Kurt Eichenwald covered the 2016 Presidential campaign for Newsweek. His epic tweetstorm today recaps significant incidents in the campaign and transition, in light of what Trump must have known about Russian actions starting in early June. So let’s take a trip down memory lane with Kurt.
(Note: I have expanded abbreviations and added articles and other small words where needed to make Kurt’s thread more readable.)
Cult45 can scream "fake news" all it wants. The evidence is clear: the Trump campaign cooperated with Russia, and knew and encouraged law breaking. Trump Jr. receives an email (that he releases) referring to "Russia and its government's support for Trump" as part of setting up a meeting with a Russian government operative who, in the meeting to deliver info on Clinton, raises a key element in the Russian sanctions tet-a-tet. In other words, Trump Jr. KNOWS the Russian-frigging-government supports his dad, is ACTING in support of his dad, and wants US policy changes. Here is the only assumption: Trump Jr. told his dad what he heard. Cult45 can believe that his son/top campaign guy said nothing. No rational trier of fact, given what follows, would agree.
By the time of this meeting, the Russian government has already committed a crime in its electoral interference - hacking the DNC. We will give Trump campaign a slide on whether they knew Russia was behind the hack at that point. Russia continues its hack and disinformation campaign after the Trump meeting. In July, a report is delivered to intelligence committees revealing Russia's electoral interference. Russia dumps a load of hacked emails in the days before the Democratic convention designed to lead to greater split between Sanders/Clinton supporters and disrupt the convention. After he receives the nomination, Trump gets first intelligence briefing in which he is TOLD of Russia hacking and interference. TRUMP REFUSES TO SIT FOR MORE INTEL BRIEFINGS, SAYING HE DOESN'T WANT TO BE TOLD THE SAME THING OVER AND OVER AGAIN. Trump praises Putin, insults US intelligence service, claims conspiracy by our national security apparatus, publicly denies, again and again, what he has been told in his briefings. This is a just two months after his son was TOLD Russian going supports his campaign.
So, the dots: the Russian government commits the crime of hacking. Afterwards, Trump Jr. is told by man setting up meeting with Russian operative [Goldstone] that the Russian government supports Trump and wants to interfere with the election. Trump Jr meets with the Russian operative, where topics connected to sanctions are discussed. US confirms Russian crime. Trump urges Russia to commit more crimes with his invitation for them to hack more, AFTER he learns without question that Russia, who he knows supports him, was committing hacking crimes and interfering in the election. Trump refuses further intelligence briefings. He then, again and again, denies it, praises Putin and insults our intelligence agencies during the campaign. "Wrong, wrong wrong" as an example. He KNEW as he said it that Russian government was not only supporting his campaign, but had been acting in support of it. He KNEW they had been committing crimes in support of it. In October, Obama reveals Russian hacking publicly. Spies thrown out of USA. Putin - who KNOWS the message has been communicated to the Trump campaign that Russian government supports him, who KNOWS Trump has praised him and publicly denied the existence of the intelligence that Obama announced (remember, Trump knew this intelligence in August), announces - shockingly - he will do nothing in retaliation of spies being thrown out of US. This is unprecedented by Putin. Trump then immediately takes to twitter and PRAISES Putin for not responding to action by Obama. (Full stop: Trump PRAISES Putin and disses Obama on his action to protect US national security when Trump KNEW of the intelligence and KNEW Russia government supported his campaign).
After the election, his aides meet with Russians - (left out -- all the meetings that preceded this with Russians) and discusses sanctions. Investigations get underway. Trump - who KNOWS his son met with a Russian operative and KNOWS the Russian government acted to support his campaign and KNOWS any investigation could find this - fires the chief investigator then states publicly, he did so to stop the Russia investigation. If you care about your "team" more than your country, fine: scream, insult and curse. We have a man in office who worked in conjunction with the Russians, lied about it, protected them, insulted US intelligence, and acted in every way to hide that a foreign enemy acted in concert with his campaign get him elected. He has committed an impeachable offense by trying to stop the investigation.
Now, an epilogue: Why would Putin take the risk of essentially notifying Trump campaign in June that his government was working to get Trump elected, and allowing meeting? No doubt, Russian intelligence figured out what everyone who knows Trump already knew: All you have to do to make him your ally is say "I'm on your side" and compliment him. I even said in July. that Putin - who had been giving public compliments to Trump - had to have an intelligence briefing that this was the way to make Trump his ally. Had I known of June 9 meeting and communications preceding it, the depth of this horror would have been clearer. This country is facing an unprecedented threat. A foreign enemy engaged in an act of war against us. The President of the United States not only is complicit but is impeding international efforts by our allies (who are also under attack) to strike back by denying all the intelligence. Our president has aided a foreign enemy, did so knowingly, encouraged their crimes, undermined our national security, impeded the criminal investigation of these events when he KNEW what might be discovered, and has sold out America simply to win. He must be impeached. Given what Donald Trump Jr released, he is either world's dumbest man, wants dad impeached, or is trying to kill Trumpcare's last chance.
Just me, but I’m going with the “world’s dumbest man” here.
To see the original, here’s the start of Kurt’s thread: