White House was warned Giuliani was target of Russian intelligence operation

[wing2000]

Uncle Rudy may be have been compromised by Russian intelligence....

"U.S. intelligence agencies warned the White House last year that President Trump’s personal lawyer Rudolph W. Giuliani was the target of an influence operation by Russian intelligence, according to four former officials familiar with the matter.
....
The warnings to the White House, which have not previously been reported, led national security adviser Robert O’Brien to caution Trump in a private conversation that any information Giuliani brought back from Ukraine should be considered contaminated by Russia, one of the former officials said.

The message was, “Do what you want to do, but your friend Rudy has been worked by Russian assets in Ukraine,” this person said. Officials wanted “to protect the president from coming out and saying something stupid,” particularly since he was facing impeachment over his own efforts to strong-arm Ukraine’s president into investigating the Bidens.

But O’Brien emerged from the meeting uncertain whether he had gotten through to the president. Trump had “shrugged his shoulders” at O’Brien’s warning, the former official said, and dismissed concern about his lawyer’s activities by saying, “That’s Rudy.”

https://www.washingtonpost.com/nati...158900-0ef5-11eb-b1e8-16b59b92b36d_story.html

 

[Paulos23]

Trump doesn't care because he thinks it will help him.

 

[SimplyMe]

Trump doesn't care because he thinks it will help him.

Trump seems to have always been a fan of "alternative truth."

 

[HTacianas]

Uncle Rudy may be have been compromised by Russian intelligence....

"U.S. intelligence agencies warned the White House last year that President Trump’s personal lawyer Rudolph W. Giuliani was the target of an influence operation by Russian intelligence, according to four former officials familiar with the matter.
....
The warnings to the White House, which have not previously been reported, led national security adviser Robert O’Brien to caution Trump in a private conversation that any information Giuliani brought back from Ukraine should be considered contaminated by Russia, one of the former officials said.

The message was, “Do what you want to do, but your friend Rudy has been worked by Russian assets in Ukraine,” this person said. Officials wanted “to protect the president from coming out and saying something stupid,” particularly since he was facing impeachment over his own efforts to strong-arm Ukraine’s president into investigating the Bidens.

But O’Brien emerged from the meeting uncertain whether he had gotten through to the president. Trump had “shrugged his shoulders” at O’Brien’s warning, the former official said, and dismissed concern about his lawyer’s activities by saying, “That’s Rudy.”

https://www.washingtonpost.com/nati...158900-0ef5-11eb-b1e8-16b59b92b36d_story.html

I have to ask, should we believe this?

 

[Paulos23]

Trump seems to have always been a fan of "alternative truth."

Anything to make the sale.

 

[whatbogsends]

But Putin said very strongly that Hunter Biden was guilty of some very bad stuff.

 

[wing2000]

I have to ask, should we believe this?

...of course that's up to you.

I will say this: Rudy would be an easy counterintelligence target for Russia...particularly when he was in the Ukraine openly looking for dirt on the Bidens.

 

[SimplyMe]

I have to ask, should we believe this?

Why shouldn't you believe it. Particularly when one of the people Giuliani was working the closest with, Andrii Derkach, is known to have been on the payroll of Russian Intelligence for at least a decade. Trump's own Treasury department sanctioned Derkach for this reason and warned of Russian agents attempting to influence our elections.

 

[Fantine]

AG Barr to the rescue, king of the coverups.

Thank goodness he has so much experience in making these problems go away for the president.

 

[Kenny'sID]

I have to ask, should we believe this?

Ah, a fair comment among those who automatically believe it due to agenda.

So, how did you all want Trump to react to the news?

 

[wing2000]

Ah, a fair comment among those who automatically believe it due to agenda.

So, how did you all want Trump to react to the news?

As with any POTUS, I would expect him to take the warnings of his security advisor seriously. However, Trump's mistrust of our country's intelligence services is well established. Trump declared as much in Helsinki.

 

[Speedwell]

But he won't do anything because he knows his base wouldn't care if it was true.

 

[Kenny'sID]

As with any POTUS, I would expect him to take the warnings of his security advisor seriously. However, Trump's mistrust of our country's intelligence services is well established. Trump declared as much in Helsinki.

What would satisfy you that he had taken it seriously enough?

I mean he heard the news, and commented on it, so what then do you think he did with it? Do you have reason to believe he forgot about it, and would not take it into consideration later if need be?

Seems to me there simply isn't anything here but a charge of nothing designed to do just what it did, and get the sheep fired up about that nothing.

If one will just step back and look, they might see this is all a bit funny at the expense of the left.

 

[tall73]

What would satisfy you that he had taken it seriously enough?

I mean he heard the news, and commented on it, so what then do you think he did with it? Do you have reason to believe he forgot about it, and would not take it into consideration later if need be?

Seems to me there simply isn't anything here but a charge of nothing designed to do just what it did, and get the sheep fired up about that nothing.

If one will just step back and look, they might see this is all a bit funny at the expense of the left.

I am especially unsure what Trump was supposed to do with the information when people think Trump was working for Putin as well.

Either Trump was working for Putin and would hardly be upset or surprised that his lawyer was getting information from the Russians.

Or Trump was not working for Putin and yet had been accused of such for years, and would therefore have some reason to be dubious of claims that his attorney was working for Putin.

Of course, it is possible that Trump was not working for Putin and Rudy was being fed info without being selective. But it is not hard to understand how Trump may have not seen this as a particularly compelling piece of news. They would still have to sort through whatever info Rudy got and determine its relative worth, considering the sources.

 

[Kenny'sID]

I am especially unsure what Trump was supposed to do with the information when people think Trump was working for Putin as well.

Either Trump was working for Putin and would hardly be upset or surprised that his lawyer was getting information from the Russians.

Or Trump was not working for Putin and yet had been accused of such for years, and would therefore have some reason to be dubious of claims that his attorney was working for Putin.

Of course, it is possible that Trump was not working for Putin and Rudy was being fed info without being selective. But it is not hard to understand how Trump may have not seen this as a particularly compelling piece of news. They would still have to sort through whatever info Rudy got and determine its relative worth, considering the sources.

Exactly, and that makes the whole thing a bit more funny.

 

[wing2000]

Either Trump was working for Putin and would hardly be upset or surprised that his lawyer was getting information from the Russians.

Or Trump was not working for Putin and yet had been accused of such for years, and would therefore have some reason to be dubious of claims that his attorney was working for Putin.

Those are the only two possibilities eh?

 

[tall73]

Those are the only two possibilities eh?

I listed a third. There could be more.

But the point being made was that Trump is going to interpret this from his point of view.