The disinformation artist

As a former KGB trained agent in the art of disinformation, social media to Vladimir Putin is like shooting fish in a barrel. He is actively involved in disinformation planning to weaken the west and has been for some time now.

A former TV producer who left Russia said Putin even involves himself in scripts for TV shows. He allows complaints about garbage pick up and basic issues, but uses that media to disinform on major issues. I listened to a reporter on NPR who said a very popular show in Estonia is one where Putin’s disinformation efforts in that country are highlighted each week.

Does it happen in America? Absolutely. Putin expert Dr. Fiona Hill was the most credible of all staff who testified at the Trump impeachment hearing on extorting the Ukraine president for personal gain. She pointed out that Putin’s disinformation efforts were happening as we speak with some legislators parroting his words in the questioning. Dr. Hill has far more credibility than anyone in that room on the subject.

One of the unfortunate things about Senator John McCain passing as he was a number one enemy in Russia because he knew exactly who Putin is and said so. Trusting Putin is truly a fool’s errand. McCain knew a con when he saw one. This was a key reason McCain wrote an op-ed piece accusing Trump of treasonous actions when he sided with Putin over US intelligence people.

A few this and that’s – August 11, 2022 edition

In no particular order, a few random musings about elected current or past leadership in the news. Elected may be correct in some cases, but strong-arm tactics were involved with a couple.

Vladimir Putin invades another country and now blames the US as the major reason for the Ukraine war. Does he really expect people to believe his BS? Putin is one of the few leaders in the world that is more untruthful than Donald Trump. Your best course of action is to start out not believing what he says and add back the occasional truth that slips out.

Back in the US, Trump pleads the 5th in court refusing to answer questions. This may be in large part due to he can’t remember where the truth stops and the lies begin. An attorney once deposed the former president and got him to recant 30 lies during one deposition. As I read in a couple of credible books about Trump, his attorneys do not ever want him to testify for this reason. They also know it would look bad if he got up and left. The best course of action in dealing with Trump’s comments is the same as noted for Putin.

Apparently, Boris Johnson is coasting into his departure. Given the mess he has made during his tenure, Brits should not complain about his doing nothing. We Americans did benefit that Trump did not work that hard, otherwise he would have made an even bigger mess than he did. Trump tended to spend most of his time tweeting to alter any bad press he received or change the topic. As for Johnson, some of his unforced errors were definite head-scratchers.

Nancy Pelosi may be a lightning rod for Republicans, especially now that Hillary Clinton is not in politics. Her trip to Taiwan was equal parts courageous and foolhardy. But, even many Republicans supported it. However, it may have been an unforced error of a trip, even though other members of Congress have recently gone. Let’s hope all the chest beating by China will subside.

Viktor Orbán of Hungary came to America to speak to CPAC. It takes one extremist to recognize other extremists. If these CPAC attendees lived under Orbán’s tutelage, they just may not appreciate the lack of freedoms, especially if they look or worship differently or work for the press. What bemuses me is our freedoms for all is a key strength of America, so arguing to take away freedoms for some groups is a horribly slippery slope. Why? Your freedoms might be next.

What is interesting about these five people is I am not a huge fan of any of them, even Pelosi, although she is not as low on the totem pole as the others. I have felt she has tended to grandstand too much on occasion. Yet, she deserves credit for knowing how to do her job and get stuff done, which is more than could be said for the other two-Anglo-Saxon leaders noted above.

Wednesday wanderings in early March – Ukraine focused

It looks like a beautiful day here, but like many I am glued to the news of what is happening in Ukraine. As for here, last night all three of our adult children gathered with us and it was a delight to hear and participate in the conversation.

Here are a few wanderings for this first Wednesday in March.

-I read where China delegates are having conversation with Ukraine leaders. That has to stick in the craw of the malevolent acting autocrat in Moscow.

-I also read Trump’s former National Security Advisor John Bolton said Trump would not have stood in Putin’s way if he invaded Ukraine on Trump’s watch. I have no trouble believing that to be true, as Putin could steer Trump any way he wanted.

-The Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelensky is doing what a leader should do. He is right there with his people telling the Russians and their malevolent acting autocrat we will not back down. Ukraine may not prevail, but one has to admire Zelensky and his people’s moxie.

-I read that Russia may start defaulting on debts if the invasion takes too long. Long military campaigns cost money and that is money Russia does not have a lot to spare. The Russian people know this even though they are mostly too scared to go out with the tens of thousands protestors and say so given the 6,000 arrests.

-Again, the malevolent acting autocrat may prevail on the military side, but he has already lost big time. In the course of two weeks, he has managed to galvanize NATO and the EU and show to the world the kind of person he is. Future investment in his country will return at some point, but it may take longer this time.

-Finally, per my previous post, please listen to and watch people on the news and opinion shows who know what they are talking about. Former Moscow bureau chief for Fox Jennfier Griffin and Dr. Fiona Hill are two experts on Russia and are among a handful worth listening to. The last people to listen to are opinion hosts who are more entertainers than news people, especially when they are not known for being truthful.

As Senator Mitt Romney said on Sunday, supporting a leader of another country who is bent on taking freedoms away is not something to admire. We should be firmly against this kind of tyranny. Sadly, those who are so doing are acquiescing to a former president who admires that type of aggression and that kind of leader.

Fox Putin expert once again brutally fact checks other guests

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/jennifer-griffin-once-again-brutally-fact-checks-a-pro-putin-fox-news-segment/ar-AAUoyPR?ocid=msedgdhp&pc=U531

In the article “Jennifer Griffin Once Again Brutally Fact-Checks a Pro-Putin Fox News Segment” by Justin Baragona of The Daily Beast, an actual expert that appears on Fox has been brutally correcting some of the inane commentary from so-called other experts. It is obvious from her tone, Jennifer Griffin has had enough with some of the disinformation that has been floated as opinion about the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Here is the gist of some of her recent remarks from the article:

“’I feel like I need to correct some of the things that Col. Douglas MacGregor said, and I’m not sure that 10 minutes is enough time to do so because there were so many distortions in what he just said,’ the veteran reporter flatly stated, adding that MacGregor sounded like an “apologist” for Putin.

‘I think the world has seen what Putin is capable of,’ she continued. ‘To blame NATO membership for what we’ve seen Putin unleash, we have seen his own words that he is talking in czarist terms, from a 19th-century view of imperial Russia, so what he just said was so distorted that I do feel our audience needs to know the truth.’

Griffin further explained that she has long tracked Putin’s rise throughout her career, pointing out how she started at Fox News by working in its Moscow bureau. Adding that the Russian leader has been laying the groundwork for imperial expansion for decades, she then brought up MacGregor’s own record with the Trump administration.

‘The kind of appeasement talk that Col. MacGregor, who should know better—when he was in government, he was the one who was advising Trump to pull all troops out of Germany,’ Griffin said. ‘That projection of weakness is what made Putin think he could move into a sovereign country like Ukraine.’

(Former Congressman Trey) Gowdy (also on the show), for his part, said he was ‘surprised’ by MacGregor’s remarks and that he found his ‘take on it stunning and disappointing.‘”

What frustrates me is these folks are trying to paint a picture with disinformation to blame failures on the current president. Putin is shrewd so he will take advantage of anything to gain what he wants. Showing weakness and acquiescing to Putin plays into his hands. Putin is a bully. And, the only way to beat a bully is to stand up to them. Ukraine should be applauded for so doing.

Griffin gets this. So, does Dr. Fiona Hill who is a Russian expert who testified at the first Trump impeachment trial where Trump tried to extort the Ukraine president trading guns for favors. Rewriting history does not solve problems.

Friday foibles and fumbles

Since I am struggling for a longer topic and did not want to repost an old post, here are a few foibles and fumbles for this Friday.

• Help me understand how a person gets elected to Congress that believes in things like a Jewish laser from space is causing the wildfires? But, she must be OK in the eyes of many as she believes everything the former president says.

• Speaking of said former president, taking a page out of deceased war hero and Senator John McCain’s op-ed a few years back, how can the actions of the former president before, leading up to and during the insurrection on a third branch of government not be viewed as “traitorous.”

• I cite Senator McCain’s words as he called the former president’s siding with Vladimir Putin in Helsinki over the input of his own intelligence people as “traitorous.” It should be noted President Biden is getting kudos from Republican legislators for pushing back on Putin in his first call. Putin is a malevolent and deceitful person, the kind of person the former president holds in high regard as a strong leader.

• House Minority leader Kevin McCarthy traveled to Mar-a-Largo to kiss the former president’s ring. Some may use a body part in this sentence, but let’s keep it clean. McCarthy has ranged from blaming the former president for a role in the insurrection to it is not his fault over the last twenty days. Between him, Senators Rand Paul and Ted Cruz and, disappointingly, former UN Ambassador and SC governor Nikki Haley, groveling at the feet of the insurrectionist former president to woo his followers is rather insulting and distasteful.

• President Biden has been a busy camper with executive orders. I am delighted he has rejoined the US into the Paris Climate Change agreement and is taking actions to help heal the planet. And, I am glad to see a president who actually considers the pandemic a problem. Mind you, it is not as important as trying to overturn a just election or inciting an insurrection which was the focus of the last president, but over 400,000 citizens dying is a problem that needs to be dealt with.

• On a sad note, two US treasures passed away this week, Cicely Tyson and Cloris Leachman, both terrific actresses. Tyson had key roles in movies like “Sounder,” “The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman,” “Fried Green Tomatoes,” to name only a few. Leachman was the consummate supporting actress, often in a comedic role. Her roles in “The Mary Tyler Moore Show,” “Young Frankenstein,” and “The Last Picture Show” were compelling.

• Let me close with a note about collaboration. Collaboration is hard work, which is why it is not done as often as it should be. Working with others toward a common purpose is essential to gain buy-in and sustainability. As noted above, executive orders are easy to do and easy to change. Yet, they are not laws. Congress must do their job and work together to enact laws. If the US flip-flops with every new president on working with other countries, then those countries will find more predictable trading partners.
  

That is all I have for today. Have a great Friday and weekend. Let me know your thoughts and reactions.

Republican Congressman – “I’ve had enough”

Business Insider posted the following article yesterday regarding a Republican leaving the party called “‘I’ve had enough’: Rep. Paul Mitchell leaves the GOP and becomes an Independent, decrying Trump’s efforts to overturn the presidential election.” A link to the article is below. Here are a few paragraphs:

“GOP Rep. Paul Mitchell announced on Monday that he is walking away from the Republican Party and becoming an Independent, according to CNN.

‘As elected members of Congress, we take an oath to ‘support and defend the Constitution of the United States,’ not to preserve and protect the political interests of any individual, be it the president or anyone else, to the detriment of our cherished nation,’ he wrote in a letter declaring his party change.

Mitchell, who is retiring after two terms in office, has represented Michigan’s 10th Congressional district since January 2017.

‘This party has to stand up for democracy first — for our Constitution first — and not political considerations,’ he told CNN. ‘Not to protect a candidate. Not simply for raw political power, and that’s what I feel is going on and I’ve had enough.'”

To be frank, Mitchell’s words ring loudly, but they are tardy. It looks like he was waiting, as were some other Republicans, for the Electoral College vote to declare Joe Biden the next president to make large pronouncements. Sadly, too many minds are made up in the Trump Party believing the fraudulent and unproven claims of the outgoing president.

Nonetheless, I did see a few more Senators speak out declaring Biden the winner after the Electoral College vote including Senator John Thune, the #3 Republican in the Senate following the #2 guy, John Cornyn’s comments over the last week. Surprisingly, Trump fan Senator Roy Blunt added his acknowledgement of Biden’s win. And, even the editorial board of the Wall Street Journal asked the outgoing president to concede.

Yet, the final dagger may be Vladimir Putin, the outgoing president’s favorite leader, calling Biden to congratulate him on his victory. Of course, Putin was likely not apologizing for hacking several US governmental systems.

‘I’ve had enough’: Rep. Paul Mitchell leaves the GOP and becomes an Independent, decrying Trump’s efforts to overturn the presidential election (msn.com)

Two years ago, these Republicans condemned Trump for siding with Putin over US intelligence people

Ted Miller wrote “After Putin Summit, It’s Time We Start Seriously Calling Trump A Traitor,” that was written on July 16, 2018 following the Helsinki summit between the US president and Vladimir Putin. Our Australian friend David, who lives in Tasmania inspired this piece after sending me the picture of the US president hugging the American flag with a “look at me, I’m hugging the flag expression” on his face.

Here are some excerpts. The entire article can be linked to below.

“At an over two-hour joint press conference with Russian president Vladimir Putin, Trump criticized the American intelligence community that overwhelming confirms Russian interference to get him elected.

Trump said:

‘They [American intelligence] said they think it’s Russia; I have President Putin, he just said it’s not Russia. I will say this: I don’t see any reason why it would be. I have great confidence in my intelligence people, but I will tell you that President Putin was extremely strong and powerful in his denial today.’

Predictably, Trump then meandered into a red-herring deflection about Hillary Clinton’s emails and the Democratic National Committee’s email server.

No one other than Trump’s most stubborn supporters are buying it anymore.

Former CIA director, John Brennan, tweeted:

‘Donald Trump’s press conference performance in Helsinki rises to & exceeds the threshold of ‘high crimes & misdemeanors.’ It was nothing short of treasonous. Not only were Trump’s comments imbecilic, he is wholly in the pocket of Putin.’

Calling out fellow Republicans, Brennan added:

‘Republican Patriots: Where are you???’

Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) stated:

‘Today’s press conference in Helsinki was one of the most disgraceful performances by an American president in memory. The damage inflicted by President Trump’s naivety, egotism, false equivalence, and sympathy for autocrats is difficult to calculate. But it is clear that the summit in Helsinki was a tragic mistake.

Not only did President Trump fail to speak the truth about an adversary; but speaking for America to the world, our president failed to defend all that makes us who we are – a republic of free people dedicated to the cause of liberty at home and abroad.’

Even House Speaker Paul Ryan, not known to openly condemn the president as often as he should, said:

‘The president must appreciate that Russia is not our ally. There is no moral equivalence between the United States and Russia, which remains hostile to our most basic values and ideals. The United States must be focused on holding Russia accountable and putting an end to its vile attacks on democracy.’

Senate Minority Leader, Charles Schmer (D-NY), concurred:

‘In the entire history of our country, Americans have never seen a president of the United States support an American adversary the way President Trump has supported President Putin. For the president of the United States to side with President Putin against American law enforcement, American defense officials, and American intelligence agencies is thoughtless, dangerous, and weak. The president is putting himself over our country.’

Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) echoed his colleagues’ sentiments, tweeting:

‘I never thought I would see the day when our American President would stand on the stage with the Russian President and place blame on the United States for Russian aggression. This is shameful.’

And from Sen. Ben Sasse (R-Neb.):

‘This is bizarre and flat-out wrong. The United States is not to blame. America wants a good relationship with the Russian people but Vladimir Putin and his thugs are responsible for Soviet-style aggression. When the President plays these moral equivalence games, he gives Putin a propaganda win he desperately needs.’

But lawmakers and intelligence officials are not the only ones accusing Trump of being weak in front of Vladimir Putin. Even members of Trump’s own staff thought that as well.

The Daily Beast quotes a Trump political appointee:

‘I honestly had little to no good expectations for this. [The event] went about as well as I expected. Trump looked incredibly weak up there. Putin looks like a champion. I’d like to say I’m shocked but this is the world in which we live now.’

Yes, even Fox News turned on the president.

During an interview, with host Neil Cavuto, Former Dep. Asst. Attorney General Tom Dupree, said on Fox Business:

‘All well and good for the president to talk about the Strzok and server and Hillary Clinton and all of that. But this wasn’t the time and the place this is the time and place for the president to look Putin squarely in the eye and said you will be punished for what you did in 2016, don’t ever think about doing that again.’

Cavuto said:

‘But he didn’t. That made it disgusting. That made his performance disgusting. Only way I feel. Not a right or left thing to me. It is wrong. U.S. President foreign soil talking to our biggest enemy or adversary or competitor, I don’t know how we define them away, essentially letting the guy get away with this, not even, offering a mild, a mild criticism. That sets us back a lot.’

Fox and Friends Weekend host Abby Huntsman tweeted:

‘No negotiation is worth throwing your own people and country under the bus. For Trump, apparently it’s Russia first.'”

It should be noted, just last week, the Senate Intelligence Committee not only confirmed the findings in the Mueller report, they said there was a formal tie between the Trump campaign and Russia. Paul Manafort, Trump campaign manager for over four months had communications with a Russian agent. It should be noted Manafort was indicted for fraud and lying and went to jail for other actions, uncovered by the Mueller report. Note, during Manafort’s time, the Republican platform softened some wording toward Russia. Why?

Also, last Friday over 70 former intelligence officials who worked for Republican presidents have cited the security risk which is Donald Trump in a full page piece in the Wall Street Journal. They are supporting Joe Biden. And, last week, Miles Taylor, a former Dept. of Homeland Security Chief of Staff under Trump noted the same conclusion and support of Biden, adding we are less secure under Trump because our allied relationships are weaker and our enemies are stronger.

I want Trump supporters to tell me why this is not a concern to them and not just cite the president’s wont to name call critics. When people say Trump is dangerous, it is people in the know who are saying it. It is not fake news. These are real people with real concerns.

Here is the link: https://liberalamerica.life/2018/07/16/tm-after-putin-summit-its-time-we-start-seriously-calling-trump-a-traitor/

Tell me why (an underused question)

The Beatles sang, “Tell me why…., you cry and why you lie to me.” Why? A question we do not ask enough, especially of those who need it asked again and again. I witness politicians, business leaders, experts and regular people like us say things as if they are fact, but the comments are merely opinion or conjecture. And, in the case of one person in particular, any comment is likely untrue.

So, here are a few why questions.

– Why does a person who claims things that run contrary to his narrative are a hoax, actually made money off hoax strategies? We have heard words like Climate change hoax, Russian hoax, Ukrainian hoax, Coronavirus hoax, etc. from this person, but he made a lot of money off selling his name to developers for projects he had nothing to do with. The name was supposed to bring in more customers under the perception of quality. That is a hoax perpetrated on the unsuspecting buyer.

– Why would the White House change how data is reported on COVID-19 cases and deaths circumventing the CDC reporting? If you control the data, you can control the narrative, maybe?

– Why are sycophants of the president going further with their CYA efforts at this point? Congresswoman Liz Cheney sided with Dr. Anthony Fauci and the usual suspects in the House want her to step down as a Republican leader as a result. They want Republican legislators to be all in for this candidate regardless of the veracity of his narrative.

– Why has the Vice President, a self-professed devoted Christian man and husband, decided his reputation can be thrown out the window as he lies for the his boss? I think it was in Bob Woodward’s book “Fear,” based on 750 hours of interviews that noted how disappointed Republican leaders are in Pence not corralling the president more. Of course, why did they not do it?

– Why are British folks surprised about the lack of interest in pursuing then (and now), purported Russian involvement in the Brexit vote? A weaker EU is a help to Russia. Of course, Putin had his fingerprints on this issue, just as he had a hand on the 2016 US presidential election. Putin is a KGB trained expert on disinformation – social media is nirvana to him – so his use of such to gain advantage is not a surprise.

– Why do leaders try to rewrite history, even when it occurred just a few months ago? Governors who opened up their economies too early are saying how could they have known the pandemic could get worse? The president says often he did not say things he is recorded saying. He said the coronavirus was a hoax at one of his pep rallies at the end of February, the night of the first official US COVID-19 death. Note to these folks – the uptick in COVID-19 is not a surprise. Don’t act like it is and try not to make the same mistakes.

– Why are people surprised when a famous person, like Brazil president Jair Bolsonaro, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, former GOP presidential candidate Herman Cain, et al, get COVID-19 after being in very public settings with no masks or social distancing? I read there has been an uptick in cases in Tulsa after a recent presidential pep rally. I do not wish COVID-19 on anyone, but these cases are not a surprise.

– Why would one of the president’s people let him be interviewed one-on-one with Fox News Chris Wallace, one the more studious and tenacious interviewers around? In real time, Wallace corrected the president on several untruthful statements such as regarding the lowest death rate in the world on COVID-19 (not even close) and Biden supporting defunding of the police (not true as per his policy statements). The president was heavily perspiring not just because it was hot. He was thinking why am I here? In short, someone thought it was a good idea to put a president who does not command many facts in an interview with someone who does.

That is all for now. What are some of your why questions?

The company you keep

Even parents who are not helicopter parents have concerns over the friends their children make. These friends can be positive or negative influences. My wife and I opened our house to our kids’ friends – we loved the chaos, but also got to meet them.

Speaking of the company you keep, on yet another Friday night cleansing, the president announced he would commute the sentence of his confidant Roger Stone. Stone was convicted of lying to Congress and more and is a self-professed dirty trickster, which still puzzles me why anyone would brag about that?

Stone is a contemporary of Paul Manafort, who also went to jail for more than a few malfeasances related to unreported foreign dealings and income. Manafort served as Trump’s campaign manager for over four months.

Michael Flynn pleased guilty to lying to the FBI twice, but that does not seem to matter now to some. What is also not reported enough, is the FBI did not pursue other legitimate charges of not reporting relationships with foreign governments and conducting government business before being sworn in. The FBI wanted his help, so they made a plea deal.

And, it still puzzles me why the president commuted the sentence of disgraced former Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich. Blagojevich marketed for money the Senate seat vacated by Barack Obama when he became president. That is both illegal and highly unethical.

These are the kind of people the president values. Maybe this is part of the reason he fawns over autocratic-type and brutal leaders from Russia, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Philippines, North Korea, Brazil, etc.

It also interests me how he demeans, denigrates and eventually forces out people who are more loyal to the Constitution than to him. People who testified under oath at great risk over concerns, Inspector Generals who wrote reports or raised concerns inconsistent to whatever tactic the president was employing and, of course, whistleblowers who raised concerns with the hope of some protection have come under fire. Names like Alex Vindman, Fiona Hill, Michael Atkinson, Mitch Behm, Glenn Fine, Christi Grimm, Steve Linick, et al are American heroes run out of Dodge by the corrupt sheriff. It also is frustrating to watch Senators and Congresspeople throw these folks under the bus.

I have been a broken record with Republican Senators and my two Republican Congressman (the first had to resign over unreported conflicts of interest) sharing my concerns about the most corrupt and deceitful president in my lifetime, including Richard Nixon. I would ask them what will you have to defend next week, the week after, next month…?

I recall Republicans making a big deal out of Obama not wearing s flag pin. How unpatriotic! But, now it is OK that a president prefers the company of criminals, he takes the side of Putin over his own intelligence people, he does not bother to study key briefings endangering Americans, he is far more untruthful than he is not beating up on those who try to tell the truth, so badly botching a COVID-19 response using misinformation and finally promoting racial injustice dividing America.

These are questions that stymie me, and the sycophants who look the other way are abetting this corruption. But, don’t take my word for it, Google all those names above and determine for yourself. Ask why are the various groups treated so differently by this president?

When you hear the president claim hoax, dig deeper

Five biographers have noted long ago, the president has a problem with the truth. I often use the quote of Thomas Wells, an attorney that worked for Trump, who wrote in 2016, “Donald Trump lies every day, even about things of no consequence.” So, when Donald Trump claims something is hoax, dig deeper.

The Russian bounty story has now been called a hoax by the president, created by the media and Democrats. These words eerily track the words he uttered repeatedly about COVID-19 as late as February 28. Ironically, that was the night of the first official American death from COVID-19. This hoax has now killed over 127,000 Americans and the misinformation continues.

The Russian investigation was a called a hoax, but The Mueller Report, did not exonerate Trump noting he likely obstructed justice, had a campaign with too many unusual contacts with Russians and he was untruthful on more than a few occasions. And, this so-called hoax sent several folks to jail.

The Ukraine arm-twisting for personal gain was called a hoax, but we saw a parade of duty-bound and honorable public servants testify under oath at great risk over their concerns. These folks knew they would likely be fired by a well-known vindictive person. This led to his impeachment by the House. It should be noted former National Security Advisor John Bolton, in his book “The room where it happened,” corroborated the testimony of Dr. Fiona Hill, who was one of the more impactful testifiers.

The hoax term has been pulled out of the holster on several occasions on other mistakes or misstatements made by this president both here and abroad. Often, he adds a heavy dose of ridicule to those who dare ask him a tough question. Sadly, what his ardent followers fail to realize is the problem is the person crying “hoax.”

One of the dilemmas is the problem goes beyond the lying. Per two-time Pulitzer Prize winner, Bob Woodward’s book “Fear,” which is based on 750 recorded interview hours, the president does not invest the time to read briefings. This is not new, as his short attention span matches his short fuse, also prevalent in this and other books about the Trump White House. He does not read and his staff is scared of his volatile temper. On the Russian bounty issue, he said he was not briefed, because he didn’t do his work.

Former Secretary of Defense James Mattis said Trump is unfit for the role he is in, saying “Donald Trump is the first president in my lifetime who does not try to unite the American people — does not even pretend to try.” A GOP legislator named Shawn Lemmonds (former local mayor and state house representative) who is helping organize an alternative Republican convention of anti-Trumpers said today in The Charlotte Observer, “he considers the ‘Trump cult’ the biggest threat to the country since World War II and the biggest threat to the party since Nixon.”

In essence, the US president has a job he is unsuited for and does not care to learn. If he would tweet less, he may have more time to read what we need him to know. As Former Secretary of Labor (and advisor to two Democrat and one Republican president), Robert Reich noted “Trump is a clear and present danger to America and the world.” Sadly, that is not is hoax.