Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Thanks to your bullshit, we are now under siege.

All your base are belong to Tunch.

I really should read my own blog.

Incompetence, fear, or corruption? why not all three?

Optimism opens the door to great things.

Speaking of republicans, is there a way for a political party to declare intellectual bankruptcy?

You can’t love your country only when you win.

“More of this”, i said to the dog.

Accountability, motherfuckers.

fuckem (in honor of the late great efgoldman)

If you’re pissed about Biden’s speech, he was talking about you.

Not all heroes wear capes.

The words do not have to be perfect.

That’s my take and I am available for criticism at this time.

Never entrust democracy to any process that requires republicans to act in good faith.

We’ve had enough carrots to last a lifetime. break out the sticks.

The cruelty is the point; the law be damned.

rich, arrogant assholes who equate luck with genius

So it was an October Surprise A Day, like an Advent calendar but for crime.

Make the republican party small enough to drown in a bathtub.

The willow is too close to the house.

Insiders who complain to politico: please report to the white house office of shut the fuck up.

The next time the wall wtreet journal editorial board speaks the truth will be the first.

The party of Reagan has become the party of Putin.

You are here: Home / Politics / Trumpery / Dolt 45 / Back Door Man

Back Door Man

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After his much-publicized, two-and a quarter-hour meeting early this month with Russian President Vladi­mir Putin at the Group of 20 summit in Germany, President Trump met informally with the Russian leader for an additional hour later the same day.

The second meeting, unreported at the time, took place at a dinner for G-20 leaders, a senior administration official said. Halfway through the meal, Trump left his own seat to occupy a chair next to Putin. Trump was alone, and Putin was attended only by his official interpreter.

The encounter underscores the extent to which Trump was eager throughout the summit to cultivate a friendship with Putin. During last year’s campaign, Trump spoke admiringly of Putin and at times seemed captivated by him.

Meeting each other face-to-face for the first time in Hamburg, the two presidents seemed to have a chemistry in their more formal bilateral session, evidenced by the fact that it dragged on for more than two hours.

***

The administration official spoke on condition of anonymity to confirm the session, first reported Monday by Ian Bremmer, president of the New York-based Eurasia Group, in a newsletter to group clients. Bremmer said in a telephone interview that he was told by two participants who witnessed it at the dinner, which was attended only by leaders attending the summit and some of their spouses.

Rogue president.

Reader Interactions

198Comments

  5. 5.

    Izabela

    I’m thinking this can only speed up leaks out of the intelligence community about what they know, because there seems no way that any thinking member of the community can stand to see an obviously compromised and possibly incompetent president go on like this.

  6. 6.

    Bobby Thomson

    At least we’ll get a hard test of whether Cleek’s Law applies to national sovereignty.

  9. 9.

    japa21

    which was attended only by leaders attending the summit and some of their spouses.

    Which explains why the two of them were together.

  11. 11.

    jl

    @Baud: I’m concerned that the Trump administration is co-opting the core Baud messages. You asleep, or more likely, passed-out, at the wheel again?

    Josh Marshall’s twitter says that Fox News is running the chyron: ‘Trump: eventually we’ll get something done’.

    Is the Baud campaign gong to sit there and do nothing until they steal “We still have time to mess this up’?

  13. 13.

    Quinerly

    Phillip Rucker of WAPO said his sources described the discussion between Putin and Trump as “animated.” The other leaders in attendance witnessing the meeting were “befuddled.”

  17. 17.

    TenguPhule

    @Baud:

    Maybe Alaskans shouldn’t have stopped worrying.

    Judging by their elected officials and crime statistics, Alaskans will fit right in with the Kremlin as birds of a feather.

  25. 25.

    p.a.

    Weren’t talking policy. Were talking process; how much harder Donnie has it corrupting an established democracy than Vlad had with a nascent one. Once the form is in place, the policy takes care of itself.

  27. 27.

    TenguPhule

    @Bobby Thomson:

    At least we’ll get a hard test of whether Cleek’s Law applies to national sovereignty.

    I was told there would be no education on this blog.

  28. 28.

    Mnemosyne

    @rikyrah:

    I’m peeved at some jackass at Lawfare who’s been wringing his hands about how horrible and evil leaks are and how they’re going to be the downfall of the IC. Has he been paying any attention to current events? In what universe is leaking information about treason worse than actually committing treason?

  29. 29.

    WaterGirl

    @Mike in NC: I would like to be able to roll my eyes and say you have gone to far. I would like to be able to do that, but I can’t.

  30. 30.

    raven

    Well, he got one thing right:

    Steve Bannon reportedly called House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) “a limp-dick motherfucker who was born in a petri dish at the Heritage Foundation,” referring to the think tank whose fiscal conservative policies the representative espouses.

  32. 32.

    jl

    By this time, should be obvious that Trump wants to do big favors for Russia, with nothing in return. We just don’t know the exact arrangements and planning of it, or maybe Trump is just the most gigantic fool imaginable and none were really needed.
    That should have been obvious since reports that one of the first things he tried to do was, quietly start getting sanctions lifted in return for exactly nothing at all, but the sinister Deep State bureaucracy stopped him.

    So, not sure how this news adds any new angle to the mess.

  34. 34.

    TenguPhule

    @Mnemosyne:

    I’m peeved at some jackass at Lawfare who’s been wringing his hands about how horrible and evil leaks are and how they’re going to be the downfall of the IC. Has he been paying any attention to current events? In what universe is leaking information about treason worse than actually committing treason?

    When I am president for life, Lawfare idiots will be legitimate drone targets. Among others.

  40. 40.

    jl

    We already knew that the Trumpsters have wanted quiet and confidential chit-chats with their Russian BFFs for a very long time.
    They certainly have flunkies like Farage and Assaunge who are eager to be go betweens.

  41. 41.

    Baud

    @lamh36:

    There was no ‘second meeting’ between President Trump and President Putin, just a brief conversation at the end of a dinner.”

    It was NOT a date. Just friends having a nice dinner together.

  42. 42.

    jl

    @?BillinGlendaleCA: Trumps is holding his sixth 2020 re-election campaign rally soon. But Baud was supposed to come around and buy the old gang some beers at the QuickStop last week, but he never showed. Baud is ignoring his base again.

  45. 45.

    jl

    @Baud: Damn, you are right. Trump firmly put Putin in the ‘friend-zone’. Putin’s on notice and won’t try anything fresh now. Glad we have such a clever president.

  50. 50.

    Mike in NC

    Per NY Times, no official US Goverment record of this meeting exists, which every Republican in Congress will find an excuse for.

  51. 51.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    Abby D. Phillip‏Verified account @ abbydphillip 2h2 hours ago
    I was pooler that night. Putin’s motorcade left the dinner at 11:50 pm. Trump’s at 11:54 pm. They were among the last two leaders to depart.

  52. 52.

    TenguPhule

    @Mike in NC:

    Per NY Times, no official US Goverment record of this meeting exists, which every Republican in Congress will find an excuse for.

    “Good luck showing us proof of treason when we work so hard to make sure there isn’t any to find of it!”

    Mark my words, this is gonna end in tumbrels.

  58. 58.

    TenguPhule

    @raven:

    “a limp-dick motherfucker who was born in a petri dish at the Heritage Foundation,”

    Paul Ryan objects to that last one, he was not born in a petri dish.

  61. 61.

    Captain C

    @Mustang Bobby:

    “So, Vlad, what do you think of my daughter?”

    “Она милая.”

    “She’s yours for $500 and the mid-terms.”

    “But only if you let me nail her first.

  62. 62.

    Mike in NC

    Holy shit, now White House denies meeting ever took place.

    Hey, these Trump guys sure enjoy their meetings. Most places I worked at had meetings the employees would seek to avoid.

  68. 68.

    MomSense

    @TenguPhule:

    They’re assholes but Wittes has broken a few stories thanks to his association with Comey so I’ve added him to my watchlist. He had an article the other night about the first of presumably many cases by people who were exposed by wikileaks.

  70. 70.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    Ari Melber just now, quoting WaPo: Trump was alone, Putin had his personal interpreter
    ETA: Trump brought his Japanese interpreter to the dinner. Kind of surprised, on a non-trump specific way, that they don’t bring a whole passel of interpreters to prepare for impromptu conversations.

  73. 73.

    Mnemosyne

    @?BillinGlendaleCA:

    I was about to take offense to that, but I saw the article, too. Ho-lee crap.

    (Short version for the non-locals: the head of USC’s School of Medicine is on video using drugs, including meth. This all came out when someone at one of his parties OD’d and somebody tipped off the LA Times after Pasadena PD hushed it up.)

  75. 75.

    TriassicSands

    Putin and Trump were discussing plans for an upcoming reality TV show — “Celebrity Apprentice Dictator.” Vlad and Don will co-host.

  77. 77.

    Mnemosyne

    @Mnemosyne:

    Also, a sick joke that just occurred to me: the woman who OD’d at the party survived, so it’s probably better to overdose in a room full of doctors than in a room full of less educated addicts.

  79. 79.

    MomSense

    @raven:
    Just read about his early life and cried for him. Added so much to my appreciation of him and his music.

  82. 82.

    dmsilev

    @Mnemosyne: As of this morning, the dean is “on leave” and “no longer seeing patients”. Can’t you imagine being one of his schedulers, calling up patients to say “yes, we’re going to have to reschedule that eye surgery of yours. The doctor is having a bit of a hookers-and-meth problem right now”.

  85. 85.

    nightranger

    Unbelievable how far Putin has his c 0 ck shoved down shtgibbons throat.

    The orange fart sack has such hard on for that guy. I don’t think Putin has anything on him other than a sheit load of his debt. I think maybe a lot of the Russian oligarchs buy is tacky condos as well. Some of it probably money laundering. It’s gotta be about the money and I don’t believe for one second that it’s all clean money either.

    I don’t believe in any pee tapes and even if there are I doubt we will ever see them.

  86. 86.

    Roger Moore

    @jl:

    By this time, should be obvious that Trump wants to do big favors for Russia, with nothing in return.

    I don’t think these are being done for nothing. It’s just the something is going to Trump, not to the country as a whole.

  87. 87.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    ABC News Politics‏Verified account @ ABCPolitics 5h5 hours ago
    NEW: Special counsel Mueller clears Senate Judiciary Committee to interview Trump Jr., Manafort in public session, Sen. Feinstein says.

    Is Fredo smart enough to take the Fifth?

  89. 89.

    Redshift

    @jl:

    That should have been obvious since reports that one of the first things he tried to do was, quietly start getting sanctions lifted in return for exactly nothing at all, but the sinister Deep State bureaucracy stopped him.

    And how he keeps trying to return the compounds they were kicked out of in return for nothing, just to help with “improved relations.”

  90. 90.

    Mnemosyne

    @dmsilev:

    Even worse, imagine being one of his recent patients. I would be getting a re-check by a non-methhead eye surgeon, stat.

  98. 98.

    Roger Moore

    @Mnemosyne:

    Also, a sick joke that just occurred to me: the woman who OD’d at the party survived, so it’s probably better to overdose in a room full of doctors than in a room full of less educated addicts.

    OTOH, it doesn’t sound as if the doctor involved did much to help her. Somebody called 911, but it sounds as if the doctor was far more interested in making sure he wasn’t on the scene when authorities arrived than in saving the woman’s life.

  103. 103.

    JMG

    Chris can’t let Bernie go. Ever. Dude’s likely to die in Chris’s green room. Hayes is just one of those leftists who can’t deal with the fact racism not economics is why Trump won and why the WWC is Republican. Can’t admit that the oppressed can be and are just as miserable humans as their oppressors. Not a history buff, I guess.

  104. 104.

    Roger Moore

    @eclare:

    Hasn’t the favor already been done?

    A favor has already been done, but there are always more favors to ask, like 2018 and 2020. Maybe making some inconvenient witnesses and investigators disappear, stuff like that.

  107. 107.

    gene108

    @jl:

    By this time, should be obvious that Trump wants to do big favors for Russia, with nothing in return.

    I disagree. I think the Trump Organization getting some hotels in Moscow, maybe getting a stake in Exxon’s drilling agreement with Russian oil and gas companies, and some future deals to be named later is getting a lot in return for lifting sanctions.

  108. 108.

    MomSense

    @raven:

    How many more years is probably my favorite of his. It’s hard to pick one, though. I listen to him all the time.

  110. 110.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    @Gravenstone: @Jim, Foolish Literalist: Probably not. But you gotta think his counsel is.

    scene: Lawyer leans over to whisper something to Fredo, Fredo gives him the hand: “No, Dude, I totally got this one”

  113. 113.

    Quinerly

    @Baud:
    Actually wasn’t a bad interview. Not the tongue bath that Hayes gives what seems like twice a week.

  114. 114.

    TenguPhule

    Washington Post Autopsy of how Trumpcare died in Senate. Worth a look.

    Pence arrived at the National Governors Association summer meeting with one mission: to revive support for the flagging Republican plan to rewrite the nation’s health-care laws.

    He failed.

    Instead of rousing cheers on the waterfront in Providence, R.I., Pence was greeted with an icy air of skepticism Friday as he pitched the legislation, which would reduce federal Medicaid funding and phase out coverage in dozens of states.

    By Monday evening, when Trump and Pence gathered a cluster of GOP senators in the Blue Room of the White House over plates of lemon ricotta agnolotti and grilled rib-eye steak, the measure was all but dead.

    They’re dangerous idiots. But still idiots.

  115. 115.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @Jim, Foolish Literalist:

    Abby D. Phillip‏Verified account @ abbydphillip 2h2 hours ago
    I was pooler that night. Putin’s motorcade left the dinner at 11:50 pm. Trump’s at 11:54 pm. They were among the last two leaders to depart.

    T: You say goodnight first.
    P: No, you say goodnight first.
    T: No, you.
    P: No, you.
    T: No, you go first.
    P: No, you go first.

    (Long silence)

    T: Let’s say goodnight together and then hang up.
    P: Okay, let’s say goodnight together.

    (Pause)

    T: I mean it now. One, two, three….
    P: Are you still there? Hahahahaha! You didn’t hang up!
    T: Okay, but this time for real. One, two, three….

    (Long pause)

    T: Are you still there?

  116. 116.

    Baud

    @Quinerly: Agreed. He seems to be taking lessons.

    Did you catch that thing where he said they knew the email leaks were the Russians at the time they happened? That was weird.

  121. 121.

    Mnemosyne

    @Roger Moore:

    I was assuming there were other doctors — or at least medical students — at the same party who helped her. I know that Puliafito made tracks to get away from her and the situation as fast as he could.

  123. 123.

    Quinerly

    @Baud:
    BS was a bit flustered. It wasn’t the interview he expected. I loathe BS so much that I leave the room when he invades my space (plus Poco was trying to choose between two bandanas for tomorrow’s trip; needed assistance ?). I only caught the end about DWS and DNC emails. Seemed to me that BS was caught off guard.

  125. 125.

    MomSense

    Now that I think about it, I should probably hit up some wealthy Russians for money.

    That idea just popped in my head without any communication or coordination with the candidate of course.

  128. 128.

    Mnemosyne

    @WaterGirl:

    I find it hard to believe they won’t be under oath. Not impossible to believe, but difficult.

    I really hope the Democrats let Kamala Harris lead the questioning, just for the YouTube clips of her dismembering that little dweeb.

  130. 130.

    InternetDragons

    Everyone: 2016 can fuck right off.
    2017: Hold my beer.

    (with credit and appreciation to a redditor)

  131. 131.

    Yarrow

    @jl:

    By this time, should be obvious that Trump wants to do big favors for Russia, with nothing in return.

    You’re looking at this backwards. Russian oligarchs have financed Trump since the 1990’s. He’s in debt to them for that and they have a shit ton of dirt on him. He is not doing favors for Russia; he’s paying them back for everything they’ve done for him. And he’s being as nice as he can in hopes they won’t release all the dirt they have on him.

  136. 136.

    Quinerly

    @Baud:
    You need to know this kind of stuff. All the players. All the shows. “All of them, Katie.” What kind of campaign has Poco hitched his pinch collar to?

  139. 139.

    ArchTeryx

    @Baud: It’s simple. They’re all alien horrors masquerading as people. Scratch a bit beneath the surface, and the claws and fangs come out. See how easy that is, and I get paid about 1/1000ths what the hosts of that show get paid!

  142. 142.

    catclub

    @BruceFromOhio:

    Where are all those ‘tree of freedom needs blood’ guys when you need them?

    Well, the quote is the tree of Liberty needs the blood of patriots, so Trump is not at risk.

  144. 144.

    Frankensteinbeck

    @TenguPhule:
    Okay, I read it all. That article was fascinating, as much in what it didn’t say as what it did. While providing facts about things that went on behind the scenes, it scrupulously avoided any implication that anybody involved does not respect anyone else. I was particularly impressed by how they managed that when quoting a senator as saying the meeting with Trump mostly involved Trump talking about his visit to France.

  146. 146.

    schrodingers_cat

    @Baud: Seems to be an eternally fascinating subject for the mediabots. No one bothers to interview people like us who are horrified by the norm breaking of T and company. I had many R friends during W’s admin but now I just can’t take people who voted for T and are still making excuses for him seriously.

  149. 149.

    TenguPhule

    @catclub:

    Well, the quote is the tree of Liberty needs the blood of patriots, so Trump is not at risk.

    The tree is not picky and deserves some new types of blood. Cowards and Traitors come to mind.

  150. 150.

    TenguPhule

    @Frankensteinbeck:

    I was particularly impressed by how they managed that when quoting a senator as saying the meeting with Trump mostly involved Trump talking about his visit to France.

    You noticed that too?

  151. 151.

    dww44

    @Quinerly: I also like him as does the SO. The latter’s approval of a cable news pundit is a rarity. Ari should feel honored.

  152. 152.

    Steeplejack

    God, Trump really is under some weird gypsy curse of being fated to live out in real life all the tweets he has written. Ari Melber just ran a clip of Trump disavowing the health-care vote failure and then showed this Trump tweet from September 26, 2012:

    Obama’s complaints about Republicans stopping his agenda are BS since he had full control for two years. He can never take responsibility.

  157. 157.

    MomSense

    @TenguPhule:

    Lemon ricotta agnolotti sounds like one of those intimidating elitist menu items Brooks warned about. If only Dense and Rump had served taco bowls they could have achieved their legislative success.

  159. 159.

    different-church-lady

    At this point I’m not going to be surprised when the pee tape shows Putin peeing on Trump.

  161. 161.

    Frankensteinbeck

    @BruceFromOhio:

    Where are all those ‘tree of freedom needs blood’ guys when you need them?

    Occupying wildlife refuges. The document the ‘blood of patriots’ line is taken from is brutally sarcastic mockery of the mini-rebellions, particularly the Whiskey Rebellion, faced by the newborn United States. The general thrust of the piece is that every nation deals with regular rebellions, and America must be doing pretty damn good if our rebels are such weenies. The Founding Fathers considered snark to be a championship sport.

  162. 162.

    raven

    @NotMax:
    If we kill more Frenchmen, we win.

    If they kill more Russians, they win.

    What do we win?

    What do we win, Private?

    Imagine your loved ones

    conquered by Napoleon

    and forced to live under French rule.

    Do you want them to eat

    that rich food and those heavy sauces?

    No.
    Do you want them to have
    soufflé every meal and croissant?

    No.

  164. 164.

    WaterGirl

    @MomSense: apparently those are pasta squares like small ravioli. So… little ravioli squares with ricotta (pretty standard) but the lemon must be some kind of lemon butter sauce. (just guessing) That’s still elitist for the ManBaby, but I bet he got his ribeye well done and with ketchup.

  165. 165.

    Chris

    @TenguPhule:

    It’s not that. He simply thinks he’s untouchable. That whatever he’s caught doing, his pals in Congress will cover for him and his voters will excuse and handwave it. So far, he’s not been wrong.

  166. 166.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @MomSense:

    Lemon ricotta agnolotti sounds like one of those intimidating elitist menu items Brooks warned about. If only I had graduated from high school

  167. 167.

    Quinerly

    @different-church-lady:
    You are truly a different sort of church lady, aren’t you? I’m pretty sure Trump is jacking off with his tiny hand while that’s going down. It would be irresponsible not to speculate.

  168. 168.

    WaterGirl

    @Patricia Kayden: I’m with Tom. It’s perfect. No aides there, no record of what was said, you feign complete innocence and say “we were talking in front of everyone”, even if no one else was close enough to hear.

  172. 172.

    TenguPhule

    @Chris:

    He simply thinks he’s untouchable. That whatever he’s caught doing, his pals in Congress will cover for him and his voters will excuse and handwave it.

    Which makes him particularly stupid.

    Flaunting that you’re exempt from legal remedies inevitably invites attention from the other kind.

    And throwing the Secret Service under the Russia Bus at the same time is just icing on the moron cake.

  175. 175.

    TenguPhule

    @AxelFoley:

    It was NOT sex. Just friends rubbing their genitals together.

    “Penetration did not occur. And even if it did occur its not gay as long as our balls didn’t touch.”

  177. 177.

    Quinerly

    @Frankensteinbeck: I truly believe luck does run out. It’s going to take a little time, but I’m convinced that Trump will not last…he won’t finish his term.

  178. 178.

    different-church-lady

    @Quinerly:

    Phillip Rucker of WAPO said his sources described the discussion between Putin and Trump as “animated.”

    TRUMP: “Vlad! How the hell are ya?”
    PUTIN: “What the fuck are you doing, you idiot?”
    T: “Saying hello to the big guy!”
    P: “You don’t know me. You don’t fuckin’ know me, do you understand?”
    T: “Sure thing! Never met you! Hey, those teenage girls from Minsk you sent over? Hubba hubba!”
    P: “WALK AWAY, YOU DOPE!”

  179. 179.

    TenguPhule

    Are you fucking shitting me?! These police officers are fucking pussies!! /Pardon my French

    Investigators probing the death of an Australian woman who was fatally shot by Minneapolis police officers over the weekend said Tuesday that the officers were “startled by a loud sound” near their patrol car right before the shooting.

    The two officers were driving through an alley near the home of Justine Damond, 40, after she called 911 late Saturday to report a possible assault, according to the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA), the state agency investigating the shooting. The officer who was driving the patrol car told investigators that right after the loud noise, Damond approached the car on his side. The officer who was in the passenger seat then fatally shot Damond through the driver’s side window, according to investigators.

    I didn’t know base cowardice was now a mandatory requirement to become a cop today.

  181. 181.

    Quinerly

    @WaterGirl:
    Ian Bremmer just said on Rachel’s show that more than likely Putin’s translator would have a tape of the conversation.

  185. 185.

    TenguPhule

    @Frankensteinbeck:

    I generally take heart from the reports of those who were there for Watergate, and who say that the GOP solidly defended and protected Nixon… until suddenly they didn’t.

    Of course last time the entire Republican party wasn’t equally guilty of treason.

  186. 186.

    WaterGirl

    @TenguPhule: Possible sexual assault? By all means, shoot the woman. Who is outside in her pajamas. Walking up to your car with no weapon.

  187. 187.

    Quinerly

    @Frankensteinbeck:
    You and me both. I was around during Watergate. My parents hated Nixon and we followed it closely. Grew up in NC….Sen Sam Ervin (NC) seemed like he was a permanent fixture in our home.

  192. 192.

    J R in WV

    I got to watch the Saturday Night Massacre come over the news-wires all night into Sunday morning. It was being there as the world changed.

    At the end, when we left the newspaper wire room to go home to bed, around 3 am, we knew Nixon was screwed. He had fucked up in front of the world, and there was no recovery available.

  193. 193.

    Lizzy L

    When I saw the story about the Trump-Putin private meeting today, the little chyron in my brain flashed WTF in all caps.

    I am sure there will be more WTF moments.

  195. 195.

    vhh

    @Tom Levenson: Back in the last century, I sometimes served as a Russian-English interpreter at scientific meetings and intergovernment negotiations about projects in my field (physics). [BTW, Tom–I learned Russian at MIT in the 1970s, and then used it a lot in my work. Back then, MIT had one of the most practical Russian programs in the US, alas now long gone along with many other university Russian programs]. For REALLY serious war-and-peace level negotiations, each side need its own interpreter, who translates into his/her native language. An American executive who goes to such a meeting depending on a Russian interpreter working for the Russian side is taking a butter knife to a gunfight, even more so when the Russian principal has some English (as Putin does). For Trump to run such a high stakes risk, he has to be (a) a total idiot at deal making, (b) have something serious to hide from American ears, or (c) both of the above.

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