Place your bets! Donald Trump is a...

[woolfe9998]

Multiple correct answers seems possible, but I instead chose instead 4 as a slam dunk. Trump's psychotic defenses against narcissistic injury have been on display from day 1. If he could not accept the reality of his margin of victory without inventing illegal voters, inauguration attendees, historic landslide margin, etc., then why would we expect him to be able to accept the reality that he was actively aided by a foreign government whose goal is to weaken the US?

Multiple correct answers are indeed possible. Certainly Trump doesn't like the notion of people believing in the meddling because that may cause people to question of the legitimacy of his winning even in the absence of collusion. But none of this explains why Trump has been so completely unable to criticize Putin at every opportunity. O'Reilly served him a softball question about Putin's murderous ways and he responded with "what about the US?" How does his ego factor in there?

 

[woolfe9998]

I suspect it is #3 as well, most likely something finance related. (Money laundering) I think this because of the following things:

1) He’s pathologically secretive about his finances.
2) We know a ton of Russian money has come into his organization in recent years and he’s lied about it.
3) That money came in large part from people connected to Putin.
4) Trump is bizarrely submissive to Putin despite that being contrary to his own personality and the image he’s tried to cultivate.

That’s my best guess at least.

Yes, I agree with this entirely. As I said above, some sort of financial corruption is about the only thing Putin could have on Trump which could act as real leverage right now. Anything else like a pee tape would incriminate Putin himself. But corrupt financial dealings could be leaked and Putin would deny personal knowledge of them. They most likely would involve one or more oligarchs who are "linked" to Putin, but Putin would just claim it was a private financial deal of which he had been unaware.

Another theory being floated around is that Trump and Putin made a deal involving favorable policy treatment in exchange for election help - the "carrot" theory - but the "stick" is the very fact that they made this deal. Whether or not they have such a deal, I don't think this is the stick either because again, revealing such a deal would incriminate Putin as well. Knowing this, Trump would just break his deal with Putin because being tough on Putin and Russia would play to Trump's political advantage. Trump would just assume that Putin would have no choice but to remain quiet about it.

 

[BoomerD]

1, 3, and 4. Maybe even #2 as well.

This...Poll needs a "choose all that apply" option.

 

[UNCjigga]

I think "willing participant" might be the most accurate. Yes, he's a useful idiot when he applauds Brexit, threatens to blow up NATO, or cancels drills with South Korea. Obviously, he's incapable of admitting that he's not the popular representative of the American people and that Russia (along with Comey/FBI) likely helped seal his election win.

But I don't think "kompromat" is necessary to motivate someone like Trump...I think he'd just be happy to oblige with Russia if there's enough of a financial incentive to do so.

 

[fskimospy]

Yes, I agree with this entirely. As I said above, some sort of financial corruption is about the only thing Putin could have on Trump which could act as real leverage right now. Anything else like a pee tape would incriminate Putin himself. But corrupt financial dealings could be leaked and Putin would deny personal knowledge of them. They most likely would involve one or more oligarchs who are "linked" to Putin, but Putin would just claim it was a private financial deal of which he had been unaware.

Another theory being floated around is that Trump and Putin made a deal involving favorable policy treatment in exchange for election help - the "carrot" theory - but the "stick" is the very fact that they made this deal. Whether or not they have such a deal, I don't think this is the stick either because again, revealing such a deal would incriminate Putin as well. Knowing this, Trump would just break his deal with Putin because being tough on Putin and Russia would play to Trump's political advantage. Trump would just assume that Putin would have no choice but to remain quiet about it.

Yes, I think it's astute to note that many ways in which Trump would be compromised by Russia would cause Russia problems too and that financial information leaks have plausible deniability for Russia in a way a pee tape does not. I don't know what the US reaction would be if it came out conclusively that Russia had been actively blackmailing the president but I think that's one of the few things that might unite both parties on an issue so I think you're right that Putin's pee tape leverage would be limited, unlike his 'you've been a felon for decades' leverage.

 

[woolfe9998]

Yes, I think it's astute to note that many ways in which Trump would be compromised by Russia would cause Russia problems too and that financial information leaks have plausible deniability for Russia in a way a pee tape does not. I don't know what the US reaction would be if it came out conclusively that Russia had been actively blackmailing the president but I think that's one of the few things that might unite both parties on an issue so I think you're right that Putin's pee tape leverage would be limited, unlike his 'you've been a felon for decades' leverage.

Yep. I think it may have something to do with that Trump Tower Moscow deal, the one which was going on right when Trump claimed to have no financial dealings with Russia.

 

[JSt0rm]

I think trump didnt realize what he was doing was so bad. He was and is just an idiot with a lot of money.

 

[shortylickens]

All Of The Above.

 

[hal2kilo]

1,3, and 4
Combo control needs updating for multiple non-exclusive selections.

 

[whm1974]

I think trump didnt realize what he was doing was so bad. He was and is just an idiot with a lot of money.

This would be even worse. Can someone commit Treason without intent?

 

[interchange]

Multiple correct answers are indeed possible. Certainly Trump doesn't like the notion of people believing in the meddling because that may cause people to question of the legitimacy of his winning even in the absence of collusion. But none of this explains why Trump has been so completely unable to criticize Putin at every opportunity. O'Reilly served him a softball question about Putin's murderous ways and he responded with "what about the US?" How does his ego factor in there?

I have to be careful about how far I am willing to chime in here under ethical grounds. But I can say if you are running under a theory that Trump's behavior surrounding Russian election interference and Putin are of narcissistic origin, then his absolute inability to criticize Putin is highly compatible with this model. Narcissists are indeed self-aggrandizing, ego-centric, and exploitative, but this outwardly projected identity is quite fragile. They are intensely jealous and vulnerable to anything that runs counter to the self-important narrative. Because of this, narcissists find people who represent their projected self-image and tie themselves to them. They identify with them deeply. This provides protection against their vulnerability with the logic "so long as X is good, and I am like X, then I am also good." Narcissists are often capable of stretching reality quite far (or even breaking it) to maintain that paradigm. If it cannot be maintained, it is met with narcissistic rage whereby a person attempts to stabilize their own self-worth by destroying the previously valued object.

What doesn't really make sense to me is Trump acting as a covert agent in collusion with Russia. Were that the case, he would not benefit by taking such a favorable stance to Putin in public. Yes, that stance would not be genuine. But we all know how unconcerned Trump is with outright lies.

However, some combination of these explanations (or perhaps others) may still be correct. I think we are in quite dangerous territory if his behavior is purely driven by narcissism. I don't very much like the idea of someone possessing launch codes to the world's second largest nuclear arsenal entering a narcissistic rage toward a person possessing launch codes to the world's largest nuclear arsenal.

 

[dank69]

I don't think it's a pee tape. Putin couldn't release such a tape at this juncture not only because his leverage would evaporate if he does, but because doing so would prove Putin's denials to be a lie and would validate the most scandalous things being said about Russia right now. Putin would incriminate himself as much as Trump. Trump has to know this, meaning such a tape is no leverage at all. It's more likely something financial, something which could be leaked to US journalists and/or law enforcement on the sly, and for which Putin could publicly claim no knowledge. The fact that Trump is so desperate to hide his tax returns and other financial information tends to bolster this theory.

Not to mention nobody would care about a pee tape anyway.

 

[emperus]

As for #4, his inability to criticize Putin started during the election.

 

[ivwshane]

As for #4, his inability to criticize Putin started during the election.

Are you sure about that?
http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0710/15/lkl.01.html

 

[emperus]

Are you sure about that?
http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0710/15/lkl.01.html

My post was inartfully worded. I was saying that it is not his incapability of accepting Russia helped him win the election because his incapability to criticize Russia started before the end of the election. So, I think #4 is a cop out and I generally hear it as a means to defend Trump.

 

[Younigue]

I don't think it's a pee tape. Putin couldn't release such a tape at this juncture not only because his leverage would evaporate if he does, but because doing so would prove Putin's denials to be a lie and would validate the most scandalous things being said about Russia right now. Putin would incriminate himself as much as Trump. Trump has to know this, meaning such a tape is no leverage at all. It's more likely something financial, something which could be leaked to US journalists and/or law enforcement on the sly, and for which Putin could publicly claim no knowledge. The fact that Trump is so desperate to hide his tax returns and other financial information tends to bolster this theory.

I agree. It would have little impact any way. The majority of people couldn't give a shit about the pee tape they just hope they're never subjected to seeing it. His base... Conservative, religious and backward fu*ks have already done the mental acrobats to accept it fully if it does exist.

So, with all the hacking that's been going on how is it even possible he has managed to keep his financials/taxes a secret? I've always been curious about that. That's not to say I support his privacy being infringed upon but still, seems like some opportunistic hacker would have accomplished this by now.

 

[Dulanic]

I meant wouldn't! The justice department has my full faith! LOL Does anyone truly believe his bullshit? Well I know some will.

 

[fskimospy]

I agree. It would have little impact any way. The majority of people couldn't give a shit about the pee tape they just hope they're never subjected to seeing it. His base... Conservative, religious and backward fu*ks have already done the mental acrobats to accept it fully if it does exist.

Psssh, assuming Trump can actually be seen/heard in it I would 100% watch that.

So, with all the hacking that's been going on how is it even possible he had managed to keep his financial/taxes a secret? I've always been curious about that. That's not to say I support his privacy being infringed upon but still, seems like some opportunistic hacker would have accomplished this by now.

I'm a bit surprised that they haven't come out too. He must have them in some Terminator 2 style vault or something.

 

[dank69]

Psssh, assuming Trump can actually be seen/heard in it I would 100% watch that.



I'm a bit surprised that they haven't come out too. He must have them in some Terminator 2 style vault or something.

He has the entire Russian government making sure the info does not come out.

 

[fskimospy]

I meant wouldn't! The justice department has my full faith! LOL Does anyone truly believe his bullshit? Well I know some will.

Even better - right after saying he meant 'wouldn't' and that he accepted the intelligence community's conclusion that it was Russia he followed it up with "could be other people also, a lot of people out there". ie: I don't accept the intelligence community's conclusion.

L O Fucking L. He couldn't even make it all the way through his obvious lie attempting to walk back his previous comments without basically saying them again.

 

[Younigue]

Psssh, assuming Trump can actually be seen/heard in it I would 100% watch that.



I'm a bit surprised that they haven't come out too. He must have them in some Terminator 2 style vault or something.

Ick! I have zero desire to see it.

It still seems like someone should be able to get their hands on them.

 

[interchange]

My post was inartfully worded. I was saying that it is not his incapability of accepting Russia helped him win the election because his incapability to criticize Russia started before the end of the election. So, I think #4 is a cop out and I generally hear it as a means to defend Trump.

Defense? That's possibly the worst scenario.

Anyway, that logic doesn't hold up. If Trump admires Putin for the sake of stabilizing his identity, that is consistent with his attitude toward him in the absence of election interference.

 

[JSt0rm]

This would be even worse. Can someone commit Treason without intent?

sure they can.

 

[nickqt]

Strongman Trump and Family has been getting financed by Russian banks and the oligarchs who own those banks for decades.

Russian banks and oligarchs have, in any objective, observable reality, laundered money through their holdings overseas, including Strongman Trump's "properties".

Strongman Trump knows this, and is attempting to poison the well in regards to anything that comes out. Full stop.

The re-programmable meatbags, though, will never stop believing in Strongman Trump, and his rightful authority. They are right-wing authoritarians, and the ones who play dress-up as Christians are just Mammonites worshiping Mammon dressed up as Christ.

The Republican party has ceased to be a political party as much as it is a cult, for the base (most of the representatives are just grifters, not true-believers). Those 63 million voters will definitely be out in droves to re-elect their rightful Strongman authority figure in 2020. They've been trained by their thought leaders to ignore or forget anything that isn't politically convenient, and anything that isn't broadcast by an approved source is automatically FakeNews™.

The only way to decrease the damage being done is to vote for the Democratic party, as corrupt and typically useless as it is, because while it is corrupt and useless like just about any other political party, it isn't batshit insane, and doesn't have the 100% support of right-wing authoritarian cultists.

Vote accordingly.

 

[Maxima1]

I think trump didnt realize what he was doing was so bad. He was and is just an idiot with a lot of money.

Ah, but he has never been held accountable, so he expects no punishment.