A Rational Analysis of Trump's Press Conference with Putin, and Some Questions

[mikegriffith1]

If anyone bothers to read the transcript of Trump's Helsinki press conference with Putin, one sees that, as a matter of fact, Trump never flatly denied that the Russians meddled in the 2016 election, although he indicated he was skeptical about the charge. To be exact, Trump said (1) that his DNI (Dan Coats) told him that the Russians meddled, (2) that Putin strongly denied it, (3) that he (Trump) did not see why the Russians would have meddled, but (4) that he would like to see the servers that were supposedly hacked. So he left open the possibility that an analysis of the servers might prove that the Russians meddled.

If you read the transcript, you also learn that Trump pressed Putin on the issue of election meddling during their private discussion, and that Putin responded to the charge at some length. So Trump thought enough of what DNI Coats had presented to him to raise the issue with Putin during their private meeting, and he apparently pressed Putin hard enough to elicit from Putin a very detailed, emphatic response to the charge. Putin also spent a fair amount of time during the press conference denying Russian meddling.

In any case, I ask the following questions:

Which is worse: Trump's expression of doubt about the charge of Russian meddling or the liberal Democrats' repeated denials that the Soviets were gassing civilian in Afghanistan during the Soviet occupation of that country?

Which is worse: Trump's expression of doubt about meddling or the liberal Democrats' prolonged downplaying of the Soviet government's human rights abuses against its own citizens, to the point of questioning the veracity and motives of Soviet dissidents who escaped Russia and who reported on Soviet brutality, such as Alexander Solzhenitsyen, during the Cold War?

Which is worse: Trump's expression of doubt about meddling or the liberal Democrats' parroting of Soviet talking points about the "nuclear freeze" proposal, about the MX missile, about Reagan's missile defense program, and about the Soviet government's hostile plans and intentions?

Which is worse: Trump's expression of doubt about meddling or Obama's secret promise to the Russians that he would gut our missile defense after the 2012 election and Obama's ridiculing of Mitt Romney's warning that we should be more worried about Russian than any other nation? (Obama thought that his promise to gut missile defense after the election was being made in secret, but he did not realize that he was being recorded.)

Which is worse: Trump's expression of doubt about meddling or Ted Kennedy's secret overtures to Soviet leaders prior to the 1984 election in which, among other things, Kennedy asked for the Soviets' help in the 1984 election and said he would work with American media outlets to get favorable coverage for Yuri Andropov and other Soviet officials?

Which is worse: Trump's expression of doubt about meddling or the liberal Democrats' strident, dismissive attacks on President Reagan for daring to call the Soviet Union an "evil empire"?

I think that Trump made a mistake in expressing doubt about Russian meddling. He might be correct, but he should have kept that view to himself under those circumstances. I also think that Trump made a mistake when he said, during the press conference, that he trusted his intelligence people but that he also trusted the Russians. But I think those mistakes pale in comparison to what liberal Democrats have said and done in relation to the Russians.

Why It’s Hard to Take Democrats Seriously on Russia

Soviet influence on the peace movement - Wikipedia

"Moscow and the Peace, Offensive"

Kennedy-KGB collaboration

Ted Kennedy’s Secret Appeal to Russia to Hurt Reagan

The Man Who Called Out Evil | National Review

 

[longknife]

If anyone bothers to read the transcript of Trump's Helsinki press conference with Putin, one sees that, as a matter of fact, Trump never flatly denied that the Russians meddled in the 2016 election, although he indicated he was skeptical about the charge. To be exact, Trump said (1) that his DNI (Dan Coats) told him that the Russians meddled, (2) that Putin strongly denied it, (3) that he (Trump) did not see why the Russians would have meddled, but (4) that he would like to see the servers that were supposedly hacked. So he left open the possibility that an analysis of the servers might prove that the Russians meddled.

If you read the transcript, you also learn that Trump pressed Putin on the issue of election meddling during their private discussion, and that Putin responded to the charge at some length. So Trump thought enough of what DNI Coats had presented to him to raise the issue with Putin during their private meeting, and he apparently pressed Putin hard enough to elicit from Putin a very detailed, emphatic response to the charge. Putin also spent a fair amount of time during the press conference denying Russian meddling.

In any case, I ask the following questions:

Which is worse: Trump's expression of doubt about the charge of Russian meddling or the liberal Democrats' repeated denials that the Soviets were gassing civilian in Afghanistan during the Soviet occupation of that country?

Which is worse: Trump's expression of doubt about meddling or the liberal Democrats' prolonged downplaying of the Soviet government's human rights abuses against its own citizens, to the point of questioning the veracity and motives of Soviet dissidents who escaped Russia and who reported on Soviet brutality, such as Alexander Solzhenitsyen, during the Cold War?

Which is worse: Trump's expression of doubt about meddling or the liberal Democrats' parroting of Soviet talking points about the "nuclear freeze" proposal, about the MX missile, about Reagan's missile defense program, and about the Soviet government's hostile plans and intentions?

Which is worse: Trump's expression of doubt about meddling or Obama's secret promise to the Russians that he would gut our missile defense after the 2012 election and Obama's ridiculing of Mitt Romney's warning that we should be more worried about Russian than any other nation? (Obama thought that his promise to gut missile defense after the election was being made in secret, but he did not realize that he was being recorded.)

Which is worse: Trump's expression of doubt about meddling or Ted Kennedy's secret overtures to Soviet leaders prior to the 1984 election in which, among other things, Kennedy asked for the Soviets' help in the 1984 election and said he would work with American media outlets to get favorable coverage for Yuri Andropov and other Soviet officials?

Which is worse: Trump's expression of doubt about meddling or the liberal Democrats' strident, dismissive attacks on President Reagan for daring to call the Soviet Union an "evil empire"?

I think that Trump made a mistake in expressing doubt about Russian meddling. He might be correct, but he should have kept that view to himself under those circumstances. I also think that Trump made a mistake when he said, during the press conference, that he trusted his intelligence people but that he also trusted the Russians. But I think those mistakes pale in comparison to what liberal Democrats have said and done in relation to the Russians.

Why It’s Hard to Take Democrats Seriously on Russia

Soviet influence on the peace movement - Wikipedia

"Moscow and the Peace, Offensive"

Kennedy-KGB collaboration

Ted Kennedy’s Secret Appeal to Russia to Hurt Reagan

The Man Who Called Out Evil | National Review

Awesome post! Thank you.

 

[longknife]

Rand Paul says he 'absolutely' stands by Trump after Russia summit, blames outrage on 'Trump-derangement syndrome'

"I think there is a bit of Trump-derangement syndrome," Paul said. "I think there are people who hate the president so much that this could've easily been President Obama early in his first administration setting the reset button and trying to have better relations with Russia."

Good for Paul!

From Rand Paul says he 'absolutely' stands by Trump after Russia summit, blames outrage on 'Trump-derangement syndrome'

The More the Left, the media, the Never-Trumpers, and so on attack him, the more it will spur his supporters to stand up for him and candidates who support him.

Schumer Raises 'Possibility That Putin Holds Damaging Information Over President Trump' @ Schumer Raises 'Possibility That Putin Holds Damaging Information Over President Trump'

The loud-mouth jerk blathers once again.

And here’s what Putin says:

Putin on Whether He Has Compromising Material on Trump, Family: ‘I Didn’t Even Know That He Was in Moscow’ @ Putin on Whether He Has Compromising Material on Trump, Family: ‘I Didn’t Even Know That He Was in Moscow’

All You Need to Know About The MSM / Establishment Freak out over the Trump Putin Presser from All You Need to Know About The MSM / Establishment Freak out over the Trump Putin Presser

Readability

1. You will likely be able to count the number of votes Trump will lose over it on the fingers of one hand.
   
   
2. Any GOP House or Senate candidate not named Romney who goes with the MSM spin is doing him or her self more harm than good.
   

Don Surber put it best:

Forget facts. Look at how this reaction to the press conference plays at home. Once again, President Trump makes his critics sound like kooks, because they are.
I’m old enough to remember when an MSM freakout could break a GOP president, now we just point at them and laugh

 

[longknife]

Why Trump’s Words and Actions on Russia Seem Contradictory but Aren’t

As usual, the president’s foes go out of their way to find every tidbit they can to attack him. This piece points out what they won’t admit to.

A review of Trump’s policies turns up little that could be viewed as supportive of Russia’s agenda:

In the wake of election interference, Trump — albeit reluctantly and in the face of veto-proof majorities in both houses of Congress — signed a bill ramping up sanctions against Russia and against many specific Russian oligarchs said to be allies of Putin.

The Trump administration last year allowed the sale of lethal anti-tank and other much-needed weapons to Ukraine — something Obama refused to do despite repeated pleas from Ukrainian leaders — to beef up defenses against possible further aggression by a country that had invaded and annexed Crimea.

In June last year, Trump withdrew from the Paris climate change accords, an environmental pact supported by Russia.

In May, Trump pulled out of the Iran nuclear deal and reimposed sanctions on Russia’s biggest ally in the Middle East. Russia helped negotiate that deal and strongly supported it.

Trump has pushed for increased spending on the U.S. military, which clearly is not in Russia’s interests.

Trump also has supported expanding domestic energy production, a fact the president referenced on Monday. Since energy is by far Russia’s most important industry and high energy prices are vital to Putin’s ability to project power beyond Russia’s borders, it directly contradicts that nation’s interests for the United States to increase energy production.

Much more @ The Odd Contradiction Between Trump’s Words and Actions

 

[hazlnut]

If anyone bothers to read the transcript of Trump's Helsinki press conference with Putin, one sees that, as a matter of fact, Trump never flatly denied that the Russians meddled in the 2016 election, although he indicated he was skeptical about the charge. To be exact, Trump said (1) that his DNI (Dan Coats) told him that the Russians meddled, (2) that Putin strongly denied it, (3) that he (Trump) did not see why the Russians would have meddled, but (4) that he would like to see the servers that were supposedly hacked. So he left open the possibility that an analysis of the servers might prove that the Russians meddled.

If you read the transcript, you also learn that Trump pressed Putin on the issue of election meddling during their private discussion, and that Putin responded to the charge at some length. So Trump thought enough of what DNI Coats had presented to him to raise the issue with Putin during their private meeting, and he apparently pressed Putin hard enough to elicit from Putin a very detailed, emphatic response to the charge. Putin also spent a fair amount of time during the press conference denying Russian meddling.

In any case, I ask the following questions:

Which is worse: Trump's expression of doubt about the charge of Russian meddling or the liberal Democrats' repeated denials that the Soviets were gassing civilian in Afghanistan during the Soviet occupation of that country?

Which is worse: Trump's expression of doubt about meddling or the liberal Democrats' prolonged downplaying of the Soviet government's human rights abuses against its own citizens, to the point of questioning the veracity and motives of Soviet dissidents who escaped Russia and who reported on Soviet brutality, such as Alexander Solzhenitsyen, during the Cold War?

Which is worse: Trump's expression of doubt about meddling or the liberal Democrats' parroting of Soviet talking points about the "nuclear freeze" proposal, about the MX missile, about Reagan's missile defense program, and about the Soviet government's hostile plans and intentions?

Which is worse: Trump's expression of doubt about meddling or Obama's secret promise to the Russians that he would gut our missile defense after the 2012 election and Obama's ridiculing of Mitt Romney's warning that we should be more worried about Russian than any other nation? (Obama thought that his promise to gut missile defense after the election was being made in secret, but he did not realize that he was being recorded.)

Which is worse: Trump's expression of doubt about meddling or Ted Kennedy's secret overtures to Soviet leaders prior to the 1984 election in which, among other things, Kennedy asked for the Soviets' help in the 1984 election and said he would work with American media outlets to get favorable coverage for Yuri Andropov and other Soviet officials?

Which is worse: Trump's expression of doubt about meddling or the liberal Democrats' strident, dismissive attacks on President Reagan for daring to call the Soviet Union an "evil empire"?

I think that Trump made a mistake in expressing doubt about Russian meddling. He might be correct, but he should have kept that view to himself under those circumstances. I also think that Trump made a mistake when he said, during the press conference, that he trusted his intelligence people but that he also trusted the Russians. But I think those mistakes pale in comparison to what liberal Democrats have said and done in relation to the Russians.

Why It’s Hard to Take Democrats Seriously on Russia

Soviet influence on the peace movement - Wikipedia

"Moscow and the Peace, Offensive"

Kennedy-KGB collaboration

Ted Kennedy’s Secret Appeal to Russia to Hurt Reagan

The Man Who Called Out Evil | National Review

Trump is a traitor.

You know it.

We know it.

Get over it and let's get rid of him.

 

[task0778]

"I also think that Trump made a mistake when he said, during the press conference, that he trusted his intelligence people but that he also trusted the Russians"

I take issue with the last part, Trump never said he trusted the Russians. He said Coates told him one thing but Putin told him another, basically denied any involvement. Trump never said who was right or wrong or what he believed was the truth during that news conference.

 

[mikegriffith1]

"I also think that Trump made a mistake when he said, during the press conference, that he trusted his intelligence people but that he also trusted the Russians"

I take issue with the last part, Trump never said he trusted the Russians. He said Coates told him one thing but Putin told him another, basically denied any involvement. Trump never said who was right or wrong or what he believed was the truth during that news conference.

Here's the relevant portion of the transcript:

REPORTER, AP: President Trump, you first. Just now, President Putin denied having anything to do with the election interference in 2016. Every U.S. intelligence agency has concluded that Russia did. My first question for you sir is, who do you believe? My second question is would you now, with the whole world watching, tell President Putin, would you denounce what happened in 2016 and would you warn him to never do it again?​

TRUMP: So let me just say that we have two thoughts. You have groups that are wondering why the FBI never took the server. Why haven't they taken the server? Why was the FBI told to leave the office of the Democratic National Committee?​

I've been wondering that. I've been asking that for months and months and I've been tweeting it out and calling it out on social media. Where is the server? I want to know where is the server and what is the server saying?​

With that being said, all I can do is ask the question.​

My people came to me, Dan Coates, came to me and some others they said they think it's Russia. I have President Putin. He just said it's not Russia.​

I will say this: I don't see any reason why it would be. But I really do want to see the server but I have, I have confidence in both parties.
​

Trump may well harbor doubts about the entrenched intelligence apparatus. He might have in mind the fact that in 2007 the National Intelligence Estimate, which is supposed to be the intel community's unbiased and objective analysis of the security situation, was anything but unbiased and objective--it clearly aimed to discourage an attack on Iran and dishonestly downplayed the evidence that Iran had an active nuke weapons program. Or Trump might recall the role that some intel heads and other officials played in contributing to the Russian-collusion myth.

Dan Coats is a good man, but he only knows what his intel chiefs tell him. He does not do intelligence analysis. He relies on input from the intel agencies.

After the Bay of Pigs, JFK did not trust the CIA or military intelligence as far as he could throw them. That's why he developed his own intelligence channels for intel on Vietnam.