No collusion: How Americans were fed a false tale about Donald Trump's 2016 campaign
By: James S. Robbins (MSN)
And "some" ate it up and are STILL doing so today. Right here................LMAO
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
Does anyone still believe the story that Donald Trump colluded with Vladimir Putin to win the 2016 presidential election? If so, special counsel John Durham's indictment of Igor Danchenko should put their minds at rest.
© The Associated Press Special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation was supposed to have been the grand reckoning for Donald Trump, the comprehensive exposure of the colluders and how they undermined American democracy. Mueller's 2019 report was long on how Moscow attempted to interfere in the 2016 election. But on the matter of collusion with the Trump campaign, Mueller came up empty.
The 39-page document is rich with detail on the origins, use and abuse of the Russian collusion story as a means to undermine the 2016 Trump campaign.
Danchenko is identified as the person who collected information "that ultimately formed the core of the allegations" in the infamous dossier by Christopher Steele. Danchenko was indicted on lying to the FBI in 2017 about who he was working with and where his information came from.
Source linked to Hillary Clinton
The indictment exposes former Hillary Clinton aide Charles Dolan, identified only as "PR Executive-1," as an important Danchenko source. Dolan allegedly fed Danchenko information he claimed he had obtained when he "had a drink with a GOP friend," but later admitted he had fabricated the story. The indictment also shows that PR Executive-1 was an important source for reporting by The Washington Post and the Times of London when the Steele dossier scandal broke in January 2017.
The Danchenko indictment is particularly telling in detailing how the fake story was inserted into the political ecosystem, starting with Dolan and perhaps others. Danchenko allegedly fed the falsehoods to Steele, a British former intelligence operative hired by Fusion GPS to conduct the research.
Fusion GPS had been retained by Clinton campaign lawyer Marc Elias, whom law professor Johnathan Turley has called a "potential apex target" of the Durham probe. Clinton supporters in the government slipped the information to sympathetic operatives in the Justice Department, who used it to mount a spying campaign on Trump. And the American news media spread the rumors, which undermined the Trump presidency.
While the Danchenko indictment offers many new details on what was sold as a "well-developed conspiracy of cooperation" between the Trump campaign and Russia, ample evidence of the falsehood of this notion has been available for years.
As early as October 2017, The Post reported that the "Hillary Clinton campaign and the Democratic National Committee helped fund research that resulted in a now-famous (Steele) dossier containing allegations about President Trump's connections to Russia and possible coordination between his campaign and the Kremlin."
As was later revealed, the dossier became the basis for Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act warrants against Trump aide Carter Page, and unprecedented FBI surveillance on the Trump campaign before the election.
Accusations were a political dirty trick
By 2017, it was clear that "Russian collusion" was just a political dirty trick. But the narrative was firmly embedded in the liberal mind, and the wheels of the Washington investigative apparatus were turning, so the false story lived on.
Its legitimacy was bolstered in 2018 by Pulitzer Prizes awarded to The New York Times and The Washington Post for "deeply sourced, relentlessly reported coverage" of "Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election and its connections to the Trump campaign, the President-elect's transition team and his eventual administration."
Special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation was supposed to have been the grand reckoning for Trump, the comprehensive exposure of the colluders and how they undermined American democracy. Mueller's 2019 report was long on how Moscow attempted to interfere in the 2016 election. But on the matter of collusion with the Trump campaign, Mueller came up empty, and for good reason. The collusion never existed.
Now the Durham investigation is laying bare the extent of the conspiracy to derail the Trump campaign and thwart his presidency. The probe has so far led to the arrest of three people accused of spreading the false Russia conspiracy theory.
This is good news, and hopefully more indictments will follow. It is important to understand how operatives connected to the Hillary Clinton campaign conspired to harness the political system to undermine American democracy and weaken a legitimately elected president.
James S. Robbins, a member of USA TODAY's Board of Contributors and author of "This Time We Win: Revisiting the Tet Offensive," has taught at the National Defense University and the Marine Corps University and served as a special assistant in the office of the secretary of Defense in the George W. Bush administration. Follow him on Twitter: @James_Robbins
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: No collusion: How Americans were fed a false tale about Donald Trump's 2016 campaign
Tags
Who is online
411 visitors
Wonder if this will EVER soak in to some people's heads...............Several not here it seems.
Damn those republican Senators for continuing the myth of collusion between Trump and Russia.
A sprawling report released Tuesday by a Republican-controlled Senate panel that spent three years investigating Russia’s interference in the 2016 election laid out an extensive web of contacts between Trump campaign advisers and Kremlin officials and other Russians, including at least one intelligence officer and others tied to the country’s spy services.
From the article " Like the special counsel, Robert S. Mueller III, who released his findings in April 2019, the Senate report did not conclude that the Trump campaign engaged in a coordinated conspiracy with the Russian government"
Contacts of course. But no evidence of a conspiracy to collude.
Trump admits son met Russian for information on opponent
From the horse's mouth, so to speak.
LOL! Where do you come up with this shit? How can you conspire to collude, when colluding is not a crime?
Yea, no secret meeting with Trumps hierarchy at Trumps' Hotel as Trump Jr, Son in Law Jared, and who else, Manafort was it, Trumps' campaign manager occurred now did it, but i;m sure dirt on Hillary and such never came up, as it was all about 'adoptions and humam rights', right? Yet for some reason Trumpstated he had NO CONTACT with Putin ornthe Kremlin all while having in the works, plans to build Moscows largest skyscraper,another Trump Tower of Pissa with hookers, lines, and enuff to sin her , and him, say he were a Dem. Yet Repubs swallow LIES like prostitutes pissing on insecure unstable guys, named Johns and Dons. Do you recall his polling data being shared with Putins' Russia to point out where Moscow Moles were to Catfish for lost pussies with short whiskers, and possibly feeble minds, cause i do recall having a lot of FUn with those Russian Hacks portraying Joe Average American pushing bullship and no Tugs required, as the Russian Trolls had an E Z pass thatbtookantoll on US All. There was plenty to pull Trump down but the GOP refused to consider all the litter as those pussies just burried and covered up what they would have crucified Obama for, cause their candidate should of been buried inn that litter box, not scating out of the Hern House like a sly Red Fox who just stole candy from some little girl Trump was accused of Raping, or Beauty Pagent that Trump was underwear over seeing while Russian pro's werre over European.... As Trump would be in jail if not for being a sittin potUS that could NEVER stand up to the one who Putin him in office, just like his attorney as he was a codefendant, without any efficient coefficient she's to sees hear ?
I never heard Trump say a neghative word about Putin. All he did was attempt to reduce sanctions when we were supposed to be imposing more, but Trump was Putins' whore named Don not John , with what 199 or so charged by Mueller who was not tasked with CHARGING Trump, only bringing forth facts that shjould have dumped Trump, butb the GOP refused to put COUNTRY over their PATHETIC PARTY, and it disgusts me and many, cause moral and ethically, do the Repbs have any ? There was plenty of evidence Trump LIED about connections with Russia, and whyb would he need to LIE if innocent...? As the only message that sends is I'm guiltyb andn Hell bent on LYING my way throiugh and never standing up to our top adversary, because it is quite obvious to Stevie Wonder why the GOP still doesn't see, see ?
We all know about the "meeting" that was a meeting that was SUPPOSED be shit on Clinton that turned out to be a meeting on the adoption of Russian children.
Donald Trump Jr, Manafort and Kushner intended to collude with a representative of the Russian government to get dirt on Hillary Clinton. That it fell through does not erase their intention.
And.........................
The whole bait and switch thing was a farce. And yes, there may have been intent. So what? Collusion is not against the law................nor is intent in this case.
"Email released by Donald Jr. himself showed he had been keen on the meeting because his father’s campaign was being offered potentially damaging information on Clinton.
Donald Jr. said later he realized the meeting was primarily aimed at lobbying against the 2012 Magnitsky sanctions law, which led to Moscow denying Americans the right to adopt Russian orphans."
You still haven't made a valid point, or provided any relevant facts
I thought there was no collusion.
The truth is , Trump Jr did "collude" with Russians. The fact that a meeting where exchange of damaging information on the Trump campaign's opponent was supposed to occur is evidence of collusion.
Mueller didnt indict Trump Jr and Kushner because he could not prove they understood well enough that what they were doing was illegal, and intent was necessary to charge them with conspiracy.
No collusion John. Never happened............unless Junior started lobbying for the reopening of Americans to be able to adopt Russian children..........which he didn't.
Donald Trump Jr Email on Russian Offer of Hillary Clinton Dirt: ‘I Love It’
President’s son releases statement and posts full text of email chain
Donald Trump Jr. went on the defensive Tuesday, releasing a series of emails from last summer with an acquaintance who claimed to have damaging information about Hillary Clinton from the Russia government and to which the president’s son responded, “I love it!”
Trump Jr. tweeted out what he said was the full correspondence with U.K.-based music promoter and tabloid reporter Rob Goldstone shortly after the New York Times published the text of the emails.
It was Goldstone who helped to broker the meeting last June between Russian lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya and Trump Jr., the president’s son-in-law Jared Kushner and then-campaign chairman Paul Manafort — a meeting that has become a major focus of inquiry since it was first disclosed last weekend by the Times.
In one email, Goldstone promised to provide information that “would incriminate Hillary and her dealings with Russia and would be very useful to your father. … This is obviously very high level and sensitive information but is part of Russia and its government’s support for Mr. Trump.”
Trump Jr. replied within minutes, “If it’s what you say I love it especially later in the summer.”
In a later email, Goldstone offered to set up a meeting with Veselnitskaya, whom he described as a “Russian government attorney.”
It’s unclear what the damaging information might have entailed and there is no evidence that it was linked to the Russian government’s hacking of emails at the Democratic National Committee and their subsequent leaking to the public.
Trump Jr. has dismissed the value of any information Veselnitskaya might have provided. “Her statements were vague, ambiguous and made no sense,” he told the Times on Sunday. “No details or supporting information was provided or even offered. It quickly became clear that she had no meaningful information.”
The emails also show that Jared Kushner and Paul Manafort were included (at least partially) in the email thread about setting up the media.
The president’s eldest son has denied any wrongdoing and said he posted the emails in an effort to be “totally transparent.”
“Media and Dems are extremely invested in the Russia story,” he tweeted earlier on Tuesday. “If this nonsense meeting is all they have after a year, I understand the desperation!”
The fact that the meeting happened is evidence of collusion.
Your "research" is failing you again. Despite what you've been brainwashed to believe, collusion is not a criminal offense under US Code.
No they didn't, had they colluded they would have been charged, STOP with the made up bullshit!
The Federal Election Campaign Act makes it illegal for a foreign national to contribute to a candidate’s campaign in any American election – federal, state, or local. Similarly, American candidates can also violate the statute by receiving, soliciting, or accepting foreign contributions.
AND before you argue it, a contribution is not limited to money, it can be information or favors. Or even sexual favors from a former porn star.
What contribution?
You mean like they did to the Obama and Clinton campaigns? Oh wait that was real money that they received from foreign sources. Don't remember anyone in either of their campaigns being forced to do the perp walk. Or do you think influence peddling is the only form of collusion.
It's like you guys jump into the middle a conversation without bothering to read the comment thread first.
No, didn't you hear, they were there meeting on the adoption of Russian Children, as it was an TOP Priority for Trump, you know how he loves young girls, cause rewmeber all thew work done by the Trump Administration to ensure it was made easier ton adopt Russian Children after that meeting ??? Cause me neither. Why would possibly THREE of the Highest ranking memebers with the Most influence on the campaign at the time, not be there to discuss the adoption of Russian Children ??? People are scarily stupid whenn it comes to this abomination.
What part of the US Code does that fall under?
I see you're moving goalposts before anybody has a chance to respond. At any rate, would that be a favor as in getting information about a candidate then using it for a fictitious investigation? You know like the Steele Dossier.
You dont know what you are talking about.
I dont care if it is a criminal offense. It happened.
So for you it really is a TDS related delusion that there was something criminal happening.
Wow, you do understand that the term "moving the goalposts" can only be used after the response, correct?
Just ask many of the posters on the right, here on NT forums. They ask a question, but when they get an answer they don't like, they "move the goalposts" so they can pretend the answer wasn't valid.
Not only do you not understand the term "moving the goalposts", you also appear to be ignorant about the definition of "favor".
favor
1: a kind or helpful act that you do for someone
do/grant a friend a favor = do a favor for a friend = grant a favor to a friend
For example: We will do you a "favor" and try to hack into Hillary's email as you asked us to.
I love the right's evolution of denial about Trump's collusion with Russia.
And yes, I know I missed several steps between each bullet point.
Then what do you call what you attempted to do? The stipulation you gave isn't in the definition.
I am well aware of the conversation, what I am not aware of is this fantasy that some kind Russian conspiracy exists due to this meeting. You feel there was something of value exchanged, but you can't define it. Please tell us what crime do you think took place?
Right......there is no Russian collusion or conspiracy but, I don't know what I am talking about.
You do know the reason for the meeting, don't you? What did Don Jr. and Sr. say it was about?
I kow you won't answer, but exactly where did I state that anything of value was exchanged? Specifically where?
Don't you guys ever read any of the previous comments in the same thread you are commenting in????
So what's the crime? Here's what you said earlier
" AND before you argue it, a contribution is not limited to money, it can be information or favors. Or even sexual favors from a former porn star."
That being said, what crime was committed? None of that shit actually happened.
There were valid reasons to suspect that the Clintons were susceptible to taking bribes to back Russian interests.
Wouldn't the Russian(s) expect a return on the $500,000 given to Bill?
Right here:
Stop beating around the bush, if there is a crime show me the indictment or stfu!
Charles Dolan will be next. Durham was slow but steady.
If the left doesn't manage to wash it, this will go down as one of the worst cases manipulation and disinformation in the history of the USA.
The crickets are getting louder and louder .......
They are too busy trying to figure out why lefties are late night people.
I really don't want to tell them.
good thing Trump gets his disinformation from Putin in Helsinki, and not the US intelligence Agencies
I'm betting we may be hearing about Dolan's "suicide" soon.
The fact that "collusion" isn't in the US Code as crime, should tell people this was nothing more than an attempt to oust a duly elected President. Democrats were so upset that their guarantee candidate lost that they had to do something. So in Democrat fashion they concocted the "Russia collusion" farce and subsequent hoax after hoax.
yea, it was all a fckn hoax, as Trumped said NOTHING when Puitin put bounties on our men and women in harms way
Probably becuase it never happened.
You are probably confusing it with the bounties Iran put on American soldiers and who were then rewarded by Obama with cash and a path to nukes.
You're seriously uniformed...about everything
Yes it was hoax after hoax after hoax.
Just like the bounty BS you mentioned. We had bounties on our heads going back to at least 2007 during one of my MANY deployments to Afghanistan.
Maybe you should speak to Biden, who is suddenly unsure of facts when it comes to the subject. What else is new?
Maybe ask Joe why he didn't go after the Russians about it. Seems that the word Intelligence should be removed from many of our government agencies- as well as this administration.
"Let's go Brandon!"
So do you think Russia ands Putin DID NOT REWARD our enimies abroad when they inflicted casualties on US Soldiers ? Cause Jeremy who i'm fairlyb sure retired from the Military stated as much prior. It's common knowledge that Russia is on any side that would be against US, and believe the staement had to be walked back to protect sources, but youb go with yours and Trumps', cause we all know TRUMP WOULD NEVER LIE TO US
You'll get no response because he's basically just full of nothing but rhetoric and bullshit.
There seems to be a number of them here. I do have to admit that it is kind of fun to get them triggered.
Like stealing candy from a baby ....
is that a pastime for you, cause if anyone wishes to put me in my place, i'll be back later, have to deal with something a tad more serious that enlightening the indoctrinated thinking and drinking Kool Aid Consuming always huffing and fuming about their ignorance on what Donald Trump actually did to this once "Great' Country of ourd. Are you goys like a gaggle of giggling girl ostriches ? Cause heads buried in sand for the sewer grate view you guys surely do, have, is disturbing. No one enjoys admitting they Fckd up, but WTF already. Youn watched Trump LIE to youy all for the past 6 yeasrs or so, yet you still believe him, cause you know nhow important Russian Orphans was and had been to his administration, Leave your heads in your and asz sum more questions based in reality , not NOTHING WAS FOUND LINKING TRUMP TO RUSSIA, cause it just makes you look silly, strung along like a piece of string , dangled to lure you away today and every other, cause i doubt you guys are all as foooled as you speak, you just can't admit you got taken by the poorest excuse of a human being any will see in their lifetimes be elected potUS, cause Trump IS themain reason we nhave a country this divided and his defenders are either too ignorant or too proud, to admit Trump FCKD this country over, LIED through his teeth constantly telling the small mind it where to find it, and i really don't believe you [peep holes will ever see the actual TRUTH, as you cannot handle it, and what it says about one, so for now i'm done, off to help with arrangements for another dead friend, but when i return, condolances i will send to whomever wishes to steal my candy, cause don't find Denial so easy, and with joint in handy probably listening to 'Oh Mandy" as to even your selves you all do defile and can't be true, and as you make America from what i've Red White, it has also become blue, from ignorance galore, and possibly a few things more...
Nope, because i'm not a politician or a liberal.
so its a post, of present time, cause sometimes on my waztch, i need chronological increments to unwind the wind blown leaves that season my Torrid Autumn till inn i stay, yet i noticed you had not much to say, only addressing my ice breaker with a straight that doesn't flush due to a full house and filled septic system, and four of and you're so kind, can only be beaten when higher ore the irony of a straight flush at the gay bath house where their always happy, and never colluding against us, and with Russia, collusion will always be the defining Max factor not maid to B made up, asz not a makeup artist, cause that's Maybelean... or, maybe knot, cause that's what she likes to Tie in sudden death and get paid, overr time.
Pythagorean, Rumpelstiltskin, Avocado, Stink bug, Alfalfa ........
do you have serum for that theorem, rumplestilt4skin, was that learned at the bath house, while feeding a young sgtrapper Avocado's while Alfalfa is gettin something bout Mary, in your hairy, while calling yoiu Darla...?
Later .... i'm gonna mombo jombo my dogface down to the banana patch .... McRib ..... Asteroids ..... Paniolo .....
Lol!
No, this is what Biden now thinks. Did you read the link, even the damn little snippet? Did you look at the source? NBC news- they are definitely pro Trump.
The incestuous pedophile in Chief fucked up again!
Let's go Brandon!
Will the left ever hold Brandon accountable for one damn thing?
If Russia is so against the US, then why do they work with the US on various projects like the ISS?
During a deployment to Bosnia my US Field Artillery Battalion trained side by side with Russian Field Artillery.
Redleg in the house!
I guess Uncle Joe must not have gotten the message that Russian is bad since he helped pave the way for their new pipeline to Germany that will help enrich Russia.
The Trump admin stops that pipeline with sanctions and Biden removes them but Trump is the Russian agent.
Hilarious!
I haven't heard that is a long time!!!!!!
I wonder how many times I'd have to bash myself in the head with a hammer to get to that level of idiocy.
Amen.
"Wemple also called out MSNBC's Rachel Maddow, who he noted once heralded Steele's "deep cover sources inside Russia," for downplaying the findings in the Danchenko indictment and suggesting the purpose of the Durham probe is to "discredit the whole Russia investigation by arresting various sources for that investigation, to discredit the Steele dossier because so many people have been led to think that was the reason for the investigation."
The day of reckoning is getting close.
I wonder when the Democrats will demand an investigation into their own coup attempt that played out over 3 years in world media?
Why aren't there more liberals demanding an investigation on being used and lied to by their own political party?
Wow, he unpacks that very well.
He's very cogent, i thought he was a wastoid.
Maybe because you hate Hillary Clinton and most "liberals" dont ?
If we get enough people with your attitudes about things Trump will be president again.
Glad you said most. She has gotten to the point I almost cringe when she pops up.
I have noticed over the years that she is a liberal who has issues with most liberals. People like that exist, but it doesnt mean they are right, or wrong. It depends on the facts.
Donald Trump's campaign colluded with Russia. The rest is semantics.
I think she hates Hillary. What can you do?
Yes, he does.
Here's another viewpoint from a man worried about how US politics affects the world.
If the Democrats cannot find an electable candidate, then it won't matter who runs against them.
That is America’s fondest hope at this point in time!
I sincerely doubt that.
Do you know that you just posted a climate change denier ?
Do you know you are a Trump conspiracy theorist?
So using your logic that makes you wrong about everything.