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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsTrump White House reportedly sought to put Pelosi 'in her place'
Posted with permission.
http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/trump-white-house-reportedly-sought-put-pelosi-her-place?cid=sm_fb_maddow&fbclid=IwAR1NB41vceJQ2F0IztqgXcRZ0g0zoUFeDHaxpI9tuqXz89JMcHxa3os0Vg0
Trump White House reportedly sought to put Pelosi in her place
01/18/19 09:20 AM
By Steve Benen
One of the most striking aspects of Donald Trumps petty decision to cancel House Speaker Nancy Pelosis trip to Afghanistan is the degree to which it was lacking in any sense of proportionality. The president and his team were bothered that the California Democrat had raised security concerns about the upcoming State of the Union address.
In response, Trump decided to scrap a long-planned secret trip in which congressional leaders including the chairs of the House Intelligence and Foreign Affairs Committees who were set to visit with American troops stationed abroad, while receiving briefings on the status of an ongoing war.
Its hard to imagine any fair-minded observer making the case that these are two comparable.
So why did this happen? According to a striking New York Times report, the West Wing wanted to put Pelosi in her place.
Depriving Ms. Pelosi of an aircraft was the easiest way to remind her, they said. So Mr. Trump made a play for dominance and one-upmanship . White House aides were tickled by the move, even as some acknowledged that Republican House members might fear for their own trips going forward.
Its as if a group of far-right online trolls took control of the executive branch of a global superpower.
Im especially fascinated by the idea that the White House wanted to put the House Speaker in her place. Does anyone seriously believe Nancy Pelosi will feel intimidated by the amateur presidents sophomoric antics? Is it realistic to think shell shy away from confrontations with the White House because Trump threw another tantrum and needlessly cancelled her trip to a warzone the president hasnt yet visited himself?
Complicating matters, the presidents spiteful overreaction didnt just affect Pelosi. The Daily Beast had a good report on the broader logistics:
Pelosis chief of staff worked with a liaison from the U.S. Air Force who was the lead in setting up travel arrangements and the itinerary for the trip. Senior officials at the Pentagon also had been read in on the speakers plans, especially those regarding her visit to war-torn Afghanistan, where extra security was needed for her time in Kabul. Two senior officials on the ground in Afghanistan said they received the itinerary for the trip, as they do other congressional trips, weeks in advance and held it close to the chest. Fellow members of Congress made similar accommodations as they prepared to accompany the Speaker on the CODEL.
According to the report, officials at the Pentagon were blindsided by Trumps move.
Were still gathering information just like you, one official said. We are trying to figure out what is going on.
This isnt the first time the president made a decision affecting the Pentagon without coordinating with anyone at the Pentagon.
In the Trump administration, amateur hour lasts a lot longer than an hour.
Guilded Lilly
(5,591 posts)pangaia
(24,324 posts)throwing a tantrum because he couldn't have ice cream for desert and trying to get revenge...
lunatica
(53,410 posts)It failed and now Pelosi just owned Trump instead of being put in her place. He did not accomplish anything except to look like the limp dick he is.
Guilded Lilly
(5,591 posts)spanone
(135,950 posts)malaise
(269,328 posts)Start the impeachment hearings NOW!
dalton99a
(81,708 posts)Girard442
(6,088 posts)Oh yeah, and enabled and directed by a foreign adversary.
JohnnyLib2
(11,212 posts)Blue Owl
(50,588 posts)that trump and pence are indicted and Pelosi steps in and restores dignity to the White House.
Please let it be so!!!
2naSalit
(86,963 posts)Gothmog
(145,965 posts)Zoonart
(11,916 posts)They meant to endanger her life and the lives of those who would be assembled to meet the delegation.
This is how a malignant narcissist acts and those around the MF45 are cancerous too.
We need to burn the nest or dust off and nuke it from orbit, just to be sure.
akraven
(1,975 posts)and his supporters would say it was KEWL...
https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/donald-trump-fifth-avenue-comment/
tblue37
(65,552 posts)Hermit-The-Prog
(33,562 posts)Folks, you have to stop looking at this like there's an adult in the White House.
Donald is too cowardly to go to Afghanistan. Speaker Pelosi is not. He couldn't bear to have reports of her visiting the troops in a place where he's too chickenshit to appear.
SammyWinstonJack
(44,130 posts)2naSalit
(86,963 posts)bdamomma
(63,971 posts)you that the POS tRump and his most trusted aid Stephen Miller have no clue what they are doing.
They just hate powerful women. "Put her in her Place?" sounds very mafia. This bullying shit must stop
He blindsided the Pentagon??? Can they get on his ass?
babylonsister
(171,111 posts)Pentagon is trying to show respect for the office. I cannot believe there's any left for dt.
2naSalit
(86,963 posts)C_U_L8R
(45,040 posts)Wellstone ruled
(34,661 posts)in the works.
Trump has let the Genie out of the bottle never to be returned.
Think about how this stunt just blew up any chance of trust between Political Parties.
BigmanPigman
(51,672 posts)If all those people working on this and planning to attend the trips this will only make them angry/angrier at the fucking moron for risking their lives over a petty abuse of power in an immature POTUS's tiny hands.
saidsimplesimon
(7,888 posts)pdsimdars
(6,007 posts)BumRushDaShow
(130,043 posts)I don't know why they just focused on the House travel or DOD. You have Senators like Graham, Rubio, Ayn Rand Paul, etc., who just LOVE taking those junket trips since they are on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
The directive will impact THEIR travel as well (if it is even legal).
Arazi
(6,829 posts)This is deliberately aimed at Dems, more specifically at Pelosi
BumRushDaShow
(130,043 posts)we are now finding out who else was traveling.
DallasNE
(7,404 posts)Powerful women are to be put in their place in the Trump good old boy world.
LakeArenal
(28,889 posts)gratuitous
(82,849 posts)With the added attraction of endangering the lives of those in the congressional delegation by revealing secret travel for the government, as well as the advance teams going to prepare for a visit to a war zone (something that McDonald has still not done in more than two years of squatting in the Oval Office).
monmouth4
(9,712 posts)nolabear
(42,005 posts)2naSalit
(86,963 posts)3catwoman3
(24,132 posts)And I so hope nolabear (see post above) has prescient powers - may she soon be occupying the Oval Office!
Qutzupalotl
(14,344 posts)The House, that is, of which she is the principal representative, and Congress as a whole.
These scumbags like Mulvaney surrounding the traitor seem to want the President to be a king.