Robert Reich: Three Possible Reasons for Donald Trumps Latest Obama Rant

[Jimbo101]

robertreich.org


1. Trump is more nuts than we suspected – a true delusional paranoid. Trump’s outburst was triggered by commentary in the “alt-right” publication, Breitbart News, on Friday, which reported an assertion made Thursday night by right-wing talk-radio host Mark Levin suggesting Obama and his administration used “police state” tactics last fall to monitor the Trump team’s dealings with Russian operatives.

If this was the case, we’ve got a president willing to put the prestige and power of his office behind baseless claims emanating from well-known right-wing purveyors of lies.

Which means Trump shouldn’t be anywhere near the nuclear codes that could obliterate the planet, or near anything else that could determine the fate of America or the world.

2. The second possibility is Trump is correct, and the Obama administration did in fact tap his phones. But if this was the case, before the tap could occur it’s highly likely Trump committed a very serious crime, including treason.

No president can order a wiretap on his own. For federal agents to obtain a wiretap on Trump, or anyone else, the Justice Department would first have had to convince a federal judge that it had gathered sufficient evidence of probable cause to believe Trump had committed a serious crime or was an agent of a foreign power, depending on whether it was a criminal or foreign intelligence wiretap.

In which case we have someone in the White House who shouldn’t be making decisions that could endanger America or the world.

3. The third possible explanation for Trump’s rant is he’s trying to divert public attention from the Jeff Sessions imbroglio and multiple investigations of Trump associates already found to have been in contact with Russian agents during the election, when Russian operatives interfered with the election on Trump’s behalf.

Maybe he’s trying to build a case that the entire Russian story is a plot concocted by the Obama Administration – along with the intelligence agencies and the mainstream press – to bring Trump down. This way, he can inoculate himself against more damaging evidence to come.

But if it’s all a big show to divert attention and undermine the credibility of the intelligence agencies and the press, Trump is willing to do anything to keep his job – even if that means destroying the fabric of our democracy.

[guillaumeb]

1. One hopes that number 2 is the correct answer.

And that Pence, McConnell and Ryan are co-conspirators.

[0rganism]

15. hopes? that is the worst case scenario

and the rest of the scenarios really suck ass so... anyway... no this one does not hope for such things

[marybourg]

2. A cogent summation. nt

[unblock]

3. There's another possibility:

That donnie doesn't act with much thought at all. He's simply a helpless product of the dysfunctional defense mechanisms that evolved in his mind over the course of a lifetime of privilege and wealth and extreme ambition colliding with abject incompetence.

He tweets because he can't help himself. If he sees something insulting or provocative on foxnews, he simply must tweet about it.

Cmon, if there was any thought process involved, he wouldn't tweet at all.

[leftstreet]

8. +1 Poor impulse control meets instant gratification

Cmon, if there was any thought process involved, he wouldn't tweet at all.

Exactly

[OnDoutside]

9. I don't think that is quite it. He has a well worn habit of creating a shitstorm to deflect

perceived attacks against him or his campaign, so he will use whatever is available to hit back even harder, which is usually an outrageous lie. I wish the media wouldn't fall for it. The anti Trumpers should be ready to hit back, he wouldn't expect that. This new dossier from Foreign IC, that Mensch has tweeted, should be taken on in MSM tomorrow. i.e. Reclaim the News Cycle.

[unblock]

14. I agree, I just don't think it's a thought-out strategy

It's just an instinct. It may serve him well at times, but it's just an instinct.

[OnDoutside]

20. Yes, completely agree with that. He has shown time and again that he is reactive to any

perceived threat to him.

[randr]

4. Each point is true

1. His insistence of Obama's Kenyan birth proves his adherence to fake news and the willingness to perpetuate in on Americans
2. This is almost beyond doubt at this moment. A warrant was issued after the warnings were sent out.
3. Typical diversion tactics he has used all along. Throw some red meat out and watch the media and nation obsess over it.
I will add one more point to your presentation:
HE IS A STARK RAVING LUNATIC WHO HAS BULLIED PEOPLE HIS WHOLE LIFE TO GET WHAT EVER HE WANTS.

[Lucinda]

16. +1

[erronis]

23. +1 also. Agree with the lunatic part. Inbreeding or parental neglect/malfeasance?

I really hate to write someone off as a "lunatic" without understanding how it arrived at this point.

Lots of possibilities including genetics/inbreeding, extremely poor/negative parenting (or nannying), bullying as a "poor" young man, lack of self-esteem because of certain underdeveloped extremeties.

I'm not sure how many of these could be used in the court of law if impeachment were to proceed. We do know that the real dt is not capable of acknowledging any responsibility, whatsoever.

[Stinky The Clown]

5. There is an alternate to Number 2.

That would be that Obama went around the government entirely and hired a private cloak and dagger type to do the wiretap. Which, I think, is what they're going to allege when everything else falls apart.

[GliderGuider]

6. Or 4: All of the above.

nt

[Charles Bukowski]

7. #1 is the only acceptable explanation.

Take away his fame and fortune and Trump is no different than the morons who genuinely believe the shit Breitbart spews. IOW Trump doesn't pander to the Deplorables the way Jones, Rush, Bannon, etc, do - - he is a Deplorable himself.

[SammyWinstonJack]

18. They're all Deplorables, ryan, McConnell, Pence....all of them. All of them!

[Charles Bukowski]

19. I'm referring specifically to the Deplorables

who parrot Breitbart/infowars/Rush as if they were credible news sources.

As despicable as Pence, Ryan, and McConnell are, they do not fall into this category. Trump does.

[NRaleighLiberal]

10. about #1 - if anyone does not think that he is certifiable yet they are simply not paying attention.

Trump is already at 11 and has been for decades.

[Mr. Ected]

11. The true reason is quite obvious

Levin lied. Breitbart reported. Trump reacted. His cronies back him. His minions approve.

This is life and politics in the gutter, where there's no such thing as facts or reason.

[salin]

12. variation of #3. Trump was Raving Friday about Sessions self-recusal.

Trump asserts it is better to fight back than admit wrong. Also reports are that several staffers were passing the Brietbart article around the WH (Damn it Bannon - your own publication should be banned from the white house - oh, that's right you SOW chaos - perhaps you gave it to the President to manipulate him into an escalation.)

I think this was Trump acting out on his rage per Sessions - and lashing out (his form of hitting back) when he saw a great diversion with the benefit of trying to diminish Obama whose polling is much higher than his own.

Oh and he does appear to be batshit crazy.

[Cosmocat]

13. EVERY one of his tweets

Have there primary purpose.

To keep the completely brainwashed 1/3 conservatives in line. These people now know as a riteous fact bho taped TT.

To continue the abusive, battered spouse syndrome on the idiot 1/3 "independents" or apolitical people to keep their heads firmly in the "they are both the same' hole.

To keep us playing whack a mole.

[murielm99]

17. If there is a wiretap,

maybe Comey is in there on tape colluding with trump. It would not over the Russian shit, but stealing the election in other ways, like yelling about Hillary's emails eleven days before the election.

[AwakeAtLast]

21. #3 is working really well with my Repuke Facebook friends

[Mr. Sparkle]

22. I know why

Trump is a child and he is trying to get revenge on Obama for spreading the Russian intelligence dossiers around the government in order to preserve them.

[KelleyKramer]

24. it's a combination of #1 and #3

He is crazy and he is stupid enough to believe that will make everybody forget about the Russian story