Has Trump Turned Traitor? Trump thread continued.

[TheClaws]

The Trump-Putin Summit in Helsinki, coming so soon after Trump’s ally-crumbling display in Britain and at the EU, is still sinking in. Let’s just say: he’s in all kinds of shit. All the kompromat.

Previous thread:

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/3295445-Our-list-of-allies-grows-thin-Our-list-of-enemies-grows-long-Trump-thread-continued

A pencil stub and scap of paper works pretty well. #keep it simple:

motherboard.vice.com/amp/en_us/article/mb4ezy/top-voting-machine-vendor-admits-it-installed-remote-access-software-on-systems-sold-to-states?__twitter_impression=true

Here comes Prof Across' US Poly Sci refresher lesson for today to show why absolutely nothing it going to happen as a result of Helsinki.:

As a PP above pointed out, it takes the House of Representatives to start impeachment proceedings. And right now the Repugs control the House 236 to 193. IF a bill of impeachment makes it out of the House Judiciary Committee (needs 21 'aye' votes in committee, which it wouldn't have), it needs 218 'aye' votes to be approved by the House. As it stands, that's not going to happen, the Dems simply don't have the numbers nor can they expect that many GOP 'defectors'.

Just to continue on:
If they did have the votes and 'aye' carries, Scrotus is then 'impeached'. This means dick as far as removing him from office. That's up to the Senate, who votes to 'convict and remove'. The Senate is currently 51 GOP, 49 Dem (this includes 2 independents who caucus with the Dems). It takes a 'supermajority' (2/3) or 67 'aye' votes. Again, the Dems simply don't have the number.

This means that the Dems would need to gain a minimum of 25 seats in the House and 18 Senate seats in the midterms. That's why they're so important and why every single vote counts. Do I think they'll get the requisite numbers. Possibly in the House, doubtful in the Senate.

Using DH's Trumpster friend as a bellwether, Helsinki was a success because it 'proved no collusion' and anything contradicting this is 'fake news'.

Hello, Marylou, goodbye smart:
www.c-span.org/video/?c4740396/marylou-connecticut

There was no collusion, apparently. I'm convinced:

The 6 most bizarre moments from Trump’s post-Putin interview with Sean Hannity (Only 6????!)
www.vox.com/2018/7/16/17579188/trump-putin-sean-hannity-interview

Putin looked like a snake looking around the room for someone to strike at. Trump looked like a large shambling idiot in the presence of the Headmaster, trying to lie about why he had cheated in his exams. You couldn't make it up. So obvious that Putin has complete contempt for him and is pulling all his strings. Why are the American people so blind?

why absolutely nothing it going to happen as a result of Helsinki

Not necessarily. GOP may decide they are finally done with Trump and go full Pence, which is not such a good perspective as an alternative. But at least won't embarrass the US internationally.

I suspect they'll need Mueller to go further in his investigations, though.

Either way, the Dems better get majorities in the next elections.

Thanks for the new thread.

Things have just got VERY interesting.

And loving the brooches!

Rosenstein has been at WH today.

Wonder who he met?

@ohmymimi

although I don't mind alternative spellings of my nn, lion is definitely one of them.

Thank you Across. I totally agree. There is no satisfactory recourse while he is in office. Anyway, in the current political climate, in such a deeply divided country, wouldn't it be too dangerous in risking civil unrest? Whether he and his clan will eventually held to account in court is the question, surely. What do you think?

Posted by woman at the end of the last thread:

@Lucian_Kim
Breaking: Russian MoD says in statement that it's ready to implement agreement on international security Putin and Trump reached in Helsinki.

Oops! Lweji
In my defence, I got the 'l' right, 20%, (better than I did on my mock GCE maths)

I think it would take something really, really drastic to cause real, true civil unrest in the US, mimi. By that I mean large scale nationwide protests with damage to property and persons as well as acts of sabotage against government facilities/officials. As a rule we have too much faith in our electoral process and political system to consider an 'armed' uprising as a solution. The neocons were pretty irate over Clinton not being removed from office and about Obama's election, but it didn't start civil unrest. Lots of blustering about it, but in the end a damp squib.

Now if Scrotus were to declare himself 'president for life' and institute martial law and do away with our basic civil liberties, all bets would be off. But I think if he were to do that, both the liberals and the neocons would rise up.

As far as the liberals, the vast majority are upset and irate and want him out, but I think if it comes right down to it, if we don't have the votes for impeachment we (those unhappy) will choose to rely on the fact that he will be voted out as soon as possible.

LBC - Farage, Bannon on Stephen Yaxley-Lennon aka Tommy Robinson.
(Apparently, after the show Bannon told the other participant, reporter Theo Underwood, to fuck off, as 'Tommy' is the 'backbone of Britain)

He will try to backpedal here and get himself in more of a tangle unless he sticks to the script.

CNN Breaking News
‏
Verified account

@cnnbrk
1h1 hour ago

President Trump will make a statement on his meeting with Russian President Putin at 2 p.m. ET.

motherboard.vice.com/en_us/article/mb4ezy/top-voting-machine-vendor-admits-it-installed-remote-access-software-on-systems-sold-to-states

I cannot imagine for one minute what Trump could say to wriggle out of the treachorous pigs ear he made of Helsinki.

There is no answer and bearing in mind he can't string a sensible sentence together, he is obviously going to make it far worse.

Can't wait.

Well, his 'statement' is coming up momentarily. As usual, I'll try to watch but will probably have to switch channels to avoid throwing up something heavy at the TV. Unless his first 5 words are "I fucked up, I resign" I don't think there's anything he could say that won't infuriate me.

I've downed a Capt & Coke to gird my loins.

McConnell just quoted on MSNBC; "Russia is not our friend". Yertle the Turtle, Master of Understatement. Fuck.

DH just said he wants to fly to DC to take part in the protests in Lafayette Park. (Unfortunately, that's not in the budget right now). But he is now thisclose to ending his friendship with his Trumpster friend.

That is reassuring Across. I do worry about the militias stirring up trouble.

I'm watching 'The Majority Report' on YouTube at the moment. Earlier in the show (really worrying) concerns were voiced about further gutting of the Voting Rights Act* following Kav. joining SCOTUS , leading to much heavier voter suppression. (That followed from a (rather whimsical) discussion of how the likes of Collins, Murkowski etc, if really principled and prepared to act, not just jabber, should become Independents and caucus with the Dems to block any Trump appointment. Never happen, of course.)

*And the minority four justices have been proven right.

McConnell via MSNBC "Russia knows that there are a lot of us who know what happened in 2016, and it better not happen in 2018". In other words, we aren't going to do a damn thing about Trump, we're just going to make empty threats against Russia.

Told ya....the status quo remains. The GOP House/Senate members will do NOTHING.

Of course. Big sigh, Across

OK, here's our odds (per me, DH, and DS1:

Trump has fired Mueller and/or Rosenstein 10-1

Trump is proposing a Russian contingent be added to the Mueller Investigation 25-1

Trump is going to make some bullshit statement about 'fake news', 'DNC servers' and 'Russia no collusion' 1-1, actually we've stopped taking bets on that one!!!

So, apparently his 'statement' will not be aired live. He is making the statement to the press in a closed meeting and it is being taped.

So far per MSNBC we have 'no collusion' and 'I support our Intelligence Community'.

Rewriting history in real time:
Reuters Politics
Reuters Politics
@ReutersPolitics
MORE: Trump says he meant to say in Helsinki that he saw no reason why it would not be Russia that interfered in elections
mobile.twitter.com/ReutersPolitics/status/1019288604454129666