So the video above shows Donald Trump, on Wednesday, telling CBS’s Jeff Glor that it’s “true” Russia meddled in the 2016 election, and also that he “would” hold Vladimir Putin responsible for that meddling.
Ostensibly, that’s the same Donald Trump who said “no”, on this very same Wednesday, when asked by a reporter at a cabinet meeting if Russia was targeting the midterm elections in November.
Presumably, it’s also the same Donald Trump who, on Monday, while standing next to Vladimir Putin, said he “didn’t see any reason why it would be” Russia who meddled in a U.S. election.
I guess it’s also the same Donald Trump who, on Tuesday, told reporters that when he said (on Monday) that he “didn’t see any reason why it would be” Russia, what he actually meant was that he “didn’t see any reason why it wouldn’t be.”
Finally, I think that’s also the same Donald Trump who, according to what Sarah Huckabee Sanders said at a press briefing on Wednesday afternoon, “didn’t mean to say ‘no'” when asked if Russia was still targeting the U.S.
I used “ostensibly”, “presumably”, “I guess” and “I think” because it is no longer clear how many people Donald Trump actually is. He has said so many contradictory things over the past 72 hours that nobody can keep up with him anymore, which is either some kind of Jedi mind trick or else evidence that he’s just lying in circles. I don’t know about you, but I’m going to go with the latter explanation.
The full interview with Glor is going to air on Wednesday evening and one certainly imagines it will be something to behold, but in lieu of that, you can find the transcript of Trump’s exchange with CBS regarding Russian meddling below. Do try and see if you can reconcile it with anything he’s said over the past week and good luck keeping your sanity intact.
GLOR: “You say you agree with U.S. intelligence that Russia meddled in the election in 2016.”
TRUMP: “Yeah and I’ve said that before, Jeff. I have said that numerous times before, and I would say that is true, yeah.”
GLOR: “But you haven’t condemned Putin, specifically. Do you hold him personally responsible?”
TRUMP: “Well, I would, because he’s in charge of the country. Just like I consider myself to be responsible for things that happen in this country. So certainly as the leader of a country you would have to hold him responsible, yes.”
GLOR: “What did you say to him?”
TRUMP: “Very strong on the fact that we can’t have meddling, we can’t have any of that — now look. We’re also living in a grown-up world. Will a strong statement — you know — President Obama supposedly made a strong statement — nobody heard it. What they did hear is a statement he made to Putin’s very close friend. And that statement was not acceptable. Didn’t get very much play relatively speaking. But that statement was not acceptable. But I let him know we can’t have this, we’re not going to have it, and that’s the way it’s going to be.”
https://twitter.com/Diane_7A/status/1019689165028581376
Oh he’s a big brave boy now that Putin is not standing next to him. Lying sack of shit coward.
All this from a country that has spent decades meddling in others’ elections, assassinating foreign leaders, orchestrating coups, tapping its allies’ leaders’ communications, and enforcing regime change at immeasurable cost in human life. Help me out here….what’s the American for ‘laughable hypocrisy’?
Anybody notice that this Error404 character sounds an awful lot like a Russian shill? This post for instance, is classic Russian whataboutism nonsense.
There is absolutely no doubt that Russia was, and continues to be, engaged in information warfare against the United States of America. If Donald Trump is unable, or unwilling, to unequivocally state that Russia interfered in our election, then he needs to go. We should be rallying with our allies, both in and outside of NATO, to counter the threat that Putin’s Russia poses to the world. Instead we have a president that appears to be actively undermining those alliances and weakening our position in the world.
I’ll help you out here 404; thankfully we are now aware that your efforts may be funded outside of the USA. Of course, that might not be the case but nonetheless you can, and will, be looked at that way. Congratulations and the thought thrills me because one way or another, it’s the truth. After awhile the stupid wears on even the stupid.
Colonel Bone Spurs, pander much?