The Washington Post is reporting that Trump exposed highly sensitive intelligence to the Russian Foreign Minister and Ambassador in the Oval Office last week, the very next day after firing Jim Comey as head of the FBI.
Read the full article here:
In case you are losing track of all the reasons beyond the substance of the headline that this is very bad, and almost sadly comical, here’s a quick recap of what has occurred just in the past week:
- Trump fires the head of the FBI, Jim Comey, four years into his ten year term, on Tuesday May 9, just weeks after Comey confirmed an ongoing investigation into collusion between the Trump Campaign and the Russians in public testimony before Congress.
- Trump gives his press team a one hour warning on the firing, leaving Press Sec. Sean Spicer to brief the media in the bushes outside the White House.
- The next day, VP Pence and the President’s press team lie to the American people that the firing was solely based on recommendations from the Assistant Attorney General Rod J. Rosenstein (two weeks into his new job). The reason given is that Comey mishandled the Hillary email investigation.
- The President then meets with Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov and Ambassador Kislyak in the Oval Office that same day. US press is barred from the meeting, but the White House allows a Russian photographer into the meeting.
- Russian media trolls the White House by publishing photos of the meeting with Trump in the Oval Office, including their head spy and recruiter in the US: Kislyak. (The same Kislyak who Mike Flynn lied to VP Pence about speaking to, which got Flynn fired, and the same Kislyak that Attorney General Sessions lied to Congress about speaking to, and subsequently recused himself from any further involvement in the Russia – Trump investigation – until he decided to also recommend firing Comey).
- Multiple reports state that Rosenstein then realizes he’s been thrown under the Trump bus, and threatens to quit (not good optics after firing the head of the FBI).
- The President then decides to take matters into his own hands and admits obstruction of justice when he does an interview with Lester Holt on NBC and says he planned to fire Comey regardless of the recommendations, especially after he agreed with himself that the “Trump-Russia thing is just a made up story.”
- In the same interview Trump calls the previously-lauded head of the FBI a “showboat” and “grand stander” and claims Comey told him at a dinner in the White House (that Comey requested), that Trump was not under investigation (a violation of all normal FBI protocols), and basically begged Trump to keep his job.
- Reports surface that Comey says the opposite: Trump invited him to dinner shortly after the inauguration, and asked him to pledge loyalty to Trump. (The FBI pledges to uphold the Constitution, not loyalty to the President).
- Upon reports of Comey essentially calling Trump a liar, Trump then tweets that Comey better be careful and hope that Trump doesn’t have “tapes” of their conversation. Essentially this is further obstruction of justice and witness intimidation, not to mention it’s illegal to tape someone without their knowledge.
- Respected legal scholars including Lawrence Tribe of Harvard call for impeachment.
- Reports state that Comey says he will testify before Congress, but only in a public setting. (Get your popcorn ready).
- WAPO reports today that Trump exposed critical intel to the Russians, in the Oval Office, the day after he fired Comey for investigating him and the Russians.
With this level of blatant disregard for the rule of law and our national security, it almost seems like like Trump is trying to create a situation where he will be forced to resign to avoid impeachment.
Of course, the problem with that is that the Republicans in Congress have completely sold their souls, and will refuse to impeach him until they have stolen healthcare from 24 million people, gutted the social safety net, further cut taxes for the ultra rich, eliminated the financial reforms that were enacted after the last Republican President crashed the economy, and sold off the national parks to the highest bidder.
Instead of waiting for them to get around to impeachment, wouldn’t it just be easier for Trump to have Rosenstein write a letter to him, telling him all the reasons he should fire himself?
“Can you believe the shit I just revealed to this guy?” says U.S. President Donald Trump, after sharing highly classified intel with the Russians in the Oval Office, one day after firing the head of the FBI for investigating his collusion with the same Russians.