's investigation is once again developing evidence
15/ of crimes that could involve Russians and Americans working together. That could be more explosive than crimes Americans could commit
16/ alone like false disclosures or false tax returns. /end

So, two flips from GOP in special elections yesterday (Florida and New Hampshire). That bodes well for November 2018 (if we haven't all been burmbed to bits by then).

That Morning Joe clip about McCain almost had me in tears, too. Very moving stuff.
So, being gay is a fireable offence now, eh? Playing right to the crowd who vote for him, it has to be said.

I'm worried he's going to be trying to chase the base even more now that they've shown they won't necessarily back him over bannon and co.

He's deleted the tweets endorsing and supporting strange

What, all of them, Pain?

All the crimes Trump accused Hillary of.

Going for his base (or whatever he thinks that is) can only make his position more and more difficult and fragile, IMO.
Still, I do suspect we're in for more outrageous behaviour.

It looks like the 2010s are to become the new 60s.

www.politico.com/story/2017/09/26/after-strange-loss-trump-deletes-tweets-backing-alabama-senator-243187

President Donald Trump appears to have deleted tweets that backed Alabama Sen. Luther Strange after the candidate lost Tuesday in a primary runoff to former state Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore.

Trump tweeted his congratulations to Moore on Tuesday night after Moore handily defeated Strange in the Republican race to succeed Jeff Sessions, who became attorney general earlier this year. Strange was appointed to fill the seat temporarily.

“Congratulations to Roy Moore on his Republican Primary win in Alabama,” Trump tweeted. “Luther Strange started way back & ran a good race. Roy, WIN in Dec!”

But Trump then appears to have deleted at least two tweets, sent earlier in the day, that offered strong endorsements of Strange, whom Trump campaigned fora Friday in a boisterous rally in Huntsville, Alabama.

“Luther Strange has been shooting up the polls since my endorsement,” read one tweet that later disappeared from his feed. “Finish the job — vote today for big Luther.”

Trump appeared to have deleted another tweet encouraging Alabama voters to get out and vote for Strange: “ALABAMA, get out and vote for Luther Strange — he has proven that he will never let you down! #MAGA”

Trump began to edge away from Strange since the Friday rally and after polls began to show Moore pulling away in the race.

He does know that you can't really erase tweets doesn't he? Has anyone told him?

The flips are good news.

Kyle Griffin‏Verified account
@kylegriffin1
Follow
More
NYT: The acting head of DEA will resign this week—says he has become convinced Trump has little respect for the law.

www.nytimes.com/2017/09/26/us/politics/chuck-rosenberg-dea-resigns.html?smid=tw-share&_r=1

Not surprising.

www.newsweek.com/donald-trump-miss-usa-less-clothes-high-heels-nude-pageant-670695?utm_campaign=NewsweekTwitter&utm_source=Twitter&utm_medium=Social

Due to the good work of handy Tweeters in the Resistance, the Strange tweets live on (I haven’t credited this as a number of sources have done the same, so I can’t be certain where this came from to begin with). There is an awful lot of them, repetitive and demanding.

This has been raised before, but isn't deleting those tweets against the law, as he's posting as POTUS, even if not from the POTUS account? Unless he's just hiding them from public view.

lweji

Trump Was Instructed Not to Delete Tweets Illegally

gizmodo.com/trump-was-instructed-not-to-delete-tweets-illegally-1793964211

Bill Browder‏Verified account @Billbrowder 2h

Cyprus is now actively helping Russia to counter US Magnitsky sanctions

euobserver.com/justice/139163

Cyprus is helping Russia to attack US sanctions against human rights abusers, a leading activist has warned.

The accusation, by Bill Browder, a British campaigner, comes after Cypriot authorities honoured Russia's request to question Browder's law firm, Georgiades & Pelides, in Nicosia, for a second time.

Browder: "I would be terrified of going to Cyprus" Browder told EUobserver that the Russian investigation was designed to smear his name.

That, in turn, would help Russia in its lobbying to overturn the Magnitsky Act, a US law that Browder inspired, which empowers US authorities to seize money held overseas by Russian human rights abusers.

"This is designed to discredit me in their long-term efforts to get the Magnitsky Act repealed," Browder said.

"Cyprus is now playing an extra-territorial role in Russia's cover-up of the Magnitsky case," he said.

Russian envoys also lobbied US leader Donald Trump's family in New York last year in a wider campaign against the Magnitsky law.

The EU declined to impose similar laws, but Cyprus stands alone in Europe in helping Russia to roll back the US measures.

British, Dutch, French, and German authorities, as well as Interpol, the international police agency, have refused to honour Russia's legal assistance requests on grounds that they were politically motivated.

Browder said his lawyers had warned the Cypriot justice ministry that that was the case.

"But they [Cypriot authorities] wrote back to us in a letter that looked like it had been drafted by the Russian prosecutor's office and cut and pasted onto the Cyprus government's stationery," he said.

Russian investigators already questioned Georgiades & Pelides in 2015.

They filed a second legal request in August, with Browder now seeking a court injunction in Nicosia to stop the new interrogation from going ahead.

"There is a real prospect of irrevocable harm to be caused to Mr Browder … by any acts to advance that questionnaire," an affidavit filed by Browder's lawyer said.

"If the various requested documents, information, and testimony are handed by Cyprus over to the Russian investigators they will be used … to further advance the cover-up of the $230 million fraud and the involvement of Russian government officials in it," it said.

[...]

Isn't Cyprus also where the bank that Wilbur Ross headed up for a time is located?

Have Googled and found this:

Trump's commerce secretary oversaw Russia deal while at Bank of Cyprus

www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/mar/23/wilbur-ross-russian-deal-bank-of-cyprus-donald-trump-commerce-secretary

And a transcript from a Rachel Maddow show in March:

RICHARD ENGEL, NBC NEWS CHIEF FOREIGN CORRESPONDENT: Long before he was President Trump`s campaign chairman, Paul Manafort, was paled millions by a Russian billionaire with close ties to Vladimir Putin, according to one report, secretly promising to greatly benefit the Putin government by influencing politics and media coverage.

Now, NBC News has learned that U.S. Treasury officials are following the money trail Manafort left behind. It led them and us to a small island in the Mediterranean.

To find out more we came here to Cyprus to the city of Limassol which has a reputation for beaches and as a hub for money laundering. The city has attracted so many Russians, in fact, it`s been dubbed “Limassolgrad”.

This is where some of the money Manafort got from the Russian tycoon went.
Banking sources with direct knowledge of the transaction tell NBC News at least 15 accounts were opened here for more than 10 companies, all linked to Manafort. The sources say that in one case, a million dollars landed in one of these accounts and left it on the same day.

TOM CARDAMONE, GLOBAL FINANCIAL INTEGRITY MANAGING DIR: Movements of large amounts of money very quickly in and out of account is very similar to what money launders do.

ENGEL: Eventually even in Cyprus, Manafort`s accounts raised suspicions.
In 2012, the internal auditing system at Laiki Bank flagged some of the accounts for possible money laundering according to the banking sources who also said when the bank asked for more information, Manafort chose to close the accounts, without answering the questions.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MADDOW: NBC chief foreign correspondent Richard Engel went all the way to Cyprus to report on questions surrounding Paul Manafort`s finances.

Late today, a spokesperson for Mr. Manafort responded to NBC`s reporting saying in part that all of the Cypriot accounts held by Mr. Manafort were, quote, “legitimate entities and established for lawful ends.”

As for the bank accounts that were shut down by Manafort in 2012, the spokesman says, quote, “Mr. Manafort has no specific recollection of this but understands from others that the accounts were, in fact, shut down together just prior to the mid-June 2012 government takeover of Cyprus popular bank following the collapse of the countrys banks.” Thats what they`re saying.

(Rest of transcript here: www.msnbc.com/transcripts/rachel-maddow-show/2017-03-28 )

I just have no words

Racist Reactions To NFL Protests - The Young Turks

Trump, at war with everyone, mocks McCain, McConnell

www.axios.com/trump-at-war-with-everyone-mocks-mccain-mcconnell-2490111904.html

In private, President Trump has taken to physically mocking M&M: Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (slumped shoulders; lethargic body language) and Sen. John McCain (imitating the thumbs-down of his historic health-care vote).

The Hill‏Verified account
@thehill

Infamous fake news writer who claimed he helped Trump win found dead:

thehill.com/homenews/news/352620-fake-news-writer-in-2016-presidential-election-found-dead

Caroline O.‏ @RVAwonk

"Roger Stone" & "Stone" are both top trending hashtags among Russian-linked influence networks, per @SecureDemocracy's Hamilton 68 tracker.
Russian propaganda outlet RT is very happy to prop up Roger Stone's narrative. Probably because it happens to be their narrative, too...