DWill wrote:
Showing loyalty to Putin instead of to our intelligence agencies was what I said, not "being in bed." I believe the facts plainly show that Trump favored Putin and still does.
I think the record is mixed. Dear Leader has definitely done some things that look like fawning on, or helping, Putin. Things that no other president would ever have done. (It reminds me bitterly about the complaints that Obama bowed to foreigners. Where is that standard when Trump grovels? Answer: gone into hiding, of course.) On the other hand, he has let normal policy go forward, with arming Ukraine, applying sanctions to Russians leading their little oligarchic aggressions, etc.
It seems most of the most egregious transgressions can be explained by his normal ego preoccupation, not wanting any shade thrown on his electoral "triumph," not wanting any accountability for his personalistic diplomatic approach, etc. While it is possible that skilled Russian manipulators have directed him to pick those kinds of issues to fuss about, I think that is just the kind of thinking that Russia really is fostering. Anything that foments distrust, division and conspiracy theories is fine with them. So I don't wanna go there. Besides, there is no real need to "handle" Trump to get him to be outrageous and select ego-sensitive issues to act up about.
DWill wrote:Robert Mueller found that Trump and his people weren't guilty of conspiring with Russia.
Just for the record, Mueller did exonerate Trump on that charge (but definitely and explicitly not on obstruction of justice) but, as often occurs, that could be lack of conclusive evidence rather than lack of guilt. I know Trump is allowed the same presumption of innocence as anyone else, and officially I am on board with that, but we know Manafort shared polling data with the Russians and that tiptoes right up to the line of treason. What business did the Trump campaign have sharing polling data? What innocent reason can be imagined for such behavior? If Hillary had shared polling data with China, can you imagine the uproar on the right? And the demands to investigate?