Off-the-chain unbelievable CNN reporting on Trump’s calls with foreign leaders.

I just noticed the byline. Such a flamethrower.

Former DNI Dan Coats always had a look like he was contemplating punching Trump in the face.

And was grimly enjoying the fantasy.

How did you link to that article, OP? Every politician who knows and who remains silent about the allegations in that story is responsible for Trump.

He called Angela Merkel a “fool.” He wanted his horrified staff to praise him after every call. He took foreign policy advice from the Kushners. He let Erdegon and Putin walk all over him because he knew nothing about anything. He whined all the time to foreign leaders. Yes, it’s everything we imagined—but read the article anyway. It’s just so horrible.

OP, thank you. I read the entire article. His behavior with our allies is outrageous. However, this jumped out at me; is it some sort of semantic wordplay on Bernstein's part?

[quote]CNN reached out to Kelly, McMaster and Tillerson for comment and received no response as of Monday afternoon. Mattis did not comment.

What is the difference between 'no response' and 'did not comment'? It seems so goofy. Why wouldn't Bernstein include Mattis with the first three?

I realize this is distracting to the topic but there's something that bothers me about Bernstein making this distinction.

It might mean that Mattis replied but refused to comment.

R5, it’s just journalistic terms. Don’t read too much into it. R6 is right, Mattis was reached Somehow but said/emailed maybe no comment or hung up. The others weren’t reached at all.

Trump poses for the photo by picking up the phone, despite their being no one on the line. This is known. .

R5, it seems pretty clear to me. Three of the four did not call back. One of the court did call back, but had nothing to say. On the record at least.

[quote]Putin "just outplays" him, said a high-level administration official -- comparing the Russian leader to a chess grandmaster and Trump to an occasional player of checkers.

[quote](At times, the Putin-Trump conversations sounded like "two guys in a steam bath," a source added.)

This "source" is a DLer, right? I think Trump would have difficulties with checkers, tbh.

Did he verbally abuse Theresa May?

Yes, he did, and she was intimidated by him. It's in the article.

He called Merkel "stupid."

[quote] Meanwhile, the President regularly bullied and demeaned the leaders of America's principal allies, especially two women: telling Prime Minister Theresa May of the United Kingdom she was weak and lacked courage; and telling German Chancellor Angela Merkel that she was "stupid."

[quote] But his most vicious attacks, said the sources, were aimed at women heads of state. In conversations with both May and Merkel, the President demeaned and denigrated them in diatribes described as "near-sadistic" by one of the sources and confirmed by others. "Some of the things he said to Angela Merkel are just unbelievable: he called her 'stupid,' and accused her of being in the pocket of the Russians ... He's toughest [in the phone calls] with those he looks at as weaklings and weakest with the ones he ought to be tough with."

How the two women reacted:

[quote]Merkel remained calm and outwardly unruffled in the face of Trump's attacks —"like water off a duck's back," in the words of one source -- and she regularly countered his bluster with recitations of fact. The German official quoted above said that during Merkel's visit to the White House two years ago, Trump displayed "very questionable behavior" that "was quite aggressive ... [T]he Chancellor indeed stayed calm, and that's what she does on the phone."

[quote]Prime Minister May, in contrast, became "flustered and nervous" in her conversations with the President. "He clearly intimidated her and meant to," said one of CNN's sources. In response to a request for comment about Trump's behavior in calls with May, the UK's Downing Street referred CNN to its website. The site lists brief descriptions of the content of some calls and avoids any mention of tone or tension. The French embassy in Washington declined to comment, while the Russian and Turkish embassies did not respond to requests for comment.

It's all theater.

And I already believe what I believe.

I don't need another article or news story to TELL ME what to believe.

Serial rapist, wife beater and daughterfucker with a long history of insulting and belittling women treats female world leaders with disrespect. Big surprise there!

It’s not about being surprised. It’s about how extraordinarily damaging this reporting is to the office of the presidency

Who will play this chump in the biopic?

His posture when he’s with Putin is one of submission. He looks like a middle-schooler when in the presence of the school’s coach.

Trump famously (in our country) yelled at our Prime Minister Turnbull on the phone several years ago. The call transcript was released to the media.

It was because of a deal Australia made with President Obama ( a REAL President) to do a refugee swap which Trump hated and was furious about. Then in a White House press conference discussing the episode days later, Sean Spicer incorrectly named Australia's Prime Minister as Trumbull and didn't correct the rude error. It was obvious that none of them could have given a fuck about Australia as an ally.

It REALLY pissed a lot of Australians off and is remembered.

Indeed, R18; he reminds me of my sister's Schoodle, who would curl into a ball, paws covering his eyes any time my giant Maine Coon thundered into the room...or up the front hallway...down the back hallway...hell, any fucking place in the house.

Total submissive.

I guess CNN stories post now?

Pelosi's right. Putin has something on him.

r19, I remember that too!

R22, with what we already know, one can only imagine how bad this news is.

If Pelosi is willing to say that, she must have a pretty good idea of what it is. She's always been very careful about what she says.

I think we're just on the cusp of more revelations of ineptitude and self interest of this abomination, in light of upcoming tell-all books from former staff. History and Hollywood will not be kind. Poor Barron.

I agree, r26. I think the worm has turned. I think there is a concerted, organized effort to drop these stories. And I think this is just the start.

[quote] I think there is a concerted, organized effort to drop these stories. And I think this is just the start.

Exactly. The timing of this one is perfect. It's been in the works for months so it seems pretty clear that it was released today for a reason.

R8, I’m surprised the fool doesn’t do it Vinton Harper style and hold the phone upside down, talking into the ear holes.

This is so outrageous it is difficult to even comprehend. Trump is so sickening in his pure ignorance, lack of brain power to comprehend America's place in the world, any history whatsoever, it is difficult to understand how to ever right the ship of state. The public needs to be made even more aware of his idiotic incompetence. It is up to the Biden Administration and Congress to hold endless hearings and demand to know why McMasters, Bolton Kelly et al refused to stand up and support the United States in the hands of a clearly demented Trump.

How did Bernstein get hold of all those phone call transcripts? Just curious.

Lot of leaks lately.

R31, great journalistic work.

Is anyone actually surprised by this? This cretin has been a failure in just about every business venture he has undertaken in the past 40 years and who was a goddamn game show host prior to being elected by the morons of this nation.

Agreed, R34. It’s been clear from the beginning. It is still quiet something to get confirmation.

You can still be shocked by the specific details, R34.

I love that Miss Angie Merkel doesn't conceal her contempt for this puddle of anal leakage.

[quote]demand to know why McMasters, Bolton Kelly et al refused to stand up and support the United States in the hands of a clearly demented Trump.

Those fucking cowards need to be strung up along with Trump!

"Gorl look how orange you fuckin' look gorl"

I love how she just leans into his cross-armed, smirking orange face, R37.

He is the most disgusting thing I have ever known off.

"Mein Gott, make it schtöpp"

"Really, kveen?"

NO ONE at Fox News knows about this. 40% of the population will never hear about these facts. As INSANE as it is, it is not even considered “news” at the most watched “news” station in US. Democracy is doomed - the US is a fading, failing has-been who has lost any ability to lead in the world. So so sad.

Trump’s crossed-arm pose as in R37, is one of those giveaways that can so easily be read by, well, just about everybody.

The entire world will breath a sigh of relief when Trump is ousted.

Merkel has no problem rolling her eyes at Putin, she probably thinks Trump is lower than the dirt between her toes.

[quote]The entire world will breath a sigh of relief when Trump is ousted.

I can imagine people having spontaneous parties everywhere, not just in the US. Like the universal victory over EVIL.

I imagine it sort of like Violet's Snow White fantasy in 9 to 5.

R15. Daughterfucker! I love it.

This story will go nowhere unless some powerful and really credible MSM personalities pick it up and talk about it.

But, is anyone really surprised by all of this? The story (IMHO) is light fire to the Republican asses. Just as most of us are not surprised by these revelations neither are they. How and why did they let this go on?

Carl "Watergate" Bernstein isn't credible r51?????

RELEASE THE TRANSCRIPTS

Maybe to you and me, R52. But, FOX and friends, etc will just chew this him and this report alive. I'm seeing it already on the internet... "But, it's CNN. They're not credible," etc.

Most Americans won't even read the piece. It's too long and there aren't any pretty pictures...

After reading that story, most leaders must be horrified to deal with this guy and I'm certain they all make fun behind his back and can't believe that idiot is actually the president of the United States. But I dont get why people like Merkel or Macron actually still deal with him. The article mentioned that Macron is calling him all the time and trying to convince him to change course on environmental topics etc. while Dump is aggressive and hostile. Merkel just declined to attend his G7 meeting and he was pissed. I think he hates nothing more than being ignored and instead of dealing with him, they should just all ignore him.

[quote]Merkel doesn't conceal her contempt for this puddle of anal leakage.

Speaking of anal leakage, this picture has quite a story to it too. The way Angela Merkel is bending forward terrified Trump a little bit, that's why he looks frozen in that picture. This scare caused the backside sphincter malfunction event which was heard by everyone in the room: a little bit of sewer sounds and like a toilet has been flushed deep not underground but undernappies. And this event very unfortunately also triggered a wardrobe malfunction but not the kind Janet Jackson got us used to experience. Something like wet fecal matter leakage coming out of your pockets. You can see that John Bolton's nose is having none of it and he wants to go like his life Depends on it. Everybody felt quite uncomfortable in the room although each one of them pretended that nothing had happened.

I believed it before I read it.

After I read it, I didn't believe it, so....

this thread is disingenuous

R44, I know that Fox is excrement, but it doesn’t reach 40 percent of the people. Tucker Carlson (Not Hannity—hah!) is the most watched person, and he averaged 4 million viewers. Still 4 million too many, but it’s good to remember the viewing audience is very fragmented. The others are split between CNN, MSNBC, and the networks.

[quote]disingenuous thread monitor

They've been asking for you over on the Sam Heughan thread r56. Maybe you could go over there?

You're not really needed here.

MSNBC seems to be ignoring this story for some reason.

Angela Merkle is brilliant...why could she not turn into a street thug and threaten him in his stupidity? I know most mature and educated people don't talk like the street but it is the only thing the orange one understands.

Even now, the Trump administration blames everything on Obama. Obama worked hard and left pretty much every thing in good shape while Trump has done everything he could into shit, at Putin's instruction.

I love it r63

"you pathetic midget. I'll kick your wrinkled old ass all over Europe if you so much as smirk at me".

DJT: “Enrique, Enrique! You don’t have to pay for the wall, you just have to say you will.”

Enrique, Mexican President on the phone: “Donald, I’m not going to pay for your fuck’in wall.”

DJT: “But Enrique, I’ll look like a fool if you don’t...”

This was an actual conversation Trump had with the Mexican President.

I just read this article. Just when you think he's hit bottom, the trap door opens. It's not surprising in the least, but the details are stunning beyond belief.

Has this gotten any traction from other news outlets? I haven't watched or read the news for a few days now. Just too depressing. Has the bounty for troops story crowded this out?

Old news. He's behaved that way towards foreign leaders since Day 1.

Yet he somehow polls just behind Biden. The real dummies are U.S. Americans.

It defies all logic, doesn't it R69? I can never fully wrap my head around that fact. Had more faith in my fellow man than was deserved I guess.

He has been an embarrassment to this country since day one. He needs to go!

[quote] I can imagine people having spontaneous parties everywhere, not just in the US. Like the universal victory over EVIL.

I imagine something like what happens at the end of the various versions of Star Wars: Return of the Jedi.

I can't help but wonder if Deplorables are really, really proud at having PUNK'D their very own United States of America and reduced us to being a Putin checker chip, not any simples "chess" piece. Just stupid cunts that Vlad played.

r72, in their delusion they think they use Putin to get what they want and Putin will go away on his own with a "happy I could help!" exit.