FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE

Trump IS a Russian asset

http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2017/05/russians-think-trump-might-be-a-russian-asset.html

Putin's spin on the Trump-Russia investigation is . . . exactly the same as Trump's spin

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/putin-gop-language-russia-investigation

Trump's intelligence briefers don't think he's paying attention

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2017/5/30/1667288/-Trump-may-not-be-retaining-key-intelligence-information-observes-the-Washington-Post
 
Trump's use of his cell phone is a major security issue, which no one is discussing

http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2017/05/trump-is-urging-world-leaders-to-call-him-on-his-cell-phone.html

Trump wants the Senate to end all filibusters -- which is the only way to get his agenda through

http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/why-donald-trump-calling-the-end-all-filibusters

Is tax reform already dead?

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2017/5/30/1667304/-Go-figure-GOP-tax-reform-pretty-much-dead-under-Paul-Ryan-s-stewardship

Bring back Corey! Bring back Corey!

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2017/05/30/trump-aides-dreading-a-return-of-trainwreck-corey-lewandowski

Trump fires his communications director -- which he has made an impossible job

https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2017/5/30/15711588/michael-dubke-trump

https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2017/05/the-impossible-job-of-speaking-for-trump/528576/

More: http://www.motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2017/05/trump-can-fire-people-hes-having-trouble-hiring-new-ones
Trump Can Fire People, But He's Having Trouble Hiring New Ones

Trump's communications team can't hear the laughter

http://www.salon.com/2017/05/30/in-bizarre-statement-hope-hicks-says-trump-has-magnetic-personality-and-treats-everyone-with-respect/
In bizarre statement, Hope Hicks says Trump has a “magnetic personality” and “treats everyone with respect”  

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/spicer-merkel-trump-unbelievable-relationship
Spicer Insists Trump Has ‘Unbelievable’ Relationship

More: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2017/05/30/sean-spicer-returns-with-a-press-briefing-for-the-ages/?utm_term=.f702d9edcde8
Sean Spicer returns with a press briefing for the ages

http://crooksandliars.com/2017/05/sean-spicer-booed-white-house-reporters
Sean Spicer Booed By White House Reporters After Cutting Presser Early

http://www.motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2017/05/chart-day-sean-spicer-show
The remarkable thing here is not that President Obama's press secretary was televised so little. That's normal. The remarkable thing is that President Trump's press secretary is televised so much. . . .

Good question

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2017/05/31/will-donald-trump-ever-say-the-words-white-supremacist-terrorism
Will Donald Trump Ever Say the Words ‘White Supremacist Terrorism’?

Do liberals have "contempt" for Middle America?

http://www.motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2017/05/contempt

More: http://crooksandliars.com/2017/05/fareed-zakaria-lectures-us-liberals-about

Bonus item: Trevor Noah on Trump's foreign adventure

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2017/05/31/daily-shows-trevor-noah-mocks-asshole-trumps-foreign-failure

***If you enjoy PBD and support what we are doing, you can help by forwarding a copy of this issue to your friends (using the envelope link below) or by sharing its URL (http://pbd.blogspot.com) with others via email or social media.

Thanks for helping to spread the word!

I don’t get anything personally out of this project, except the satisfaction of doing it (I don’t run ads, etc.). The credit really all goes to the people whose material I copy and redistribute. But if I do have a “mission,” it is to get this information into the hands of as many people as I can.***

ENABLERS

Trump says he has "total confidence" in Jared Kushner. Of course he does -- that's part of the problem

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/trump-confidence-jared-kushner
Yet despite Trump’s public display of support for Kushner, the President has become increasingly unhappy with Kushner, according to the New York Times. Trump was not pleased when Kushner’s sister pitched EB-5 visas to potential Chinese investors, the Times reported. And the President recently told Kushner to quit pushing for the ouster of Steve Bannon, another top advisor with whom Kushner has constantly butted heads, per the Times. . . .

More: https://politicalwire.com/2017/05/29/kushners-charmed-life-comes-screeching-halt/
Kushner’s Charmed Life Comes to Screeching Halt 

http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2017/05/shadow-secretary-of-state-jared-kushner-is-in-hot-water.html
‘Shadow Secretary of State’ Jared Kushner Is in Hot Water 

There were MULTIPLE attempts to set up a back channel of communication with Russia that circumvented U.S. security

http://washingtonmonthly.com/2017/05/29/trumps-team-intent-on-setting-up-back-channel-communications-with-russia/
As has so often been the case with the revelations coming from the Trump/Russia probe, this is not the behavior of someone who was engaging in negotiations that were “normal and acceptable.” We don’t yet know why members of the Trump team were so intent on setting up a back channel of communication between the administration and Russia. We also don’t know whether or not they were ultimately successful in doing so. What we do know is that they were working on this since shortly after the election and that they have repeatedly lied about it while attempting to obstruct the investigation. . . .

McCain Says Putin Is a Bigger Threat Than ISIS

https://politicalwire.com/2017/05/29/mccain-says-putin-bigger-threat-isis/

More: http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/mccain-kushner-russia-backchannel

Blackmail

https://politicalwire.com/2017/05/30/russians-claimed-dirt-trump/
“Russian government officials discussed having potentially ‘derogatory’ information about then-presidential candidate Donald Trump and some of his top aides in conversations intercepted by US intelligence during the 2016 election,” CNN reports. “One source described the information as financial in nature and said the discussion centered on whether the Russians had leverage over Trump’s inner circle. The source said the intercepted communications suggested to US intelligence that Russians believed ‘they had the ability to influence the administration through the derogatory information.'”

A tale of two briefings

http://www.motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2017/05/donald-trump-doesnt-dealing-peasants
Most mornings, often at 10:30, sometimes earlier, Trump sits behind the historic Resolute desk and, with a fresh Diet Coke fizzing and papers piled high, receives top-secret updates on the world’s hot spots. The president interrupts his briefers with questions but also with random asides. He asks that the top brass of the intelligence community be present, and he demands brevity. . . .Though career intelligence analysts often take the lead in delivering them, Trump likes his political appointees — Pompeo and Coats — to attend, along with national security adviser H.R. McMaster. Pompeo and Coats, whose offices are in McLean, Va., have had to redesign their daily routines so that they spend many mornings at the White House.

[NB: Oh, and he likes "killer graphics" to keep his attention.]

http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2017/05/kushner-gets-his-own-daily-intelligence-briefing-report.html
Jared Kushner Gets His Own Daily Intelligence Briefing: Report

The Dems can't sit back and hope that Trump's mounting scandals will win for them in 2018. They need a positive agenda that unifies their fractured base. Here's a start

http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2017/05/democrats-should-propose-an-actual-middle-class-tax-cut.html

Is Sean Hannity prepping to leave Fox World?

http://crooksandliars.com/2017/05/hannity-reportedly-considering-not

***If you enjoy PBD and support what we are doing, you can help by forwarding a copy of this issue to your friends (using the envelope link below) or by sharing its URL (http://pbd.blogspot.com) with others via email or social media.

Thanks for helping to spread the word!

I don’t get anything personally out of this project, except the satisfaction of doing it (I don’t run ads, etc.). The credit really all goes to the people whose material I copy and redistribute. But if I do have a “mission,” it is to get this information into the hands of as many people as I can.***

COULDA WOULDA SHOULDA

Excellent profile of Hillary Clinton and how she is dealing with the most painful presidential election loss in history

http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2017/05/hillary-clinton-life-after-election.html

Trump's national security team lines up to say there's nothing wrong with Kushner's back channel to Russia idea

http://www.politico.com/story/2017/05/27/jared-kushner-hr-mcmaster-not-concerned-238885
McMaster 'not concerned' following Kushner reports

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/john-kelly-jared-kushner-moscow-backchannel
Department of Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly on Sunday said he does not “see any big issue” with reports that senior White House adviser Jared Kushner, who is President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, sought to set up backchannel communications with the Kremlin before Trump’s inauguration. . . . 

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/jared-kushner-trump-russia-backchannel_us_592ad41ce4b0065b20b7082a
“It’s normal, in my opinion, and acceptable,” Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly said amid the growing scandal.

[NB: Oh really? Using the RUSSIAN EMBASSY as the communications center? Is that "normal"? And what about the lying part? Okay with that too, guys?]

Kushner's other meeting

https://politicalwire.com/2017/05/28/kushner-met-banker-putin-crony/
The Russian banker Trump son-in-law Jared Kushner met with in December is viewed by U.S. intelligence as a ‘Putin crony’ and a graduate of a ‘finishing school’ for spies who was often tasked with sensitive financial operations by Putin,” according to multiple U.S. officials and documents . . .  

Is Kushner's security clearance in jeopardy?

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/schiff-review-kushner-security-clearance
Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA), the ranking Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, said Sunday that senior White House adviser Jared Kushner’s security clearance should be reviewed in light of reports that Kushner did not disclose additional contacts he had with Russia’s ambassador to the United States. . . . 

Or is it even bigger than that?

http://www.politico.com/story/2017/05/27/jared-kushner-russia-scandal-white-house-role-238890
But outside of Kushner’s small circle of trust — a group that includes Kushner’s wife, Ivanka Trump, and advisers Hope Hicks, Josh Raffel, Dina Powell, Gary Cohn, Chris Liddell and Reed Cordish — many West Wing advisers are simultaneously rattled by the back-channel revelations and feeling a sense of schadenfreude. . . . Kushner has risen so quickly in the White House that his colleagues grumble about “principal confusion” — when a staffer thinks that the reflected spotlight of the boss is actually shining on him. Colleagues have rolled their eyes that Kushner has hired a communications adviser to work on his own portfolio. That aide, Raffel, traveled abroad with him to Riyadh, Jerusalem and Rome. Kushner, who some say has sealed himself off from the competing White House power centers, may now be in a position of needing allies. And the pool of people in New York City eager to come to his defense has shrunk. Internally at the White House, according to multiple sources, there is a feeling of resentment among people about Kushner’s special status as a family member, and a feeling that it’s about time for him to have a turn under the gun. . . .

More: http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2017/05/28/team-trump-rallies-around-made-man-jared-kushner-as-tensions-mount
And as Kushner returns to work this week, he will continue helping to develop a new White House “war room” and crisis-management shop, which is set to be exclusively dedicated to fighting the Trump-Russia fallout and the ongoing scandals consuming the administration. This project has recently been spearheaded by Bannon, Kushner, and chief of staff Reince Priebus. It’s just that right now Kushner is every bit as much a part of the crisis as he is the management.  

Trump and Russia: a timeline 

http://www.salon.com/2017/05/28/a-timeline-russia-and-president-trump_partner/

Trump is "obsessed" with the idea that there's a conspiracy against him

https://politicalwire.com/2017/05/28/trump-sees-victim-deep-state/
President Trump “has been aggressively working the phones since returning this weekend from his foreign trip, talking to friends and outside lawyers as he obsesses over the deepening investigations into his aides and Russia,” Politico reports. “Two White House officials said Trump and some aides including Steve Bannon are becoming increasingly convinced that they are victims of a conspiracy against Trump’s presidency, as evidenced by the number of leaks flowing out of government — that the crusade by the so-called ‘deep state’ is a legitimate threat, not just fodder for right wing defenders.” Said one outside adviser: “The more people talk to him about it, the more he obsesses about it.”

Russia is smiling

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/news/merkel-europe-allies-trump-trip
Merkel Says Europe Can No Longer ‘Fully Count On Others’ In Wake Of Trump Trip

More: http://digbysblog.blogspot.com/2017/05/the-world-has-changed-forever.html

https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2017/05/trump-nato-germany/528429/?utm_source=feed
Trump's Trip Was a Catastrophe for U.S.-Europe Relations

A summary

http://digbysblog.blogspot.com/2017/05/twitter-wags-boiling-it-down.html
Keith Boykin: So, to recap, the French think Trump's a dictator, the Germans think he's unreliable and the British think he can't be trusted with intel.  

Culture of Truth: The Israelis think he gave away their secrets, Saudis think he's a sap, and Putin thinks he's an asset who can be blackmailed.

Trump tries hard to pivot back to policy issues, by totally misrepresenting his two signature initiatives

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2017/05/28/trumps-sunday-night-tweets-on-healthcare-and-taxes-contradict-what-the-white-house-said-just-last-week/?utm_term=.139484c6430f
[Trump] "I suggest that we add more dollars to Healthcare and make it the best anywhere. ObamaCare is dead - the Republicans will do much better!"

[Reality] Trump's budget plan, assembled by White House Office of Management and budget director Mick Mulvaney, called for cuts of between $800 billion and $1.4 trillion in future spending on Medicaid, the health-care program for low-income Americans. It also called for cuts in future spending on a health-care program for low-income children.

[Trump] "The massive TAX CUTS/REFORM that I have submitted is moving along in the process very well, actually ahead of schedule. Big benefits to all!"

[Reality] White House officials were not prepared to make any tax outline public until he prodded them to do so as he neared his first 100 days in office. What's more, the plan wasn't formally “submitted” to Congress. It was released on a single sheet of paper and included only a handful of numbers, leaving lawmakers and congressional aides to question what direction the White House wanted the tax plan to go in. . . . Still, the White House has not proposed a comprehensive tax plan, and Trump did not include any new details of a tax overhaul in last week's budget proposal. The House and Senate have also not completed a tax plan, or even proposed one that has passed through committee.

 

Trump's tweets are back, attacking "fake news"

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/trump-lashes-out-at-media
"Whenever you see the words 'sources say' in the fake news media, and they don't mention names it is very possible that those sources don't exsist but are made up by fake news writers"

Yeah! https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Donald_Trump
"An 'extremely credible source' has called my office and told me that @BarackObama's birth certificate is a fraud." [Trump (6 August 2012)]

Bonus item: All in the Family

***If you enjoy PBD and support what we are doing, you can help by forwarding a copy of this issue to your friends (using the envelope link below) or by sharing its URL (http://pbd.blogspot.com) with others via email or social media.

Thanks for helping to spread the word!

I don’t get anything personally out of this project, except the satisfaction of doing it (I don’t run ads, etc.). The credit really all goes to the people whose material I copy and redistribute. But if I do have a “mission,” it is to get this information into the hands of as many people as I can.***

SPY STORY

Sometimes things are just the way they look. Russia interfered in the election to help Trump. Overt "collusion" aside, the Trump team certainly knew this was happening and took advantage of it. They spoke openly about changing US policy to be more friendly to Russia. They invited further interference by the Russians. That's close enough to a quid pro quo for me. Numerous secret meetings took place between Trump officials and the Russians AND THEY LIED ABOUT IT. Several Trump officials, including Trump and his family, have financial entanglements with Russian or former Soviet entities. Putin is a former KGB officer and ambassador Kislyak is a spy -- experts in exploiting all varieties of human weakness, including naivete and ego, to elicit cooperation. Now we hear that the Trump gang wanted to create a secret channel to communicate and exchange information with Russia, outside of normal government institutions and unaccountable to anyone. This is espionage, there isn't any other word for it

https://politicalwire.com/2017/05/27/cia-consider-kushners-actions-espionage/
Former acting CIA director John McLaughlan responded to reports that Jared Kushner “discussed setting up a secret communications line between Trump’s transition team and the Kremlin, saying if such reports are true, it would be considered espionage,” The Hill reports.  Said McLaughlan: “I don’t want to overstate this because obviously there is a lot we don’t know… But I can’t keep out of my mind the thought that, if an American intelligence officer had done anything like this, we’d consider it espionage.”

More: http://www.businessinsider.com/jared-kushner-backchannel-plan-russia-flynn-2017-5
Former intelligence officials described Jared Kushner's reported attempt to set up a backchannel line of communication with Russia last December that would bypass the US' national security and intelligence apparatus as "off the map," "explosive," and "extremely dangerous." . . .

http://www.motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2017/05/kushner-backchannel-story-hard-make-sense
I assume the Post has good sources for its report that Kushner wanted to use Russian embassy facilities, which suggests he was looking for one of the only channels that was safe from monitoring—and leaking—by American intel agencies. But if the Times is right about Syria, that doesn't make sense. There have been a lot of leaks recently, but not last December. And certainly there was no reason to suspect that any intel agency would leak conversations about Syria. So maybe they really wanted to talk about something else. But what? It would need to be something that was (a) highly sensitive, and (b) dodgy enough that some do-gooder in the intel community might feel like it needed to be leaked. There's been plenty of speculation about what that could be, but nothing grounded in reporting. Also unknown: did Trump know about this? Or were Kushner and Flynn freelancing?

https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2017/05/why-would-kushner-trust/528408/?utm_source=feed
Why did Jared Kushner seemingly trust Russian officials more than he trusted the U.S. government? . . . [read on] 

Should Kushner be worried? Sounds like, yes

http://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/how-worried-should-jared-kushner-be
Kushner has not yet been contacted by the F.B.I., a fact confirmed to me by the White House. Defenders of Kushner seized upon this detail as somehow exculpatory, noting that Flynn had been interviewed by the F.B.I. in January. But this might not mean much. In fact, it could actually be a bad sign. “The fact that Kushner hasn’t been contacted now, let’s assume it’s true,” the source close to Comey said. “It’s either meaningless with respect to culpability or, pointing to the riskier side, the more likely that he’s implicated, because the people you’re really suspicious of you don’t really interview until later.” . . .

The Times reported that Kushner, along with Vice-President Mike Pence and the White House counsel, Don McGahn, “generally backed dismissing Mr. Comey.” In another report, the paper noted that Kushner specifically “had urged Mr. Trump to fire Mr. Comey.” After Comey’s dismissal, when Rod Rosenstein, the Deputy Attorney General, appointed a special counsel to take over the case, the Times reported that Trump met with more than half a dozen senior aides to discuss how to respond.  “Most of those gathered recommended that the president adopt a conciliatory stance and release a statement accepting Mr. Rosenstein’s decision and embracing a swift investigation that would clear the cloud of suspicion hovering over the West Wing,” the paper said. But there was one dissenter: Kushner, who was “urging the president to counterattack.” . . .

The main takeaway from the Kushner news is similar to the takeaway from Trump and Flynn’s handling of the Russia probes. In each case, we have a series of actions by people who seem to be concealing specific contacts with Russians connected to the Kremlin’s intelligence services and then acting to thwart an investigation. Flynn lied about his contacts with Kislyak. Trump tried to kill the F.B.I. investigation of Flynn and eventually fired his F.B.I. director. Kushner hid his contacts with Russian officials and then pressed his father-in-law to sack Comey, who was looking into the matter. “Anytime someone on the Trump campaign conceals or misleads about a contact they had with Russia at the time of Russia’s interference campaign, that’s a big red flag,” Eric Swalwell, the Democratic congressman, who is a member of the House Intelligence Committee, said. 

Welcome home, Mr. Trump

https://politicalwire.com/2017/05/27/trump-returns-white-house-crisis/ 
Trump Returns to a White House In Crisis  

More: http://talkingpointsmemo.com/dc/senate-intelligence-committee-requests-russia-related-documents-trump-campaign
The Senate Intelligence Committee has requested all Russia-related documents, emails and phone records from President Donald Trump’s campaign committee . . .

https://politicalwire.com/2017/05/27/trump-aides-enter-risky-stage-russia-probe/
“Now that Trump’s current and former aides and allies officially know a probe exists, they’re responsible for preserving all available information that might be relevant. That’s a task complicated by the rise of auto-delete apps like Confide, Signal and WhatsApp, as well as the move his campaign staffers have made into the White House.”

I think this is a brilliant idea

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/dc/kushner-lewandowski-war-room-trump-russia-scandal
Jared Kushner, whose own ties to Russia are under federal scrutiny, will help coordinate messaging from a new White House “war room” intended to diffuse mounting pressure from the scandal surrounding possible collusion between the Trump campaign and Kremlin to influence the 2016 election.  Kushner and White House chief adviser Steve Bannon will be involved in the messaging operation, Reuters reported Friday, as well as former Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski, who could join the administration as early as next week. . . 

More: https://politicalwire.com/2017/05/27/white-house-want-kushner-take-leave/
“Some White House aides have discreetly discussed among one another whether Kushner should play a lesser role — or even take a leave — at least until the Russia-related issues calm, but they have been reluctant to discuss that view with Kushner himself, and Kushner’s network of allies within the West Wing has rallied behind him.” 

All in the family

http://digbysblog.blogspot.com/2017/05/the-borgias-take-over-rnc.html
Amid mounting questions at the White House about Russia, three prominent members of President Trump’s family — his sons Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr., and Eric’s wife, Lara — have ramped up their engagement with the Republican Party’s national political operation, having met privately with GOP leaders to share their concerns and outlook. . .

Where is the plan to defeat ISIS?

http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/promises/trumpometer/promise/1375/develop-plan-defeat-isis-30-days/
[Sept 6, 2016] “We are going to convene my top generals and give them a simple instruction. They will have 30 days to submit to the Oval Office a plan for soundly and quickly defeating ISIS.”

And now? http://www.salon.com/2017/05/27/donald-trump-has-no-secret-plan-to-wipe-out-the-evil-losers-of-isis-hes-stuck-in-the-same-old-no-win-situation/
Donald Trump has no “secret plan” to wipe out the “evil losers” of ISIS 

All the G-7 leaders took a stroll together through Taormina, Sicily. Except one, who traveled alone by golf cart. What's wrong, Donny? Not enough STA-min-a?

http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/335424-trump-rode-golf-cart-while-g7-leaders-walked-through-siciliy
 
Making friends: http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/335412-trump-complained-of-trouble-setting-up-golf-courses-in-eu-during
President Trump reportedly complained to world leaders about roadblocks he has faced setting up golf courses in the European Union. Belgian daily newspaper Le Soir reported Trump told Belgian Prime Minister he has mixed feelings about the European Union (EU) due to issues he has faced in the past setting up golf courses within its borders. . . .

More: https://politicalwire.com/2017/05/27/quote-of-the-day-1620/
“The whole discussion on the topic of climate was very difficult, not to say very unsatisfactory. Here we have a situation of six against one, meaning there is still no sign of whether the US will remain in the Paris accord or not.”
          — German chancellor Angela Merkel,

What Trump told the G-7 about climate change

http://www.thenational.ae/world/europe/climate-change-let-me-think-about-it-trump-tells-g7
Climate change? Let me think about it, Trump tells G7

What he told others: http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2017/05/report-trump-is-planning-to-pull-out-of-paris-climate-deal.html
Trump has told multiple people, including EPA head Scott Pruitt, that he intends to pull the U.S. out of the landmark Paris Agreement on climate change . . .

Trump's budget devastates research funding

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2017/5/27/1665294/-Trump-budget-devastates-science-and-research-spending

Filtering Trump's tweets

http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2017/05/white-house-may-have-legal-team-vet-trumps-tweets.html
The White House is considering a plan to send President Trump’s personal tweet drafts through a legal-review process . . . It seems highly unlikely, however, that Trump will ever agree to any guidance or restrictions on any part of his Twitter life, so plans otherwise may be for naught. 

Bonus item: Trump's Daily Briefing
 

http://crooksandliars.com/2017/05/open-thread-onion-presents-trumps-daily

***If you enjoy PBD and support what we are doing, you can help by forwarding a copy of this issue to your friends (using the envelope link below) or by sharing its URL (http://pbd.blogspot.com) with others via email or social media.

Thanks for helping to spread the word!

I don’t get anything personally out of this project, except the satisfaction of doing it (I don’t run ads, etc.). The credit really all goes to the people whose material I copy and redistribute. But if I do have a “mission,” it is to get this information into the hands of as many people as I can.***

ODD MAN OUT

Time to assess Trump's first overseas trip

http://www.salon.com/2017/05/26/donalds-bogus-journey-president-trumps-behavior-at-nato-summit-makes-a-bad-trip-even-worse/
Trump’s behavior at NATO summit makes a bad trip even worse 

https://politicalwire.com/2017/05/26/trump-turns-first-foreign-trip-disaster/
Trump Turns First Foreign Trip Into a Disaster 

http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/our-allies-dismay-donald-trump-appears-lost-europe
To our allies’ dismay, Donald Trump appears lost in Europe

http://www.salon.com/2017/05/26/rump-at-taormina-the-odd-man-out_partner/
The odd man out on the world stage

Undoing damage: http://talkingpointsmemo.com/dc/trump-germans-very-bad-trade
WH Official: Trump Said Germany Is ‘Very Bad On Trade,’ Not In General

The pix

https://www.vox.com/world/2017/5/26/15690742/trump-foreign-trip-photos
Trump's ally-angering trip abroad, explained in 7 images

More: http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/the_good_fight/2017/05/european_leaders_feel_smug_and_superior_to_trump_they_shouldn_t.html
The pictures from Donald Trump’s romp through Europe, which show a long parade of political and spiritual leaders looking visibly uncomfortable in his presence or even snickering to themselves as he spoke, make the point more forcefully than a thousand think pieces: Most Europeans are horrified by the president. They cannot stand his ignorance or his bellicosity, his plebeian manners or the constant bragging about his wealth. And yet, for all of their loudly proclaimed indignation, the barely concealed secret is that Trump makes them, well, happy. In representing everything Europeans hate about America, Trump simultaneously confirms everything they want to believe about themselves . . . [read on]

Can you imagine Trump grabbing one of the Saudis and shoving him aside so he could get in front for a photo op?

http://washingtonmonthly.com/2017/05/26/trump-has-more-affinity-for-king-salman-than-angela-merkel/

Things he says

http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2017/05/trump-says-his-trip-to-europe-has-saved-millions-of-jobs.html
Trump Says His Trip to Europe Has Already Saved ‘Millions of Jobs’

More: http://www.motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2017/05/trump-overseas-trip-has-saved-millions-jobs
Hmmm. Barack Obama made 52 overseas trips during his presidency, and employment climbed 12 million during the same period. That's about 200,000 jobs per trip. Trump says he's responsible for millions just in one trip. That's pretty remarkable, no? But Trump is a remarkable man.

I'm sure there's a PERFECTLY innocent explanation for this

http://crooksandliars.com/2017/05/breaking-kushner-wanted-back-channel
"The Washington Post" citing US Officials briefed on intelligence reports reporting that Jared Kushner and Russia's ambassador to Washington, Sergey Kislyak, discussed the possibility of setting up a secret and secure communications channel between Trump's transition team and the Kremlin using Russian diplomatic facilities in an apparent move to shield their pre-inauguration monitoring. According to the post, Ambassador Kislyak said Kushner suggested using Russian diplomatic facilities in the United States for the communications, and reportedly Kislyak was taken aback by the suggestion of allowing an American to use Russian communications gear at its embassy or consulate. . . .So it appears that Jared Kushner met with the Russian ambassador in secret, reportedly to set up a back channel possibly in Russian diplomatic facilities. Kushner then omitted this meeting on his SF-86 security clearance form. And when he was called on it months later in April of this year, his lawyers called it an error. But if Kislyak's account is accurate, how likely is it that Jared Kushner just forgot about a cloak and dagger meeting with a foreign agent to set up a secret back channel? How likely is it that his omission of that meeting to US Officials was simply an oversight? Jared Kushner could have read on the clearance form he filled out, that knowingly falsifying or concealing information is a felony punishable by up to five years in prison. 

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/the-trumprussia-story-just-got-a-lot-darker
I’m still forming my opinions about what this means. But it makes all the most ominous reads about what is at the heart of Trump/Russia story considerably more plausible. What exactly did the Trump team need so urgently to discuss with the Russian government? Why the need for such absolute security?

https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2017/05/kushner-kislyak-flynn-trump/528402/?utm_source=feed
"For employee-security rules, the U.S intelligence community treats visiting a foreign embassy like visiting a foreign country. Many of the most significant examples of U.S. espionage all occurred through foreign embassies," said Susan Hennessy, a Brookings fellow and a former attorney in the National Security Agency’s office of general counsel. "Like Flynn, there's the possibility that Kushner put himself in a position to be compromised, because the Russians knew he tried to set up a secret channel.". . .  National-security officials expressed surprise at Kushner’s reported move, which would circumvent the federal government’s established methods for communicating with foreign powers, including Russia.  "Why would Kushner want a secret channel? What information would the Trump team want to make sure is hidden from U.S. intelligence?" asked Clint Watts, a former FBI agent and a fellow at the Foreign Policy Research Institute.

http://washingtonmonthly.com/2017/05/27/why-did-kushner-seek-a-private-channel-with-moscow
Things are looking very bad for Jared Kushner, and by extension the entire Trump presidency. Just days after it was discovered that Kushner is a top target of the FBI due to possible financial crimes and ties to Russia, came yesterday’s explosive revelation that the President’s son-in-law requested a secret, secure channel to the Kremlin during the transition period. This request was so extraordinary alarmed even the Russians, as it would have entailed giving an American access to communications equipment specifically designed to evade American eavesdropping. The news is bizarre and the move by Kushner so brazen that the worst possible motives seem too stupid for the Keystone Cops, but no innocent or even semi-innocent explanations present themselves. . . .

https://www.vox.com/2017/5/26/15703668/kushner-secret-russia-communication
The idea of discussions between Russia and the incoming administration seems innocent enough on its own terms, but the apparent effort to set up a line of communications that would be concealed from the American government suggests something more sinister. . . .

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2017/5/26/1666443/-Jared-Kushner-had-STILL-MORE-undisclosed-contacts-with-the-Russian-ambassador
Jared Kushner had STILL MORE undisclosed contacts with the Russian ambassador

More: http://www.dailykos.com/story/2017/5/26/1666437/-Malcolm-Nance-Kushner-s-security-clearance-must-be-pulled-right-now
Intelligence expert: Kushner's security clearance must be pulled 'right now'

I hope he tries. Really

http://www.salon.com/2017/05/26/trump-staffer-hints-he-may-be-open-to-softening-russia-sanctions/
Trump staffer hints he may be open to softening Russia sanctions

Trump's "Russia mania" started in the 80's -- when he offered to become a special ambassador and end the Cold War "within one hour"

https://politicalwire.com/2017/05/26/trump-angled-soviet-posting-1980s/

Michael Flynn is getting every bit of what he deserves

http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2017/05/michael-lock-her-up-flynn-is-being-treated-like-a-criminal.html

The time line: http://talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/the-timeline-2

Trump wants to set up a "war room" to fight back against the investigations -- and they do mean "war"

https://politicalwire.com/2017/05/26/trump-will-set-war-room-push-back-scandals/

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2017/5/26/1666356/-Trump-has-put-an-incredible-effort-into-trying-to-crush-the-investigation-into-his-Russia-connection

FBI won't share Comey memos with Congress

http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2017/05/fbi-refuses-to-share-comey-memos-with-congress.html

Comey KNEW the Lynch/Clinton emails were fake

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/the-story-of-the-phony-lynch-email-grows-bigger 

Trump's statement on Ramadan -- meant to make friends, but can't resist references to terrorism

http://www.salon.com/2017/05/26/donald-trumps-ramadan-statement-is-filled-with-references-to-terrorism/

More: https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2017/05/what-trumps-ramadan-message-was-really-about/528309/
What Trump's Ramadan Message Was Really About  

Does Trump lack legitimacy? What then?

https://www.vox.com/the-big-idea/2017/5/26/15697178/legitimacy-trump-presidency-resist-corruption-constitution

The only honest Republican in the country

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/boehner-trump-complete-disaster
Boehner Calls Trump Presidency ‘A Complete Disaster’

More rumored WH staff shake-ups -- and a "filter" on Trump's tweets

https://politicalwire.com/2017/05/26/trump-mulls-senior-staff-shake/

More: http://www.salon.com/2017/05/26/sean-spicer-and-the-rest-of-trumps-press-team-iced-out-during-first-foreign-tour/
Sean Spicer and the rest of Trump’s press team iced out during first foreign tour 

The end of the blue slip?

http://www.motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2017/05/blue-slip-rule-its-last-legs

The kind of people they are

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2017/5/26/1666267/-Texas-Republicans-look-to-pass-bill-that-could-make-driving-a-woman-to-an-abortion-a-crime
Texas Republicans look to pass bill that could make driving a woman to an abortion a crime

Clinton at Wellesley

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/dc/hillary-clinton-wellesley-commencement-speech
“Just log on to social media for ten seconds; it will hit you right in the face. People denying science, concocting elaborate, hurtful conspiracies theories about child abuse rings operating out of pizza parlors,” she said. “Drumming up rampant fear about undocumented immigrants, Muslims, minorities, the poor. Some are even denying things we see with our own eyes. Like the size of crowds. And then defending themselves by talking about, quote, unquote, alternative facts.” . . .  “Let’s call it what it is. It’s a con. They don’t even try to hide it,” she said. “Why does all this matter? It matters because if our leaders lie about the problems we face, we’ll never solve them.” . . . “As the history majors among you here today know all too well, when people in power invent their own facts and attack those who question them, it can mark the beginning of the end of a free society,” she said. “That is not hyperbole. It is what authoritarian regimes throughout history have done. They attempt to control reality. Not just our laws and our rights and our budgets, but our thoughts and beliefs.”

Watch: http://www.salon.com/2017/05/26/hillary-clinton-roasts-donald-trump-in-wellesley-college-commencement-speech/

It's becoming a thing

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/texas-governor-abbott-joke-shooting-reporters
Texas Governor Abbott Jokes About Shooting Reporters
 
Trump's weird handshake habits

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/emmanuel-macron-handshake-trump

Bonus item: Fourth graders read Trump's speeches

http://www.salon.com/2017/05/26/jimmy-kimmel-finds-out-if-schoolchildren-can-read-a-trump-speech-better-than-the-president/

More: http://crooksandliars.com/2017/05/election-questions-five-year-old-all-us
"Where did Barack Obama go?"

***If you enjoy PBD and support what we are doing, you can help by forwarding a copy of this issue to your friends (using the envelope link below) or by sharing its URL (http://pbd.blogspot.com) with others via email or social media.

Thanks for helping to spread the word!

I don’t get anything personally out of this project, except the satisfaction of doing it (I don’t run ads, etc.). The credit really all goes to the people whose material I copy and redistribute. But if I do have a “mission,” it is to get this information into the hands of as many people as I can.***