Since Trump got reelected the reaction in Russia has been, shall we say, atypical? First, Russian TV began to troll Melania with photos from her nude modeling career. [Note: Melania’s nudes can be viewed on Porn Hub, the only First Lady with that *distinction.*] The fact that Russian commentators were openly mocking Melania was taken as a sign by Putin that he was letting Trump know who held what end of the leash. Now today’s Russian TV broadcast is even more damning. It’s also curious: why would the Russians openly tout the fact that Tulsi Gabbard is a Russian asset unless they believed Gabbard would get approved and again, this is a power flex by Putin? Or, is this reverse psychology? I.e., the Russkies are saying that she’s an asset, therefore she’s not, because everything they say is propaganda?
Kremlin propagandist on Russian state TV talks about Trump’s cabinet picks:
“They’re not friends of Russia except for Tulsi Gabbard, Director of National Intelligence…She was considered a lobbyist for Putin’s interests.” pic.twitter.com/4XB0uJFPaJ
— Republicans against Trump (@RpsAgainstTrump) December 10, 2024
You can’t get any blunter than that, now can you? Gabbard has a lot of baggage. Not just Putin but Assad.
One Republican senator, who has not yet met with Gabbard personally, told Jewish Insider late Monday that some members of the Senate Intelligence Committee had told colleagues that they were not impressed with her performance during their interviews.
“The Intelligence Committee members are really, really concerned about her. Her interviews have not been going well,” the senator said, speaking on condition of anonymity. “One told me she was the worst-prepared candidate and was kind of trying to get by on her BS personality. So there’s a lot of rumbling among members.”
Another Republican who sits on the Intelligence Committee said it was too soon to tell if Gabbard could survive her confirmation battle.
“I can’t tell, she’s just gotten started. She had her first few meetings today, but she’s got a long way to go,” the senator said, adding that they thought she “did a good job” in her meeting with their office.
Committee members who spoke to reporters after meetings with Gabbard on Monday did not commit to supporting her nomination, but rather said they treated their discussions as opening steps.
Sen. Mike Rounds (R-SD) described their conversation as a “good first meeting” and an “opportunity to share with her what she’s going to be going through.”
“Part of our job here is not only getting to the point of approval because that’s well over a month away yet, but helping to provide assistance in getting her there,” Rounds said. “So a lot of it was just advice in terms of the questions that she’s going to get, the questions she’s going to have to be prepared to answer.”
One of those questions that Rounds said she’ll have to face in both public and classified testimony will be about her past comments sympathetic to Assad — questions which will be particularly salient given recent events. Rounds said he asked Gabbard about that issue in their meeting.
Rounds said he had no issue with Gabbard going to meet with Assad, but “what you have to be concerned about is, is, do [nominees] espouse a view, express a point of view from that organization that might be different than what our positions are?”
Rounds said that “in some areas [Gabbard] does a great job already” but she also has to be ready for a range of questions in her upcoming hearings. He said he’s not yet decided on how he’ll vote and is “just helping.”
This is typical. Nobody wants to commit. If the Republicans stay in a herd, they’ll be safe. If they say or do something like Joni Ernst did with respect to Pete Hegseth, then they’ll get picked off. Can’t have that, right? And Lindsey Graham is doing a Susan Collins-level “concerned” number that Tulsi objected to the killing of Qassam Soleimani. But we know that Lindsey will roll over on a dime. This we have seen many times.
This is going to be the most Bizarro World American administration in history. But you already knew that. I just think it’s a noteworthy day when you get more truth on Russian TV about a cabinet nominee than you get on our mainstream media. Whudda thot?
As long as our elected representatives, and by that I mean the sane ones, do their best to make it as little “Bizarro World” as possible, Because frankly, America is going to take a big hit if they do not. (Note: I said “take a big hit,” not “make a big hit.”)
Isn’t it amazing how easily all these MAGAt Republicans are bought, and for so little? Putin must be just as amazed as the rest of us; I suspect he expected to have to pay way more for them and had budgeted accordingly. Trump must feel the same. In his case all it takes is mere threats of things like “being primaried” to have them all bend to kiss his ass. Or an offer of a cushy seat on the govt gravy train. Or a few hundred grand offshore.
JJ Cale sang it best: “You’d be surprised the friends you can buy with small change.”