Posted on 07/20/2018 2:03:38 AM PDT by be-baw
Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats told MSNBC's Andrea Mitchell Thursday that he felt he "needed to correct the record" following President Trump's comments during the Helsinki summit with Russia President Vladimir Putin, adding that he wished Trump had "made a different statement" as it is "undeniable that the Russians are taking a lead on this."
Our thought bubble: It was a STUNNING interview ... and is already catching heat and attention among Trump loyalists. I've already had two phone calls from sources close to Trump expressing their astonishment. The fact that Trump’s own intelligence director is saying these things is extraordinary. A moment of true and startling independence. Reveals how concerned Coats is about what happened with Putin.
What we're hearing: Sources close to Trump tell Axios that they're already speculating about whether Trump ends up firing Coats. Per a source with knowledge, Trump has never had much affection for Coats.
Why it matters: All week the White House has been trying to clarify Trump's performance at the summit, during which he failed to publicly confront Putin for claiming Russia didn't interfere in the U.S. presidential election, even though the U.S. intelligence community concluded that it had.
The backdrop: Earlier this week, Coats issued a statement reinforcing the intelligence community's assessment that Russia meddled in the 2016 election.
Coats said he doesn't know what happened during Trump's closed-door meeting with Putin, and asked if it was recorded by the Russians, he said: “That risk is always there.” How Trump prefers his intelligence briefings: "He likes it orally. He likes examples .... We use models. We use charts. We use a number of things." Coats said the Oval Office meeting between Trump and former Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak and foreign minister Sergey Lavrov, during which Trump shared classified information, was “probably not the best thing to do." His take on Putin: "Look, I think anybody who thinks that Vladimir Putin doesn't have a stamp on everything that happens in Russia is misinformed. It is very clear that virtually nothing happens there of any kind of consequence that Vladimir Putin doesn't know about or hasn't ordered. I think we're pretty sure about that."
Coates, a longtime RINO, was apparently forced on Trump by the establishment. He is an empty suit and is not serving the POTUS well. Trump should dump him. I long for the day when Trump can clean the swamp and rid his administration of all the never Trumpers.
Coates “blinking red light” quote about Russia the other day was an abomination.
The biggest National Security Threat we face is the Deep State inside the beltway and the porous border.
Bring the troops home now—there is plenty of work to be done here!
Dan Coates was GOPe long b4 GOPe existed!! Old fool
We need a purge of all socialists, and GOPe. This is getting sickening already!!
At this point, the ONLY congressional Republicans I support is the House Freedom Caucus. The rest are trash, except possibly Cruz.
Dan Coats should take a different approach to blabbing about intelligence matters.
Coates needs to resign. Since he cannot support the President, he needs to go. Trump is surrounded by deep state and uniparty agents who need to be removed and shut up.
“”””This really is one unusual administration in this regard, beginning when Trump openly criticised his own Secretary of State, Sessions. “””””””””””””
Sessions sucks as Attorney General, also.
I’m so sick of these swamp creatures flapping their gums, and acting like Trump is crazy. So few seem to have any loyalty to the POTUS.
We should care what some deep state civil service time serving toady thinks because?
Coats used to be a Congress Critter -—Senator from Indiana.
He probably was brain dead then. Looks that definitely now!
Major Deep State event indeed. Brennan has been the "big" speaker at this event. And he's back there again this year.
Coats seems very comfortable there.
Answering your question, using Coats own words, I would say it's “probably not the best thing to do."
The President acknowledges that he made a mistake.
... he “needed to correct the record”...
Well Bye!
I don’t think Trump was going to come out of his meeting with Putin, whether he kicked or kissed Putin’s a$$, with any kind of blessing from the Bolshies. Trump is either a war monger or under Putin’s thumb.
Just watched this interview with that ridiculous clown AndWea Mitchell.
The guy is a dimwit.
Let’s see now...the nation of Mexico has millions of their nationals in our country ripping our country to shreds (who do think agitated for non-citizen voting in San Francisco?), spends ALL of its time trying to figure out new ways to re-conquer the Southwest having now taken California, has 50+ Consulates in our country that spend ALL their time interfering with our government, and Dan Coats says...NOTHING.
Worse, the SOB said Trump was an “outsider” who doesn’t understand the realities.
Jeezus. Whatta clown.
Dan Coats is part of the Deep State and needs to go.
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