More bad news for Trump

[Vylo]

Obama also sent blankets to Ukraine when Russia invaded and annexed their territory. At least Trump sent weapons.

Against his will. Obama sent a lot more than blankets. Namely night vision equipment, which has played a pivotal role in the current conflict.

 

[BPPLEE]

Against his will. Obama sent a lot more than blankets. Namely night vision equipment, which has played a pivotal role in the current conflict.

No weapons?

 

[Vylo]

No weapons?

No, he had pledged not to deliver lethal weapons. It was not great on Obama, there was considerable confusion after the Ukrainian revolution, and he wasn't keen on getting into it with Russia.

 

[BPPLEE]

No, he had pledged not to deliver lethal weapons. It was not great on Obama, there was considerable confusion after the Ukrainian revolution, and he wasn't keen on getting into it with Russia.

We don't seem to mind provoking Russia now. As long as no one sends Jets

 

[Sparagmos]

Well Democrats need to quit helping him. This has the appearance that no charges were going to come from the January 6th investigation and this was a Hail Mary. If he's reelected he can thank Garland and the FBI.

This investigation started long before those hearings, and it’s unrelated.

 

[BPPLEE]

This investigation started long before those hearings, and it’s unrelated.

Then why wasn't something done sooner? I thought a confidential informant had just revealed new information which necessitated the search warrant.

 

[Vylo]

We don't seem to mind provoking Russia now. As long as no one sends Jets

We are holding back greatly. Considering the scope of Russia's attack, they are lucky they haven't provoked an all out NATO retaliation, because they have shown they would crumble before it.

 

[Pommer]

Then why wasn't something done sooner? I thought a confidential informant had just revealed new information which necessitated the search warrant.

Right, this wouldn’t be the exact spin for that:
Rush to judgement!
(It’s only been six days (weeks, months) since he left office, it’s persecution!)
(We get it, it’s never going to be a “good time” to charge Donald Trump with anything, ever.)

 

[durangodawood]

How can Trump be grossly incompetent and a criminal mastermind at the same time?

You hire the masterminds to clean up after your incompetence.

Super rich people do this all the time. Their knack for turning a buck - especially from gullible cheezy lifestyle brand chasers in Trumps case - doesnt always translate to competence in other arenas of life. In fact the hubris that develops often brings about blind spots.

That said, I actually think Trump is pretty canny about avoiding culpability. He seems to have that mob boss sense of how to ask for things to "get done" without saying what to do. Giuliani was probably very helpful in developing the finer points of this talent, having taken down some impressive mobsters in his US atty days.

 

[Sparagmos]

Then why wasn't something done sooner? I thought a confidential informant had just revealed new information which necessitated the search warrant.

They first asked him nicely to return the documents. Many times. After a long time (months, or maybe a year) he returned some of the docs. At that time they discovered that he had taken some things that concerned them even more and at some point they were given info that more was at his residence.

 

[BPPLEE]

They first asked him nicely to return the documents. Many times. After a long time (months, or maybe a year) he returned some of the docs. At that time they discovered that he had taken some things that concerned them even more and at some point they were given info that more was at his residence.

How did they learn that he had documents to begin with?

 

[LeafByNiggle]

How did they learn that he had documents to begin with?

Probably from people close to Trump who were also loyal to the United States.

 

[Vylo]

How did they learn that he had documents to begin with?

I'm pretty sure they don't just let you have those documents, without keeping track. So when they don't return, and you were the last person with them, they come asking for them.

 

[BPPLEE]

I'm pretty sure they don't just let you have those documents, without keeping track. So when they don't return, and you were the last person with them, they come asking for them.

So you can check out classified documents as long as you return them like a library?

 

[Vylo]

So you can check out classified documents as long as you return them like a library?

If you have enough clearance and authority. Most of them have to be kept in a secure location to my knowledge. Usually the president is in such locations, but obviously mar a lago is not, so that may be an additional issue.

 

[Belk]

If you have enough clearance and authority. Most of them have to be kept in a secure location to my knowledge. Usually the president is in such locations, but obviously mar a lago is not, so that may be an additional issue.

I believe it did have a SCIF but that would no longer be relevant since it would no longer be maintained out of office.

 

[Sparagmos]

How did they learn that he had documents to begin with?

I don’t know, why do you ask?

 

[BPPLEE]

I don’t know, why do you ask?

Because some people are saying this was a lengthy investigation while the reports say the search warrant was based on new information from an informant. If there were talks going on and some documents had been handed over why did it suddenly become urgent to seize documents? And if they knew about them why wait 19 months to take action?

 

[DaisyDay]

Because some people are saying this was a lengthy investigation while the reports say the search warrant was based on new information from an informant.

That's not mutually exclusive. Both statements could be true.

If there were talks going on and some documents had been handed over why did it suddenly become urgent to seize documents? And if they knew about them why wait 19 months to take action?

Perhaps negotiations proved fruitless and they ran out of patience.

 

[SimplyMe]

Because some people are saying this was a lengthy investigation while the reports say the search warrant was based on new information from an informant. If there were talks going on and some documents had been handed over why did it suddenly become urgent to seize documents? And if they knew about them why wait 19 months to take action?

Apparently, according to recent reports, Trump was allegedly cooperating and, in June, one of Trump's lawyers sent a letter to the DoJ stating that all classified documents had been given back to the government. It was allegedly in July that an informant let the DoJ know there were still classified documents at Mar-A-Lago, so the government requested a search warrant and found more classified documents.