President Trump Thanks Putin For Ordering Expulsion Of U.S. Diplomats From Russia

[Julian Englis]

Source: NPR

President Trump said Thursday that he was "very thankful" that Russian President Vladimir Putin had ordered the expulsion of hundreds of U.S. diplomats from the country in response to sanctions — because the administration needs to cut the State Department's budget anyway.

"I want to thank him because we're trying to cut down our payroll, and as far as I'm concerned, I'm very thankful that he let go of a large number of people because now we have a smaller payroll," Trump told reporters at his Bedminster, N.J., golf club.

"There's no real reason for them to go back," the president continued. "I greatly appreciate the fact that we've been able to cut our payroll of the United States. We're going to save a lot of money."
Putin To Expel 755 U.S. Diplomats And Staff From Russia In Response To New Sanctions

Trump's fiscal year 2018 budget proposed cutting the State Department budget by 29 percent.

Read more: http://www.npr.org/2017/08/10/542685154/president-trump-thanks-putin-for-ordering-expulsion-of-u-s-diplomats-from-russia

[edhopper]

1. Is this the Onion?

Please tell me it's the Onion.

[Igel]

6. No.

The take away is, "Really, is that the best you got? Fine, you cut the embassy staff. Good. Sorry you didn't succeed in pissing us off--in fact, you played right into my hands. Bwa-ha-ha." Whatever they really thought.

[xor]

11. I legit assumed it was a satire piece until I saw it was on npr.org

Nuts.

[kacekwl]

2. But the jobs Mr. Drumph.

What about the jobs? Oh yeah, they will get a great new coal gig.

[Orrex]

3. I find this strangely reassuring

After all, we already knew that Trump works for Putin.

If he'd thanked Kim for something, now that would have been startling.


This is just business as usual.

[bucolic_frolic]

4. Colluding with an enemy state and proud of it, impeachable offense

Time to light the fire, Congress

[oberliner]

5. He was pretty obviously joking/trolling

He's stupid but not that stupid.

[VermontKevin]

14. No. He is that stupid. He lacks the insight to figure out why this is not a moment to

"joke" or "troll" on this matter. He's not so much clever as stupid.

[oberliner]

15. Seems pretty obvious that he was joking

I guess it doesn't really matter.

[geek tragedy]

22. best case scenario is that he decided to joke about sucking up to Putin

instead of trying to actually criticize Putin.

He criticized Congress for putting sanctions on Russia and then thanked Russia for putting sanctions on the USA.

[maxrandb]

23. Yes, because the expulsion of hundred of foreign service officers

And disrupting their families and children's lives is SO FUCKING FUNNY

[Judi Lynn]

20. He's not quick enough to make a joke, and there's nothing remotely humorous in what he said.

There's not a glimmer of intelligence, unless you imagine the ability to form words as a mark of intelligence for an American President.

[geek tragedy]

21. point is he refuses to criticize Putin, so the best he could muster

was submissive obsequiousness passed off as a joke

[gilligan]

7. What an idiot!

[Julian Englis]

8. He's not joking or trolling and he really is that stupid. He asked Russia to hack Hilary's email

And he asked when his campaign was trying to get hacked emails.

[QC]

9. Reminds me of a movie I saw once.

[They_Live]

10. Doing a heck of job destabilizing the US

just as planned. All of those who do nothing to stop him are complicit.

[More_Cowbell]

12. Do you think he knows that Putin couldn't *fire* US employees?

They still work for the State Department.

[Julian Englis]

13. But Putin's Trump's Boss N/T

[atreides1]

19. They're employed for the moment!

And it wouldn't be a surprise if many of them soon find themselves unemployed!

[BumRushDaShow]

16. I was wondering if I heard that right on the radio last night

WTF?

But as a note, he doesn't fucking have control over what Congress appropriates for staff payroll unless he vetoes the appropriations bills and Congress can't or won't override.

[HAB911]

17. So all these people are fired?

No job to return to at home? If not, then no money was "saved".

He's a complete idiot.

[Sunlei]

18. trumps being a smartass to USA press. about 700? are russian citizens who work for our Dips.