Trump claims intel on Russian bounties was deemed not credible

[left-of-center2012]

Source: The Hill

President Trump claimed in a late-night tweet that he was not briefed on intelligence about a Russian unit offering bounties on American troops in Afghanistan because the U.S. intelligence community deemed the information not credible.

Trump also suggested that details on the intelligence, first reported by The New York Times on Friday, may have been fabricated by the media in order to “make Republicans look bad.”

“Intel just reported to me that they did not find this info credible, and therefore did not report it to me or @VP,” Trump tweeted late Sunday night. “Possibly another fabricated Russia Hoax, maybe by the Fake News @nytimesbooks, wanting to make Republicans look bad!!!”

Trump’s tweet Sunday came shortly after The Washington Post reported that intelligence assessments concluded that the Russian payments offered to Taliban-linked militants led to the deaths of U.S. troops in Afghanistan.

Read more: https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/504966-trump-claims-intel-on-russian-bounties-was-deemed-not-credible

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“His entire presidency has been a gift to Putin, but this is beyond the pale,” presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden said during a virtual townhall Saturday. “It’s betrayal of the most sacred duty we bear as a nation to protect and equip our troops when we send them into harm’s way. It’s a betrayal of every single American family with a loved one serving in Afghanistan or anywhere overseas.”

[Botany]

1. Every document that goes to POTUS is literally stamped "The President Has Seen" and a record is kept

Link to tweet

I was White House Staff Sec’y. Every document that goes to POTUS is literally stamped “The President Has Seen” and a record is kept. So, let the briefing docs testify.

[Mike 03]

2. He tagged @NYTBooks... LOL

He was in a hurry or angry or careless.

In any event, he's a pathological liar and I'll believe it's 'not credible' when I hear it from both our intelligence sources and the United Kingdom's. If MI 6 finds it credible, I'm going with them.

[beachbumbob]

3. very little stuff that is deemed "not credible" would ever be in a PDB

- seems like another flailing answer
- time to place people under oath and in front of investigative committee
- need Pelosi to unleash the Kragen

[vlyons]

4. What a load of crap!!!

No, a COLLASAL load of crap. He ain't getting out from under this scandal. It will be front and center in reporting for weeks, as he fabricates 1 lie after another. Then it will run front and center in the campaign for months and months. All those Republican senators, who pretend that it's merely fake news can kiss their senate seats good-bye.

What a stupid stupid stupid man! And all because, Dimwit values access to Russian mob money more than honor and patriotism.
Did I say stupid enough times?

[SergeStorms]

9. Not quite.

Enough "stupids", that is. Come on, you can surely muster up two or three more. Please?

[samsingh]

5. by russia?

[dhill926]

6. and the tsunami of bullshit has started....

can't wait to se how often the story changes this week...for a guy who lies constantly, he sucks at it...

[Kid Berwyn]

7. Like that time in Helsinki.

"President Putin says it's not Russia. I don't see any reason why it would be." — Demented Donnie Dipshit

[Cirque du So-What]

8. Another slap in the face to the US intelligence community

while providing cover for pooty-poot, who’s an angel and would never do something so nefarious as that. Makes me want to puke.

[duforsure]

10. He always first deny's,deny',deny's, like a mob boss does, then as more comes out

His story always changes with more excuses , then when it exposes him more he tries dismissing it claiming it wasn't true. All lies , and he's done this over and over again when he get exposed. Next he'll go after the person with threats against them and demand Barr criminalize him , to intimidate others from whistle blowing against him.That's how you'll know it is true what he did, he acts in this way when he does get caught. More whistle blowers will be coming out soon. Now is the best tie for them to do that too.

[Docreed2003]

11. His act is so worn out and tiresome

Anything that remotely exposes the wrongdoings of this administration is deemed "fake news".

[Gore1FL]

12. Putin forcefully denied it, I am sure... nt

[left-of-center2012]

13. Didn't Trump say about Russian election interference ...

"Putin denied it.
I don't know why I shouldn't believe him."

How about,
U.S. intelligence?

[Stuart G]

14. Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Original Intelligence Officers..vs Donald Dump

Who are you going to believe???

[matt819]

15. If a report makes it into the PDB. . .

. . . it has made its way through one heck of a gauntlet.

In the case of humint, as this appears to be, you have the person who collected the intelligence. Does the intel officer's source have access to this sort of information? Has he reported on this kind of stuff before? Is he a new source? Does he have an established record? Could he be making shit up? Hell, is the intel officer making shit up?

The source is assigned a level of credibility based on access to the information and overall reporting record over time.

The intel report then goes to analysts, initially in the field, who will assess the information based on a variety of factors, including reporting from other sources. Kind of like journalist reporting. One source is okay-ish. Two sources are better.

In conjunction with the management of the unit that collected and initially analyzed the information, that report is then sent to the headquarters of that unit - whatever intelligence agency collected it.

Then there is coordination among different intelligence agencies, along the lines of "have you seen this" or "have you seen anything else like this" or "is this for real, or what" or something along those lines.

Then (tired yet?), it goes the senior management of the various agencies involved, and they all agree that it is credible. Or not.

And, finally, it goes to the folks who put together the PDB, where it undergoes further evaluation, questioning, etc.

In short, stuff that makes it into the PDB is not a hoax, it's not fabricated, it's not politically motivated. (The response to that intel by policy makers could very well be politically motivated, but that's another issue.)

So, Treason45, STFU.

[Turbineguy]

16. This would be so easy.

Intel report that would allow him to gin up outrage (and for good reason) and put to bed any rumors that trump is a Russian agent who failed to register under FARA. And distract from his failure on the COVID-19 front.

[SWBTATTReg]

17. F**king moron. Way too late to claim 'this' or 'that' etc. You have been caught ...

red handed being incompetent and failing miserably in doing your job. So now all that is left is coming up again w/ yet more and more lies like you've been doing all of this time while PINO in the WH.

Loser.

[ck4829]

18. Kick