After this I think I understand the "better not be tapes" tweet. There is no doubt in my mind at this point the entire place isn't bugged. It seems these "leaks" are coming out in real time.
Republicans used to fear Russians. Here’s what they think now.
For decades, the Republican Party has been more hawkish toward Russia than Democrats. That’s changed with President Trump’s election. Even everyday Republicans are now more positive than Democrats toward Russia, according to several opinion polls.
In fact, on the issue of Russia cyber-meddling in the U.S. elections, Republican public opinion more closely resembles public opinion in Russia than overall opinion in the United States.
Here’s an example. On Feb. 5, Trump spoke with Fox News host Bill O’Reilly. After the president reiterated his respect for Putin, O’Reilly interjected, “He’s a killer, though. Putin’s a killer.” To which Trump responded, “What do you think, our country’s so innocent?”
This softer line on Russia is out of step not only with GOP elites, but also with overall American views.
Americans remain largely unfavorable toward Putin and Russia.
That’s been true since Russia annexed Crimea in 2014. A Jan. 20-25 Quinnipiac University survey found that only 9 percent of Americans have a favorable view of Vladimir Putin, while 70 percent are unfavorable. And a Dec. 16-18 Chicago Council Survey (CCS) shows that American attitudes toward Russia have fallen to new lows after U.S. intelligence agencies concluded that Russia hacked into the emails of both the DNC and the RNC.
Even well before Michael Flynn’s resignation as national security adviser and revelations that Trump’s campaign aides were in contact with Russian intelligence officers, a majority of Americans disapproved of the way Trump has responded to the issue of Russian hacking (54 percent disapprove, 35 percent approve).
And three separate surveys conducted between Jan. 12 and 25 found that majorities of Americans believe that Russia interfered in the U.S. elections (between 51 percent and 64 percent, depending upon the polling organization and question wording).
In turn, a majority of Americans support further investigations into Russia’s role (68 percent) including a congressional inquiry (64 percent).
The new special relationship: U.S. and Russia?
Many interpreted Trump’s Feb. 5 comments to O’Reilly as suggesting a moral equivalence between Russia and the United States, which a range of Republican political leaders were quick to condemn. On the Sunday news shows, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.) and Sen. Ben Sasse (Neb.) bristled, while Sen. Marco Rubio (Fla.) and Rep. Liz Cheney (Wyo.) tweeted their discomfort with Trump’s comments.
But everyday Republicans disagree with the party elite.
As other pollsters have discovered, self-described Republicans are now more positive than Democrats toward Russia and Putin. And a majority of Republicans think that the Russian government did not interfere in the U.S. elections and oppose further investigations into the hack, contrasting sharply with the majority view among Democrats and independents.
This is where public opinion among self-described Republicans is closer to views in Russia than among their fellow Americans: A recent January Levada Center survey found that 7 in 10 Russians doubt that their government interfered in the U.S. election (12 percent Russia definitely/probably interfered, 72 percent probably/definitely did not).
In addition, while Democrats say that Trump is being too friendly toward Russia (68 percent), only 15 percent of Republicans agree (ABC News/Washington Post). Republicans are more likely to say that Trump has about the right attitude toward Russia (75 percent vs. 11 percent Democrats).
Russians have noticed the change. They have grown more favorable toward the United States since Trump’s election (from 28 percent just before to 37 percent in a Jan. 20-23 poll). Almost half (46 percent) expect that relations between Russia and the United States will improve with Trump in the White House. And 42 percent of Russiansvolunteer that Trump’s inauguration ceremony was the most memorable event of January, more so than the assassination of the Russian ambassador in Turkey and Fidel Castro’s death.
Ordinary Republicans say they don’t believe Russia hacked the U.S. election
Before the 2016 presidential campaign, a computer hack against the United States would have alarmed people of all parties. A February 2016 Gallup survey found large majorities of both Democrats (72 percent) and Republicans (77 percent) rated cyberterrorism — “the use of computers to cause disruption or fear in society” — as a critical threat facing the nation, ranking just below terrorism and Iran’s development of nuclear weapons. In a 2016 non-probability, opt-in ReportLinker survey of 513 online respondents, 53 percent agreed that “Russia is the biggest cyberattack threat to the United States.”
Moreover, in 2014 and 2015 CCS surveys, Republicans consistently felt more threat from Russia than Democrats, and were more likely to favor taking military actions to defend Ukraine from Russia. And on the question of Iran’s nuclear program and reducing the world’s nuclear stockpiles, slightly larger majorities of Republicans than Democrats said that Russia was working in a different (vs. same) direction than the United States, the 2016 CCS found.
All that was before Trump was elected president.
Perhaps Republicans have a lack of confidence in the intelligence agencies’conclusions. Or perhaps ordinary Republicans are taking political cues from Trump rather than from traditional Republican hawks such as Rubio and John McCain. Or perhaps Republicans think that whatever hurts the Democrats has to be good for Republicans, even cyber-interference.
Meanwhile, Trump’s equivocal positions toward Russia, including on the possibility of lifting sanctions, already appear to have consequences. Fighting has escalated in eastern Ukraine with unconfirmed reports of new armor from Russia arriving to rebel-held areas. Russia has deployed cruise missiles, violating a major arms control treaty; had its jets buzz a U.S. aircraft carrier; and sent Russian spy ships patrolling the U.S. East Coast.
With each sentence of praise for Putin or hints about lifting sanctions, Trump weakens any U.S. bargaining position toward Russia on Ukraine, Syria, nuclear disarmament and so on. No wonder Russians are more optimistic now than they have been since the government annexed Crimea.
As President I wanted to share with Russia (at an openly scheduled W.H. meeting) which I have the absolute right to do, facts pertaining....
...to terrorism and airline flight safety. Humanitarian reasons, plus I want Russia to greatly step up their fight against ISIS & terrorism.
That's what I see when I go to his twitter. Is that what you are referencing?
The truth of the matter is that the President does have an absolute right to unclassify classified information, and to share it with countries with which the USA is not at war.
WaPo reacted an hour after the info on the DNC came out.
I don't think this is true. When I look at the Twitter post that broke the Seth Rich story on Twitter it says 6:48pm, which is an hour before the WaPo story broke. But when I look at it through Reddit it converts that to my time zone which makes it 11:48am Tuesday 16th (AEST being Aussie), which is 9:48pm Monday 15th EST, 2 hours after the WaPo story dropped at 7:45pm EST. Seems like Marina Marraco was in a different timezone when she made the tweet that led to some confusion.
It's not true. There's an obvious coordinated effort from /r/the_donald to push the Seth Rich story to distract from the Russia news. The front page is literally nothing but shills spamming the same Seth Rich narrative.
The problem isn't being friendly with Russia. We should be friendly with as many nations as we can be. The problem is sharing classified information that was passed on from a source in the Middle East. Information that the source did not want shared. This is a direct violation of trust with a source we have been working with apparently.
Which will make us look untrustworthy in receiving foreign intel in the future. This is a major fuck up, especially in that Trump responded on twitter. He is a bumbling fool.
Russia is a country with whom the USA has long had a peaceful, productive relationship. There has never been a war, thank goodness, between Russia and the USA. France and Germany can show us that having a war with Russia which involves attacking Russia first is NOT a good idea.
1st, how could I know what information specifically was shared. I dont have the white house bugged. 2nd, never said I regard Russia as an enemy. If you go back and look at what I said we should be friendly with as many nations as possible. I believe that is especially true of Russia. I want us to be allies whole heartedly. But you can do that without backstabbing another friend. 3rd, yes of course the President does. Doesnt mean he should use that power willynilly. He can also nuke another country, but should he? Ill answer that one for ya, no he shouldnt.
They have been desperately attempting to find actual evidence of Trump committing criminal acts since the election. God forbid the will of the citizens be imposed instead of the will of billionaires.
Trump was elected under the same system as Obama. I'll let you in on a little secret, if the oligarchy/deep state was pulling Trump's strings, you'd have nothing but feel good stories coming out of your teevee. It is scary how easily manipulated you are.
The will of the citizens (ignoring the popular vote of course) instead of the will of the billionaires (ignoring that the president is a billionaire who has given bankers major positions)
Congratulations. You are the epitome of the problem. So long as "your team" wins, you're willing to let oligarchy circumvent democracy. Guess what, they are all on the same team and it isn't yours.
Wrong. I want the country to do well no matter who leads us. I think Trump is an idiot and a conman, but I hoped he'd be able to get something accomplished and the country would do well under him.
Regardless of if you think the Trump/Russia narrative is complete MSM/Deep State bullshit, it seems he's doing everything he can to make himself look worse.
40 comments
n/a Undertakerjoe 2017-05-16
After this I think I understand the "better not be tapes" tweet. There is no doubt in my mind at this point the entire place isn't bugged. It seems these "leaks" are coming out in real time.
n/a LilMissGuided 2017-05-16
Republicans used to fear Russians. Here’s what they think now.
For decades, the Republican Party has been more hawkish toward Russia than Democrats. That’s changed with President Trump’s election. Even everyday Republicans are now more positive than Democrats toward Russia, according to several opinion polls.
In fact, on the issue of Russia cyber-meddling in the U.S. elections, Republican public opinion more closely resembles public opinion in Russia than overall opinion in the United States.
Here’s an example. On Feb. 5, Trump spoke with Fox News host Bill O’Reilly. After the president reiterated his respect for Putin, O’Reilly interjected, “He’s a killer, though. Putin’s a killer.” To which Trump responded, “What do you think, our country’s so innocent?”
This softer line on Russia is out of step not only with GOP elites, but also with overall American views.
That’s been true since Russia annexed Crimea in 2014. A Jan. 20-25 Quinnipiac University survey found that only 9 percent of Americans have a favorable view of Vladimir Putin, while 70 percent are unfavorable. And a Dec. 16-18 Chicago Council Survey (CCS) shows that American attitudes toward Russia have fallen to new lows after U.S. intelligence agencies concluded that Russia hacked into the emails of both the DNC and the RNC.
Even well before Michael Flynn’s resignation as national security adviser and revelations that Trump’s campaign aides were in contact with Russian intelligence officers, a majority of Americans disapproved of the way Trump has responded to the issue of Russian hacking (54 percent disapprove, 35 percent approve).
And three separate surveys conducted between Jan. 12 and 25 found that majorities of Americans believe that Russia interfered in the U.S. elections (between 51 percent and 64 percent, depending upon the polling organization and question wording).
In turn, a majority of Americans support further investigations into Russia’s role (68 percent) including a congressional inquiry (64 percent).
Many interpreted Trump’s Feb. 5 comments to O’Reilly as suggesting a moral equivalence between Russia and the United States, which a range of Republican political leaders were quick to condemn. On the Sunday news shows, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.) and Sen. Ben Sasse (Neb.) bristled, while Sen. Marco Rubio (Fla.) and Rep. Liz Cheney (Wyo.) tweeted their discomfort with Trump’s comments.
But everyday Republicans disagree with the party elite.
As other pollsters have discovered, self-described Republicans are now more positive than Democrats toward Russia and Putin. And a majority of Republicans think that the Russian government did not interfere in the U.S. elections and oppose further investigations into the hack, contrasting sharply with the majority view among Democrats and independents.
This is where public opinion among self-described Republicans is closer to views in Russia than among their fellow Americans: A recent January Levada Center survey found that 7 in 10 Russians doubt that their government interfered in the U.S. election (12 percent Russia definitely/probably interfered, 72 percent probably/definitely did not).
In addition, while Democrats say that Trump is being too friendly toward Russia (68 percent), only 15 percent of Republicans agree (ABC News/Washington Post). Republicans are more likely to say that Trump has about the right attitude toward Russia (75 percent vs. 11 percent Democrats).
Russians have noticed the change. They have grown more favorable toward the United States since Trump’s election (from 28 percent just before to 37 percent in a Jan. 20-23 poll). Almost half (46 percent) expect that relations between Russia and the United States will improve with Trump in the White House. And 42 percent of Russiansvolunteer that Trump’s inauguration ceremony was the most memorable event of January, more so than the assassination of the Russian ambassador in Turkey and Fidel Castro’s death.
Before the 2016 presidential campaign, a computer hack against the United States would have alarmed people of all parties. A February 2016 Gallup survey found large majorities of both Democrats (72 percent) and Republicans (77 percent) rated cyberterrorism — “the use of computers to cause disruption or fear in society” — as a critical threat facing the nation, ranking just below terrorism and Iran’s development of nuclear weapons. In a 2016 non-probability, opt-in ReportLinker survey of 513 online respondents, 53 percent agreed that “Russia is the biggest cyberattack threat to the United States.”
Moreover, in 2014 and 2015 CCS surveys, Republicans consistently felt more threat from Russia than Democrats, and were more likely to favor taking military actions to defend Ukraine from Russia. And on the question of Iran’s nuclear program and reducing the world’s nuclear stockpiles, slightly larger majorities of Republicans than Democrats said that Russia was working in a different (vs. same) direction than the United States, the 2016 CCS found.
All that was before Trump was elected president.
Perhaps Republicans have a lack of confidence in the intelligence agencies’conclusions. Or perhaps ordinary Republicans are taking political cues from Trump rather than from traditional Republican hawks such as Rubio and John McCain. Or perhaps Republicans think that whatever hurts the Democrats has to be good for Republicans, even cyber-interference.
Meanwhile, Trump’s equivocal positions toward Russia, including on the possibility of lifting sanctions, already appear to have consequences. Fighting has escalated in eastern Ukraine with unconfirmed reports of new armor from Russia arriving to rebel-held areas. Russia has deployed cruise missiles, violating a major arms control treaty; had its jets buzz a U.S. aircraft carrier; and sent Russian spy ships patrolling the U.S. East Coast.
With each sentence of praise for Putin or hints about lifting sanctions, Trump weakens any U.S. bargaining position toward Russia on Ukraine, Syria, nuclear disarmament and so on. No wonder Russians are more optimistic now than they have been since the government annexed Crimea.
n/a ultimateown3r 2017-05-16
Man you wrote this in 12 minutes? was this a copy/paste from somewhere?
n/a LilMissGuided 2017-05-16
It's a Washington Post article.
n/a ultimateown3r 2017-05-16
https://theconservativetreehouse.com/2017/05/15/washington-post-creates-fake-news-timed-release-story-intended-to-capture-evening-news-lede/
n/a LilMissGuided 2017-05-16
Trump just tweeted that he did reveal classified info to the Russians.
n/a ultimateown3r 2017-05-16
As President I wanted to share with Russia (at an openly scheduled W.H. meeting) which I have the absolute right to do, facts pertaining.... ...to terrorism and airline flight safety. Humanitarian reasons, plus I want Russia to greatly step up their fight against ISIS & terrorism.
That's what I see when I go to his twitter. Is that what you are referencing?
n/a Kargal 2017-05-16
Sure, sure. But "fact pertaining to terrorism" is such a fucking broad description that it doesn't tell us anything.
n/a Dhylan 2017-05-16
The truth of the matter is that the President does have an absolute right to unclassify classified information, and to share it with countries with which the USA is not at war.
n/a Dhylan 2017-05-16
When you cut & paste like this you should specify where you are getting it.
n/a evenglow 2017-05-16
When you plagiarize, you shouldn't.
n/a LilMissGuided 2017-05-16
I'll let my teacher know.
n/a scottfiab 2017-05-16
It's just a distraction from Seth Rich. WaPo reacted an hour after the info on the DNC came out.
n/a Lord_of_Jam 2017-05-16
I don't think this is true. When I look at the Twitter post that broke the Seth Rich story on Twitter it says 6:48pm, which is an hour before the WaPo story broke. But when I look at it through Reddit it converts that to my time zone which makes it 11:48am Tuesday 16th (AEST being Aussie), which is 9:48pm Monday 15th EST, 2 hours after the WaPo story dropped at 7:45pm EST. Seems like Marina Marraco was in a different timezone when she made the tweet that led to some confusion.
n/a PM_ME_YOUR_DICKS_GRL 2017-05-16
It's not true. There's an obvious coordinated effort from /r/the_donald to push the Seth Rich story to distract from the Russia news. The front page is literally nothing but shills spamming the same Seth Rich narrative.
n/a Kargal 2017-05-16
Nope and you know that.
n/a Griffin777XD 2017-05-16
Da, comrade
n/a rodental 2017-05-16
ZE RUSSIANS ARE EEEEVIIILLL!
n/a RolandtheWhite 2017-05-16
The problem isn't being friendly with Russia. We should be friendly with as many nations as we can be. The problem is sharing classified information that was passed on from a source in the Middle East. Information that the source did not want shared. This is a direct violation of trust with a source we have been working with apparently.
n/a western_red 2017-05-16
Which will make us look untrustworthy in receiving foreign intel in the future. This is a major fuck up, especially in that Trump responded on twitter. He is a bumbling fool.
n/a Dhylan 2017-05-16
What information, specifically, was 'shared'?
Why do you regard Russia, the country that helped us in a very big way to overcome Germany and its allies in WW2, as an enemy?
The President of the USA has the legitimate power to unclassify classified information whenever he chooses to do so.
n/a afidak 2017-05-16
Information that's been in the media for 2 months already is what he shared.
n/a m4ttjirM 2017-05-16
Was putin in charge in ww2?
n/a Dhylan 2017-05-16
Russia is a country with whom the USA has long had a peaceful, productive relationship. There has never been a war, thank goodness, between Russia and the USA. France and Germany can show us that having a war with Russia which involves attacking Russia first is NOT a good idea.
n/a e-socrates 2017-05-16
Worse, Stalin. But the deep-state MSM then dutifully called him "Uncle Joe."
n/a RolandtheWhite 2017-05-16
1st, how could I know what information specifically was shared. I dont have the white house bugged. 2nd, never said I regard Russia as an enemy. If you go back and look at what I said we should be friendly with as many nations as possible. I believe that is especially true of Russia. I want us to be allies whole heartedly. But you can do that without backstabbing another friend. 3rd, yes of course the President does. Doesnt mean he should use that power willynilly. He can also nuke another country, but should he? Ill answer that one for ya, no he shouldnt.
n/a Dhylan 2017-05-16
No, the President cannot legally nuke another country.
n/a RolandtheWhite 2017-05-16
Okay you just want to argue for arguing sake. Later
n/a Dhylan 2017-05-16
Take your ball and go home. There are plenty of others with balls here. And they all have more than 25 Karma.
n/a evenglow 2017-05-16
Specifically classified information was shared. I'd tell you more about it but you don't have access to that level of classification.
n/a okokok7654 2017-05-16
Would the source have known that the information was shared if it weren't for the officials who gave the story to Washington Post? If so, how?
n/a Strange_Me 2017-05-16
You're on a sub where people turn getting pizza into child rape and murder and THIS is what bothers you?
n/a cmiovino 2017-05-16
Anything to make him look bad.
n/a RedditIsSoCucked 2017-05-16
They have been desperately attempting to find actual evidence of Trump committing criminal acts since the election. God forbid the will of the citizens be imposed instead of the will of billionaires.
n/a Kargal 2017-05-16
Lol, if the will of the citizens counted Trump wouldn't have been made president. It's already the will of billionaires that is followed
n/a RedditIsSoCucked 2017-05-16
Trump was elected under the same system as Obama. I'll let you in on a little secret, if the oligarchy/deep state was pulling Trump's strings, you'd have nothing but feel good stories coming out of your teevee. It is scary how easily manipulated you are.
n/a Kargal 2017-05-16
Sorry, but if there is a deep state I seriously believe it wouldn't have let trump through if they were against him.
n/a gorgias1 2017-05-16
Effing hilarious. This guy is precious or this bot is insidious.
n/a OrangeCladAssassin 2017-05-16
The will of the citizens (ignoring the popular vote of course) instead of the will of the billionaires (ignoring that the president is a billionaire who has given bankers major positions)
n/a RedditIsSoCucked 2017-05-16
Congratulations. You are the epitome of the problem. So long as "your team" wins, you're willing to let oligarchy circumvent democracy. Guess what, they are all on the same team and it isn't yours.
n/a OrangeCladAssassin 2017-05-16
Wrong. I want the country to do well no matter who leads us. I think Trump is an idiot and a conman, but I hoped he'd be able to get something accomplished and the country would do well under him.
Regardless of if you think the Trump/Russia narrative is complete MSM/Deep State bullshit, it seems he's doing everything he can to make himself look worse.
n/a TheRealCadaver 2017-05-16
Talk of impeachment escalates, FBI director shitstorm, Russian meeting shitstorm... even Conway and Spicer are completely on the ropes...
T_shipost: "REEEEEE!!!! His name was SETH RICH!!!!"
n/a Dhylan 2017-05-16
No, the President cannot legally nuke another country.