Where is/can Donald Trump take US (sic)?

[wayneL]

Her backbone of support maybe.
Trumps charity only served Trump and he was forced yesterday to give the donations to charity so that's ammunition for her.

A Warren vs Trump debate would be a blood sport. I would pay to get tickets.

She probably just offended the real backbone of democracy, ordinary working people, small business owners, middle of the road mums and dads etc, IOW the vast majority that makes any democratic society work.

Pandering to the abberant minority at the expense of others, is not a winning strategy.

 

[basilio]

Hi Wayne.

How is your hero, The Savior of Western Civilization, Gods anointed Son on Earth travelling ?
Have you had any cosy fireside chats recently ? Talked about "The (Trump) Constitution " ?

 

[basilio]

More reality to deny.
I realise and accept that Donald Trump is sociopathitic narcissist whose only interest is ME, ME, ME.

What I wonder about is the scores of other Republicans who continue to defend his behaviour as he wrecks the White House, US interests and any international respect for the US.

Mick Mulvaney: new testimony draws Trump chief of staff into Ukraine scandal
Congress hears Mulvaney approved Trump-Zelenskiy meeting on condition Ukraine announced investigations tied to Joe Biden
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news...ukraine-scandal-testimony-impeachment-inquiry

 

[basilio]

The consequences of not swallowing Trumps Kool Aid.

Impeachment inquiry: Fiona Hill tells lawmakers she's received death threats
Former top Russia expert at White House says harassment reached a peak after she agreed to testify in impeachment hearings
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/nov/08/fiona-hill-testimony-death-threats-impeachment

 

[basilio]

The impeachment inquiry opens. Basically it is the witnesses who previously testified restating their evidence in public, being questioned and in fact adding critical new evidence that Donal Trump was directly talking with his pet Ambassador about the bribery of the Ukraine President.

No one is disputing the facts around this case. Check it out

Colbert on Trump's behaviour: ‘Oh my God, did he have sex with Ukraine?’
Late-night hosts discussed the first day of public impeachment hearings, stating that it ‘was not a good start for the Republicans’
https://www.theguardian.com/culture...t-trump-impeachment-hearings-late-night-recap

 

[basilio]

Can you believe it ? Donald Trump attacks and smears in real time a witness while she is testifying at the impeachment hearings !! And when you look at her career, her credentials and integrity of service across 5 presidencies you know this is just not right.

Anyone heard of intimidation of witnesses as a crime in itself ?

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Donald Trump attacks US diplomat Marie Yovanovitch as she testifies in impeachment probe
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-11-16/donald-trump-attacks-us-diplomat-marie-yovanovitch/11710896

 

[basilio]

There is a more detailed analysis of the content and impact of Diplomat Marie Yovanovitch testimony.
She is too good to trash by even the Republicans. Only Donald Trump has the temerity to publicly try and intimidate her.

Trump smears and witness drama: key Marie Yovanovitch takeaways
The former Ukraine ambassador became the third witness to appear publicly – and her testimony was hugely persuasive

Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch became the third witness to testify in public impeachment hearings on Friday investigating whether Donald Trump sought to bribe Ukraine to boost his chance of re-election by investigating a US political rival.

Yovanovitch was recalled by Trump from her post in Ukraine in May, shortly after the state department had asked her to stay on another year.


“The question before us is not whether Donald Trump could recall an American ambassador with a stellar reputation for fighting corruption in Ukraine,” said House intelligence committee chairman Adam Schiff, “but why would he want to?”

Here are key takeaways from a hearing which sought to answer that question:
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news...keaways-what-happened-marie-yovanovitch-trump

 

[bellenuit]

I only stayed up until the first break, but it was great hearing Fox News and Hannity being called out as one of those doing the smearing of her, as well as The Hill (which I think has been quoted here a few times). I thought the Democrat's questioner getting, just before that break, Yovanovitch to state that the Security Services already had established that the election interference came from Russia, not the Ukraine, and that Putin himself was one of those that pushed the rumour of Ukraine interference, as is typical of the guilty trying to deflect attention, was brilliant as the Republicans opening statement played hard on that conspiracy theory. The more it can be shown that the GOP are using the Moscow line the more exposed they become in the election.

 

[basilio]

Interesting to see how strong the Oath of Allegiance is for Military Officers and Politicians and I would guess senior officials in the Public Service.

A newly elected Democrat demonstrates what that Oath means to her when deciding that Donald Trump needed to be impeached for his attempts to abuse his power for personal political gain .

This naval commander turned politician never wanted to impeach Trump. Until now
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-11...ggered-the-trump-impeachment-inquiry/11700094

 

[basilio]

This will worth seeing live. Should be the highest rating program on the net,
President Donald Trump considers testifying to US Congress over Ukraine dealings
Updated 17 minutes ago

Photo: Donald Trump has spoken about the impeachment process. (Reuters: Tom Brenner)
Related Story: Democrats reveal their impeachment strategy, but do Americans really care?
Related Story: The three-word slogan Trump hopes will save him from impeachment
Related Story: Here's why Democrats don't need you to learn Latin to understand impeachment
United States President Donald Trump says he likes the idea of testifying in relation to impeachment hearings and will "strongly consider it".

Key points:

• Mr Trump tweeted in response to Ms Pelosi's suggestion he appear before Congress
• He is considering a written response, or perhaps appearing in person
• The House Intelligence Committee is beginning its second week of hearings

President Trump made the remarks in a series of tweets that took aim at Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi on Monday morning (local time), in which he also said he "did nothing wrong".

Trump tweeted, "She also said I could do it in writing. Even though I did nothing wrong, and don't like giving credibility to this No Due Process Hoax, I like the idea & will, in order to get Congress focused again, strongly consider it!"

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-11-19/trump-considers-testifying-to-congress/11715980

 

[basilio]

How Donald Trump poisons an entire community and recreates reality to stay on top.

Donald Trump and the Central Park Five: the racially charged rise of a demagogue
In this Guardian story first published in 2016, and as Ava DuVernay’s new Netflix series on the Central Park Five case, When They See Us, hits screens, we tell of how, 30 years ago, five young black men were wrongly convicted of rape – and how the charge against them was led by a real estate mogul who would become president

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news...k-five-donald-trump-jogger-rape-case-new-york

 

[bellenuit]

President Donald Trump considers testifying to US Congress over Ukraine dealings

I think this will be like his tax returns. He always said he had nothing to hide and would release them if he could, but that they were under audit. But then strenuously uses every legal challenge to stop them being released. It will be the same here. He will talk about his willingness to testify as proof everything was above board, but when push comes to shove, he will discover some legal (and no doubt made up) obstacle preventing him from doing it.

 

[basilio]

Everyone of his advisors explicitly told him to never testify. They all expressed concern that he would perjure himself.

The good news is that all these advisors have fled the building. Donald runs his own ship now and with any luck he'll decide he can say what he likes and that is good enough for everyone.

This is the Law of Trumpian Infallibility. Whatever The Boss says is what goes.

It will make for an interesting time in Congress. The Trump version of reality VS everyone else in the frame.

 

[wayneL]

Do you guys ever feel like you're just preaching to the TDS Choir?

 

[basilio]

Todays witnesses in the Trump impeachment hearing

Alexander Vindman: ‘heroic’ witness who Trump will struggle to dismiss
Decorated Iraq war veteran is the marquee witness scheduled for Tuesday, with Jennifer Williams, Kurt Volker and Tim Morrison

Lt Col Alexander Vindman, director of European affairs on the national security council, is scheduled to testify on Tuesday. Photograph: Tom Brenner/Reuters
When Lt Col Alexander Vindman first spoke privately to Congress last month, Donald Trump baselessly attacked him as a “Never Trumper” and questioned what business Vindman had listening in on presidential phone calls.

But when Vindman returns to Capitol Hill on Tuesday to testify in public, nationally televised impeachment hearings, Trump might find the decorated Iraq war veteran, who is director of European affairs on the national security council, much more difficult to dismiss.

Vindman is the marquee witness in a blockbuster day for impeachment hearings scheduled for Tuesday. Also testifying will be Jennifer Williams, an aide to Vice-president Mike Pence; Kurt Volker, the former special envoy to Ukraine; and Tim Morrison, a senior national security council (NSC) official.

All four witnesses were previously deposed in closed-door meetings with the House intelligence committee, which is leading the investigation of whether Trump abused the power of his office by soliciting foreign interference from Ukraine in the 2020 US election.


Republicans condemned for smearing impeachment witnesses born abroad
Read more
Trump has denied wrongdoing, but his war on the three career public servants called to testify last week has not been taken up by Republicans in the hearing room and has threatened to backfire, drawing accusations of witness intimidation.

“These last three witnesses are witnesses from heaven, if you’re a prosecutor or the Democrats,” said Patrick Cotter, a former federal prosecutor turned defense attorney. “And they are witnesses from hell if you’re a Republican or Donald Trump. These are literally heroic people who are intelligent, articulate, sincere – you just don’t get witnesses like that.”
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/nov/19/alexander-vindman-trump-impeachment-hearings

 

[basilio]

Songs for Trump

 

[basilio]

Songs for Trump 2

 

[Knobby22]

I think this will be like his tax returns. He always said he had nothing to hide and would release them if he could, but that they were under audit. But then strenuously uses every legal challenge to stop them being released. It will be the same here. He will talk about his willingness to testify as proof everything was above board, but when push comes to shove, he will discover some legal (and no doubt made up) obstacle preventing him from doing it.

That is true, but the other reason he won't appear is that the tactic of the right now is to say it is boring and you will fall asleep if you watch it. In other words trying to keep their followers ignorant.
You therefore don't want him to answer any questions and provide legitimacy to the proceedings and start the plebs thinking.

 

[basilio]

It's all becoming sticky for The Don.

His $1m dollar donor either tells the truth about what he was doing for Don (squeezing the Ukraine PM) or faces jail time for perjury. (Or he could very conveniently fall under a bus....)

Impeachment inquiry: Trump ally must choose between loyalty and saving himself
Gordon Sondland may try to balance fealty to Trump with the fate that has befallen others in the president’s circle: prison time

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news...on-sondland-trump-ally-loyalty-saving-himself

 

[basilio]

Gordon Sondland: witness White House fears most to testify
Sondland will face questions on Wednesday over a key phone call with Trump at a restaurant in Ukraine
Donald Trump’s own words will take centre stage at the impeachment inquiry on Wednesday when his ambassador to the European Union faces questions about a phone call with the US president in a Ukrainian restaurant.

Gordon Sondland is the witness who most alarms officials at the White House, according to US media reports, fueling speculation that the ambassador could plead the fifth amendment to protect himself from self-incrimination.

Along with the diplomat Kurt Volker and the energy secretary, Rick Perry, Sondland – a wealthy hotelier who donated $1m to Trump’s inaugural committee – was one of the so-called “three amigos” the Trump administration used to bypass normal state department channels to Ukraine.

He has already changed his closed-door testimony to admit he told an aide to the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, that military aid would not be released until Kyiv announced an investigation into a gas company linked to the son of the former vice-president Joe Biden, a potential challenger to Trump in next year’s election.

But even the revised statement failed to report that Sondland called Trump from a restaurant in Kiev on 26 July and discussed “investigations”. The president was speaking loudly and the call was overheard by David Holmes, a political counselor at the US embassy in Ukraine, according to testimony released this week.

Holmes told the House of Representatives’ inquiry: “I then heard President Trump ask, quote, ‘So he’s going to do the investigation?’ Ambassador Sondland replied that ‘he’s going to do it’, adding that President Zelenskiy will, quote, ‘do anything you ask him to’.”

Holmes said he had spoken to Sondland immediately after the call. In his opening statement, Holmes recalled: “Ambassador Sondland agreed that the President did not ‘give a **** about Ukraine’. I asked why not, and Ambassador Sondland stated that the president only cares about ‘big stuff’ ... like the ‘Biden investigation’ that Mr [Rudy] Giuliani was pushing.”

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/nov/19/gordon-sondland-testimony-trump-impeachment-inquiry