What do we know will happen if the Senate confirms Gabbard - as you note, she will be the constant apologist for Putin and Assad. Trump, moron that he is, will get nothing but bad advice from her on those two. Our allies will not share actual intelligence with her. They might, in fact, plant falsehoods just to see where those falsehoods appear. Actual patriotic US intelligence agents will not trust her either and they will withhold information that could be critical to national security. And when that happens, bad shit follows. And Gabbard, Trump and Republican Senators as well as the whole Hallelujah Chorus at Fox will claim that no one could have seen it coming, and anyway, it's all Biden's fault.
That is not all. Gabbard is a member of a cult so she will bring them into the Intelligence Community, and is also subject to influence by any number of cultish nations and groups.
Spy Talk did a 2 parter on her. Here are the links. Creepy stuff.
Worry about the Church of Scientology getting brought in as well. Appointing Gabbard is a dangerous move, and I am glad to read from Lucien Truscott IV that Russia is not doing well in their battle against Ukraine and here about Russia not able to help Syria and Syria also potentially losing to whom? Extremist groups? The Middle East is not democratic and life for most women/people there sucks. It will suck a lot less if there is not constant war though.
Agreed. However, the formula has changed with Assad being deposed. How will that affect Gabbard's nomination? If she should be affirmed through Advise and Consent, how will Assad's fall from power influence her imprint on the Trump decision-making process? I realize I'm requesting speculation, but what are your thoughts?
As well they should be. Every asset we have in the field will be at high risk for exposure. I can’t imagine how any of those men and women must be feeling about now.
One of the things I've found most interesting over the last few years watching Russian State TV via the wonderful Julia Davis, is the hosts' repetitive use of the word "our": "our girlfriend," "our Mike [Johnson]," "our Trumpushka," "our," of course, being the *possessive* case of the nominative "we." They're saying out loud that Russia owns them.
And that 'our' can further the flow of disinformation, as in ... "I (or my group) is included in that 'our.' "
MTG and others in congress have strewn roses in the path of Putin - and Assad's - disinformation campaign by repeating Putin's talking points on the floor of congress and elsewhere.
I think it did drop again after new sanctions on another state banks. However far it falls, I think Russia still rakes in 1 billion + in oil and gas exports to fund the war.
I have a question exactly related to your comment. If she is somehow confirmed and takes this new position, would she then be held to a different (higher) standard than she was while serving in Congress, so that she could in fact be charged with a crime for her statements?
No republiCON has the spine to vote against her. She has been/is saying exactly what got her the job. People are now being held to a lower standard. It's like a limbo contest: "How low can you go?"
Come on, Friends! I know you're angry and upset and disillusioned -- but we can do better than this. How do we leverage these cabinet positions to hold them particularly accountable? I'm not a lawyer -- I wish Andrew Weissmann or Harry Litman or our other heroes were here to help. In the meantime, we train for the coming mass-psychological-casualty events. We can do this!
She will be overwhelmed quickly. Her only performance criteria will be to provide information on Trumps domestic political enemies. First journalist and media outlets. CBS, NBC (msnbc), NY Times etc. Then Democrats.
Dee, the answer to your question is NO. If Gabbard
is confirmed for that position who would hold her to a higher standard? Trump certainly won’t—he has the exact same value system she does. He wants her in that position because Putin wants her in that position and Trump owes Putin A LOT. I have a feeling millions of our tax dollars will be going to Russia as payback to Putin for his help getting Trump elected in both
Thank you, Susan. I see that you are a lawyer by your bio, so help me through this, please. As a sitting Congresswoman, she could not be impeached for her speech or behavior, I believe. However, as a Cabinet member she can be. So this is a way of holding her to a higher standard.
U.S. representatives can be expelled by a 2/3 vote.
There’s no requirement for a trial, but a House committee can create a sub-committee to
investigate the situation and present its findings
to the entire House prior to the expulsion vote.
Cabinet members can be impeached and
impeachment requires a trial. The standard for
impeachment and expulsion is slightly higher
than expulsion alone, in that evidence must be presented as it would be in any trial.
Rep. Gabbard has been nominated for the position
of Director of National Intelligence. Should she be confirmed, she will be responsible for coordinating
all investigations and intelligence across 17 U.S. agencies. Even if Gabbard holds the DNI position for only a few months before being impeached, she will likely have already done enormous, irrevocable harm to our country’s sovereignty.
As Timothy Snyder wrote in his substack post today, “As Director of National Intelligence, Gabbard would do enormous harm, unwillingly or willingly. She is not just completely unqualified for this role -- she is anti-qualified. She is just the sort of person enemies of the American republic would want in this job. The Russian media refers to Tulsi Gabbard as a ‘Russian agent’ and as ‘girlfriend,’ with good reason.” He goes on to write, “Gabbard is worse than unfit. Her public record is as a disinformer and apologist for mass murderers.”
Anti-qualified she is. As are so many of Trump's other nominees. But anti-qualification is Trump's game plan. His Bannon-esque plan is to "Fill the Zone". Bannon precise quote was "Fill the zone with shit. Make it stink." Anti-qualified is the new formula for failure.
Thank you. This is a great summary of the process, and I agree 100% that she's a walking nightmare for this position and should never come within a yardstick of holding the job. But bad things can happen, so we need to be prepared. If we continue to game this out:
It only requires a simple majority of Congress to vote to impeach after an inquiry, if she were confirmed for this position. And then the Senate would have the trial. When it comes to national security, would there be enough Senators to reach a 2/3 majority of those who show up to vote that day? No one knows.
However, as compared to mere expulsion from Congress, facing treason or multiple other serious charges as a Cabinet member might give her pause. In addition, they could vote to prevent her from holding any other office.
An inquiry and trial could soak up quite a bit of her attention, and since she's not qualified for this job to begin with, there may be less opportunity for her to do as much damage while she's fighting.
We should be preparing now, gathering data, so that we can act quickly if bad things do happen, in my opinion.
Good ideas Dee. The only thing I have to say is to at least wait until she’s either confirmed or rejected
before gathering material for an impeachment. I have a feeling there may be a few republicans who vote against her confirmation and evidence may be presented at her confirmation hearing.
I could not agree more strongly with your views on Tulsi Gabbard's disastrous potential as DNI. I cannot think of a more unqualified and disastrous appointment for this critical position. I have already communicated these views on Ms. Gabbard as DNI to my Senators and urge others to do likewise. We must do all we can to see this essential appointment go to a much more qualified and competent individual.
a brilliant analogy. again, thank you, thank you, for simplyfying life for us. for those of us who have friends and family who do not/cannot follow news or are not avid readers of the columns of one super-terrific historian-writer, colums such as this one by said super-terrific historian-writer are the best answer to their exasperated questions: "You're always complaining. Now what? Why don't you like Tulsi Gabard?" This is why.
the Trumpers really are focused on destroying domestic policy, but appointing Gabbard would be an amazingly efficient way to destroy the entire "intelligence" system- no country besides Russia, Syria, and their ilk would trust the US with any information whatsoever. She would put the lives of lots of undercover operatives in danger. It is clear that Trump's dream of being Putin's lap dog/chief ally would be realized.
With this convicted criminal, no difference, Nancy, between foreign and domestic.
Except as an extended audience from his reality TV fantasyland, the orange felon has no uses for, no interest in his fellow Americans except as props for his stroking of himself, his displays of "bing-bing-boing-bong" wit and YMCA "dancing," dual masturbatory stroking.
He's a goon, but he's Russia's goon -- and that of Orban, Netanyahu, Mohammed bin Salman, Erdogan, Sisi, Assad, Modi -- and let's not leave out Xi, Kim, and the Iranian mullahs, if Putin yet allies with them.
And let's not forget, too, that most U.S. billionaires also ally with the world's worst autocrats and oligarchs, certainly over the American "people," or any of the abstracted, sloganeered "people" dictators always use feigning nationalism props.
trump is the perfect personification of the evil in MASTERS OF WAR. I just keep thinking about the line "you play with my world like its your little toy." The aspirational piece is at the end: "I hope that you die, and your death will come soon. I'll follow your casket on a pale afternoon. And I'll watch while you're lowered down to your deathbed and I'll stand over your grave to make sure that you're dead" Thanks, Bob.
Trump, Putin and the rest of them - They ain't worth the blood that runs in their veins. I watched Dylan sing this, here, in concert, 20 years ago during the invasion of Iraq. He paused a very long time before singing that last verse, just to make sure we realised he meant it.
It seems Trump ought to care about how it exposes himself to assassination risk, to have zero competence directing our intelligence services. His sense of self preservation is peculiarly lacking, never mind the rest of us.
Thank you Professor Snyder. At your recommendation I read The Handmaids Tale last week and earlier this week watched 1984. Having read and watched 1984 several times. This week it really hit home. I also read ‘Golden Harvest’ by the Jan Gross and his wife. I’ve been trying to disconnect and in fact feel more connected while I am reading your conversation with Tony Judt, “Thinking About the Twentieth Century,”. Which is marvelous. I have several books including Postwar and The Complete Black Book of Russian Jewry in line. That said thank you. There seems to be a handful of people addressing the horror of what we are up against. Everyone seems sucked into disinformation. I have been told that I am the one in an echo chamber and…….it’s not going to be as bad as you say. The vision you have shared is not a nightmare it is too real. It’s like heading in a wooden rowboat without oars approaching the fall.
I too have a friend whose response to what we are up against is "wait and see." He's not making the declaration you noted, but it still is a dodge. I heard liberal journalist Jamele Bouie say on a podcast yesterday, "We'll cross that bridge when we come to it." That makes no sense to me. You don't think about what you're going to do when you get to the bridge. That is too late. You do scenario planning now.
That’s part of the reason why I’m feeling weirdly grateful to South Korea for their dictator dance and the subsequent rebellion of the citizens (no guns; lucky them). It spawned a lot of discussion about the path the U.S. is on, and made it feel more real and urgent. Will that awareness help us fend it off? I really don’t know, but the more people who have removed their blinders, the better.
All discussions are helpful pointing - bringing to light what the plan is for the US from the incoming administration. The events in South Korea, Romania and France are flashing signals.
I haven’t watched the news since this morning so I would not say the collapse of France, mention France because of the no confidence vote. I am not repeating a headline to say that the government is collapsed. I don't have enough knowledge of that topic
With a professional conman, a pathological liar, a rapist, tax dodger/ thief in charge of the government, what else can we expect. Trump has most likely sold top secret documents to Putin and MBS, he betrayed our Russian spies and he has always praised dictators and made it clear that he wants to be one.
Recently he said "vote for me and you never have to vote again".
According to Steve Bannon the goal is to rip up the constitution and burn the whole place down.
Trump does not care about the USA he wants to stay out of prison and loot the treasury.
Yes, I find myself being a broken record to all the experienced commentators who reference the “2026 midterms” as a ray of hope. In spite of these unbelievable developments, their brains still cannot absorb the prospect of no more elections. I expect Trump will declare some kind of emergency and delay elections . . . forever.
My guess is that Trump nominated Gabbard at Putin's command. Two useful idiots providing Putin with intelligence is a very scary thought, especially WRT Ukraine and the rest of NATO. I always thought this kind of behavior was treasonous (or at least semi-treasonous), but with today's adversaries being tomorrow's friends, I guess Gabbard (and others) will soon be recipients of the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Very gloomy prospect.
But at the same time, Trump is leaving himself unprotected. It baffles me. It’s as if I removed all the safety features in my car, in the name of freedom from corporate meddling.
The only surprise in the "national security" arm of Trump's kakistocracy is that Michael Flynn isn't the selection as Gabbard's top deputy. He even dines right next to Putin, and there are photos to prove it.
With apologies to Mitt Romney, there must be "binders full" of like-minded traitors on Trump's shelves (or in his bathrooms or ballroom) at Mar-a-Lago. Plenty to pick from.
Back in ‘21, after Biden was inaugurated, I was yelling (yes, yelling), “they have no reason to trust us now. We elected Trump. What guarantee can we give them we won’t elect an authoritarian again? None!” I was poohpoohed. Now, with Trump.2, I’m not sure it even matters. Granted, Gabbard is really really bad, but Gabbard or some other traitor to democracy, I’m sure NATO nations and other allies are already taking measures about what not to share with us and protecting their assets. From us.
Thank you, Carl, for offering practical suggestions to transform our horror into action that will make a difference, and for including links that make the action easy to take. NIce work.
In the spring of 2016, Trump was asked who his advisors were. Advisors? Oh, yeah, advisors. A few days later, he came up with a list of advisors including about a half dozen who since then have been shown to have been Russian assets on some level. Did Trump ask Putin who would make good advisors? Similarly, I get the impression that some of these intended cabinet secretaries were hand-picked by Putin. Gabbard is the best example; Gaetz and Patel are pretty good.
What do we know will happen if the Senate confirms Gabbard - as you note, she will be the constant apologist for Putin and Assad. Trump, moron that he is, will get nothing but bad advice from her on those two. Our allies will not share actual intelligence with her. They might, in fact, plant falsehoods just to see where those falsehoods appear. Actual patriotic US intelligence agents will not trust her either and they will withhold information that could be critical to national security. And when that happens, bad shit follows. And Gabbard, Trump and Republican Senators as well as the whole Hallelujah Chorus at Fox will claim that no one could have seen it coming, and anyway, it's all Biden's fault.
She will use disinformation from abroad to justify surveillance on Trumps domestic political enemies
That is not all. Gabbard is a member of a cult so she will bring them into the Intelligence Community, and is also subject to influence by any number of cultish nations and groups.
Spy Talk did a 2 parter on her. Here are the links. Creepy stuff.
https://www.spytalk.co/p/my-battle-with-tulsi-gabbards-cult
https://www.spytalk.co/p/part-2-my-battle-with-tulsi-gabbards
Worry about the Church of Scientology getting brought in as well. Appointing Gabbard is a dangerous move, and I am glad to read from Lucien Truscott IV that Russia is not doing well in their battle against Ukraine and here about Russia not able to help Syria and Syria also potentially losing to whom? Extremist groups? The Middle East is not democratic and life for most women/people there sucks. It will suck a lot less if there is not constant war though.
Thanks for the link
WOW!!! Thank you.
Agreed. However, the formula has changed with Assad being deposed. How will that affect Gabbard's nomination? If she should be affirmed through Advise and Consent, how will Assad's fall from power influence her imprint on the Trump decision-making process? I realize I'm requesting speculation, but what are your thoughts?
I’m former CIA. I don’t know a single person that isn’t terrified by this nomination.
As well they should be. Every asset we have in the field will be at high risk for exposure. I can’t imagine how any of those men and women must be feeling about now.
She is the most dangerous. Stay on her.
One of the things I've found most interesting over the last few years watching Russian State TV via the wonderful Julia Davis, is the hosts' repetitive use of the word "our": "our girlfriend," "our Mike [Johnson]," "our Trumpushka," "our," of course, being the *possessive* case of the nominative "we." They're saying out loud that Russia owns them.
And that 'our' can further the flow of disinformation, as in ... "I (or my group) is included in that 'our.' "
MTG and others in congress have strewn roses in the path of Putin - and Assad's - disinformation campaign by repeating Putin's talking points on the floor of congress and elsewhere.
Just follow the ruble.
Isn't a ruble worth about a penny now?
I think it did drop again after new sanctions on another state banks. However far it falls, I think Russia still rakes in 1 billion + in oil and gas exports to fund the war.
good for you that you still have the stomach to watch/listen. i really can"t anymore. but somebody has to. julia davis another sane voice.
When despair for the world grows in me
and I wake in the night at the least sound
in fear of what my life and my children’s lives may be,
I go and lie down where the wood drake
rests in his beauty on the water, and the great heron feeds.
I come into the peace of wild things
who do not tax their lives with forethought
of grief. I come into the presence of still water.
And I feel above me the day-blind stars
waiting with their light. For a time
I rest in the grace of the world, and am free. -Wendell Berry
Some might call this treason?
I have a question exactly related to your comment. If she is somehow confirmed and takes this new position, would she then be held to a different (higher) standard than she was while serving in Congress, so that she could in fact be charged with a crime for her statements?
No republiCON has the spine to vote against her. She has been/is saying exactly what got her the job. People are now being held to a lower standard. It's like a limbo contest: "How low can you go?"
Come on, Friends! I know you're angry and upset and disillusioned -- but we can do better than this. How do we leverage these cabinet positions to hold them particularly accountable? I'm not a lawyer -- I wish Andrew Weissmann or Harry Litman or our other heroes were here to help. In the meantime, we train for the coming mass-psychological-casualty events. We can do this!
In our New America, the higher the office, the lower the standards of behavior. Only us peons will be prosecuted.
And the enablers somehow believe this will make America great again. It defies all reason. common sense and decency.
She will be overwhelmed quickly. Her only performance criteria will be to provide information on Trumps domestic political enemies. First journalist and media outlets. CBS, NBC (msnbc), NY Times etc. Then Democrats.
Dee, the answer to your question is NO. If Gabbard
is confirmed for that position who would hold her to a higher standard? Trump certainly won’t—he has the exact same value system she does. He wants her in that position because Putin wants her in that position and Trump owes Putin A LOT. I have a feeling millions of our tax dollars will be going to Russia as payback to Putin for his help getting Trump elected in both
2016 & 2024.
Thank you, Susan. I see that you are a lawyer by your bio, so help me through this, please. As a sitting Congresswoman, she could not be impeached for her speech or behavior, I believe. However, as a Cabinet member she can be. So this is a way of holding her to a higher standard.
U.S. representatives can be expelled by a 2/3 vote.
There’s no requirement for a trial, but a House committee can create a sub-committee to
investigate the situation and present its findings
to the entire House prior to the expulsion vote.
Cabinet members can be impeached and
impeachment requires a trial. The standard for
impeachment and expulsion is slightly higher
than expulsion alone, in that evidence must be presented as it would be in any trial.
Rep. Gabbard has been nominated for the position
of Director of National Intelligence. Should she be confirmed, she will be responsible for coordinating
all investigations and intelligence across 17 U.S. agencies. Even if Gabbard holds the DNI position for only a few months before being impeached, she will likely have already done enormous, irrevocable harm to our country’s sovereignty.
As Timothy Snyder wrote in his substack post today, “As Director of National Intelligence, Gabbard would do enormous harm, unwillingly or willingly. She is not just completely unqualified for this role -- she is anti-qualified. She is just the sort of person enemies of the American republic would want in this job. The Russian media refers to Tulsi Gabbard as a ‘Russian agent’ and as ‘girlfriend,’ with good reason.” He goes on to write, “Gabbard is worse than unfit. Her public record is as a disinformer and apologist for mass murderers.”
Anti-qualified she is. As are so many of Trump's other nominees. But anti-qualification is Trump's game plan. His Bannon-esque plan is to "Fill the Zone". Bannon precise quote was "Fill the zone with shit. Make it stink." Anti-qualified is the new formula for failure.
Thank you. This is a great summary of the process, and I agree 100% that she's a walking nightmare for this position and should never come within a yardstick of holding the job. But bad things can happen, so we need to be prepared. If we continue to game this out:
It only requires a simple majority of Congress to vote to impeach after an inquiry, if she were confirmed for this position. And then the Senate would have the trial. When it comes to national security, would there be enough Senators to reach a 2/3 majority of those who show up to vote that day? No one knows.
However, as compared to mere expulsion from Congress, facing treason or multiple other serious charges as a Cabinet member might give her pause. In addition, they could vote to prevent her from holding any other office.
An inquiry and trial could soak up quite a bit of her attention, and since she's not qualified for this job to begin with, there may be less opportunity for her to do as much damage while she's fighting.
We should be preparing now, gathering data, so that we can act quickly if bad things do happen, in my opinion.
Good ideas Dee. The only thing I have to say is to at least wait until she’s either confirmed or rejected
before gathering material for an impeachment. I have a feeling there may be a few republicans who vote against her confirmation and evidence may be presented at her confirmation hearing.
I could not agree more strongly with your views on Tulsi Gabbard's disastrous potential as DNI. I cannot think of a more unqualified and disastrous appointment for this critical position. I have already communicated these views on Ms. Gabbard as DNI to my Senators and urge others to do likewise. We must do all we can to see this essential appointment go to a much more qualified and competent individual.
a brilliant analogy. again, thank you, thank you, for simplyfying life for us. for those of us who have friends and family who do not/cannot follow news or are not avid readers of the columns of one super-terrific historian-writer, colums such as this one by said super-terrific historian-writer are the best answer to their exasperated questions: "You're always complaining. Now what? Why don't you like Tulsi Gabard?" This is why.
And the why is full of facts from credible sources. I especially appreciate this about Tim's newsletter.
the Trumpers really are focused on destroying domestic policy, but appointing Gabbard would be an amazingly efficient way to destroy the entire "intelligence" system- no country besides Russia, Syria, and their ilk would trust the US with any information whatsoever. She would put the lives of lots of undercover operatives in danger. It is clear that Trump's dream of being Putin's lap dog/chief ally would be realized.
He’s a Russian asset. Groomed for years, and plenty of kompromat to keep him in line.
With this convicted criminal, no difference, Nancy, between foreign and domestic.
Except as an extended audience from his reality TV fantasyland, the orange felon has no uses for, no interest in his fellow Americans except as props for his stroking of himself, his displays of "bing-bing-boing-bong" wit and YMCA "dancing," dual masturbatory stroking.
He's a goon, but he's Russia's goon -- and that of Orban, Netanyahu, Mohammed bin Salman, Erdogan, Sisi, Assad, Modi -- and let's not leave out Xi, Kim, and the Iranian mullahs, if Putin yet allies with them.
And let's not forget, too, that most U.S. billionaires also ally with the world's worst autocrats and oligarchs, certainly over the American "people," or any of the abstracted, sloganeered "people" dictators always use feigning nationalism props.
trump is the perfect personification of the evil in MASTERS OF WAR. I just keep thinking about the line "you play with my world like its your little toy." The aspirational piece is at the end: "I hope that you die, and your death will come soon. I'll follow your casket on a pale afternoon. And I'll watch while you're lowered down to your deathbed and I'll stand over your grave to make sure that you're dead" Thanks, Bob.
Trump, Putin and the rest of them - They ain't worth the blood that runs in their veins. I watched Dylan sing this, here, in concert, 20 years ago during the invasion of Iraq. He paused a very long time before singing that last verse, just to make sure we realised he meant it.
It seems Trump ought to care about how it exposes himself to assassination risk, to have zero competence directing our intelligence services. His sense of self preservation is peculiarly lacking, never mind the rest of us.
Trump and pal Tucker Carlson.
Thank you Professor Snyder. At your recommendation I read The Handmaids Tale last week and earlier this week watched 1984. Having read and watched 1984 several times. This week it really hit home. I also read ‘Golden Harvest’ by the Jan Gross and his wife. I’ve been trying to disconnect and in fact feel more connected while I am reading your conversation with Tony Judt, “Thinking About the Twentieth Century,”. Which is marvelous. I have several books including Postwar and The Complete Black Book of Russian Jewry in line. That said thank you. There seems to be a handful of people addressing the horror of what we are up against. Everyone seems sucked into disinformation. I have been told that I am the one in an echo chamber and…….it’s not going to be as bad as you say. The vision you have shared is not a nightmare it is too real. It’s like heading in a wooden rowboat without oars approaching the fall.
I too have a friend whose response to what we are up against is "wait and see." He's not making the declaration you noted, but it still is a dodge. I heard liberal journalist Jamele Bouie say on a podcast yesterday, "We'll cross that bridge when we come to it." That makes no sense to me. You don't think about what you're going to do when you get to the bridge. That is too late. You do scenario planning now.
We are fortunate to have Professor Snyder.
That’s part of the reason why I’m feeling weirdly grateful to South Korea for their dictator dance and the subsequent rebellion of the citizens (no guns; lucky them). It spawned a lot of discussion about the path the U.S. is on, and made it feel more real and urgent. Will that awareness help us fend it off? I really don’t know, but the more people who have removed their blinders, the better.
All discussions are helpful pointing - bringing to light what the plan is for the US from the incoming administration. The events in South Korea, Romania and France are flashing signals.
As to France, you mean the collapse of their government? Germany too.
I haven’t watched the news since this morning so I would not say the collapse of France, mention France because of the no confidence vote. I am not repeating a headline to say that the government is collapsed. I don't have enough knowledge of that topic
google “germany france collapse” and you’ll find many reputable news stories
With a professional conman, a pathological liar, a rapist, tax dodger/ thief in charge of the government, what else can we expect. Trump has most likely sold top secret documents to Putin and MBS, he betrayed our Russian spies and he has always praised dictators and made it clear that he wants to be one.
Recently he said "vote for me and you never have to vote again".
According to Steve Bannon the goal is to rip up the constitution and burn the whole place down.
Trump does not care about the USA he wants to stay out of prison and loot the treasury.
Yes, I find myself being a broken record to all the experienced commentators who reference the “2026 midterms” as a ray of hope. In spite of these unbelievable developments, their brains still cannot absorb the prospect of no more elections. I expect Trump will declare some kind of emergency and delay elections . . . forever.
Also, Marjo, he wants crowds cheering him.
Cheering his "bing-bing-boing-bong" wit, his "dance" moves, and his scorn for the "educated."
And the crowds will be there, the tens of millions who attended U.S. "schools."
My guess is that Trump nominated Gabbard at Putin's command. Two useful idiots providing Putin with intelligence is a very scary thought, especially WRT Ukraine and the rest of NATO. I always thought this kind of behavior was treasonous (or at least semi-treasonous), but with today's adversaries being tomorrow's friends, I guess Gabbard (and others) will soon be recipients of the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Very gloomy prospect.
But at the same time, Trump is leaving himself unprotected. It baffles me. It’s as if I removed all the safety features in my car, in the name of freedom from corporate meddling.
He can't see that he is unprotected.
Good analogy. But not that surprising considering he was against wearing masks during covid.
The only surprise in the "national security" arm of Trump's kakistocracy is that Michael Flynn isn't the selection as Gabbard's top deputy. He even dines right next to Putin, and there are photos to prove it.
I think Flynn will be deployed in the near future, when violent crusaders are activated.
Many of us are on "stand-by" WRT Flynn and the rest of the basket of deplorables that Trump is lining up.
With apologies to Mitt Romney, there must be "binders full" of like-minded traitors on Trump's shelves (or in his bathrooms or ballroom) at Mar-a-Lago. Plenty to pick from.
Back in ‘21, after Biden was inaugurated, I was yelling (yes, yelling), “they have no reason to trust us now. We elected Trump. What guarantee can we give them we won’t elect an authoritarian again? None!” I was poohpoohed. Now, with Trump.2, I’m not sure it even matters. Granted, Gabbard is really really bad, but Gabbard or some other traitor to democracy, I’m sure NATO nations and other allies are already taking measures about what not to share with us and protecting their assets. From us.
We have a lot of fighting back to do. If we all get on it, we will block the oligarchs. https://open.substack.com/pub/hotbuttons/p/write-your-senator?r=3m1bs&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true
Thank you, Carl, for offering practical suggestions to transform our horror into action that will make a difference, and for including links that make the action easy to take. NIce work.
In the spring of 2016, Trump was asked who his advisors were. Advisors? Oh, yeah, advisors. A few days later, he came up with a list of advisors including about a half dozen who since then have been shown to have been Russian assets on some level. Did Trump ask Putin who would make good advisors? Similarly, I get the impression that some of these intended cabinet secretaries were hand-picked by Putin. Gabbard is the best example; Gaetz and Patel are pretty good.
“Disinformation is the opposite of an innocent mistake: it is concocted to make rational reflection and sensible policy difficult.” Chaos agent 🕵️