As Russia probe began, Trump called on spy chiefs for help

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

WASHINGTON — Two months before special counsel Robert Mueller was appointed in the spring of 2017, President Donald Trump picked up the phone and called the head of the largest U.S. intelligence agency. Trump told Mike Rogers, director of the National Security Agency, that news stories alleging that Trump's 2016 White House campaign had ties to Russia were false and the president asked whether Rogers could do anything to counter them.

Rogers and his deputy Richard Ledgett, who was present for the call, were taken aback.

Afterward, Ledgett wrote a memo about the conversation and Trump's request. He and Rogers signed it and stashed it in a safe. Ledgett said it was the "most unusual thing he had experienced in 40 years of government service."

Trump's outreach to Rogers, who retired last year, and other top intelligence officials stands in sharp contrast to his public, combative stance toward his intelligence agencies. At the time of the call, Trump was just some 60 days into his presidency, but he already had managed to alienate large parts of the intelligence apparatus with comments denigrating the profession.

Since then, Trump only has dug in. He said at a news conference in Helsinki after his 2017 summit with Russian leader Vladimir Putin that he gave weight to Putin's denial that Russia meddled in the 2016 election, despite the firm conclusion of U.S. intelligence agencies that it had. "I don't see any reason why it would be" Russia, Trump said. And earlier this year, Trump called national security assessments "naive," tweeting "perhaps intelligence should go back to school."

Yet in moments of concern as Mueller's investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election got underway, Trump turned to his spy chiefs for help.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/as-russia-probe-began-trump-called-on-spy-chiefs-for-help/ar-BBW9CwF?li=BBnb7Kz

[riversedge]

1. rump was just some 60 days into his presidency, but he already had managed to alienate large parts o

Yet, Trump goes a begging.




...........Trump was just some 60 days into his presidency, but he already had managed to alienate large parts of the intelligence apparatus with comments denigrating the profession.

[PeeJ52]

2. Where did this come from? Was it in the report? Were there more details in the note?

Were there details into what Trump wanted done to counter, like instructions on stories to distribute to the press? This is interesting.

OK...read it again... I guess intelligence people didn't know how to understand tRump's code. When he said is there anything you can do to change the perception, he meant, do something to change the perception. That's why they needed to go back to school, to learn mobster code.

[DeminPennswoods]

3. This is exactly what Nixon's hand-picked IRS commissioner

did when Nixon wanted him to start auditing Nixon's "enemies".