Following President Trump’s meeting with Russia President Vladimir Putin last Monday, ABC was the first broadcast network to boost hysterical cries of “treason” from loony leftists. During Sunday’s This Week, the network appeared to be getting their employees fitted for their tinfoil hats as they kicked up the lunacy with incessant suggestions that the President was under the direct control of Russia.
It wasn’t just guests bringing up the topic either, host and Clinton lackey George Stephanopoulos was beckoning them to opine about how Russia had compromising information on the President and was blackmailing him with it.
“Congressman Schiff, you’ve had some tough words for the President this week, calling him the greatest threat to democracy. Other Democrats have followed that up as well. Just bluntly, do you believe he’s compromised by Vladimir Putin,” the ABC host requested of California Democrat Adam Schiff.
Of course, Schiff obliged:
Well, I certainly think he is acting like someone who is compromised and it very well may be that he is compromised, or that he believes that he’s compromised. That the Russians have information on him. We were not permitted to look into one of the allegations that was most serious to me, and that is: Were the Russians laundering money through the Trump organization?
Schiff complained that the Republicans on the Intelligence committee obstructed his ability to investigate that lead into Trump and his targeting of the NRA on suspicion of working with the Russians.
Stephanopoulos also allowed infamous Obama-era liar Susan Rice push such speculations about the President’s motivations. “He has taken a series of steps that had Vladimir Putin dictated him, he couldn't have mirrored more effectively. What his motivations are, I think, is a legitimate question, one that I trust the special counsel is investigating,” she declared.
“You had mentioned the President’s motivations. Does that mean you think it’s an open question whether or not he’s compromised by Russia,” Stephanopoulos asked. “George, I don't know what his motivations are. I think that's a legitimate question. (…) But it was also reinforced sadly this week by that tragic display of sycophancy in Helsinki,” she elaborated.
The most off the wall pontifications about Trump’s ties to the Russian government came from New York Times columnist Michelle Goldberg during the so-called “powerhouse roundtable”. Following Stephanopoulos boasting about Democrats calling Trump a traitor, she declared that it was a “leap of faith” to believe Trump’s wasn’t a Russian puppet.
“I think the truth is probably what is right in front of us, which is that Donald Trump was kind of a con man, a third tier failed businessman whose fortunes were rescued by Russian oligarchs,” she opined. “We don't know, I think, if Putin is his handler, his hero, or his co-conspirator, but that's obviously where his loyalty lies as opposed to lying with the American people.”
She even suggested that the conspiracy went far beyond Trump and could implicate most Republicans via the NRA. “And I think one of the things that came out this week with the NRA is that maybe they’re not just, you know, craven. Some of them are also complicit because the NRA didn't just help Trump, but them all,” she shrieked.
ABC was not acting like a news organization discussing the politics of the day. They’re acting like political operatives discussing a messaging strategy.
The transcript is below, click "expand" to read:
ABC
This Week
July 22, 2018
9:10:06 AM Eastern [45 seconds](…)
GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: Congressman Schiff, you’ve had some tough words for the President this week, calling him the greatest threat to democracy. Other Democrats have followed that up as well. Just bluntly, do you believe he’s compromised by Vladimir Putin?
ADAM SCHIFF: Well, I certainly think he is acting like someone who is compromised and it very well may be that he is compromised, or that he believes that he’s compromised. That the Russians have information on him. We were not permitted to look into one of the allegations that was most serious to me, and that is: Were the Russians laundering money through the Trump organization? The Republicans wouldn't allow us to go near that, and I hope Bob Mueller’s investigating it. Because, again, if that’s the leverage the Russians are using, it not only would explain the President's behavior but it would help protect the country by knowing, in fact, our president was compromised.
(…)
9:14:40 AM Eastern [1 minute 18 seconds]
SUSAN RICE: The President has cast doubt repeatedly, including this week, on the legitimacy of the unanimous intelligence community finding that Russia directly interfered in our elections. He has undermined NATO, called the European Union a foe. He has imposed harsh tariffs on our closest allies and withdrawn us from the trans-pacific partnership agreement. He has taken a series of steps that had Vladimir Putin dictated him, he couldn't have mirrored more effectively. What his motivations are, I think, is a legitimate question, one that I trust the special counsel is investigating. But the policies that this President has pursued globally have served Vladimir Putin’s interest in dividing the west, undermining democracy, increasing fissures within NATO, and has done very little to advance U.S. interests.
STEPHANOPOULOS: You had mentioned the President’s motivations. Does that mean you think it’s an open question whether or not he’s compromised by Russia?
RICE: George, I don't know what his motivations are. I think that's a legitimate question. And it has been reinforced not only by the series of policy steps that I just mentioned he’s has taken that have served Russian interests as opposed to U.S. interests. But it was also reinforced sadly this week by that tragic display of sycophancy in Helsinki.
(…)
9:48:46 AM Eastern [1 minute 45 seconds]
STEPHANOPOULOS: That is one of the questions. You also saw, Michelle Goldberg, Democrats far less reticent about saying-- using words like treason this week, for better or worse politically. Clearly saying they believe it's very very possible now that President Trump is compromised. Then on the heels of that—or sort of bookending the summit you have on the indictments on the Friday before and the new indictment of Maria Butina as a Russian agent just the day after.
MICHELLE GOLDBERG: Look, I think that increasingly to believe that the President isn't compromised requires such a leap of faith that requires so many coincidences and kind of inexplicable behavioral choices. I think the truth is probably what is right in front of us, which is that Donald Trump was kind of a con man, a third tier failed businessman whose fortunes were rescued by Russian oligarchs.
He presented himself as a kind of titan of industry, which anybody who knows anything about him knew was ridiculous. He became president with the direct intervention of Putin. He sees his fortunes as inseparable from Putin's. We don't know, I think, if Putin is his handler, his hero, or his co-conspirator, but that's obviously where his loyalty lies as opposed to lying with the American people.
And I think increasingly when you look at the role that the NRA has played all this, --
STEPHANOPOULOS: The ties to Maria Butina.
GOLDBERG: I think, you know, the Republican civility has been breath-taking to me, and really confusing. Cause, you think if nothing else, these people are patriots they have some baseline loyalty to country over party, and yet they have lied down for Trump in this way that-- I mean, people come up to me in the street and they find it unbelievable. And I think one of the things that came out this week with the NRA is that maybe they’re not just, you know, craven. Some of them are also complicit because the NRA didn't just help Trump, but them all.
(…)
