Several witnesses told Jack Smith's team that they routinely saw classified documents in Trump's White House residence, and that Trump would sometimes store as many as 30 boxes in his bedroom, which one valet said Trump treated "like a junk drawer." https://t.co/f0TNq2SVV5
— Citizens for Ethics (@CREWcrew) April 27, 2024
Nothing in this article is new, but it’s a damning narrative about someone who should never have been given the chance to sell out his country… and who should absolutely not get the chance to do it again. It deserves wider circulation. From ABC News, “‘So appalled’: What witnesses told special counsel about Trump’s handling of classified info while still president”:
In the summer of 2019, only hours after an Iranian rocket accidentally exploded at one of Iran’s own launch sites, senior U.S. officials met with then-President Donald Trump and shared a sharply detailed, highly classified image of the blast’s catastrophic aftermath.
The image was captured by a U.S. satellite whose true capabilities were a tightly guarded secret. But Trump wanted to share it with the world — he thought it was especially “sexy” because it was marked classified, one of his former advisers later recalled to special counsel Jack Smith’s investigators, according to sources familiar with the former adviser’s statements.
Worried that the image becoming public could hurt national security efforts, intelligence officials urged Trump to hold off until more knowledgeable experts were able to weigh in, the sources said. But less than an hour later, while at least one of those intelligence officials was in another building scrambling to get more information, Trump posted the image to Twitter…
The public pushback to Trump’s post was immediate: Intelligence experts and even international media questioned whether U.S. interests had just been endangered by what Trump did. When pressed about it at the White House, Trump insisted he hadn’t released classified information because he had an “absolute right to do” it.
While much of Smith’s sprawling classified documents investigation has focused on how Trump handled classified materials after leaving the White House, a wide array of former aides and advisers — including personal valets, press assistants, senior national security officials, and even Trump’s briefers from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence — have provided Smith with firsthand accounts about how Trump allegedly handled and used intelligence while still in office…
In interviews with investigators last year, former aides and national security officials who were close to Trump in the White House described a president who could erupt in anger when presented with intelligence he didn’t want to hear, who routinely reviewed and stored classified information in unsecured locations, and who had what some former officials described as “a cavalier attitude” toward the damage that could be done by its disclosure, according to sources.
A book published on the CIA’s website, describing the intelligence community’s experience with Trump during his transition to the presidency and then his time in the White House, said that while Trump was “suspicious and insecure about the intelligence process,” he still “engaged with it,” even as he publicly attacked it.
The book also noted that Trump was “unique” among presidents in that, before taking over the White House, “he had no experience handling classified information or working with military, diplomatic, or intelligence programs and operations.”…
As he has done in public, Trump often privately disagreed with conclusions reached by the U.S. intelligence community, especially related to Russia and Ukraine, choosing instead to rely on unverified claims from other people, sources said that Smith’s investigators were told.
And sources said former aides confirmed to Smith’s investigators previous media reports that Trump almost never read the President’s Daily Brief, a report summarizing classified intelligence and analysis on the day’s most pressing issues.
Trump preferred to receive such summaries verbally, according to sources…
As some former officials described it to Smith’s investigators, discussing the latest intelligence with Trump could be an unpredictable task, sources said.
At times he would become so upset over what senior national security or intelligence officials were telling him that it would derail entire meetings, according to sources familiar with what witnesses told investigators.
In one series of meetings, ahead of an international summit in Europe, Trump met with then-CIA director Gina Haspel, then-Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin and others to help plan for the summit. But when Trump was told positive things about one of the people he would likely meet at the summit, Trump “lost it,” insisting that he didn’t care, then he “lost it” again when he was being updated on a tax-related negotiation involving Mnuchin, sources said.
The sources said Trump then pitted one of his top aides against Mnuchin in front of everyone else, escalating the tension so much that it reminded one of those present of the movie “The Hunger Games,” with its dystopian death match broadcast live on national TV…
Sources said that, as one former official described it to Smith’s team, Trump’s posting of the image from Iran’s failed rocket launch revealed how the then-president “just didn’t care” about protecting classified information.
In 2021, Yahoo! News described how, during his briefing with intelligence officials, Trump thought the image “was very neat, and asked if he could keep it,” which made some of the intelligence officials nervous, according to an administration official. But that news report didn’t offer the same detailed account provided to Smith by witnesses last year.
Sources told ABC News that while speaking with Smith’s team, former aides and officials said Trump was specifically warned at the time that while he had the authority to declassify the image of Iran’s botched launch, there were also potential risks associated with doing that.
Trump initially agreed to wait while intelligence officials were then consulted, sources said, but the intelligence officials apparently took too long; about an hour later, Trump posted the image online.
“I was so appalled,” one former national security official told Smith’s team, according to the sources.
The former official noted that Trump may have believed it wasn’t a big deal — but only an expert would know if releasing such classified information could reveal “how we got it” it and whether it could “compromise our ability to get [it] in the future,” the former official explained to Smith’s team, according to the sources.
NutmegAgain
ZOMG. I knew it was bad, but-. It seems the greasy orange toddler treated anything marked “secret” translated in his tiny brain into, “extra speshul just for me” . Dotard, indeed
Hoppie
Bought and paid for Russian asset. It is obvious to everyone but the MSM. WTF
(Ms Hoppie has a pill case with four of the letters erased, so only the third through sixth days are still there. Very amusing.)
Scout211
That was a really good article. The only thing that would have made it better is if ABC could have named the witnesses.
And this quote highlights one of the many reasons why celebrities and business people should not be elected president.
Baud
@Scout211: “we don’t need another politician.”
dr. bloor
Loose Cannon clearly isn’t interested in looking at the evidence, and seems quite invested in making sure no one else does. Let’s see if trying him in public moves the needle.
RevRick
Today was a poignant day for my wife and I as the church I served for 27 years from 1988 to 2015 held its final service. They had a catered luncheon after and we enjoyed great conversation with folks who had been a huge part of our lives.
As part of the celebration a symbolic key was handed over to the local borough manager which will maintain it as a community space for the Senior Citizens center and the local food pantry. In addition, the borough hopes to secure funding through the American Rescue Plan to thoroughly update the facility. There ambition is to redo the parking lot, install central air conditioning in the entire building, redo the kitchen attached to the social hall, and construct a cabaret/music venue in the basement with a new kitchen and bathrooms.
From 2002 until 2020, St. John’s UCC, Coopersburg raised over $1,000,000 to assist 61 families struggling financially due to medical conditions. Its legacy lives on.
Baud
@RevRick:
Bittersweet. If your comments here are any indication, they were lucky to have you.
Trivia Man
@RevRick: A community treasure, glad there’s efforts to keep up the good works.
japa21
@RevRick: Truly bittersweet. I am assuming that membership has dropped significantly over the past couple decades.
Rusty
And this guy is leading in the polls. We have met the enemy and he is us.
japa21
@Baud: As we, also, are lucky to have him here.
zhena gogolia
@RevRick: I’m so sorry.
AM in NC
@RevRick: UCC – actual Christians, not judgmental jerks trying to control other people’s lives.
Sounds like you fostered a wonderful community, and have a lot to be proud of!
dr. bloor
@RevRick: Thanks from an old atheist for your love, commitment, and service to others.
David 🏀Caitlin Clark🏀 Koch
Wow, this is bad. It almost rises to the level of emails on gefilte fish.
Harrison Wesley
What’s the big deal with the Iran missile pic? He had the authority to de-classify it, and even if he didn’t USSC wouldn’t allow him to be prosecuted. I am mos def looking forward to another four years of the Toddler Tyrant.
Jay
https://abcnews.go.com/US/coat-hanger-unlock-mar-lago-storage-room-trump/story?id=109716197
So, your basic bathroom privacy lock,……
Quinerly
@Baud: “we need a business man to run the country.”
Quinerly
@Jay: lIke when a child locks himself in a bathroom at home.
Rusty
@RevRick: This is the fate of so many mainstream churches. A hard ending but a beautiful legacy. I’m a member of our local UCC church and I’ve applied to seminary with an intention to eventuallybe ordained. Fingers crossed I start taking evening in a few weeks. Objectively it’s madness to start seminary in my late 50’s, and at a time where attendance and church finances are sinking.
Harrison Wesley
@RevRick: The community might also be able to access some funding through Partners for Sacred Places.
RevRick
@japa21: Yes, they were down to 25 in worship on a Sunday and no longer able to support even a part-time pastor, let alone maintain a 133 year-old building. They were a marginal congregation when I started.
RevRick
@Baud:
@japa21: Thank you for your kind affirmations.
japa21
@Rusty: I’ve mentioned before that I did enter a UCC seminary in my youth. I probably would have benefited by being out in the world more. I wish you the best. Doing it at your age is probably indicative of a strong calling.
zhena gogolia
@Rusty: UCC represent!
bbleh
Oh FFS you might as well trust a 6-year-old with a flamethrower. “I didn’t do it!” he said, with the pieces of the cookie jar scattered all around him. “Those are MY cookies! I had a RIGHT!”
HE HAS A SERIOUS PSYCHOLOGICAL DISORDER. That alone ought to be enough to disqualify him from seeing anything sensitive, much less from being in a high elective office.
Alas that his behavior resonates with very many similarly emotionally underdeveloped voters …
NotMax
@Quinerly
As said here quite a while ago, you just know they assigned some flunky to go to the nearest dollar store and buy the cheapest lock in the place.
JPL
@RevRick: Your such a good person and I always appreciate your words of wisdom. thank you
RevRick
@Rusty: I was among the last of the men go from college to seminary model and become pastors in their mid 20s. By far and away, women and second career folk now dominate.
My mom and uncle, both active church members and lay leaders, thought I was nuts to enter the ministry, forgoing a career in chemistry.
JPL
The democrats sat back and let trump reinvent himself. He didn’t build the wall. He didn’t cut taxes for anyone except his friends. He certainly didn’t promote democracy. Those are all things his cult fans think he did. We have to blame ourselves.
Now on a brighter note, polls are meaningless now. I still think Biden wins.
Jay
@NotMax:
The doc’s were kept in a basement, public bathroom, toilet, sink and vanity, tub and shower,
so it was just a standard bathroom “privacy” lock, that probably was there since the bathroom was installed.
NotMax
@JPL
Yes. Bigly.
wjca
@Quinerly:
Just a friendly amendment. But it does drastically narrow the field. Certainly excludes TIFG
Baud
@JPL:
I don’t blame ourselves. The self hate is off putting.
NotMax
@Jay
I was more speaking of the storeroom on the door of which they grudgingly put a hasp and padlock well after the fact. The room they steered Evan Corcoran to paw through.
Another Scott
Speaking of total unfitness for office… AlJazeera.com:
“Indications” “considering” Several of weasel words there.
But hmm…
Cheers,
Scott.
mrmoshpotato
@Hoppie:
An traitorous, orange shitstain who has sucked Kremlin ass since at least 1987.
mrmoshpotato
@David 🏀Caitlin Clark🏀 Koch: “Risotto recipe!” screamed pile of shit Chuck Todd.
Harrison Wesley
@mrmoshpotato: I thought his stage name was Traitorous P-Tape.
mrmoshpotato
@bbleh:
Nominated!
wjca
If I were the Russian charged with running Trump, once he was in the White House I would want to be in contact with him daily. Maybe even hourly. Not to get more information, but just to keep him from doing anything exceptionally stupid and jeopardizing the operation,. He’s just way to chaotic to be left unsupervised for longer.
Any thoughts on who might have had that assignment?
mrmoshpotato
@Harrison Wesley: Well, his full name will always be Traitorous Orange Soviet Shitpile Mobster Conmanbaby to me.
linnen
@wjca: Both Bush Jr. and Dick Cheney were considered competent business men when they were campaigning.
mrmoshpotato
@wjca: Like keeping Dump from screaming, “You’re a total loser! My daddy Vladdy said I haven’t sucked Kremlin ass since 1987!”?
Harrison Wesley
@wjca: Would have to be somebody with no sense of smell.
Chet Murthy
@wjca: Boris Epshteyn, neh ?
Sure Lurkalot
…but he also said that he planned to vote for Trump in 2024 because Biden’s agenda is a bigger threat to the country.
Hoppie
@RevRick: I am not the least bit religious. but had a childhood full of Jehovah’s Witnesses and Methodism and being baptised Episcopal (by a bishop) and later Baptist. I have a huge respect for truly religious folk, you are amazing. God bless you, from a non-believer.
MagdaInBlack
@wjca: Melania?
scav
If he were a competent businessman, at least his GOP shareholders would have the assurance that he sold the nation (as is his right! the SC will soon assert, no doubt — see also the keys to the white house) to the highest bidder. But no, they’ll no doubt always be plagued by the nagging suspicion they left a little money on the table.
wjca
Makes far more sense than any of the other suggestions. Certainly had the neccessary constant access.
RevRick
@zhena gogolia: Indeed!
Quinerly
@Jay:
You poke a sturdy paper clip thru the little hole. The button pops on the other side kinda lock.
RevRick
@Hoppie: I’m currently applying an ice pack to deal with my swelling head.
Citizen Alan
@Jay: I literally don’t have enough hours in the day to do it. But I still want to take a break from my urban fantasy novels to write a political satire about undercover foreign spies from rival foreign nations who meet and fall in love while working as hotel staff at MAL. They both spend the entire novel continuously stupefied by what a fucking idiot the president of the united states is.
Rusty
@RevRick: Researching seminaries I came across one that gave stats on their students. They had a traditional MDiv. program and an evening and weekend program. Their evening program had 35 students, their traditional had 3. When I spoke with pastors, all the more recent graduates (in the last 15 years), all had classmates older than me. They were all encouraging, wanting to find a part time pastorship after I no longer need to work my professional career was considered an advantage because full time positions are disappearing.
cmorenc
@Hoppie:
Between Barr’s gross misrepresentation of the results of Mueller’s investigation as “exonerating” Trump of Russian involvement, and Assistant AG Rod Rosenstein’s imposition of limitations on Mueller against pursuing financial/business connections between Trump and Mueller, the result was to provide MAGAs with a basis to claim that allegations of Trump-Russia connections turned out to be a “hoax”. And thus, they claim so it is wrt allegations of Trump mishandling / retaining sensitive classified documents, just another partisan D attempt to “get” Trump.
Dan B
@RevRick: Adding to your swole head I appreciate your comments here. I’m definitely atheist atheist but worried with progressive religious leaders trying to get them to use mass media and marketing. There is something wonderful about the difference in communication that would find resonance if the broader public were familiar with it. Your being present here demonstrates that.
JoyceH
@RevRick: Coopersburg? Small world! – that’s where my dogs are from.
Nukular Biskits
@RevRick:
I’m certain that the good you did was (and still is) both immeasurable and will better lives far into the future.
Thanks!
Gvg
@linnen: no, actually Bush wasn’t. Papers made fun of how badly he had run the baseball team and it was clear he was a nepo baby given make work.
Ken
@Citizen Alan: I suggest a scene where one or the other of them has brought some sophisticated safe-cracking spyware, only to have the other wordlessly stick a paper clip into the bathroom door lock.
However you might want to check that Dave Barry hasn’t already written the whole novel. It sounds right in his ballpark, especially the two fairly-normal people who are bemused by Florida and its denizens.
cain
A 2nd term of Trump would have NATO dismantled, and the U.S. refusing to help Europe as a 3rd world war begins. U.S. will remain an isolationist country watching his favorite people take over and then he’ll “pre-surrender” and then clap himself on theback for being an amazing dealer and then telling Americans he made an amazing deal. Of course, he can’t be prosecuted because the SCOTUS said that he has infinite grace and can never be prosecuted.
Trump then offs all of congress and then takes over completely
BUT then I woke up, and Cricket is with me and we laugh. :D Not gonna happen.
Chris Johnson
@wjca: Melania.
Alternately, Tucker Carlson :D
Brachiator
The divine right of Trump. Goes along with his absurd claims of total immunity.
This is what happens when a mentally unstable man-child is elected president.
schrodingers_cat
Wasn’t Trump’s unfitness for office apparent the day he announced his candidacy? Unfortunately a majority of white people disagreed with me (and the BJ commenteriat)
Brachiator
@RevRick:
Sounds like a wonderful celebration. And perhaps the stage will be set for new beginnings.
Ruckus
@NutmegAgain:
ShitForBrains, first and always thinks (such as it is) that he is the numero uno human on the planet. And because of his money he got some acceptance of that. But I do not call him shitforbrains for nothing and I’m not discussing his speech or mannerisms or manners. I am talking about any and all “thought” that occurs in that pile of crap on top his neck. He’s not worthless, that’s too high a level or compliment for him. He is high (or is that low?) on the list of worst humans on this or any planet.
Jackie
@Brachiator: I STILL have trouble wrapping my brain around the knowledge SOOO MANY (WHITE) Americans voted him into office to spite Hillary and Obama.
And, hope to vote him in AGAIN.😢😡
It definitely ripped off my rose-colored glasses about how far Americans had NOT progressed.
twbrandt
@RevRick: While it’s sad the church can’t continue as a church, it’s great that it can still serve the community in another way. It leaves a wonderful legacy.
Timill
@schrodingers_cat: Back then, they had the excuse that they could believe that “The Apprentice” was a documentary, not a work of fiction edited to make Trump look competent.
wjca
I think you’re closer to right the first time.
He doesn’t really rank with the worst human beings on the planet. He’s just a pathetic little man, who stumbled into a place where his pettiness could do widespread damage. And where he could be exploited by those with the wit to look at him, say “patsy!” and punch his obvious buttons to get him to enable their designs.
danielx
@bbleh:
He’s a walking collection of personality disorders.
Princess
Interesting that Smith’s team is leaking this right now, while the immunity trail is going on.
linnen
@Gvg: Those kinds of article were not hard to find I agree, but you had to go out of your way to find them. Usually by following such sites as ‘The Daily Howler’. There was the now-defunct site, “Media Whores Online”, that had the byline ‘Bringing the media to its knees, but finding they were already there’ that specialized in pointing out how badly the NYT and Wash. Post covered Bush during the campaign and during his administration. Bush being competent and self-made (and Texan) was the narrative of the national media. Just as the narrative was constructed to drag Gore down.