Trump: I think 'I'd take' foreign help for 2020

Does not follow.

Maybe, once again, on Venus or Neptune. Here on Earth, information is often valuable, particularly election research, and it is often sold. And unlike Venus or Neptune's "America," there is nothing on Earth "un-American" about selling information. It literally happens every day.

 

You appear to forget he is President and talks to foreign leaders daily.

 

Or it is called free speech.

 

Free speech does not mean you have to give information away without charging for it. Is that seriously what you guys thought free speech meant . . . that no one could ever charge for speech? No, that's not what it means. That's not what it has ever meant.

 

Just taking a wild guess here, but I think it has to do with the fact that this is a thread about TRUMP and his comments regarding foreign help. You, of course, are more than welcome to start a thread about slime ball Clinton if you so choose.

 

I understand exactly what has been going on...

So you are saying that taking actual information is wrong but paying a foreign government to make stuff up and then use it to get a warrant to be used to spy on the other campaign is OK...??? And all under Obama and Biden !!

And Trump isn't selling anything according to Mueller.

But Hillary did sell access to just about anyone who would write a check to her foundation.

 

There could be massive quantities of data they're acquiring from multiple foreign sources. For example they may be researching for their position on Brexit and acquiring data from multiple foreign sources to best formulate their position. It would be onerous on our intelligence community to be dumping all this data upon them.

 

This whole thread is a waste, basically if you want all candidates to never ever talk to foreign governments until inauguration then pass the damn law, if not don't.

 

Selling and buying of information must be reported.

 

If you can't address Hillary's dubious foreign interactions that actually occurred, you shouldn't expect anyone to address a "hypothetical" Trump phone call that never did occur. It's a matter of common sense, or does your hypocrisy know no bounds. It's like listening to a murderous criminal demanding accountability from a kid who thought about stealing a piece of candy.

 

I haven't forgotten that. We aren't talking about conversations with foreign leaders. We are talking about information shared by them which, you - yourself - suggested could be offered to created disruption. We aren't talking about summits or negotiations - we are talking about information shared about opponents during an election.

Why is it so difficult for people to agree that offers like that should be reported?

 

But we aren't talking about Brexit or other international issues. We are talking about information about one candidate being shared with the opposing candidate during a national election. If there is no way to determine if their intent is benevolent or malevolent, it is best handed over to professionals who are best suited to determine the purpose.

 

Phone call? Oh dear you're one confused individual. Did you not read the OP? Give it a go and get back to me. But ONLY get back to me if you actually read the OP. This will help you avoid wasting anymore of our time.

 

So you believe a law should be written that deals exclusively with opposition research, that any opposition research acquired from a foreign source must be given to the FBI? Unfortunately our FBI has been known to leak badly as we saw in our last election. And then it would get messy trying to determine what constitutes oppo research. I'm not a big fan of big government trying to control the free exchange of information.

 

I have no problem with a law that states, during an election, any candidate contacted by a foreign power with the offer of opposition research on their opponent should report it to the FBI. Do you?

 

The OP reminds me of a criminal gang demanding accountability from a boy who took a piece of candy from a candy jar. This thread is a joke, but I'm glad you wasted a lot of your time on it.

 

So basically you're just a troll. Got it.

 

It sounds benign enough. What if you contact them, for example to see what Joe was up to while in Spain? Would an individual in Canada be considered a foreign power? Wouldn't the foreign power just get around this new law by passing the info to an individual in our country outside the campaign who could then pass it on to the campaign? What if I read this information on a foreign power's web site? Controlling the free exchange of information just seems messy.

 

If 'ifs' and 'buts' were candy and nuts, then everyday would be Christmas.

Not everything can be controlled. But I think the law I previously stated should be easy to follow, shouldn't it?

 

Depending what it was he said he might so, it is still a what if and conjecture.

 

No, I think it would be way too vague and way too easily circumvented. And I'm not sure what the FBI is supposed to even do with said oppo research unless it demonstrates violations of the law and under those circumstances I think most would normally turn that info over to the proper authorities.

 

My assertion has been - in this thread - that it doesn't have to do with the actual information, but with the intent of the foreign country offering it. It was asserted that the intent would likely be to disrupt of to create chaos. If that's the case, I think it would be best to have a law in place ensuring that recipients call the authorities.

 

So it would be up to the campaign to determine the intent of the person offering the information? That doesn't hardly even seem possible.

 

They wouldn't have to determine anything. If they are approached by a foreign government, during the campaign, they report it.

You have already pointed out that the information could be forwarded by other means, so may not end up being reported. But I see no problem with, as a good start, making a law about direct contact from a foreign country during a campaign.

 

Politicians and business persons constantly have direct contact with persons from foreign countries. Sounds like a bureaucratic nightmare.