***Official Donald J. Trump Impeachment (Whistleblower) Thread*** (7 Viewers)

[squistion]

Mick Mulvaney's outside counsel informed House investigators "one minute" before his scheduled deposition that he would "not to comply with the duly authorized subpoena and asserted 'absolute immunity'."

https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/469595-mulvaney-defies-house-subpoena-cites-absolute-immunity-one-minute

Absolute immunity?  

 

[Jackstraw]

OK I give, what's "absolute immunity"?

 

[Jackstraw]

Sounds kind of scary in a democaracy but whatevs. 

 

[roadkill1292]

The Republicans in the House do. 

And if there was testimony that the Repubs thought exonerated Donald, we would have needed a football stadium to hold the press conference of everyone who wanted to get in on telling us about it.

 

[timschochet]

OK I give, what's "absolute immunity"?

It’s an old song by The Alarm, I think. 

 

[John Blutarsky]

The Republicans in the House do. 

How so? If only 6 of the transcripts from the witnesses have been made public and not all Republicans were in the closed door hearings how do they all know?

 

[parasaurolophus]

Not quite.

What do you mean?

 

[timschochet]

How so? If only 6 of the transcripts from the witnesses have been made public and not all Republicans were in the closed door hearings how do they all know?

I didn’t say all. The Republicans in Schiff’s committee. But I’m fairly confident they informed their leadership aren’t you? 

Come on are you really expecting some surprise here? 

 

[John Blutarsky]

I didn’t say all. The Republicans in Schiff’s committee. But I’m fairly confident they informed their leadership aren’t you? 

Come on are you really expecting some surprise here? 

I will wait for the public hearings and go from there.

 

[timschochet]

I will wait for the public hearings and go from there.

Good. That’s fair. Let’s all keep an open mind. 

 

[msommer]

Mick Mulvaney's outside counsel informed House investigators "one minute" before his scheduled deposition that he would "not to comply with the duly authorized subpoena and asserted 'absolute immunity'."

https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/469595-mulvaney-defies-house-subpoena-cites-absolute-immunity-one-minute

Absolute immunity?  

I believe it's the argument brought forward in the mazar/tax returns case that the president cannot be investigated

 

[squistion]

OK I give, what's "absolute immunity"?

It suggests that he and perhaps anyone Trump does not want to testify is essentially above the law. 

 

[parrot]

OK I give, what's "absolute immunity"?

They probably thought "above the law" sounded a little too on-the-nose.  

 

[Godsbrother]

Mick Mulvaney's outside counsel informed House investigators "one minute" before his scheduled deposition that he would "not to comply with the duly authorized subpoena and asserted 'absolute immunity'."

https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/469595-mulvaney-defies-house-subpoena-cites-absolute-immunity-one-minute

Absolute immunity?  

So the White House told Mulvaney not to comply with the subpoena and come up with a cockamamie "absolute immunity" statement.   I am old enough to remember Trump saying that if you're innocent, why are you taking the Fifth Amendment?   

 

[Jackstraw]

This would be a nice spot to finally put someone in jail. 

 

[parasaurolophus]

From Jim Sciutto, CNN Chief National Security Correspondent:

Trump says he’s thinking of attending Russia’s May Day parade. This is a celebration of Russian military power, which Putin is using to undermine US national security interests across the globe. Why attend? What benefit does Trump perceive to the US? To himself?

The parade an May 1 is not a military parade it is also not called may day in russia. 

The parade on May 9 is a military parade that celebrates the end of the war. It is Called Victory Day.

Trump never said May Day. The reporter did. 

Trump says he is “thinking about” going to Russia for the May Day parade. He says Putin invited him. He explains, “It’s a very big deal, celebrating the end of the war etc. etc.” That is...not what May Day is about.

The reporter that typed this tweet obviously knew that Trump never said it. Which is exactly why he didnt quote Trump saying May Day. So I am not really sure what the point was in posting that tweet from a CNN reporter.  

 

[TheMagus]

Trump has “no problem” releasing a 2nd call with Ukraine. 

Please do this. 

 

[squistion]

The parade an May 1 is not a military parade it is also not called may day in russia. 

The parade on May 9 is a military parade that celebrates the end of the war. It is Called Victory Day.

Trump never said May Day. The reporter did. 

The reporter that typed this tweet obviously knew that Trump never said it. Which is exactly why he didnt quote Trump saying May Day. So I am not really sure what the point was in posting that tweet from a CNN reporter.  

Trump did not correct the reporter about May Day, so what he was actually referring to is open to interpretation and Scuitto's take was also viewed by other news outlets as attending a military parade.

https://twitter.com/search?q=trump may day&src=tyah

 

[Nick Vermeil]

Please do this. 

"Can you imagine how I feel about it Dimitri?"

 

[urbanhack]

Or the Dems make this look like a witch hunt with  no action, and the Dems pay the price in 2020.  Interesting that two Dems in the House are against impeachment.

If Hillary was running, would you feel differently?

 

[Sheriff Bart]

OK I give, what's "absolute immunity"?

A new flu vaccine flavored vodka. 

 

[timschochet]

I doubt the first call says anything of all. The second call seems to indicate that Trump is bringing up Biden and Crowdstrike for the first time, at least directly. Plus Trump must have mentioned this first call at least a dozen times today without being asked; obviously he wants to release it. So I’m guessing it’s nothing. 

 

[Maurile Tremblay]

I doubt the first call says anything of all. The second call seems to indicate that Trump is bringing up Biden and Crowdstrike for the first time, at least directly. Plus Trump must have mentioned this first call at least a dozen times today without being asked; obviously he wants to release it. So I’m guessing it’s nothing. 

The calls with Erdogan and Putin are the ones I want to see.

 

[ericttspikes]

I believe it's the argument brought forward in the mazar/tax returns case that the president cannot be investigated

And when he waves his jeweled scepter over any subject he deems worthy, they too shall not be beholden to laws, as they only apply to the peasants.

 

[Biff84]

The calls with Erdogan and Putin are the ones I want to see.

Can’t forget MBS

 

[Sinn Fein]

Vindman and Hill transcripts are out

 

[squistion]

A lawyer for the Ukraine whistleblower has sent the White House a cease and desist letter to stop Trump's attacks.

"Your client, the President of the U.S., is engaging in rhetoric and activity that places my client and their family in physical danger."

https://www.cnn.com/2019/11/07/politics/ukraine-whistleblower-trump-cease-and-desist/index.html

 

[Sinn Fein]

https://docs.house.gov/meetings/IG/IG00/CPRT-116-IG00-D011.pdf

vindman 

 

[timschochet]

The calls with Erdogan and Putin are the ones I want to see.

And Salman. Don’t forget him. 

 

[Sinn Fein]

https://docs.house.gov/meetings/IG/IG00/CPRT-116-IG00-D010.pdf

Fiona Hill -has Gaetz crashing the party 

 

[the moops]

 Interesting that two Dems in the House are against impeachment.

I find it far more iinteresting that no republican voted for an inquiry.

Especillay in contract to the Clinton impeachment where you saw democrat represtatives voting for, and republicans voting against. And in the senate trial you saw 5 republicans vote against on one charge and 10 vote against on the other. 

 

[parasaurolophus]

Trump did not correct the reporter about May Day, so what he was actually referring to is open to interpretation and Scuitto's take was also viewed by other news outlets as attending a military parade.

https://twitter.com/search?q=trump may day&src=tyah

If you google "Russian May Day Parade" you will obviously see this story, but the reference that shows up right away as the first wikipedia search plain sight on the top is the Victory Day Parade.

"Trump did not correct the reporter" is a silly discussion point. 

The parade on May 1st pails in comparison to the one on May 9th. The May 1st parades are mostly people carrying banners and Putin is hardly out there making a big deal about it. The May 9th parade is clearly the parade Trump is speaking about. 

The whole verbatim tweet that you lifted from a reporter (and didn't credit the reporter) is silly gotcha journalism. It was some reporter thinking he was really smart and saying hey may day is a celebration of workers! Hahah trump doesn't know that!!! When in reality it just shows that the reporter didn't properly research that there is a military parade 8 days later that is state sponsored and celebrates the Nazi surrender. And they have tanks and guns and stuff and that they call May Day "Spring and Labour day". 

This article from the hill says it far better than the gotcha journalist you plagiarized did. 

“It’s a very big deal, celebrating the end of the war,” Trump told reporters. “I appreciate the invitation, it’s right in the middle of the political season.”

Putin in June invited Trump to attend next year's May 9 Victory Day events. Putin said he asked Trump attend the celebration during a meeting on the sidelines of the Group of 20 (G-20) meeting in Osaka.

Russia’s annual Victory Day parade commemorates the May 1945 Allied victory over Nazi Germany. Moscow often uses the parade to show off its military might.

Also of note...

Celebrations of May 1 lost their political meaning in Russia after 1991. Some political parties and labor unions may have demonstrations on this day, but most Russians use Spring and Labor Day for gardening or spending time with their families.

 

[Redwes25]

I didn’t say all. The Republicans in Schiff’s committee. But I’m fairly confident they informed their leadership aren’t you? 

Come on are you really expecting some surprise here? 

No doubt staff has been there the entire time.  

 

[The Commish]

The Republicans in the House do. 

Don't fall down this hole again.  The Republicans who took the time to go to their committee meetings do.  We don't need 5 more pages of semantic nonsense....TIA

ETA:  Damn it...too late....should have read further....thanks for not going further down that path  

 

[timschochet]

I think the news from last night that the President of Ukraine was prepared to go on CNN and announce the Biden investigation and didn’t after the money arrived right after the whistleblower’s complaint emerged deserves more attention. How can anyone at this point continue to deny what was going on here? Hopefully Schiff finds a way to work this news into the public hearings. 

 

[timschochet]

Don't fall down this hole again.  The Republicans who took the time to go to their committee meetings do.  We don't need 5 more pages of semantic nonsense....TIA

Agreed. But the result of our back and forth was that @John Blutarsky wrote that he would listen to the public hearings and (presumably) keep an open mind. That’s all I would hope Trump supporters, or anyone else for that matter, would do. 

 

[The Commish]

Or the Dems make this look like a witch hunt with  no action, and the Dems pay the price in 2020.  Interesting that two Dems in the House are against impeachment.

Curious what you mean here....knowing what we know about the individuals and their specific situations with respect to their beliefs and their constituents, what is "interesting" about their votes against the inquiry?  I'm assuming you mean inquiry here since no one has voted against impeachment....public testimony hasn't even started yet.

 

[timschochet]

So I haven’t read Free Republic for a while. In the past I’ve been slightly mocked here for my fascination with that site, and that mockery is justified; I had an unhealthy interest reading that trash. But it’s been about a month so I figured what the heck, I’ll take a look...

Worse than ever before. The consensus seems to be that the news media is working with Democrats to illegally remove the President- nothing new there,  but their remedy is new. They want Trump to shut down CNN, the New York Times, the Washington Post, MSNBC et al, and throw their journalists and editors into prison for treason. And they further want Trump to send the military into Congress and arrest Pelosi and Schiff and declare martial law. They don’t seem to be joking around here. 

They are also, on a continual basis, posting the name of the Whistleblower (at least I assume it’s his name), and hoping that something bad happens to him. 

Yeah I think I’ll wait another month before checking it out again...

 

[hammerva]

At least we are making america great again  

https://twitter.com/jonfranks/status/1192839975441780736

 

[Maurile Tremblay]

 Interesting that two Dems in the House are against impeachment.

Curious what you mean here....knowing what we know about the individuals and their specific situations with respect to their beliefs and their constituents, what is "interesting" about their votes against the inquiry?

The question answers itself. It's always interesting when people take baffling positions.

 

[parrot]

If you google "Russian May Day Parade" you will obviously see this story, but the reference that shows up right away as the first wikipedia search plain sight on the top is the Victory Day Parade.

"Trump did not correct the reporter" is a silly discussion point. 

The parade on May 1st pails in comparison to the one on May 9th. The May 1st parades are mostly people carrying banners and Putin is hardly out there making a big deal about it. The May 9th parade is clearly the parade Trump is speaking about.

The whole verbatim tweet that you lifted from a reporter (and didn't credit the reporter) is silly gotcha journalism. It was some reporter thinking he was really smart and saying hey may day is a celebration of workers! Hahah trump doesn't know that!!! When in reality it just shows that the reporter didn't properly research that there is a military parade 8 days later that is state sponsored and celebrates the Nazi surrender. And they have tanks and guns and stuff and that they call May Day "Spring and Labour day". 

This article from the hill says it far better than the gotcha journalist you plagiarized did. 

Also of note...

So in the end we are still talking about Trump potentially attending a large Russian military parade at the invite of his BFF Vlad, but it's not the earlier parade that "pails" in comparison, and it's not technically the May Day Parade... so there's that.

Yeah, wow, I feel so much better about it now that that's cleared up.  

 

[John Blutarsky]

This has been talked about this week and it happened today

Jim Jordan assigned to Intel Committee ahead of Trump impeachment hearings

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/house-gop-assigns-jim-jordan-to-intel-committee-ahead-of-open-hearings-as-part-of-impeachment-inquiry

 

[the moops]

Imagine being Rep. Rick Crawford and having to give up your seat on the Intelligence Committee for that dude

 

[SaintsInDome2006]

Jim Jordan assigned to Intel Committee ahead of Trump impeachment hearings

>>Jordan, R-Ohio, replaces Rep. Rick Crawford, R-Ark., who temporarily resigned from his post on the panel Friday.<<

This is so strange. Nunes has this committee and Crawford didn’t seem to merit removal.

 

[timschochet]

It might turn out to be a mistake. 

Jordan is an aggressive supporter of Trump; a former Tea Party guy, I’m pretty sure a Birther; Trump loves him, the base loves him. But I think the general public, who has never really heard this guy, may find him slightly ridiculous, and especially here as he attempts to defend the indefensible. 

 

[parasaurolophus]

So in the end we are still talking about Trump potentially attending a large Russian military parade at the invite of his BFF Vlad, but it's not the earlier parade that "pails" in comparison, and it's not technically the May Day Parade... so there's that.

Yeah, wow, I feel so much better about it now that that's cleared up.  

Wouldnt be the first time a US president attended a victory day parade in russia. 

 

[Sinn Fein]

It might turn out to be a mistake. 

Jordan is an aggressive supporter of Trump; a former Tea Party guy, I’m pretty sure a Birther; Trump loves him, the base loves him. But I think the general public, who has never really heard this guy, may find him slightly ridiculous, and especially here as he attempts to defend the indefensible. 

I think he is a pretty effective cross-examiner - at least the few times I have heard him.  And he is not out to persuade the masses - only to keep the base.

 

[Sheriff Bart]

>>Jordan, R-Ohio, replaces Rep. Rick Crawford, R-Ark., who temporarily resigned from his post on the panel Friday.<<

This is so strange. Nunes has this committee and Crawford didn’t seem to merit removal.

He had to mooove on. 

 

[sho nuff]

It might turn out to be a mistake. 

Jordan is an aggressive supporter of Trump; a former Tea Party guy, I’m pretty sure a Birther; Trump loves him, the base loves him. But I think the general public, who has never really heard this guy, may find him slightly ridiculous, and especially here as he attempts to defend the indefensible. 

He is ridiculous and any questions he asks are sure to have zero to do with the witness or topic at hand.  He is likely there to smear witnesses and democrats.  (If history is any indication of his future behavior).

 

[SaintsInDome2006]

The May 9th parade is clearly the parade Trump is speaking about. 

An American president atop Lenin’s tomb watching a propaganda display. Great. 

For any who don’t know the Soviet/Russian parades have regularly been focused on a resentment that they claim they won’ the war, traditionally it has a very anti-west vibe, with glorification of Stalin and martialism. Allies’ roles are usually ignored. In the past it’s hosted a procession of leaders and representatives from Soviet & Russian client or satellite states. It’s a pretty unAmerican event.