The Indictment Thread (Trump Admin Meltdown Thread Part II)

[Joe K]

John Bolton is a fucking lunatic. And now he has real power...before, with W, he was just the UN ambassador, which is nothing but window dressing.

Sorry Johnnie....but we are definitely going to war. My money is on Iran, which will make Iraq look like a walk in the park.

Bolton sure seems to be itching for World War III. In an article he published in December 2017, he wrote that a "Russian-Iranian axis should rank alongside Iran's nuclear-weapons program on America's list of threats emanating from the Middle East." Remember that fun word "axis"? In that same article he referred to Russia as a "menace in Eastern and Central Europe." (Funny how the same guy who finds Russian influence over neighboring countries as "menacing" thinks that the U.S. is entitled to dominate and destroy the Middle East.) For all the claims that Trump has Putin on speed-dial, I find the confirmed fact that he's taking advice from Bolton to be a lot scarier.

[EnochRoot]

John Bolton is a fucking lunatic. And now he has real power...before, with W, he was just the UN ambassador, which is nothing but window dressing.

Sorry Johnnie....but we are definitely going to war. My money is on Iran, which will make Iraq look like a walk in the park.

Bolton sure seems to be itching for World War III. In an article he published in December 2017, he wrote that a "Russian-Iranian axis should rank alongside Iran's nuclear-weapons program on America's list of threats emanating from the Middle East." Remember that fun word "axis"? In that same article he referred to Russia as a "menace in Eastern and Central Europe." (Funny how the same guy who finds Russian influence over neighboring countries as "menacing" thinks that the U.S. is entitled to dominate and destroy the Middle East.) For all the claims that Trump has Putin on speed-dial, I find the confirmed fact that he's taking advice from Bolton to be a lot scarier.

Eh. Putin’s worse. Congress can still tell Trump to fuck off about any wars.

[Joe K]

John Bolton is a fucking lunatic. And now he has real power...before, with W, he was just the UN ambassador, which is nothing but window dressing.

Sorry Johnnie....but we are definitely going to war. My money is on Iran, which will make Iraq look like a walk in the park.

Bolton sure seems to be itching for World War III. In an article he published in December 2017, he wrote that a "Russian-Iranian axis should rank alongside Iran's nuclear-weapons program on America's list of threats emanating from the Middle East." Remember that fun word "axis"? In that same article he referred to Russia as a "menace in Eastern and Central Europe." (Funny how the same guy who finds Russian influence over neighboring countries as "menacing" thinks that the U.S. is entitled to dominate and destroy the Middle East.) For all the claims that Trump has Putin on speed-dial, I find the confirmed fact that he's taking advice from Bolton to be a lot scarier.

Eh. Putin’s worse. Congress can still tell Trump to fuck off about any wars.

When’s the last time Congress actually declared a war?

ETA: more to my point, how many countries had the US military been in during the last several decades without their having been any authorizing Congressional vote? And even if Trump cared about the legality of a war, you don’t think he would argue that the AUMF applies to Iran?

[A_B]

John Bolton is a fucking lunatic. And now he has real power...before, with W, he was just the UN ambassador, which is nothing but window dressing.

Sorry Johnnie....but we are definitely going to war. My money is on Iran, which will make Iraq look like a walk in the park.

Bolton sure seems to be itching for World War III. In an article he published in December 2017, he wrote that a "Russian-Iranian axis should rank alongside Iran's nuclear-weapons program on America's list of threats emanating from the Middle East." Remember that fun word "axis"? In that same article he referred to Russia as a "menace in Eastern and Central Europe." (Funny how the same guy who finds Russian influence over neighboring countries as "menacing" thinks that the U.S. is entitled to dominate and destroy the Middle East.) For all the claims that Trump has Putin on speed-dial, I find the confirmed fact that he's taking advice from Bolton to be a lot scarier.

Eh. Putin’s worse. Congress can still tell Trump to fuck off about any wars.

When’s the last time Congress actually declared a war?

Was gonna say something similar. Military action doesn't seem to depend on congressional approval.

[Johnnie]

John Bolton is a fucking lunatic. And now he has real power...before, with W, he was just the UN ambassador, which is nothing but window dressing.

Sorry Johnnie....but we are definitely going to war. My money is on Iran, which will make Iraq look like a walk in the park.

Bolton sure seems to be itching for World War III. In an article he published in December 2017, he wrote that a "Russian-Iranian axis should rank alongside Iran's nuclear-weapons program on America's list of threats emanating from the Middle East." Remember that fun word "axis"? In that same article he referred to Russia as a "menace in Eastern and Central Europe." (Funny how the same guy who finds Russian influence over neighboring countries as "menacing" thinks that the U.S. is entitled to dominate and destroy the Middle East.) For all the claims that Trump has Putin on speed-dial, I find the confirmed fact that he's taking advice from Bolton to be a lot scarier.

Eh. Putin’s worse. Congress can still tell Trump to fuck off about any wars.

[EnochRoot]

John Bolton is a fucking lunatic. And now he has real power...before, with W, he was just the UN ambassador, which is nothing but window dressing.

Sorry Johnnie....but we are definitely going to war. My money is on Iran, which will make Iraq look like a walk in the park.

Bolton sure seems to be itching for World War III. In an article he published in December 2017, he wrote that a "Russian-Iranian axis should rank alongside Iran's nuclear-weapons program on America's list of threats emanating from the Middle East." Remember that fun word "axis"? In that same article he referred to Russia as a "menace in Eastern and Central Europe." (Funny how the same guy who finds Russian influence over neighboring countries as "menacing" thinks that the U.S. is entitled to dominate and destroy the Middle East.) For all the claims that Trump has Putin on speed-dial, I find the confirmed fact that he's taking advice from Bolton to be a lot scarier.

Eh. Putin’s worse. Congress can still tell Trump to fuck off about any wars.

When’s the last time Congress actually declared a war?

ETA: more to my point, how many countries had the US military been in during the last several decades without their having been any authorizing Congressional vote? And even if Trump cared about the legality of a war, you don’t think he would argue that the AUMF applies to Iran?

'War' was the wrong word to use. Congress gave Bush full backing on Iraq. I'd like to think that well's run dry. I know the American public is tired of it. Hell, that's probably reason #1.02 why Trump's in office (Clinton's hawkish tendencies).

At any rate, a viciously unpopular president would need to drum up the case for any incursion in Iran though, in order to stipulate the difference between which state-sponsored terror to target (Iran or Saudi Arabia).

[EnochRoot]

John Bolton is a fucking lunatic. And now he has real power...before, with W, he was just the UN ambassador, which is nothing but window dressing.

Sorry Johnnie....but we are definitely going to war. My money is on Iran, which will make Iraq look like a walk in the park.

Bolton sure seems to be itching for World War III. In an article he published in December 2017, he wrote that a "Russian-Iranian axis should rank alongside Iran's nuclear-weapons program on America's list of threats emanating from the Middle East." Remember that fun word "axis"? In that same article he referred to Russia as a "menace in Eastern and Central Europe." (Funny how the same guy who finds Russian influence over neighboring countries as "menacing" thinks that the U.S. is entitled to dominate and destroy the Middle East.) For all the claims that Trump has Putin on speed-dial, I find the confirmed fact that he's taking advice from Bolton to be a lot scarier.

Eh. Putin’s worse. Congress can still tell Trump to fuck off about any wars.

Unicorns frown on gifs.

[EnochRoot]

John Bolton is a fucking lunatic. And now he has real power...before, with W, he was just the UN ambassador, which is nothing but window dressing.

Sorry Johnnie....but we are definitely going to war. My money is on Iran, which will make Iraq look like a walk in the park.

Bolton sure seems to be itching for World War III. In an article he published in December 2017, he wrote that a "Russian-Iranian axis should rank alongside Iran's nuclear-weapons program on America's list of threats emanating from the Middle East." Remember that fun word "axis"? In that same article he referred to Russia as a "menace in Eastern and Central Europe." (Funny how the same guy who finds Russian influence over neighboring countries as "menacing" thinks that the U.S. is entitled to dominate and destroy the Middle East.) For all the claims that Trump has Putin on speed-dial, I find the confirmed fact that he's taking advice from Bolton to be a lot scarier.

I apologize. I should've addressed your apparent marginalization of the Mueller investigation first. Sorry. It's interesting what the tipping point proves to be for some, but not necessarily others.

[Joe K]

John Bolton is a fucking lunatic. And now he has real power...before, with W, he was just the UN ambassador, which is nothing but window dressing.

Sorry Johnnie....but we are definitely going to war. My money is on Iran, which will make Iraq look like a walk in the park.

Bolton sure seems to be itching for World War III. In an article he published in December 2017, he wrote that a "Russian-Iranian axis should rank alongside Iran's nuclear-weapons program on America's list of threats emanating from the Middle East." Remember that fun word "axis"? In that same article he referred to Russia as a "menace in Eastern and Central Europe." (Funny how the same guy who finds Russian influence over neighboring countries as "menacing" thinks that the U.S. is entitled to dominate and destroy the Middle East.) For all the claims that Trump has Putin on speed-dial, I find the confirmed fact that he's taking advice from Bolton to be a lot scarier.

Eh. Putin’s worse. Congress can still tell Trump to fuck off about any wars.

When’s the last time Congress actually declared a war?

ETA: more to my point, how many countries had the US military been in during the last several decades without their having been any authorizing Congressional vote? And even if Trump cared about the legality of a war, you don’t think he would argue that the AUMF applies to Iran?

'War' was the wrong word to use. Congress gave Bush full backing on Iraq. I'd like to think that well's run dry. I know the American public is tired of it. Hell, that's probably reason #1.02 why Trump's in office (Clinton's hawkish tendencies).

At any rate, a viciously unpopular president would need to drum up the case for any incursion in Iran though, in order to stipulate the difference between which state-sponsored terror to target (Iran or Saudi Arabia).

You’re more optimistic than I am. I think the GOP would quickly fall in line for a war with Iran and a number of prominent Democrats, like Chuck Schumer, are also pretty extreme hardliners on Iran.

[Joe K]

John Bolton is a fucking lunatic. And now he has real power...before, with W, he was just the UN ambassador, which is nothing but window dressing.

Sorry Johnnie....but we are definitely going to war. My money is on Iran, which will make Iraq look like a walk in the park.

Bolton sure seems to be itching for World War III. In an article he published in December 2017, he wrote that a "Russian-Iranian axis should rank alongside Iran's nuclear-weapons program on America's list of threats emanating from the Middle East." Remember that fun word "axis"? In that same article he referred to Russia as a "menace in Eastern and Central Europe." (Funny how the same guy who finds Russian influence over neighboring countries as "menacing" thinks that the U.S. is entitled to dominate and destroy the Middle East.) For all the claims that Trump has Putin on speed-dial, I find the confirmed fact that he's taking advice from Bolton to be a lot scarier.

I apologize. I should've addressed your apparent marginalization of the Mueller investigation first. Sorry. It's interesting what the tipping point proves to be for some, but not necessarily others.

I didn’t intend to criticize the Mueller investigation, which has had appropriate findings with strong evidentiary support. But I do find it interesting how Trump firing Tillerson last week was treated as evidence of Russia pulling the strings, even though Trump has also hired and promoted a number of strong anti-Russia zealots like Bolton. Bolton had consistently called for a harder line on Russia and at times seems to include it in the long list of countries he’d like to go to war with.

[A_B]

To me that's exactly WHY he'd hire anti-russian zealots.

[Steve of phpBB]

Is it really right to put Bolton in the "Anti-Russia zealot" box? Doesn't he want a war with everyone?

Anyway, I'd be surprised if we hear much anti-Russia stuff from Bolton now. There are so many other wars he can start that he'll fall in line on Russia. Like Sessions absorbs all kinds of abuse from Trump because otherwise Sessions would have to give up his chance to put more dark people in jail.

[Brontoburglar]

he didn't listen to mcmaster ... why is he going to listen to bolton?

[A_B]

he didn't listen to mcmaster ... why is he going to listen to bolton?

Fox News?

[P.D.X.]

I'd prefer him not-listen to someone less evil.

[Brontoburglar]

he didn't listen to mcmaster ... why is he going to listen to bolton?

Fox News?

oh, I think that's the reason -- because Bolton talks tough on Fox News

but shit, Trump talks tough too. I'm not trying to minimize this (it's bad) but at the same time, I do wonder just how much influence he'll have over Trump's crazy brain

[EnochRoot]

[sancarlos]

I do agree that the most accurate doppelgänger for Trump in mass media is Calvin. They pretty much behave the same way - immature, narcissistic; id run amok.

[mister d]

Calvin is self-aware, just not repentant. I don't like this comp at all.

[EnochRoot]

https://www.reddit.com/r/DonaldandHobbes/

[Pruitt]

When Republicans Rejected John Bolton

Very, very scary.

Just a sample -

As under secretary of state, Mr. Bolton insisted that Cuba was attempting to build a biological weapons program. The national intelligence officer for Latin America and the State Department’s top biological weapons expert disagreed. In a fit of rage, Mr. Bolton tried to have both reassigned.

[Johnnie]

The transgender ban is back to distract you from the fact that Stormy Daniels has an interview Sunday and there's probable video of Trump fucking her if this tweet from her lawyer means what I think it means.



We are living in the dumbest reality tv show timeline ever.

[rass]

I... First off I hate myself for discussing this somewhat rationally.

But I thought she said they only fucked once, and I thought it was his room.

Though if he was dumb enough to let a porn star record him in his own room, then that pretty much confirms the Russians have footage of some sort.

[Pruitt]

The transgender ban is back to distract you from the fact that Stormy Daniels has an interview Sunday and there's probable video of Trump fucking her if this tweet from her lawyer means what I think it means.



We are living in the dumbest reality tv show timeline ever.

It's like all the much discussed "Decline of the American Empire" is happening at warp speed.

[EnochRoot]

A sign from one of the marches today...

[Avram]

A sign from one of the marches today...

If I had been drinking something I would have snarfed

[rass]

Finally found something that Trump is good at that’s fits in here at The Swamp: lawyer jokes.

[sancarlos]

Who knew 15 had a Twitter account?

[brian]

[Pruitt]

I'm no lawyer...

But this Cohen fella doesn't really seem to be a Matlock.

Or am I wrong?

[govmentchedda]

I'm a lawyer.

He's no Matlock.

[Johnnie]

When does he get disbarred? What needs to happen at this point?

[Pruitt]

I'm a lawyer.

He's no Matlock.

The fact that Trump (or whatever his alias was) didn't sign the NDA seems ridiculous. Is it enough to void it?

[govmentchedda]

I would think so, although an argument could be made that receipt of the funds was acceptance of the deal.

[Steve of phpBB]

I would think so, although an argument could be made that receipt of the funds was acceptance of the deal.

I would respectfully disagree. As long as a party manifests assent to a deal, it doesn't need to be in writing at all, let alone signed. (Unless the Statute of Frauds applies, and I don't see how it would.) As far as I can tell, this entire deal could have been made orally (heh). The purpose of a writing in this case is for clarity, to document what the actual agreement was. It isn't necessary for the agreement to have legal effect. So I can't see how a lack of signature would affect the validity.

Plus, Stormy Daniels wasn't going into this deal to get a signature from Donald. She did the deal for a payment, and presumably she got that payment. And having accepted the payment pursuant to the deal, she would be hard pressed (heh) to argue that there was no deal because it wasn't signed.

I think the only way she can get out of the deal is to argue that Trump breached it somehow, perhaps by Trump himself saying things about her or their relationship. And I don't know if that will fly.

So I think Stormy could easily be found in breach of the NDA. I don't know what state's law applies, but it is quite possible she really will be liable for liquidated damages and that the issue will be decided in a secret arbitration.

[brian]

I'm no lawyer, but I think that sounds right, but I think the thinking by her legal team is that they have enough donors to absorb whatever the settlement for violating the NDA might be and that it's better for her and the nation to have violated it. (This, I presume, is why she's only done/doing one interview where she explicitly violates it.)

[Steve of phpBB]

I'm no lawyer, but I think that sounds right, but I think the thinking by her legal team is that they have enough donors to absorb whatever the settlement for violating the NDA might be and that it's better for her and the nation to have violated it. (This, I presume, is why she's only done/doing one interview where she explicitly violates it.)

I agree with this, although I'm not sure how she monetizes her situation going forward without writing a book or giving speeches about her dealings with Trump.

Some states hold that liquidated damages clauses are unenforceable or only enforceable in limited situations. Unfortunately for her, I think this is the kind of situation where liquidated damages are usually enforced. (I generally include them in non-disparagement and non-disclosure agreements I draft.) But I don't know about California or New York (or whatever) law on that.

[sancarlos]

I'm no lawyer, but...

Apropos of nothing and off the subject, but that reminds me... One of my best friends is a former co-worker who was one of our company attorneys. He always jokingly said I was an honorary part of his department, because he claimed I always started conversations with him by saying, "I'm not a lawyer, but...".

[A_B]

To be fair, "I'm not a lawyer" is a useful disclaimer in Swamp discussions.

[brian]

Stormy's lawyer hitting Trump where it hurts (him).