Trumpwatch: Courage Calls to Courage Everywhere

[lionheart]

Let's hope he is done soon.

Meanwhile in North Korea: there is no trust for the US. Not at all. This is just one piece from Rodong Sinmun (the NK newspaper, roughly), that are all in the same vein. The US is an imperialist, aggressive nation that seeks to subvert all other countries to its will (etc.) There is more than a grain of truth to this, especially historically, but leading up to a supposed ‘peace summit’, it seems a little worrying.

Illusion and Hope on U.S. "Assistance" Lead to Death

Some days ago, the Cuban Foreign Ministry posted on its website an article titled "The Bolivian president discloses the imperialist nature of the U.S. which made military intervention in the period of war for independence of Cuba."
Its content says that the U.S. made military intervention in the Cuban people's war for independence against the Spanish colonial rule in 1898 under the pretext of "assistance" but its real aim was to take Cuba from Spain, not its independence.
It is an undeniable truth as was disclosed by the history.
120 years have passed since the end of the U.S.-Spain war, but the aggression nature of the U.S. has not changed as it is still keen on making open military interference in the internal affairs of other countries working hard to preserve their sovereignty and maintain territorial integrity.
The Syrian incident is clear proof of it.
The present Syrian situation and the Cuba independence war at the end of the 19th century have lots of differences in terms of their places, the background of times, their motives and nature, but they are same in disclosing the aggressive and ruling nature of the U.S.
Due to the military interference by the U.S., the Syrian incident has been prolonged, cities and villages have been devastated and people are subject to unbearable misfortune and sufferings. The U.S. "assistance" for Syria is forwarded to the anti-government forces of the country, so it aims at expanding the incident.
The U.S. "assistance" is a dangerous weapon which is used for overthrowing the governments of other countries.
The illusion and hope pinned on the U.S. "assistance", military "assistance" in particular, mean just a death. This is a bitter lesson left by the history.

I'm not convinced KJU Will actually turn up?

He might turn up, but he may not say what Trump thinks he will say, and he may not concede what Trump expected. I fear Trump is being played well (I don’t like using the term, but it fits here) by China, Russia, and a smaller group of nations: NK, Syria, and a few others.

Not turning up would send a signal, for sure.

Here is Pruitt doing his thing.

thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/386184-pruitt-had-travel-wishlist-and-asked-staff-to-find-official-reasons

U.S. Probes Cohen Over Cash He Built Up During Campaign

Trump’s lawyer took out lines of credit to secure access to as much as $774,000 as race heated up

www.wsj.com/articles/u-s-probes-cohen-over-cash-he-built-up-during-campaign-1525478682

Kyle Griffin
@kylegriffin1
Federal prosecutors and the FBI are examining whether Michael Cohen committed bank fraud by making false statements inflating the value of his assets to obtain loans or by misstating the intended purpose of the loans, sources tell WSJ.

Michael Cohen gained access to as much as $774,000 through two financial transactions during the 2016 campaign as he sought to fix problems for Trump, WSJ reports.

Those transactions could factor into the investigation of Cohen’s business affairs.

Keep in mind: Giuliani told NBC News that Trump reimbursed Cohen an estimated $420,000 in "about 12 installments of $35,000 each."

The money covered other expenses and fees for Cohen, Giuliani said, but he was unable to provide details. nbcnews.to/2JRCAIp

Trump, Cohen, Rudy and the $340,000 Question
The Stormy Daniels reimbursement was only a fraction of the cash the president paid his fixer. What was the other money for?

www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/trump-cohen-stormy-daniels-w519852

Trump Is Said to Know of Stormy Daniels Payment Months Before He Denied It

www.nytimes.com/2018/05/04/us/politics/trump-hush-payment-stormy-daniels.html

President Trump knew about a six-figure payment that Michael D. Cohen, his personal lawyer, made to a pornographic film actress several months before he denied any knowledge of it to reporters aboard Air Force One in April, according to two people familiar with the arrangement.

How much Mr. Trump knew about the payment to Stephanie Clifford, the actress, and who else was aware of it have been at the center of a swirling controversy for the past 48 hours touched off by a television interview with Rudolph W. Giuliani, a new addition to the president’s legal team. The interview was the first time a lawyer for the president had acknowledged that Mr. Trump had reimbursed Mr. Cohen for the payments to Ms. Clifford, whose stage name is Stormy Daniels.

It was not immediately clear when Mr. Trump learned of the payment, which Mr. Cohen made in October 2016, at a time when news media outlets were poised to pay her for her story about an alleged affair with Mr. Trump in 2006. But three people close to the matter said that Mr. Trump knew that Mr. Cohen had succeeded in keeping the allegations from becoming public at the time the president denied it.

[...]Allen Weisselberg, the chief financial officer of the Trump Organization, has known since last year the details of how Mr. Cohen was being reimbursed, which was mainly through payments of $35,000 per month from the trust that contains the president’s personal fortune, according to two people with knowledge of the arrangement.

One person close to the Trump Organization said people with the company were aware that Mr. Cohen was still doing “legal work” for the president in 2017, but another person familiar with the situation said that Mr. Weisselberg did not know that Mr. Cohen had paid Ms. Clifford when the retainer agreement was struck and when the payments went through.

Mr. Weisselberg’s knowledge of the retainer agreement could draw Mr. Trump’s company deeper into the federal investigation of Mr. Cohen’s activities, increasing the president’s legal exposure in a wide-ranging case involving the lawyer often described as the president’s “fixer” in New York City.

Giuliani tries to clarify comments on Trump’s reimbursement of payment to porn star Stormy Daniels

www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-says-hed-love-to-testify-in-russia-probe-if-treated-fairly/2018/05/04/e2915b48-4fa4-11e8-84a0-458a1aa9ac0a_story.html

www.wsj.com/articles/u-s-probes-cohen-over-cash-he-built-up-during-campaign-1525478682

Kyle Griffin
@kylegriffin1
Michael Avenatti says any indication more Trump Org. execs knew about the effort to reimburse Cohen could lead to further investigation of Trump’s biz.

“There’s no question it opens up another avenue of inquiry into the depths of the involvement of the Trump Organization.”

NYT reports Russian billionaire Viktor Vekselberg was the oligarch who Mueller's team questioned at a New York airport this year.

Vekselberg attended Trump's inauguration and that 2015 RT dinner in Russia where Michael Flynn and Jill Stein were guests.

Viktor Vekselberg, Russian Billionaire, Was Questioned by Mueller’s Investigators
www.nytimes.com/2018/05/04/us/politics/viktor-vekselberg-mueller-investigation.html

Mueller seeks delay in case alleging Russians interfered in U.S. presidential election

www.politico.com/story/2018/05/04/mueller-russia-interference-election-case-delay-570627

The Brilliant Egomaniac Who Could Bring Down Donald Trump
In praise of Stormy Daniels’ lawyer, Michael Avenatti.

slate.com/news-and-politics/2018/05/michael-avenatti-stormy-daniels-lawyer-could-bring-down-donald-trump.html

2 F.B.I. Officials, Once Key Advisers to Comey, Leave the Bureau

www.nytimes.com/2018/05/04/us/politics/james-baker-lisa-page-fbi.html

Ryan Goodman
@rgoodlaw
BREAKING ex-FBI General Counsel Jim Baker resigns.

Reminder of HPSCI minority report: Trump started attacking Baker after CLOSED DOOR testimony revealed Baker witnessed obstruction-related events and Committee said Baker could be called as witness.

www.justsecurity.org/55479/evidence-obstruction-justice-house-minority-intelligence-committee-report/
Read:

With FBI's Baker resigning, read @murraywaas scoop from Jan'18

"Trump pressed senior aides last June to devise and carry out a campaign to discredit senior FBI officials after learning that those specific employees were likely to be witnesses against him"

foreignpolicy.com/2018/01/26/trump-launched-campaign-to-discredit-potential-fbi-witnesses/

And

James Comey
@Comey
A great public servant retired from the FBI today. Jim Baker’s integrity and commitment to the rule of law have benefitted our country through 5 presidents, of both parties. We are fortunate he and so many others choose to devote their lives to justice.

Elliott Broidy and the GOP’s Bad Hacking Karma
If John Podesta and the Democrats were easy marks, the Republican donor was a hacker’s delight.

www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-05-04/elliott-broidy-and-the-gop-s-bad-hacking-karma

This is odd.

thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/386243-cnn-nunes-didnt-read-document-that-prompted-russia-investigation

'House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes (R-Calif.) declined to read a two-page document containing the evidence used by the Department of Justice (DOJ)and FBI to open a counterintelligence probe into the Trump campaign's ties to Russia even after demanding access to it, CNN reported on Friday.

Nunes had complained to the Department of Justice that a previous version of the document sent to members of the committee was "heavily" redacted and insufficient for the panel's investigation into whether the DOJ and FBI acted on political bias in originally launching the Russia probe.

Nunes had complained to the Department of Justice that a previous version of the document sent to members of the committee was "heavily" redacted and insufficient for the panel's investigation into whether the DOJ and FBI acted on political bias in originally launching the Russia probe.

The chairman went so far as to suggest impeachment proceedings against Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein and FBI Director Christopher Wray if they did not hand over an unredacted copy of the document.

But when Rosenstein relented and allowed Nunes and House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Trey Gowdy (R-S.C.) to view the document behind closed doors at the Justice Department, Nunes did not open the folder containing the document, four sources told CNN.'

Colin Kahl
@ColinKahl
On North Korea, Trump is prone to one of two opposite errors—either of which could lead to a war and/or leave our alliances in Asia in tatters. 1/7

The first is MAXIMALISM: Expecting a Libya-style capitulation, which is what Trump's comments to Macron suggest and what Bolton and Pompeo have intimated in recent days.

This is the danger my new @washingtonpost article with @NarangVipin discusses. www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/trump-thinks-his-north-korea-strategy-will-work-on-iran-hes-wrong-on-both/2018/05/04/9a430328-4e28-11e8-84a0-458a1aa9ac0a_story.html 2/7

The risk that unrealistic expectations could prematurely doom diplomacy and put us back on a path to war is also discussed in this good piece by @james_acton32

foreignpolicy.com/2018/05/02/koreas-nuclear-nightmare-hasnt-gone-away/

But a second danger is the opposite.

Trump, who is jonesing for a deal, could THROW OUR ALLIES UNDER THE BUS, accepting a dismantling of NKorea's ICBM program (which is all Trump really cares about) in exchange for a peace treaty & a withdrawal of US troops from SKorea. 4/6

The logic is discussed in this excellent piece by Jake Sullivan 👇www.washingtonpost.com/news/global-opinions/wp/2018/04/06/the-other-risk-from-trumps-talks-with-north-korea/ 5/7

This would be consistent with Trump's longstanding disdain for "free loading" allies who don't pay enough for US forces while running up big trade surpluses with us, & consistent with reporting that Trump asked DoD for troop withdrawal options. www.nytimes.com/2018/05/03/world/asia/trump-troops-south-korea.html … 6/7

Peacefully resolving the North Korean nuclear crisis and maintaining our alliances in Asia requires deft diplomacy and a Goldilocks approach.

But Trump is not deft at anything and his approach is likely to be "too hot or too cold," not "just right." 7/7

Wendy Siegelman
@WendySiegelman
Glencore & QIA abandon plans to sell Rosneft stake to CEFC - the sale was on hold after Ye Jianming, head of CEFC China Energy, was detained by Chinese authorities in February - QIA will become one of the biggest shareholders with around 19% of Rosneft

www.ft.com/content/6b8ebdea-4fb5-11e8-a7a9-37318e776bab

And

Dutch firms probed for alleged breaches of EU sanctions on Russia
www.reuters.com/article/us-russia-netherlands-sanctions/dutch-firms-probed-for-alleged-breaches-of-eu-sanctions-on-russia-idUSKBN1I5201

And

Exxon pushes ahead with Rosneft LNG project despite sanctions: sources
www.reuters.com/article/us-exxon-rosneft-far-east-lng/exxon-pushes-ahead-with-rosneft-lng-project-despite-sanctions-sources-idUSKBN1I41L3

And

Defense bill would allow sanctions waivers for some allies buying Russian weapons
thehill.com/policy/defense/386285-defense-bill-would-allow-sanctions-waivers-for-allies-with-russian-weapons

Much Remains Unknown About Russian-Troll Accounts on Social-Media Giants
Facebook, Twitter, others have wiped Russian content off their platforms, but they have disclosed few details amid legal, privacy risks

www.wsj.com/articles/only-a-fraction-of-russian-troll-accounts-have-been-made-public-by-social-media-giants-1525448056

Russia Starts Advanced Construction on New Iranian Nuke Plant
Nuke cooperation rattles U.S. after Iran weapons disclosure
freebeacon.com/national-security/russia-starts-advanced-construction-new-iranian-nuke-plant/

Molly McKew
@MollyMcKew
More Molly McKew Retweeted Adam Kredo
If there's anyone who doesn't understand our Iran problem is also a Russian problem -- well. I give up.

'Great power competition': Nato announces Atlantic command to counter Russia

US to reactivate its Second Fleet and host new naval command in Norfolk, Virginia, amid rising tensions with Moscow

www.theguardian.com/world/2018/may/05/great-power-competition-nato-announces-atlantic-command-to-counter-russia

White supremacy

Trump administration ends protections for 50,000 Hondurans living in U.S. since 1999
www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/trump-administration-will-end-protections-for-50000-hondurans-living-in-us-since-1999/2018/05/04/c05c7676-4fc1-11e8-b966-bfb0da2dad62_story.html

And

Second white supremacist found guilty in group attack on a black man in Charlottesville
www.rawstory.com/2018/05/second-white-supremacist-found-guilty-group-attack-black-man-charlottesville/#.WuuNGPGgl3o.twitter

And

A pregnant black woman is in prison for defending herself. Mainstream gun groups are silent.
She had a concealed carry permit. The gun wasn’t even loaded. Now she’s facing two years in prison.
www.vox.com/2018/5/4/17311452/gun-rights-black-lives-matter-michigan-siwatu-salama-ra

And

April Ryan accuses Sarah Huckabee Sanders of 'singling her out'
thehill.com/homenews/media/386238-april-ryan-accuses-sarah-huckabee-sanders-of-singling-her-out

And

Melissa McEwan
@Shakestweetz
"The flight attendant wouldn't have done this to a white woman." Never ever. With the possible exception of a white woman w/ a transgressive body, e.g. trans, fat, disfigured, visibly disabled—which doesn't undermine but underlines Jeanne Lehman's point.

And

Students complained about white nationalist teacher saying the KKK was ‘good’ long before she was outed
www.rawstory.com/2018/05/students-complained-white-nationalist-teacher-saying-kkk-good-long-outed/

And

The Associated Press
@AP
White family is charged after bodies of 2 black men found chained to cinderblocks in pond. Police don't believe it's a hate crime.
4 charged in deaths of 2 men found chained in Oklahoma pond
apnews.com/ae9dc749a035437787970ec5b9558652

And

Southern Poverty Law Center
@splcenter
A month ago today, journalist #ManuelDuran was unlawfully arrested for covering a protest — for doing his job. The case against him was dismissed, but he was not released. He was sent to a remote immigration detention facility. We are seeking his release.

SPLC seeks release of journalist Manuel Duran whose coverage criticized ICE
www.splcenter.org/news/2018/04/15/splc-seeks-release-journalist-manuel-duran-whose-coverage-criticized-ice

And

Adam Best
@adamcbest
This viral video of an alt-right bully failing miserably to rip up an anti-fascism sign as liberals masterfully drag him is the perfect real-life metaphor for political Twitter. Can't stop watching it.

twitter.com/adamcbest/status/992188402828300288

Topher Spiro
@TopherSpiro
BREAKING: In Virginia insurers are requesting premium increases of up to 64% as a direct result of GOP sabotage.

thehill.com/policy/healthcare/386294-obamacare-insurers-in-virginia-propose-major-premium-hikes-for-2019

And

Trump voters hurt most by Trump policies, new study finds
Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond warns southern states face greatest impact from rising temperatures.
thinkprogress.org/trump-climate-policies-will-hurt-red-states-economic-growth-1af84ee6a2d5/

www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/may/04/trump-nra-convention-dallas-gun-control