Tuesday, June 06, 2017

Donald Trump tweets his disdain for MSM "fake news." Apparently it undermines his own attempts to spread fake news.

Actually, and I have said this before, everybody wants Trump to stay on social media because it is hysterical watching his paid spokespeople scramble to spin the stuff he tweets into something completely opposite.
Once again Trump is confusing "fake news" with actual fact based reporting.

However while we are on the topic of fake news, guess who just spread a huge pile of it.

Courtesy of Brookings:

Last month, President Trump visited Saudi Arabia and his administration announced that he had concluded a $110 billion arms deal with the kingdom. Only problem is that there is no deal. It’s fake news.

I’ve spoken to contacts in the defense business and on the Hill, and all of them say the same thing: There is no $110 billion deal. Instead, there are a bunch of letters of interest or intent, but not contracts. Many are offers that the defense industry thinks the Saudis will be interested in someday. So far nothing has been notified to the Senate for review. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency, the arms sales wing of the Pentagon, calls them “intended sales.” None of the deals identified so far are new, all began in the Obama administration. 

Well then, now who is it that is spreading fake news?

It also turns out that Trump is actually taking credit for deals put together by the Obama Administration, and the rest is just pie in the sky fantasy.

An example is a proposal for sale of four frigates (called multi-mission surface combatant vessels) to the Royal Saudi navy. This proposal was first reported by the State Department in 2015. No contract has followed. The type of frigate is a derivative of a vessel that the U.S. Navy uses but the derivative doesn’t actually exist yet. Another piece is the Terminal High Altitude Air Defense system (THAAD) which was recently deployed in South Korea. The Saudis have expressed interest in the system for several years but no contracts have been finalized. Obama approved the sale in principle at a summit at Camp David in 2015. Also on the wish list are 150 Black Hawk helicopters. Again, this is old news repackaged. What the Saudis and the administration did is put together a notional package of the Saudi wish list of possible deals and portray that as a deal. Even then the numbers don’t add up. It’s fake news. 

Moreover, it’s unlikely that the Saudis could pay for a $110 billion deal any longer, due to low oil prices and the two-plus years old war in Yemen. President Obama sold the kingdom $112 billion in weapons over eight years, most of which was a single, huge deal in 2012 negotiated by then-Secretary of Defense Bob Gates. To get that deal through Congressional approval, Gates also negotiated a deal with Israel to compensate the Israelis and preserve their qualitative edge over their Arab neighbors. With the fall in oil prices, the Saudis have struggled to meet their payments since.

Great, an imaginary deal that the Saudis could not afford to pay for anyway.

Is this more of what Donald Trump refers to as "winning?"

33 comments:

  1. Anonymous11:58 AM

    I would like to see someone move Trump out of office immediately and put us all out of our misery! He's nothing but a horrid detriment to our nation! Absolutely awful!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous12:30 PM

      Notice that we don't hear a peep out of V. P. Pence. I think he's trying to keep his distance from drumpf, plus Donnie doesn't like sharing the glory of being President.

      As the Orange One continues to act worse and worse I look for Pence and Cabinet to invoke the 25th Amendment.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous4:15 PM

      SCARY!!!

      https://www.bloomberg.com/view/articles/2017-05-31/trump-s-covfefe-tweet-should-raise-security-concerns

      Delete
  2. Anonymous12:19 PM

    The Orangutan is simply using his manipulation tactics. He is not confused,tHe is simply a sociopath!
    The SOB is a habitual bald face liar!
    If only he could metamorphosis into a human species? Oh well. I piss on you trump!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous4:16 PM

      http://talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/the-madness-of-king-trump

      Delete
    2. Anonymous4:18 PM

      Talking about LIAR:

      https://www.thestar.com/news/world/2017/06/05/donald-trump-has-said-100s-of-false-things-heres-all-of-them.html

      Delete
  3. Anonymous12:40 PM

    Trump doesn't consider Fox "mainstream"?

    ReplyDelete
  4. Anonymous12:42 PM

    And, I would like to see this on any of the mainstream media nightly news broadcasts tonight. It is now on some blogs, some business sites, but so far none of the "big 4" have spoken out. This needs to be on the airwaves tonight. He has to be outed on the "deal" not actually being a "deal" yet, only an agreement in principle, AND, it needs to be told to the American public that the "deal" is composed of elements put out during Obama term -- nothing is HIS, it is "old" and therefore "fake" Trump accomplishment.

    the mainstream media has got to start telling stories originated elsewhere when they are this important.

    He manipulates, enhances the actual facts to his benefit and the people who turn to the big 3 (leave out fake news lover Fox News) don't hear about it because they don't report these things. And, CBS got rid of Scott Pelley who was reporting on what Trump was making up.

    We can't get rid of him if they don't do a much better job of telling the world what is actually true and when he is making it up.

    Now, I have to wait for my WaPo news summaries tonight to see if they report on this. Sure hope they do.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous4:19 PM

      Here is a running tab on his lies:

      https://www.thestar.com/news/world/2017/06/05/donald-trump-has-said-100s-of-false-things-heres-all-of-them.html

      Delete
    2. Anonymous6:21 PM

      It was put out there in MSM when he was in Saudia Arabia. I read it on several sites, I think it got lost because of all the gaffes he was making as the trip went on.

      Also most people don't understand that his deal needs Congressional approval, I also read they were not going to approve it for the same reasons as before, conflict with Yemen.

      Delete
  5. Anonymous12:47 PM

    We've seen your "honesty," oh demented one.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Anonymous1:53 PM

    Several on news programs stating Trump has issues such as personality disorder. He is not right in the head.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous2:47 PM

      Trump is a mental mess - impeach, impeach, impeach! Put him in a straight jacket so that all can see and deliver him to a mental hospital where he's placed under lock and key.

      Republicans!!!! Get your white butts together and do what is good for our country. You are all going to lose your seats when you come up for reelection IF you have the balls to even run again!
      Most especially those in the U.S. Congress!

      Fuck them, beginning with Paul Ryan!

      Delete
  7. Anonymous2:05 PM

    WikiLeaks Declares War on The Intercept
    The FBI says a reporter led them to an NSA leaker. Julian Assange says that person, whom he suspects is an Intercept reporter, is a "menace" to sources, journalists, and democracy.

    https://www.thedailybeast.com/wikileaks-declares-war-on-the-intercept

    ReplyDelete
  8. Anonymous2:08 PM

    Trump Aides' Idea: Help Russia, Ask for Nothing Back

    Weeks after dumping the national security adviser over his Russian contacts, White House officials were still looking at ways to do business with Moscow.

    https://www.thedailybeast.com/white-house-pushed-to-drop-russia-sanctionseven-after-firing-michael-flynn

    ReplyDelete
  9. Anonymous2:09 PM

    Single tweeter:
    https://www.thedailybeast.com/is-this-mike-flynns-secret-twitter-account-5

    ReplyDelete
  10. Anonymous2:13 PM

    Lad Lindsey
    "The definition of collude is “to come to a secret understanding for a harmful purpose; conspire.”

    http://www.politicususa.com/2017/06/06/gop-senator-floats-desperate-excuse-trump-incompetent-collude-russia.html

    ReplyDelete
  11. Anonymous2:20 PM

    POTUS wants Senators to coordinate with WH on Comey questions, but won't be straight with them about what he really said to Comey.

    https://twitter.com/RoguePOTUSStaff/status/872189539762229249

    ReplyDelete
  12. Anonymous2:25 PM

    REVEALED: Financial docs show Trump funneled money intended for kids’ cancer treatment to his own businesses

    http://www.rawstory.com/2017/06/revealed-financial-docs-show-trump-funneled-money-intended-for-kids-cancer-treatment-to-his-own-businesses/

    How Donald Trump Shifted Kids-Cancer Charity Money Into His Business

    https://www.forbes.com/sites/danalexander/2017/06/06/how-donald-trump-shifted-kids-cancer-charity-money-into-his-business/#2b6e2a456b4a

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous2:42 PM

      Jesus Christ! The fucker so needs to be impeached. Why isn't someone going after his fat ass? Makes no sense.

      They are proving daily all the things he has done (with the assistance of his two adult male children and Ivanka) that have been proven illegal. All of these misdeeds and illegal ways add up to having him manually removed from being potus. It so needs to be done prior to the further damage he creates to our country both internally and around the world.

      I detest him like no other!

      Delete
    2. Anonymous7:07 PM

      Doesn’t pay his bills, doesn’t pay his workers and STEALS money from children’s charity.

      The whole family is crooked.

      Just wait until they find how much he has scammed from the taxpayers for all his weekend vacations.

      Delete
  13. Anonymous2:26 PM

    Pro-Trump Canadians Throw ‘Million Deplorable March.’ Right-Wing Media Counts 5,000. Cops Say Hundreds.
    It's not the first time the far right has wildly overestimated the size of a pro-Trump crowd.

    https://www.thedailybeast.com/pro-trump-canadians-throw-million-deplorable-march-rightwing-media-counts-5000-cops-say-hundreds

    ReplyDelete
  14. Anonymous2:27 PM

    US investigators believes Russian hackers created fake story from Qatar to provoke Middle East crisis: CNN

    http://www.rawstory.com/2017/06/us-investigators-believes-russian-hackers-created-fake-story-from-qatar-to-provoke-middle-east-crisis-cnn/

    ReplyDelete
  15. WA Skeptic2:33 PM

    Tell him he has to give the "gifts" the Saudis bestowed on him to the National Archives because he's not allowed to accept things of great value. Watch him pitch a fit. Greedy bastard.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Anonymous2:35 PM

    Trump cancer is spreading.

    http://www.rawstory.com/2017/06/camel-jacking-mother-fcking-cnts-chicago-man-verbally-assaults-muslim-teens-at-family-restaurant/

    http://www.rawstory.com/2017/06/go-back-to-china-white-woman-in-asian-grocery-store-lashes-out-at-employees-in-racist-rant/

    ReplyDelete
  17. Anonymous2:51 PM

    Russian efforts to disrupt voting software and mislead U.S. election officials were much more intensive and targeted more states than was suggested in a leaked intelligence report published Monday, according to the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee.

    “I don’t believe they got into changing actual voting outcomes,” Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA) told USA Today. “But the extent of the attacks is much broader than has been reported so far.”

    http://talkingpointsmemo.com/dc/mark-warner-russia-election-system-attacks-broader-than-reported

    ReplyDelete
  18. Anonymous4:12 PM

    Also, tRump claims that the Saudi 'deal' would end up in 'MILLIONS' of new jobs. The only new jobs would be created in Saudi Arabia: 450 of them, to build and/or assemble the Black Hawk helicopters...

    ReplyDelete
  19. Anonymous4:12 PM

    Fox?

    Fox News’ Cavuto Blasts Trump: ‘It’s Not the Fake News Media That’s Your Problem, It’s You’

    ...“Mr. President,” Cavuto said, “it’s not the fake news media that’s your problem, it’s you. It’s not just your tweeting, it’s your scapegoating, it’s your refusal to see that sometimes you’re the one who’s feeding your own beast.”

    And he went on to say that Trump is hurting the people on his own team:

    “They didn’t tweet disparaging comments about a London mayor in the middle of a murder spree. You did. They didn’t create that needless distraction. You did. They didn’t get you off your very valid and very promising agenda. You did. They didn’t turn on a travel ban that you signed. You did.”

    Cavuto said that Trump can complain about his detractors all he wants, but warned that this tweeting habit will seriously hurt him and his agenda.

    He concluded, “Just because your own critics never thought that you’d make it to the White House does not mean you shouldn’t listen to those who want you to thrive and succeed in the White House. They’re not the problem, Mr. President. Like I said, these days you are.”

    http://www.mediaite.com/tv/fox-news-cavuto-blasts-trump-its-not-the-fake-news-media-thats-your-problem-its-you/

    Kids Are Quoting Trump To Bully Their Classmates And Teachers Don’t Know What To Do About It

    BuzzFeed News reviewed more than 50 reports of school bullying since the election and found that kids nationwide are using Trump’s words to taunt their classmates. If the president can say those things, why can’t they?

    https://www.buzzfeed.com/albertsamaha/kids-are-quoting-trump-to-bully-their-classmates

    ReplyDelete
  20. Anonymous4:39 PM

    Keep tweeting buddy! This idiot has no idea how quickly he is digging his grave!

    ReplyDelete
  21. Leland4:53 PM

    Almost everything about him is FAKE. And that includes his fake news!

    ReplyDelete
  22. Anonymous6:17 PM

    I read the trump arms deal was just a repackage deal left over from Obama administration when it first happened, guess it got lost in the ruckus of all his gaffes.

    Today, they played an old clip of little donnie telling the king: we have some beautiful arms to sell you.

    Who calls military hardware “beautiful” What a moron with such a limited vocabulary !!

    ReplyDelete
  23. Anonymous6:42 PM

    I heard little donnie is inviting the senators to dinner before the Comey hearing (tonight?). Sounds a little unethical but little donnie hasn’t figured out the 3 branches of government yet.

    He is arrogant enough to tell them what to ask and I am hoping he does himself in again. Add to the list of obstruction charges

    ReplyDelete

Don't feed the trolls!
It just goes directly to their thighs.