DORAL, Fla. — Donald J. Trump said Wednesday that he hoped Russia had hacked Hillary Clinton’s email, essentially encouraging an adversarial foreign power’s cyberspying on a secretary of state’s correspondence.
“Russia, if you’re listening, I hope you’re able to find the 30,000 emails that are missing,” Mr. Trump said, staring directly into the cameras. “I think you will probably be rewarded mightily by our press.”
Mr. Trump’s call was an extraordinary moment at a time when Russia is being accused of meddling in the U.S. presidential election. His comments came amid questions about the hacking of the Democratic National Committee’s computer servers, which researchers have concluded was likely the work of two Russian intelligence agencies.Later in the news conference, when asked if he was really urging a foreign nation to hack into the private email server of Mrs. Clinton, or at least meddle in the nation’s elections, he dismissed the question. “That’s up to the president,” Mr. Trump said, before finally saying “be quiet” to the female questioner. “Let the president talk to them.”The Clinton campaign immediately accused Mr. Trump of both encouraging Russian espionage against the United States and meddling in domestic politics.
“This has to be the first time that a major presidential candidate has actively encouraged a foreign power to conduct espionage against his political opponent,” said Jake Sullivan, Mrs. Clinton’s chief foreign policy adviser. “This has gone from being a matter of curiosity, and a matter of politics, to being a national security issue.”
Trump simply works outside the law. When has any presidential candidate called on a foreign state to spy on his opponent? I have been around a long time. I have never seen anything like this thuggery from a candidate.
Listened to Trump’s press conference this morning.
The reporters keep harping on Russia and all the accusations.
Why, on earth, don’t they ask him about his future plans and how
he thinks he’ll be able the get them done? Press fixates on ONE
subject way too much.
I have no doubt about Trump having had and, maybe still has,
business dealings with Russia. Most big wheelers and dealers do.
Can’t believe that he’s getting away with not opening his tax returns!
-Not surprising: He told one of the reporters to be quiet, and he
cut off questions before they was completed. –
@punchak
…. questions before they WERE completed.
@punchak
Panem et circenses. That is what the public demands. That is what the public receives.
“Trump simply works outside the law.”
Someone please hand me some duct tape and some safety glasses. Either my head will explode or my eyes will be propelled from my skull.
Trump simply works outside the law. Trump. Did Trump violate federal records laws by storing documents on a private UNAUTHORIZED server? Did Trump fail to turn over 33000 emails or preserve them, as required by law? Did Trump improperly store hundreds of classified documents on a private, inadequately secured server, which according to the FBI investigation, was likely hacked by foreign actors?
Logs and Specks Moon. Logs and Specks.
Did plenty of other people keep their own servers? Yup.
There is something about calling on a country who for all practical purposes, is seen as an enemy of the United States, to hack the account of his political enemy. There is something about announcing that you will torture prisoners and also harm families of enemies that reeks of being illegal.
You are comparing apples to oranges. Trump is dangerous and deliberately defiant of American laws and international rules of engagement.
@MoonHowler
Hillary’s server was taken by the FBI. I doubt that it is still on-line, so there is no way to hack it.
Most of us are fairly certain that Hillary’s emails were hacked while she was Secretary of State. I would like to see what was in those 30,000 emails that she deleted. Wouldn’t it be ironic if Russia was the entity that carried out legitimate Freedom of Information Act requests by releasing Hillary’s emails?
If Russia has Hillary’s emails, there is one person and only one person in the US responsible for that: Hillary.
I bet you aren’t asking Russia to get those missing emails for you…
@MoonHowler
“Did plenty of other people keep their own servers? Yup.”
Um….who? I know that previous SecState’s admitted to using non-official email accounts on an extremely small scale and subsequently turned these emails over to State, but according to the IG’s report, they weren’t operating their own private email servers…
I don’t blame you for not understanding the difference. So much spin in the press. I actually read the public version of the IG’s report.
Look, I don’t think it’s right for Trump to publicly call on Russia to hack Hillary’s servers…but I don’t think it matters. It’s a safe bet that her servers have been hacked. Even the schlub who installed/operated/maintained the servers admitted he had to shut them down on numerous occasions, because the servers were under attack. I’d be willing to bet money that whomever conducted these attacks, be they Russians, Chinese, or some other state-actor, has everything…including that which Hillary attempted to conceal through destruction.
Think about that. Honestly think about that. You oppose Trump, mostly because of what he says. I think it’s just bloviating and showmanship for a generation raised on Jerry Springer. I oppose Hillary because of what she’s done, and what I believe she is attempting to hide. Trump may be a jerk. Hillary is dirty, corrupt, and criminal. She is the John Gotti of politics.
Mark my words…these leaks will continue, and will contribute to the ultimate destruction of the Clintons, if not totally, than at least politically. I believe this would be the best outcome for the nation, this cycle, but “best” doesn’t imply excellence. It means the least-worst outcome.
Don’t you see that Trump is a reaction to not only 8 years of Obama’s divisive domestic policies, and disastrous foreign policies, but the prospect of electing someone even worse, even more divisive, and morally bankrupt as well? Probably not.
I saw this in Bernie’s rise, with the backing of the hard-hard left. I saw this as the GOP rejected an entire field of great candidates, in favor of Trump. We have transitioned from “conventional” to “nuclear” politics. The thing I can admit is in a nuclear war, both sides lose, even when one side wins.
I cannot discuss this with you. I do not feel she is dirty and corrupt. I think that weasel Trump is vile. I am surprised you would defend him.
I marked your words that she would not receive the nomination because of her naughty doings. I think you are reading too much right wing bullshit. This attack on her has been going on for 3 decades. At what point to I stop believing?????
Trump provides aid and comfort to the enemies of the United States. He deserves the traitors’ fate.
Trump provides aid and comfort to the enemies of the United States.
Hacking a server does not require physical presence. The server, no matter where it was located, was most vulnerable to spear phishing…where an email tricks someone into revealing their security codes. The hacker then uses the login information gained through deception to access the server just like anyone else.
I suspect that the Clinton server was more secure than government servers because it was dedicated to just her emails. Government servers get hacked and then all the emails on the server are vulnerable. Private companies can be more nimble in management of upgrades and thus less likely to have a system that can be exploited because of security holes. A system with security holes could be infiltrated without spear phishing.
The 30,000 deleted emails likely are spam or groupons. If they were related to any government work there would be many others cc’d with a .gov address and they could be (already have been) retrieved from government servers. If I were Clinton I would offer to provide the headers for the private emails in exchange for Trumps tax returns.
Thanks for that explanation, Ed. That is pretty much what I have been told by my friends who have a lot more expertise in the area than I do.
Between emails and FOIA, you might as well put everything you have to say on the front page of the Washington Post anyway. In this day and age, who really puts deep dark secrets in email?
Trump is just about as low-life as you can get. He always speaks before engaging his brain. Why does he continually kiss Putin’s butt?
@MoonHowler
So Ed must be one of those unnamed “Experts” that Robby Mook keeps referring to, when he deflects questions regarding the DNC hack.
Ed, you have no idea how, exactly, the servers were infiltrated. It may have been “Spear Phishing”, or it may have been an unpatched Operating System flaw. It may have been weak password policies or lack of a UTM system. It may have been malicious code executed from a link in an email. There are HUNDREDS of ways to get in.
But all you are doing is deflecting and speculating. “Probably SPAM and Groupons”? Are you kidding me? How would you know? Really, HOW WOULD YOU KNOW?
Here’s the base fact: Had Hillary not chosen to illegally conduct official business on this server, there wouldn’t be an issue. Bad choice or criminal intent…doesn’t matter. She did it, and the consequences have unfolded and continue to unfold. Had the DNC really played it straight, it wouldn’t matter if their servers were hacked, and who hacked them wouldn’t matter either. The Berns would be falling in behind Hillary.
All the talk about Trump, and Groupons, and Spear Phishing….all a distraction from the truth.
No one has any proof that her personal server was hacked. All federal employees are allowed to remove their own personal email. I sure would.
I think you are using the word “illegally” incorrectly. There is a huge difference between illegal acts and breaking rules or policy violations.
There is a huge difference in calling on our enemies to spy on someone you don’t like and violating policy.
Hillary’s server has nothing to do with DNC being hacked. I doubt that some of the Bernies would ever fall in behind Hillary. Thats ok. Trump won’t get them either. They will crawl back under some rock like the OWS did. In fact, in the world of jokes, I expect they are one and the same.
What Steve is up to is to distract the discussion of Trump’s treason by recycling his Hillary bashing from past posts.
@MoonHowler
@Robin Hood
I agree. I also don’t think he can find anything to say that supports Trump.
Here’s my deal—I am voting for Hillary/Kaine regardless of what nonsense they throw out. I have been steadfast in my declaration. If she isn’t on the ticket, then I will vote for whoever is.
I can’t think of any event in life that would make me go vote slumming and vote for Trump. If no one is on the Democratic ticket, then I will stay home from the polls.
@MoonHowler
You assume that I am a Trump supporter…incorrectly. I will be voting for him, but that is because I cannot vote for Hillary. I think I’ve been pretty clear about that.
What I am seeking is intellectual honesty. I use the word “Illegal” because that is the appropriate word to use when someone willfully violates a law or regulation, that has a criminal penalty attached to it. The FBI director’s statements, and those contained within the IG’s report demonstrate that Hillary Clinton did, in fact:
-Set up a private email server to conduct Clinton Foundation business, and then illegally used that server to send and receive emails in conducting her official duties as Secretary of State.
-These emails were subject to Federal Records, FOIA, AND Classified Materials laws, all of which have criminal penalties associated with violations.
-She lied about using the email system, lied about classified material residing on the system, and lied about lying about it.
The fact that she wasn’t indicted doesn’t surprise me. That doesn’t mean that she didn’t do these things, and they weren’t violations of the law. Any intellectually honest person can admit this.
Vote for her if you want. A bunch of people, when faced with the choice of “crude” or “criminal” will choose the later, as Frank Luntz pointed out in his TIME magazine article.
Let the DNC Convention lovefest continue, and let the chips fall where they may. I think we are screwed regardless of who gets elected, and it is our own damn fault too. At least I can admit this. If we elect Hillary, knowing exactly who and what she is, then we are embracing corruption, and we are no better than Russia or China, Venezuela or Mexico where corruption is a way of life.
Voting for someone is supporting them. I can’t imagine why you would be voting for him. I can think of only one reason. Do any of the other minor party people support 2A?
I would vote for an anti choice person over Trump if he were declaring he was pro-choice. (at least this week he is anti-choice)
I simply don’t agree with you. Your connotations are far stronger than mine. In the grand scheme of things, Powell and Rice both used their emails “inappropriately. ” I just don’t attach the same importance to all of it that you do. My guess is if she were the 2A candidate, you would be much more forgiving about what I see as a mistake in today’s climate.
I think using the term criminal is simply ridiculous.
@MoonHowler
“Do any of the other minor party people support 2A?”
No. Johnson is very weak on the 2nd Amendment. Clinton and Stein are openly hostile to it.
Moon,
You really don’t understand me do you? I oppose Hillary not only because she is hostile to the 2A. I oppose her because she is corrupt. Scandal clings to this woman like a nylon sock clings to a pair of polyester pants when someone forgets the dryer sheet. Webb I could have handled…as while I disagree with some of his positions, there isn’t a hint of scandal.
As far as Johnson and Stein go, I wouldn’t consider either of them, for much the same reason you wouldn’t I would imagine: Neither has a snowball’s chance of winning.
Hillary is crooked. You may choose to overlook this, because you agree with her positions. From my perspective, that would be asking someone to eat a steak, served on a trashcan lid, flies and all.
Crude or Corrupt. Tough choice, but I’ll take crude.
I simply do not think she is any more corrupt than any other politician. I have followed her for over 25 years.
I do support her because of her positions or at least most of them. My biggest problem is Clinton fatigue, as I have stated.
I like that Tim Kaine is on the ticket.
@Robin Hood
18 U.S. Code § 2381 – Treason
Whoever, owing allegiance to the United States, levies war against them or adheres to their enemies, giving them aid and comfort within the United States or elsewhere, is guilty of treason and shall suffer death, or shall be imprisoned not less than five years and fined under this title but not less than $10,000; and shall be incapable of holding any office under the United States.
Did Trump commit “treason” as you stated? Prove your case.
18 U.S. Code § 1924 – Unauthorized removal and retention of classified documents or material
(a) Whoever, being an officer, employee, contractor, or consultant of the United States, and, by virtue of his office, employment, position, or contract, becomes possessed of documents or materials containing classified information of the United States, knowingly removes such documents or materials without authority and with the intent to retain such documents or materials at an unauthorized location shall be fined under this title or imprisoned for not more than one year, or both.
(b) For purposes of this section, the provision of documents and materials to the Congress shall not constitute an offense under subsection (a).
(c) In this section, the term “classified information of the United States” means information originated, owned, or possessed by the United States Government concerning the national defense or foreign relations of the United States that has been determined pursuant to law or Executive order to require protection against unauthorized disclosure in the interests of national security.
Did Hillary commit espionage as I stated? From what the FBI director stated…Yes, she did…but there was no “intent to harm”…so I guess she didn’t commit treason.
I can imagine Trump making a deal that nets him 10B in exchange for looking the other way while Putin annexes more of Ukraine. Trump has a long history of working deals that benefits him even as it fails spectacularly and screws his partners (USA/Republicans). The conservative choice in this election is Hillary. She is the one advocating slow incremental change. Trump is the one who wants to burn it all down and rebuild just because he hates the wallpaper. I fear the wars he will get us into because no one can tell when he is “joking” about proposed treasonous activity.
@Ed
You are speculating. Hillary has already been paid off by Russians- as Secretary of State, she signed off on a deal to let a Russian company purchase the rights to 10% of US uranium reserves. Executives from this Russian company contributed millions to the Clinton Foundation.
If that were true then why haven’t the Republicans in Congress taken it to court?
@Kelly_3406
@Robin Hood
I have no idea why the Rs took no action, but here is the published report on it:
http://mobile.nytimes.com/2015/04/24/us/cash-flowed-to-clinton-foundation-as-russians-pressed-for-control-of-uranium-company.html
Probably because it was not an actionable offense. I can’t imagine they didnt act on something if they had a chance to nail Hillary.
@MoonHowler
Upon further reflection, I imagine that the Rs took no action because Hillary had left the State Dept by the time the NYTimes article was published.
Then I guess it wasn’t so bad….
@MoonHowler
Did you actually read the NY Times article that I linked to above? It is absolutely horrible.
Anybody other than Hillary would have been indicted for corruption.
The timeline of events and donations to the Clinton Foundation is damning:
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2015/04/23/us/clinton-foundation-donations-uranium-investors.html
No. Paywall.
Tell me why you think Hillary gets a break and no one else does? Do you not see other questionable behaviors surrounding…oh let’s see…Citizens United issues?
The bottom line is, I am not going to vote for Trump regardless of what Hillary, Kaine, Johnson or Weld do. It just is not going to happen.
Over the years I have wondered, to myself mostly, how the German people elected Hitler to power.It just seemed a mystery to me and I have never heard anyone say other than mumbo jumbo about inflation, national pride etc.
Sometime during the past year it dawned on me….I am watching something similar right now.
No. I will not vote for Trump. He is a despicable human being. I don’t know how much clearer I can be. Hillary and the others somewhat represent my values. He represents none of my values.
@MoonHowler
Fine. But let’s not whitewash Hillary’s record of corruption. There is a preponderance of cases that shows that ethics is not her strong suit.
Obama has polarized the nation in terms of race relations and has taken a “community organizing” approach to executive power. He has used discontent in the African American community to extend his political power. If one is looking for parallels with the Third Reich, look no further than the present administration.
Obama has used much nicer words than Trump, but his executive actions are just as authoritarian as anything that Trump has suggested. Obama’s power has been virtually unchecked by an adoring media and opponents in Congress who have been afraid of being called ‘racist’. The only check has been in the Courts, but they too have been cowed (re: Roberts vis a vis Obamacare).
A hostile media and suspicious Congress will reemerge as strong checks on power if Trump were to win. That is actually another good thing that would result from a Trump presidency.
You will have to be more specific regarding “Citizens United” issues for me to respond.
I absolutely disagree that Obama has polarized the nation in terms of race relations. I don’t even see where that is coming from. In fact, I think he has been almost neutral.
I think we live in different political worlds.
That’s a pretty unsubstantiated charge…that Hillary has been paid off by the Russians.
It’s comments like that that just make me want to let this blog go to seed.