‘Golden Showers’ Scandal – Is Trump Committing Treason Against the United States?

There is a 35 page private report sanctioned jointly by Republicans and Democrats on Trump as part of their “Oppositional Research” – which used an MI6 agent with strong connections and sources in Russia.  That, had NOTHING to do with the US Intelligence.

And then there is a 2 page memo – based on the view that US intelligence has on that private report – which was shared with President Obama, VP Biden and President-elect Trump.  This, is an intelligence report.

What the media – specifically Buzzfeed (and we at Drishtikone) have shared is the 35 page PRIVATE report!!  It has nothing to do with the report that CIA had.

So when Donald Trump rants about his charge that US Intelligence “leaked” the report, is he talking about the 35 page report or the 2 page memo?  Because as far as I have seen, the 2 page memo has NOT been leaked at all.  The private report was surely something that the US intelligence had NO control over.  That could easily have been leaked by Trump’s opponents.

So, Trump is basically trying to bluff to his base who – as gullibly juvenile as they are – will not ask any question or sort out the basic nuance that is obvious to any neutral observer with basic common sense.

Lets reiterate – Intelligence Community could NOT have either kept the 35 page report secret or revealed it.  In fact, it was REVEALED the moment the ex-MI6 operative, in his private capacity handed it over to other private citizens (Republicans and Democrats).  Is that too hard to understand?

Unsubstantiated is NOT Equal to Fake

That brings us to the next question – Why share the “Unsubstantiated” Report?  And what is its significance since it is yet unsubstantiated.

Intelligence is not accounting.  In the work of intelligence, there are reports, soft and hard evidences, trails, and human assets – based on which inferences are made.  Those inferences are tested over time and over time an intelligence agency creates enough understanding of their craft to make a reasonable judgment.

CIA has been at it in Russia (erstwhile USSR) for decades now.  They have had the greatest success in this region with their assets.  Given their past understanding and reasonably quick analysis of the 35 page report – including their judgment of the MI6 agent’s integrity and statecraft – they would have made a certain evaluation of the 35 page “unsubstantiated” report.

Thousands of such reports are trashed every day at the FBI and CIA.  Or for that matter any intelligence agency.  Only when the CIA was absolutely sure that there was some reasonable credibility to the report – or parts of it which were important – would they have resorted to including it in the Presidential briefing as a memo.  The CIA officers and the President of US are surely not patrons of National Enquirer when it comes to making national security decisions.

So the obvious question to anyone – who is not afflicted by “Trump is God’s own shit and soalways correct” virus – is if the US intelligence agencies have deemed it as important as to include the information – summarized and obviously commented as well as qualified – in Presidential briefing, then it no longer remains simply “unsubstantiated”.

In fact, let us get something out of the way – Unsubstantiated does NOT automatically mean “Fake” or “Trashy”, as Trump and his fans are wont to tell us.  It simply means that WE, the ordinary public cannot make a determination regarding its veracity.  But the intelligence agencies can.

And knowing how the CIA and other intelligence agencies work, it is fairly clear to anyone with the most basic common sense as to what the evaluation of those agencies is!

Circumstantial Evidence Against Trump

A lot of pro-Trump batters – who are from outside the US or from certain ideological mindset – are coming from the view that since CIA or the American intelligence has messed up the lives in other countries,

• they need to be discredited even when it comes to US national security, for US national security itself is another name for their constituency’s mess
• intelligence agencies cannot be trusted since they are spooks and do not talk in certainties and are beyond most people’s vengeance

With that kind of prejudice clouding their judgmental faculties, they venture to look at Trump and his rather bizarre behavior with respect to Russia and its intervention into the US elections.  That Russia is indulging in such interventions the world over is obvious.  There is enough evidence to that.  Given that someone outside is entering into your most sacred confines by backdoor is alarming enough no matter who you are on the political spectrum as an American!  I emphasize that because if you are from another country and have grievance against CIA, you would justify it as “they do it to others so why cry now”?  Fair enough if that is your entry point, but we are talking about the leader of THIS nation who upholds the Supremacy and therefore the security of this nation – the USofA.  That person – which is what Trump is and will be – cannot align with such a foreign power while trashing that power’s critics at home!  That is not smart.  That is treason!

And that is important to understand.  Trump is openly and brazenly indulging in Treason against the United States.

To the benefit of the Russians!  Why would he do that and keep batting for them betraying his own country’s security and future?!

Unless of course, they have something that is so mind-bogglingly incriminating that any whiff of it outside would bring Trump’s entire life crashing to the ground!  Or – if he is not been compromised – then he is indulging in wilful treachery.  That is worse.  That Russians have incriminating evidence against him is a ace-saver, even though it may not seem to be given how ludicrous he looks because of that!

So, if one was to look at it circumstantially, the work of the ex-MI6 operative in that 35 page report makes complete sense and looks plausible.

But why Trash the Intelligence?

And, this is where the Treason charge against Trump becomes more genuine.  When the report – 35 page – could NOT have been leaked (or saved) by the US intelligence (duh!!), then why is he – a President-elect – insisting that it was leaked by the US intelligence?  Unless of course he wants to discredit the entire intelligence agency for ABSOLUTELY NO REASON!  That he IS doing so – UNREASONABLY trashing the CIA – is OBVIOUSLY CORRECT!!

What could be the consequences of that?  Very clearly – the moral within the spies recruited by the US and its operatives in the field will go down, the sources that were risking their lives will think twice, many may want to leave intelligence (which MIke Morell, the ex-Acting CIA Director, confirmed on CNN, was actually happening as people are “polishing their resumes”.

That is the end of any foundation for national security.  Because the implications are direct and devastating.  The assets and the sources that detect a terrorist attack or threat in the US will be reduced/compromised/leave.  Exposing everyone to grave consequences!!

Why would a President want that to happen?

Whatever I have stated in this section is an obvious result of what Trump is doing despite the fact that Intelligence could NOT have leaked the 35 page report.  It should be obvious to anyone who looks at the situation as well.

So, why would the President (Trump here) do that?  Bring his own intelligence apparatus down?

If you were Putin, wouldn’t you have absolutely loved that?  So, figure that one out.

Featured Image: Flickr\DonkeyHotey