President Donald Trump: The Thread

[StrangeSox]

"You're Fired!" TV Man doesn't actually like firing people because, like most bullies, he's a coward who folds quickly when someone stands up to him

 

Adrian Carrasquillo ✔ @Carrasquillo

Source who knows Trump well told me today he doesn't like firing people in person. https://twitter.com/carrasquillo/status/862368212150865920 …

1:06 PM - 10 May 2017

 

Res describes in her book All Alone on the 68th Floor what she terms a “hiring mistake” when Trump employed a building superintendent for his tower.

 

 

“He was German, and as with most nationalities, Donald had a sense of the value of Germans and he believed it was in building management because they were very clean and thorough to a fault,” Res wrote of the man Trump chose to be super to the stars. “Only this guy was very useless. He knew zero about construction.”

 

 

Res added, “He had zero personality. He might have been perfect for a building in Brooklyn, but not Trump Tower.”

 

Res and another supervisor gave the man two weeks, but finally went to Trump “to tell him he had to go.”

 

“OK, fire him,” Trump said by her recollection.

 

The other supervisor did the deed.

 

“Nicely, but firmly,” the book reports. “Next thing we know, the guy marches across the street to Donald’s office and gets himself rehired. I went nuts. Donald said we didn’t really give the guy a chance. It took two more firings for it to stick.”

 

Res writes: “Maybe Donald can unceremoniously say, ‘You’re fired,’ to actors on a TV show, but in real life, he hated to do it. When someone had to be fired, Donald laid the job off on an underling.”

[StrangeSox]

caveat: it's just one source so far

 

[Balta1701]

For some reason, the Russian Ambassador Kislyak was at Trump's closed door meeting with Russian FM Lavrov, but he wasn't even mentioned in the White House's readout of the meeting.

 

Kislyak is the guy at the center of the Flynn story who's long been suspected of being a spy.

Something I didn't catch today:

@goldengateblond 1h1 hour ago

Question asked by former Obama/Biden advisor. Question answered by former Deputy Director of the CIA. pic.twitter.com/9Dg4VxcpBd

Former CIA Deputy Director opinion seems fairly important here.

[bmags]

I think, trying to catch my bearings, but I think the part this is kind of astonishing to me is in Sanders press conference how they are not backing down that this was Trump driving this decision. Their desire to show how he is in charge is superseding what should be talking points that this was an organic decision from the DOJ.

 

edit: and a much smaller point, but the bar for Trump spokespeople is so low. It is insane that on the most important presser of her life she used the word atrocities to describe Comeys actions. You are in gov!

[StrangeSox]

Paul Ryan rejects calls for independent investigation, talks about investigating who unmasked Flynn.

 

https://twitter.com/mviser/status/862429981883985922

 

Our system needs fundamental changes in order to be able to deal with a crisis like this.

[caulfield12]

I think, trying to catch my bearings, but I think the part this is kind of astonishing to me is in Sanders press conference how they are not backing down that this was Trump driving this decision. Their desire to show how he is in charge is superseding what should be talking points that this was an organic decision from the DOJ.

 

edit: and a much smaller point, but the bar for Trump spokespeople is so low. It is insane that on the most important presser of her life she used the word atrocities to describe Comeys actions. You are in gov!

 

I hope you mean Sarah Huckabee and not Bernie...

[Big Hurtin]

Paul Ryan rejects calls for independent investigation, talks about investigating who unmasked Flynn.

 

https://twitter.com/mviser/status/862429981883985922

 

Our system needs fundamental changes in order to be able to deal with a crisis like this.

There's a lot of Russian money going around, not just to Trump. People in key positions aren't doing this to necessarily protect Trump, but themselves.

 

[caulfield12]

Did the Secret Service sweep the White House for bugs planted by TASS/FSB operatives?

[StrangeSox]

White House counsel had to warn Trump multiple times not to contact Flynn directly.

 

https://t.co/VHCwBt2mjy

 

If no one had leaked his lies, there's 0% chance Trump would ever have fired him.

[caulfield12]

Trump has told associates he wouldn't fire Spicer because he pulls in good ratings — often outdrawing the daytime soap operas as the cable channels carry his daily briefings live.

 

At the start of the administration, Spicer's news conference brought combined ratings of about 4.3 million viewers. This past Monday, about 3 million people tuned in during the hour Spicer was on television, according to Nielsen ratings of CNN, MSNBC and Fox News. When Sanders was at the podium on Friday, the ratings were 2.7 million across the three cable channels. The rest of this week will provide a better picture of Sanders' ratings.

 

"Spicer rates," one top Republican aide on Capitol Hill said. "That's the top thing that matters."

 

But before Spicer gets back to the podium, he’s got to get past Melissa McCarthy. Her dead-on impersonation of Spicer has bothered Trump, and she will host "Saturday Night Live" this weekend.

 

“That may be the death knell,” a White House official said snarkily.

 

http://www.politico.com/story/2017/05/10/t...uditions-238241

 

 

 

Trump Fires Comey: "He got tired of him."

 

Trump did not appreciate that Comey declared his campaign to be under investigation on live TV, said two people who know the president well. He didn’t like that Comey contradicted his unsubstantiated accusation that President Barack Obama tapped his phone line at Trump Tower. And Trump was displeased that the FBI seemed uninterested in pursuing investigations into the leaks he believes are weakening his administration.

 

“He got tired of him,” one White House official said. “I think that’s how you would explain it. He got really tired of him.”

 

...

 

Others who know Trump say the dynamics were more complicated. He griped about Comey for several days, including in late-night calls from the White House residence. He was looking for a reason to fire the FBI director — and the memo was written in part to suit his desire, according to one adviser and one White House official.

 

Trump was warned about the firing by Reince Priebus, who believed the fallout could become problematic for the White House, according to two people close to the president. White House press secretary Sean Spicer robustly denied that in a late-night call Tuesday, saying the decision was made only on Tuesday.

 

Jared Kushner, the president’s son-in-law and prized adviser, supported the move.

 

Internally, most advisers and aides didn’t know about the looming firing and were taken aback when it became public. “I learned about it on TV,” another administration official said Wednesday.

 

http://www.politico.com/story/2017/05/10/c...-loyalty-238239

Edited May 11, 2017 by caulfield12

[StrangeSox]

Multiple FBI and White House leaks are contradicting the official story.

 

https://twitter.com/jimsciutto/status/862452839788027906

 

From wapo

Edited May 11, 2017 by StrangeSox

[StrangeSox]

 

https://twitter.com/BraddJaffy/status/86247...src=twsrc%5Etfw

[StrangeSox]

Something I didn't catch today:

Former CIA Deputy Director opinion seems fairly important here.

It turns out that the Russian portrait like photographer was both the official photographer for the Russian FM but also works for Russian state media.

 

The White House was unaware of this because they didn't do any sort of background check and we're surprised when photos showed up on Russian state TV immediately.

[StrangeSox]

Deputy AG rosenstein threatened to quit after being cast as the impetus for Comey firing.

 

https://t.co/fOy25nZpyq

[StrangeSox]

Trump denied over 99% of the requested hurricane relief funding for NC

 

http://wsav.com/2017/05/11/nc-governor-sho...ricane-matthew/

In a press briefing, Gov. Cooper said, "I was shocked and disappointed to see the paltry amount of money that was appropriated out of a $930 million request that was conservative. Only $6.1 million was approved in this continuing resolution.

[bmags]

At the very least, it is clear the original rationale given for firing Comey was complete B.S., but apparently that is still good enough for Republican senators like Chuck Grassley. The important thing is that he made a decision, not whether it's good, or bad, or malicious, just that one was made. And if one was made, or not made, they need to defend it.

[bmags]

Deputy AG rosenstein threatened to quit after being cast as the impetus for Comey firing.

 

https://t.co/fOy25nZpyq

 

You don't get credit for almost. He's a coward.

[StrangeSox]

No, you don't. That's just another piece confirming that they lied about the rationale and continue to lie to the American public to cover up what they're doing.

[StrangeSox]

@Acosta:

 

WH furious over Russian government photos of Trump meeting with Lavrov/Kislyak. "They tricked us," an official said of Russians "They lie."

 

https://twitter.com/acosta/status/862641882983215105

 

 

Oops!

 

Extreme Vetting

 

 

 

The Associated Press ✔ @AP

BREAKING: AP Sources: White House to launch commission to investigate voter fraud and suppression.

8:45 AM - 11 May 2017

409 409 Retweets 397 397 likes

 

Massive voter suppression efforts incoming

[Dick Allen]

@Acosta:

 

WH furious over Russian government photos of Trump meeting with Lavrov/Kislyak. "They tricked us," an official said of Russians "They lie."

 

https://twitter.com/acosta/status/862641882983215105

 

 

Oops!

They brought cameras into the room. Then they started snapping pictures. Who knew?

 

 

[StrangeSox]

 

 

 

He means electromagnetic propulsion, not "digital," and it's something that's been figured out for a long time and is taught in high school physics.

Edited May 11, 2017 by StrangeSox

[caulfield12]

(CNN)President Donald Trump acknowledged in a new interview that the combative nature of his administration could be his fault -- though he also cites "a great meanness" in society that's to blame.

 

"It could be my fault," Trump told Time magazine when asked directly if he feels his administration has been too combative. "I don't want to necessarily blame, but there's a great meanness out there that I'm surprised at."

 

 

http://www.cnn.com/2017/05/11/politics/don...tive/index.html

 

[Jenksismyhero]

Multiple FBI and White House leaks are contradicting the official story.

 

https://twitter.com/jimsciutto/status/862452839788027906

 

From wapo

 

Not to go all conspiracy theorist here, but I find it REALLY hard to believe there are 30 people willing to talk off the record/anonymously about something that probably only a handful of people knew about. We already know Trump supporters are delusional people, so there aren't a lot of "free-thinkers" remaining in the administration. And reports have always been it's a very small inner circle around him. I dunno, not really buying this one.

[Kyyle23]

 

 

 

He means electromagnetic propulsion, not "digital," and it's something that's been figured out for a long time and is taught in high school physics.

 

Wait, that was real? For really real?

[StrangeSox]

Not to go all conspiracy theorist here, but I find it REALLY hard to believe there are 30 people willing to talk off the record/anonymously about something that probably only a handful of people knew about. We already know Trump supporters are delusional people, so there aren't a lot of "free-thinkers" remaining in the administration. And reports have always been it's a very small inner circle around him. I dunno, not really buying this one.

 

It's 30 people from the WH, Capital Hill, Justice and the FBI. Trump's inner circle is small, but he's also not exactly a crafty and careful operator. Knowing that Trump was pissed no one was going along with his ridiculous claims about Obama wiretapping him or that he wanted the Russia s*** to be dropped in favor of finding whoever leaked the Flynn information to the public doesn't require being close to Trump himself. I'm guessing a whole lot of career FBI guys and particularly Comey loyalists are going to be leaking like crazy now, and they might have had insight at least from the FBI/Justice side.