Ask HN: Can somebody explain how Trump is connected to Russia? | Hacker News Reader

Ask HN: Can somebody explain how Trump is connected to Russia?

7 pointsperseusprime1111 comments

All these articles are confusing and nobody is giving a clear picture.

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Saved this on reddit a few days ago.

https://www.reddit.com/r/worldnews/comments/6a9pnj/cnn_exclu...

It's a list, with links to back up the points connecting Trump.

I just want somebody to explain the connection in 2-3 sentences.

There's no public information making it clear that there is a connection.

US intelligence officials have stated that the Russians devoted resources to act against Clinton in the election.

There's lots of speculation that people involved in the Trump campaign coordinated actions with Russians. Stuff like timing releases of information or messaging on social media.

People have made the point that regardless of whether there was coordination, Trump and fake news did often end up talking along similar themes (but that can just be one following along with the other).

Correlation but not causation.

Not every issue is simple enough to explain in 2-3 sentences, especially when it involves many complicated threads and unverified (but compelling) evidence.

One of my dads friends made a comment about New Jersey politicians having 'ties to the Mafia' Not hard to have Mafia ties if you have anything to do with in real estate in New Jersey. Almost impossible not to actually.

Trump deals in New York commercial real estate. Of course there are Russians.

My question is kind of "sure, but so what?" It seems to me that lots of politicians have sketchy foreign ties. The Bushes have their Saudi partners and the Clintons have the Chinese. I think this is a bad thing and ought to be unconstitutional, but I get a sense Trump is being singled out for something everyone does. Personally I find the Saudi connections of the Bushes more troubling than Putin.

(I say this as someone who is not a Trump supporter.)

I am just trying to understand how it reached a fever pitch with media screaming for impeachment.

For much of the last 20 years, the opposition party was constantly threatening to impeach the sitting president. It's a symptom of just how unbelievably divided things have become.

Personally I think impeaching Trump would be a strategic mistake unless there really is something pressing that requires it-- like he really is objectively selling America down the river to Putin or doing something equally bad. Impeaching Trump would give us President Pence, who is in many ways worse than Trump. It would be better to wait for the likely Democratic landslide in 2018, which will render him a lame duck, and then prep for a "you're fired" 2020 election.

Besides, letting this windbag sit in the big chair and make an ass out of himself is probably bad for the Republicans. Give him more rope.

There's a lot of smoke but no fire yet.

nope

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