David Frum: Why Did Trump Fire Tillerson Now?

[babylonsister]

https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2018/03/exodus-rex/555473/

Why Did Trump Fire Tillerson Now?
The specific timing of the move—following the secretary of state’s split from the president to condemn a Russian attack in the U.K.—raises questions about its motive.
David Frum 12:02 PM ET Politics


The White House’s account of the Tillerson firing collapsed within minutes.

snip//

And since it now seems all but certain that the White House was lying about the timing, it looks more probable that it was lying about the motive too.

That suspicion was accelerated by the president’s words to the White House press corps before stepping aboard Marine One:

“As soon as we get the facts straight, if we agree with them, we will condemn Russia or whoever it may be.”

That is not support for Britain. It is the direct opposite.

Britain and the United States share intelligence information fully, freely, and seamlessly. It’s inconceivable that the U.S. government has not already seen all the information that Theresa May saw before she rose in the House of Commons to accuse Russia.

If the U.S. government had a serious concern about the reliability of that information, it would have expressed that concern directly and privately to the U.K. government before May spoke. But the U.S. had no such concern—that’s why the now-fired secretary of state and the U.S. ambassador to the United Kingdom both endorsed May’s words. When Trump raises doubts about the facts, about American agreement with its British ally, about the accuracy of the British accusation against Russia, Trump is not expressing good-faith uncertainty about imperfect information. Trump is rejecting the consensus view of the U.K. and U.S. intelligence communities about an act of Russian aggression—and, if his past behavior is any indication, preparing the way for his own determination to do nothing.

It echoes the approach he took toward Russian intervention in the U.S. election to help elect him in 2016: Feign uncertainty about what is not uncertain in order to justify inaction.

The U.S.-U.K. response to the Russian nerve gas attack should have been coordinated in advance. It was not. The U.S. statement of support for Britain should have arrived on the day that the prime minister delivered her accusation. It did not. The retaliation—if any—should also already be agreed upon. It plainly has not been.

The United Kingdom does not find itself deprived of U.S. support because of some British mistake or rush to judgment. Most of the U.S. government shares the British assessment of what happened—as attested by Tillerson’s statement in support of Britain, which would have relied on U.S. intelligence agency reports. Only Trump stands apart, vetoing any condemnation of Russia and perhaps punishing his secretary of state for breaking ranks on the president’s no-criticizing-Putin policy.

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https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2018/03/exodus-rex/555473/

[madaboutharry]

1. I have long though Trump is a Russian Asset.

I am now thinking he is a Russian Agent.

[babylonsister]

2. I think he's too dumb for that. Blackmail works for me. nt

[JI7]

4. Yup, Putin owns him

[JI7]

3. He is too stupid to be an active agent. But he is Putin's puppet

[Ilsa]

6. I think he's an "unwitting" asset.

He's too egotistical to think that he's being used or that he isn't the pack leader. He thinks he's getting everyone else to do his will. He doesn't realize that some players are changing his mind for him.

[BigmanPigman]

5. I read this earlier on DU this AM.

Speculation about the timing was going back and forth. Supposedly Kelly gave Tillerson a heads up about it last Friday. For him to do it NOW after May accused Putin seems pretty much expected. Normally our allies would've received support from us. That was then, this is now. The only allies to the US now are Russia and maybe other countries run by dictators like Turkey and the Philippines.

[Wellstone ruled]

7. Trump Corporation has

chartered 246 separate Companies in the Russian Federation as per a Story posted here last night. Does anyone really thing Trump would allow any disparaging remarks against his interests. Not going to happen.

[poboy2]

8. Gimme a 'T'!

[C_U_L8R]

9. Trump wants a wartime consigliere

who will lick his boots

[babylonsister]

10. I still think this also has to do with diversion.

Consider what we're not talking about. Stormy seas ahead!