Monday, September 17, 2018
The Deep State Leak Campaign Against Trump Has Switched From Offense To Defense
A trail of evidence appearing in major news outlets suggests a campaign to undermine President Trump from within the government through illegal leaks of classified information, and then thwart congressional investigators probing the disclosures.
Last Monday the Justice Department released a handful of texts and other documents that included two former officials known for their anti-Trump bias—Peter Strzok and Lisa Page of the FBI—discussing the DOJ’s “media leak strategy.” Strzok now says, through his lawyer, that that strategy was aimed at preventing leaks. Nevertheless, days later he and Page approvingly mention forthcoming news articles critical of Trump associates.
“The leaks that have been coming out of the FBI and DOJ since 2016 are unconscionable,” said retired FBI supervisory special agent James Gagliano. “There’s a difference between whistleblowing and leaking for self-serving or partisan purposes.”
Leak Template Constructed for Iran Deal
Past and present U.S. officials say the template for the leak campaign can be traced back to the Obama administration’s efforts to sell the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, which made the press reliant on background conversations and favorable leaks from government officials. Obama adviser Ben Rhodes told the New York Times in 2016 that “we created an echo chamber” that “helped retail the administration’s narrative.”
“That same configuration,” said Michael Doran, a senior official in the George W. Bush White House, “the press, political operatives, newly minted experts, social media validators—was repurposed to target Trump, his campaign, transition team, then presidency.” The echo chamber’s primary instrument in attacking the current White House, said Doran, “is the Russia collusion narrative.”
RealClearInvestigations (RCI) has found that the anti-Trump leaks fall into two broad categories, or phases. Initially the leaking was an offensive operation aimed at disrupting Trump’s agenda, especially through leaks alleging connections between his campaign and the Russians. Its early successes included leaks of highly classified material that led to the firing of National Security Adviser Michael Flynn and the recusal of Attorney General Jeff Sessions from overseeing that probe.
The second phase, which began roughly a year into the Trump administration, has been more defensive, pushing back against congressional oversight committees that had uncovered irregularities in the FBI’s investigation of Trump.
This phase has been marked by the willingness of press outlets to run stories backing off earlier reported leaks that proved to be deeply misleading, including the roots of the FBI’s investigation of the Trump campaign and the relationship between Deputy Attorney General Bruce Ohr and the opposition research firm that produced a central document of that probe, the largely discredited “Steele dossier.”
This second phase has also included articles and opinion pieces—some written by journalists who have published classified information—dismissing suspicions of an orchestrated campaign against Trump as, to use the phrase invoked in a recent New Yorker article, a “conspiracy theory.”
“Former Obama officials and their press allies can call it a ‘conspiracy theory’ or whatever they want,” a senior U.S. official—familiar with how Obama holdovers and the media jointly targeted Trump figures—told RCI. “But they can’t say it’s not true that former Obama officials were furiously leaking to keep people close to Trump out of the White House.”
Setting Up Page and Papadopoulos
The focus of the ongoing anti-Trump campaign became clear in March 2016 when the candidate identified Carter Page and George Papadopoulos as foreign policy advisers. For reasons that remain unclear, FBI officials decided that Page, in particular, was a Russian asset and that others on the team might be as well. Instead of alerting Trump to this possibility, law enforcement set up a sting operation.
As RCI has previously reported, FBI informants and figures associated with Western intelligence approached the Trump team with offers of Russian-sourced dirt on Clinton. Among the seven mysterious approaches, the most significant...
Past and present U.S. officials say the template for the leak campaign can be traced back to the Obama administration’s efforts to sell the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, which made the press reliant on background conversations and favorable leaks from government officials. Obama adviser Ben Rhodes told the New York Times in 2016 that “we created an echo chamber” that “helped retail the administration’s narrative.”
“That same configuration,” said Michael Doran, a senior official in the George W. Bush White House, “the press, political operatives, newly minted experts, social media validators—was repurposed to target Trump, his campaign, transition team, then presidency.” The echo chamber’s primary instrument in attacking the current White House, said Doran, “is the Russia collusion narrative.”
RealClearInvestigations (RCI) has found that the anti-Trump leaks fall into two broad categories, or phases. Initially the leaking was an offensive operation aimed at disrupting Trump’s agenda, especially through leaks alleging connections between his campaign and the Russians. Its early successes included leaks of highly classified material that led to the firing of National Security Adviser Michael Flynn and the recusal of Attorney General Jeff Sessions from overseeing that probe.
The second phase, which began roughly a year into the Trump administration, has been more defensive, pushing back against congressional oversight committees that had uncovered irregularities in the FBI’s investigation of Trump.
This phase has been marked by the willingness of press outlets to run stories backing off earlier reported leaks that proved to be deeply misleading, including the roots of the FBI’s investigation of the Trump campaign and the relationship between Deputy Attorney General Bruce Ohr and the opposition research firm that produced a central document of that probe, the largely discredited “Steele dossier.”
This second phase has also included articles and opinion pieces—some written by journalists who have published classified information—dismissing suspicions of an orchestrated campaign against Trump as, to use the phrase invoked in a recent New Yorker article, a “conspiracy theory.”
“Former Obama officials and their press allies can call it a ‘conspiracy theory’ or whatever they want,” a senior U.S. official—familiar with how Obama holdovers and the media jointly targeted Trump figures—told RCI. “But they can’t say it’s not true that former Obama officials were furiously leaking to keep people close to Trump out of the White House.”
Setting Up Page and Papadopoulos
The focus of the ongoing anti-Trump campaign became clear in March 2016 when the candidate identified Carter Page and George Papadopoulos as foreign policy advisers. For reasons that remain unclear, FBI officials decided that Page, in particular, was a Russian asset and that others on the team might be as well. Instead of alerting Trump to this possibility, law enforcement set up a sting operation.
As RCI has previously reported, FBI informants and figures associated with Western intelligence approached the Trump team with offers of Russian-sourced dirt on Clinton. Among the seven mysterious approaches, the most significant...
JEFF FLAKE, TRAITOR
Kavanaugh unequivocally denies Ford’s allegation, and the only witness to the event (per Ford), Mark Judge, says “It’s just absolutely nuts. I never saw Brett act that way.” I think Ms. Ford is pretty obviously lying (don’t get me started on the friendly “lie detector test” that the Washington Post says she passed), or, on the most charitable explanation, possibly has Brett Kavanaugh confused with someone else.
In any event, the idea that a 30 to 40 year old story of this sort–He tried to kiss me! He lay on top of me!–that has never been heard before, can derail the nomination of a man who by all accounts, including those of political adversaries, is of the most sterling possible character, is ridiculous.
Despite the feebleness of Ford’s complaint, it is easy to understand why the Democrats are clinging to it like a life raft. But what could possibly prompt Jeff Flake, who ran for office and was elected as a Republican, to join in their attempt to block one of the most superbly qualified jurists ever appointed to the Court? There is only one answer: his insane hatred for President Trump.
Flake is a never-Trumper. Like a number of others for whom I once had considerable respect, Flake has elevated his hatred for our president over every principle of...
Al Gore's claim about Hurricane Florence doused by scientists
Mr. Gore said Friday that two major storms from the Atlantic and Pacific oceans had never made landfall at the same time, referring to Hurricane Florence, the Category 1 hurricane that struck North Carolina on Friday, and Super Typhoon Mangkhut, which hit the Philippines early Saturday.
“This is the first time in history that two major storms are making landfall from the Atlantic and the Pacific simultaneously,” Mr. Gore told the crowd at the Global Climate Action Summit in San Francisco, which wrapped up Friday.
He cited the storm activity on opposite sides of the globe as an example of climate change driving unusual and extreme weather, but meteorologist Ryan Maue was quick to dump cold water on Mr. Gore’s assertion.
“Al Gore just (fraudulently) claimed without any evidence that we’ve never had hurricanes in both the Atlantic and Pacific making landfall at the same time,” tweeted Mr. Maue, an adjunct scholar at the free-market Cato Institute.
University of Colorado Boulder meteorologist Roger A. Pielke Sr. also took issue with the claim by Mr. Gore, known for his 2006 climate-change film, An Inconvenient Truth, and the...
VIDEO: Woman In Hijab Throws Coffee On Canadians Protesting Migrant Murder Of 13 Year-Old Marrisa Shen
Outside of a courthouse in British Columbia, a group of Canadians – including many people from the Canadian Chinese community – gathered to protest the murder of Marrisa Shen.
Shen was a 13-year-old Burnaby girl who was murdered, and a refugee from Syria named Ibrahim Ali has been charged with her killing.
Many of those protesting were demanding that the government be held accountable and give answers. People are also angry – and understandably so – about Justin Trudeau’s unwillingness to comment. Trudeau has been silent on Shen’s murder, a stark contrast from his willingness to comment on the Hijab Hoax.
Keep in mind, those protesting were surrounded by the media, meaning that the clip below is something that all the establishment media likely have on file. Yet they aren’t running it.
WHILE PEOPLE WERE STANDING OUTSIDE THE COURT, A WOMAN IN A HIJAB WALKED BY, THREW COFFEE AT THEM, AND THEN WALKED AWAY:
THAT IS ASSAULT. YET THE MEDIA DIDN’T TRACK THE WOMAN DOWN, AND THEY AREN’T REPORTING ON IT.
Watch what happened today outside of the court pic.twitter.com/UJfSzdtMo1— swz2000 (@swz2000) September 15, 2018
The double standard by Trudeau and the establishment media in regards to Shen’s murder is appalling and it’s disgusting.
Not only is the government failing to keep Canadians safe, but they and their media allies are trying to deflect, distract, and really cover up what’s really going on.
This is why Canadians must put our trust in each other, get the truth out ourselves, and fight for the kind of country we want to...
The 90 Miles Mystery Box: Episode #382
You have come across a mystery box. But what is inside?
It could be literally anything from the serene to the horrific,
from the beautiful to the repugnant,
from the mysterious to the familiar.
If you decide to open it, you could be disappointed,
you could be inspired, you could be appalled.
This is not for the faint of heart or the easily offended.
You have been warned.
Trump Defines, Excoriates And DESTROYS The Swamp and the Deep State...
Remember this Video is from 2016. Election day for 2018 is Tuesday, November 6th.
Sunday, September 16, 2018
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)