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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsThe Trump White House Is Screwed, Big League
https://newrepublic.com/article/140631/trump-white-house-screwed-big-league?utm_source=social&utm_medium=facebook&utm_campaign=sharebtnThe Trump White House Is Screwed, Big League
Michael Flynn's resignation is just the beginning of this major national security scandal involving Russia.
By Brian Beutler
February 14, 2017
President Donald Trumps first national security adviser, Michael Flynn, resigned Monday night, driven out of the job after just 24 days by a torrent of leaks suggesting he lied to colleagues, who in turn lied to the public, about his pre-inauguration conversations with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak.
The leaks themselves, and Flynns departure, were rightly interpreted as major stories, but the theory of what motivated the leaks, and then the departure, remains unclear. Flynn has a famously hostile relationship with much of the intelligence community. Did his professional enemies simply sense an opening and take revenge? Does the Trump White House, which routinely lies to the public, really believe that lying to colleagues is a fireable offense (if and when the press gets wind of it)? Relatedly, what did Trump know and when did he know it? Does this story have anything to do with the Moscow-directed subversion campaign aimed at helping him defeat Hillary Clinton?
snip//
The likelier storythough Spicer denied it during Tuesdays White House press briefingis that Flynn was doing what Trump told him to do. Trump even reveled in the fact that the backchannel diplomacy had been successful.
But that would also mean he knew the version of events Pence and Spicer had relayed to the press was false.
So lets assume Flynn just jumped on a grenade for his boss. Trump may have believed Moscow would never rat Flynn out, and may still believe Flynn will never claimor provehe was just following orders. But the truth is, Trump cant be sure his own involvement wont be exposed. And that compromises him, as well. Its not just that Pence, Flynn, and Spicer should feel as if Trump hung them out to dryits that he did so in a way that gives powerful people, perhaps even Russian intelligence officials, leverage over his administration.
The story is explosive, in other words, even when its walled off from other things we know: That Flynn and Kislyak were reportedly in contact, not just during the transition, but before the election. That other members of the Trump team and their Russian contacts are reportedly under federal investigation, stemming from a broader investigation into Russian subversion. That those inquiries are apparently significant enough that FBI director James Comey was initially reluctant to alert the White House to Flynns susceptibility to blackmail out of fear it would undermine the bureaus work. That the intelligence community has corroborated certain non-sexual claims in the Trump-opposition dossier.
Flynns out now, and if he has information thats pertinent to Comeys investigation, hes a major loose endespecially if he has his own legal trouble. But Republicans on Capitol Hill and the White House are pretending Flynns resignation brings the story to an end.
Its hard to focus on regressive tax cuts if the president of your party is at the center of a major national security scandal. Republicans might be able to slow down the unraveling with this kind of willful blindness to the significance of what just happened. But they probably cant stop it altogether. They will be lucky if this ends with senior members of Trumps White House and doesnt ultimately ensnare Trump himself.
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The Trump White House Is Screwed, Big League (Original Post)
babylonsister
Feb 2017
OP
Tinker Trebucet
(17 posts)1. It seems that blood is coming out of his eyes or wherever.
tparrett62
(268 posts)3. Nice callback!
I like your comedy timing!
Welcome to DU!
Tatiana
(14,167 posts)2. CNN has the names of those officials who communicated with Russian agents.
They are just waiting for comments.
Trump should be regretting insulting the intelligence community -- but he's not. And the hits will keep coming...