Authored by John Solomon via The Hill
If you read the newspapers, tuned into the cable TV pundits or received an email from one of the Democrats running for president, you’d swear Donald Trump was back to his treasonous ways.
All that was missing was an annoying OMG text exclamation punctuating the unfounded claims that Trump might violate the law in 2020 by accepting intelligence on a political rival from a foreign country. The inference, of course, is that it would come from a hostile power such as Russia or North Korea or Iran.
Actually, what Trump told ABC News’ George Stephanopoulos was that he’d consider taking intelligence dirt about a rival from a friendly ally. (Norway was the actual example he used.)
Sound familiar? That is EXACTLY what the Obama administration did in 2016. It’s something no one in the media or the political space grasped during the tsunami of breathless reaction that followed the interview.
In July 2016, the Obama administration accepted unsolicited information from Alexander Downer, an Australian diplomat who just happened to have helped arrange a $25 million government donation to the Clinton Foundation years before. Downer said that he had witnessed a Trump campaign aide, George Papadopoulos, bragging about some dirt that the Russians supposedly had on Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton.
Though Downer’s claim was reported two-plus months after the alleged event, and was only hearsay gathered at a London tavern, the Obama administration gave it to the FBI which, in turn, thought it was weighty enough to justify opening a counterintelligence case against the lawfully elected Republican nominee for president.
In other words, the Democratic administration accepted dirt from a foreign friendly and used it to justify investigating its GOP rival.
And then, OMG, they did it again just a few weeks later.
In October 2016, less than three weeks from Election Day, the Obama Justice Department approved a Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) warrant to spy on the Trump campaign through its former adviser, Carter Page. The primary evidence supporting the warrant? A dossier written by a foreign friendly named Christopher Steele, a retired MI6 intelligence agent from Great Britain. Of course, the Justice Department and the FBI forgot to tell the courts that Steele actually was working on behalf of the Clinton campaign, but that’s a small detail for the purpose of this column.
For the second time in three months, the Obama administration took dirt on Trump from a foreign ally — this time, from one in Europe — and weaponized it for a criminal investigation.
No offense, but the media really are giving Trump way too much credit for the idea he floated on ABC News. The real scandal is that he’s just plagiarizing a playbook already used by Obama, Clinton and those 2016 Democrats.
And every Democrat and media pundit who accuses Trump of treason for considering taking dirt from, say, Norway in 2020 has now, by extension, accused the Obama administration of committing treason in 2016.
Of course, you’d never know that from the way the media and politicians have treated it.
The whole episode reminds me of one of my earliest memories as a professional journalist.
When I first hit the presidential campaign trail as a reporter chasing the likes of Bob Dole, Jesse Jackson, George H.W. Bush and a young Al Gore across the farm fields of Middle America in 1988, I stumbled across a silver-haired man at a greasy-spoon restaurant in LaCrosse, Wis. He was an old factory worker at the local brewery. A blue-collar company man who leaned Democrat.
I was sitting at the table across from him, obliviously banging on the keys of my Radio Shack Tandy 103 computer (a model now relegated to the Smithsonian’s heap-pile of technology) when he asked me the obvious: “You one of those reporters?”
“Yes, sir,” I answered politely.
“Do me a favor. Don’t dumb-down politics,” he said. “We’re smarter than you think.”
I’ve kept that sentiment close to my heart for three decades. And those looking to twist Trump’s ABC News interview into something it was not should take heed of the wisdom I was offered that day in LaCrosse.
American voters are a lot harder to fool than the political elite think.
John Solomon is an award-winning investigative journalist whose work over the years has exposed U.S. and FBI intelligence failures before the Sept. 11 attacks, federal scientists’ misuse of foster children and veterans in drug experiments, and numerous cases of political corruption. He serves as an investigative columnist and executive vice president for video at The Hill. Follow him on Twitter @jsolomonReports.
via zerohedge
It’s DELIRIOUS!
Do these reporters ever use spellcheck?
we are smart enough to know what the story is without spellcheck/did you get anything from the story besides misspelled words/wake up obama , clintions are as evil as they come. P.S. no cap. for clintons or obama on purpose.
Based on the number of Americans who voted for Obama, Hillary, and AOC, I’d say plenty of us are dumb as a box of rocks.
“This country used to be brilliant” says Donald Trump - the implication being “What Happened?
They opened the borders and let all the Illegal Mexicans and Africans and the f up Muslims. Time to turn back the page and start enforcing our immigration laws. Put those idiot business people who hire them and put them in jail. If you don’t let them in, you don’t have to pay for them. That simple. And then Deport all the Stupid Democrats!!!!!
absolutely
Yup
I hope your not going to do the “dumb as rocks” a second time!!!!
I was a little smarter. I knew better than too vote for a anti-American, who promised everything ,and the all the freebies you want
.
You do mean our sitting President, don’t you. Perfect description.
commie
DEMO-RATS ALL!
“Do you think Donald Trump is qualified
to be President?”
What the hell kind of question is that?
Where have you been?
Wasn’t he elected by the people of this country?
Why not name a president who was not qualified?
Donald Trump has a birth certificate to prove it and
it hasn’t been challenged!
I see where you are going, i.e., a Community Organizer and whose actual birthplace being what is now known as Kenya as confirmed by the wife and grandmother some time ago and a British Magistrate who confirmed it as well.
Repeating a response I read
“It’s nice to have a President who has a set of balls and a First Lady that doesn’t”.
Amen!
TRUMP WILL WIN AGAIN IN 2020!!!!!
They are turning on each other like rabid dingoes and promising everything they can think of to get votes. Really funnier than He!! to watch! Where is my popcorn?
Yes Barbara, it is funny 😄 to a Saturday night live
extent, but at the same time I feel sadnesses in my heart that some of my fellow citizens are that
uneducated, or just plain blind that they can’t see,
or don’t want to, the scam being worked on them.
The greatest country in the world 🌎, and instead of working together, they wish to destroy it because they lost an election. Vote them out of office as soon as possible. Thank you 🙏.
I voted for Obama the first time then seen what he was really doing to America. He was destroying it from within. Then I got out of the Demoncratic party and plan on staying that way. I now vote conservative but none of the demoncrats we have today are for America and it truly shows have Evil they really are. Anyone in their right mind can see what they are doing to this country. They think the Laws don’t apply to them well this has too end now or we will see nazi Germany all over again. They want are guns they want everything we own they are an outright disgrace to America they want communism and socialism they want their new world order. We The People will not stand for this tyrannical government anymore we must see they all be punished by the full extent of the law for their treasonous crimes they are traitors and we don’t want them here anymore they should leave and go find their utopia in the UN their they can live for free.
They will find out that nothing is for FREE !
“Ya can pay 💰 me now, or u can pay me
later, but I will get paid.”
It’s a law of nature that no politician, scientist,
can change. (Al Enstin)
Thank you Charles M, for not being as dumb
as a box 📦 of rocks. Hopefully the last 2 yrs. has
smartend up the voteing public.Because if it hasn’t the whole country could end up ,🍸🍺🥃 ON THE ROCKS. 🤨🤤😵.
Hopefully, there have been enough that woken up to get this scum out of office.
Demented dimwit demoncrats will never learn. They have been indoctrinated to the lower class lifestyle and will die there.
Any democrat or Obama could drop their pants on a public street and take a dump and the news would report it as Obama drops chocolate candy bar on main street but if Trump or one of his supporters did it they would report it as Trump takes a dump and dog feces comes out of his butt on main street . We now have a two tier justice system , one for the Democrats and the illegal immigrants they are sworn to protect and one for every trump supporter who is presumed guilty as charged for everything .
Finally wising up! About time!
Odumba and Kerry, both need to hang for treason to this country!!!
obozo hated America & everything it stands for - to this day I don’t know how he became president - & did 2 terms what joke - he hated everybody, & did nothing for AMERICA & would have sold us all out in a New York minute - what a joke he was - & odds are he was NOT born in America - lets give a big “thank you” to stupid democrats who hate America as much as he did.
Are you kidding? O blah blah blah ma was the ABSOLUTE BEST half black, gay, Kenyan, mooslom mobster, loony liberal, and community un-planner, ever to be elected President of the United States. And don’t forget his other half Michael.
If you believe this story , I have a bridge in Brooklyn to sell you . . . . . . This is nothing but a lame attempt to distract from Trump numerous and genuine crimes and corrupt acts with misinformation and disinformation about the Obama administration . Stop beating a dead horse !
I see you have stepped outside your mind and drank the DEMONcRAT kool-ade. Please in all your infinite wisdom tell me 3 of these numerous crimes President Trump has committed. If they are so numerous and genuine I am sure you will respond rather quickly. No one….I repeat NO ONE has to lie about the numerous crimes Ovomit, the false President, has committed; Fast and Furious, Benghazi, pallets of cash to Iran, deleting thousands of government emails…..do you need me to go on Robert? You are either straight up stupid, willfully ignorant, or blind in one eye and cannot see out of the other. Dont know, dont care just wish treasonous derp’s like yourself would stop spreading lies. Stop being part of the problem by spreading filth and malfeasance. You are acting like Ovomit, a traitorous, hateful, America despiser and its disgusting.
Thank you JASMIN !!
Yes, Obumber should be in prison along with Hitlary. The government has been indoctrinating us for the last 50 years and this is what it’s producing. Our kids and grandkids are being dumbed down and for them to behave like good little communists. Sorry to say our country is toast.
Obama did commit treason, he should be in prison, along with his wife, Hillary and bill. They are all devils.
Nothing I can add to the Comments that you folks have not covered, though the list is far from complete of the acts Treason committed by that Administration and Deep State.
Does the WH need to get Building Permits for the Erection of 3 sets of Gallows on the South Lawn?
This is The ONLY SURE CURE for Crooked Politicians in Any ERA, that I am Aware of, Prison is a Joke where they are sent, no deterrent today, just more contacts.
What is happening in Government today in the USA is 1 STEP from becoming a “Banana Republic”, Hope you (ALL) folks use some common sense in 2020 on ALL ISSUES for the Country…. NOT PARTY AFFILIATION.
Rewrite Hillary Clinton 2005, said the average democrat voter is just plain stupid, they are so easy to manipulate, that’s the easy part, What did Hillary have to hide? why didn’t she give all her emails to the FBI? she ,and Obama colluded with Russia, and got millions from the 20% uranium deal, she’s an alcoholic, drug addict, can’t walk, can’t talk, and pedophile Billy boy had to talk for her, we voted for a non politician that is not stealing, and wasting our tax money, you wanted them to be our president, what a stupid retarded idiot you are you have shit for brains
ALL DEMONRATS, PROGRESSIVES AND RINOS ARE DEAD IN THE WATER SO LETS FLUSH THEM ALL OUT NOW, THE SOONER THE BETTER………..
To be sure politicians, their staff and campaign managers/strategist know all too well that pollsters, and marketing experts have vast data bases of every conceivable element of American lives. What you eat, how you think, what you believe, what kind of car you drive, etc. They use this information on how to message you and yes, what to say to you on the campaign trail. Pollsters know that there are people that if you tell them that a red car is blue, they will believe you if you are in their status circle. I use to watch the Tonight Show with Jay Leno every night. About every month or so, he would go out on the street and interview the public with history or geography and identity questions. You could judge their knowledge of current events by their generation. Some didn’t recognize a picture of the vice president of the U.S. Some could not name the countries that border the U.S. (and one was studying to be a teacher). So it’s easy to realize that the media and politicians know full well that there are millions that will believe every word they say without fail. Then you have the likes of Hillary that come out with the deplorable label and Obama stating that Trump supporters get their news in bars and restaurants putting down large segments of America, it started to draw even sharper divisions in the political arena.
We’ve come to distrust the Democrats so badly that we don’t believe anything they say. Trump has been a good President. He’s for the people, not power hungry like the Democrats we’ve come to dislike. They’ve gone too far. Now we ignore their accusations completely.
“Now we ignore their accusations completely.”
Better yet, we should listen to their accusations so we can know what they’re doing. They, constantly, accuse others of what they are doing. This is called psychological projection. This is a real thing and they do it ALL OF THE TIME!!
Best economy the world has ever seen, lowest unemployment in 50 years, and these ill mined democrat liberals with dead cells in their heads like to follow the path of “take America down” with pride. These demented evil people hate there lives and will follow any idiot to the gates of hell if they believe it makes them feel good. Their lives will be destroyed and they can not smell the coffee.
I was informed the other day I had been recruited by a Trump cult. I needed someone to intervene on my behalf and I needed to be reprogrammed. This was my response to that looney liberal.
You are EXACTLY RIGHT, Let me tell you about this CRAZY cult and what it’s cult members are for:
America’s LEGAL citizen’s interests FIRST and foremost.
Stopping the business of slaughtering millions of helpless & innocent babies.
Stopping the business of warehousing and selling baby parts.
Building a wall to protect LEGAL citizens.
Stopping human trafficking, drug smuggling, and criminals.
Stopping the funding going to ILLEGAL TRESSPASSING SQUATTERS.
Acknowledging that Jerusalem IS the capital of Israel.
Eliminating liberal regulations that smother good jobs.
Making America a great place to do business.
Lower taxes, a strong economy, and a 50 year low for unemployment.
A booming economy and stock market.
Fearful respect from other nations.
Cow farts don’t bother us.
Our great President Trump is doing EXACTLY what this cult wants.
Tell me what YOUR CULT is for, I’m always looking for something better.
GOOD LUCK. TRUMP/PENCE 2020 MAGA
The author’s comparison doesn’t fly. The Obama administration did receive “dirt” about Donald Trump, but they turned it over to the FBI rather than incorporating it into their campaign. The The Trump campaign received ‘dirt” about Hilary Clinton and the Democrats and incorporated it right into their strategy without informing the FBI at all.
I couldn’t go out into the general public after
the real deal of being exposed like the democrats have been exposed. Everyone knows.
How can they sleep at night? All the crap of spying
on our President.
obama doesn’t deserve a capital letter in his name.
The most distrustful people, and sore losers.
The democratic party will fall hard, and it will be a great day.
The prior administration was built on decades of hate and perceived ‘hurt’, and a true belief in communism. All the bad ‘players’ studied in Russia, Cuba, and the Middle-east; or had/have ties to Socialist/Communist leaders, and the theology is deeply imbedded in the swamp. The bad players found out just how easy it is to garner support from out lazy and childish citizens. They encouraged laziness and bred it into our welfare system and ‘protected’ class today.
The snowflakes terrorizing our cities now were created by these bad players who took God out of schools and are desperate to do the same with the rest of the country. The “me generation”.
The demonrats are eating themselves, and I expect the party will implode by the time Trump is out of office.
Every day we find out more and more about how criminal and evil the prior administration was.
Ol’ “Barry” will be recorded as the WORST president in the history of our country.
JUST IN FROM THE FRONT https://rawconservativeopinions.com/2019/10/30/the-plundering-of-ukraine-by-corrupt-american-democrats/
Robert Berger, You just can’t face reality, can you ? And you accuse Trump supporters of being blinded to reality. Btw, does anyone else have trouble with these captcha codes ? I can type it in EXACTLY as it reads, caps, lower case and numbers, but it often says it’s wrong!