How Russian Hackers Can Blackmail Donald Trump and the GOP

[babylonsister]

How Russian Hackers Can Blackmail Donald Trump—and the GOP
If it is true that the Russians hacked the Republican National Committee as well as the DNC, then their power over POTUS potentially knows few bounds.
Michael Weiss
Kimberly Dozier
12.10.16 3:50 PM ET

snip//

In essence, Moscow’s security organs could now be in possession of what the KGB used to call kompromat — compromising personal material — on Trump and his staff, which could then be used to blackmail them into doing Russia’s bidding.

The mere possibility that Putin now knows the secrets of the RNC and the inner workings of the victorious party of the 2016 election is bound to color U.S.-Russian relations for the next four years, regardless or whether or not those secrets are in any way scandalous. Any perceived tilt by Washington toward Russia, or any accommodation struck with the Kremlin on the ongoing wars in Syria or Ukraine can now be interpreted as quid pro quo for Putin’s keeping silent on what’s he got on the sitting commander-in-chief or the latter’s inner circle.

Tom Nichols, a professor of national security affairs at the U.S. Naval War College, told The Daily Beast, representing his personal views and not those of the War College:“The worst possibility is that the Russians are holding back what they've stolen from the RNC because it's valuable enough to keep in reserve until the president-elect is sworn in. This is a frankly terrifying possibility.”

Nichols has been an outspoken “Never Trump” Republican and written numerous articles explaining why he thinks the president-elect is unfit for office. The Trump transition team's response to the Times bombshell only solidified that view. “Their answer is to ‘move on,’ which might be a sensible thing to say to political opponents who didn't like the outcome of the election, but it is a unimaginable answer in the face of an open Russian attack on the U.S. political system. The Russians have made it clear they have no intention of ‘moving on,’ and no amount of hand-waving will change that.”

more...

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2016/12/10/how-russian-hackers-can-blackmail-donald-trump-and-the-gop.html

[JI7]

1. isn't it likely they already are doing it ?

with trump ?

[annabanana]

2. "compromising personal material"

I'll bet there's no shortage of THAT stuff on Putin's Puppet, given his predilection for very young girls . . .

[UTUSN]

3. Prob is, so MUCH compromising junk is already KNOWN yet doesn't matter, not blackmailable!1 n/t

[TrekLuver]

7. His tax returns. His finanical ties, they've hacked him....plenty of blackmail material there and

if he went to Russia...which he has they have been bugging him maybe even setting him up etc... so I have no doubt they have dirt on him.

[TrekLuver]

9. That is my speculation. I hope once this report comes out so will the truth.

[napi21]

5. What could possibly be in the Con's past that is worse than what's already been told to

the public already? There was video taped proof of some things, certainly accusations that were never denied. No matter how bad the information was, his supporters didn't care. I can't think of anything he could have done that would warrant blackmail.

[pnwmom]

18. Plenty could be in Comey's past, McConnell's past, and every other

Rethug who has switched his position to supporting Trump.

[Freethinker65]

6. Compromising info like ...without Russia's help

The GOP would not be in power. And thanks for taking our "advice" on appointments.

[ThoughtCriminal]

11. Given everything that has already been exposed

Sexual assault, corruption, conflicts of interest, bankruptcies, adultery and divorces, ignorance of the basic function of U.S. Government, out-sourcing by his companies, stupid ideas, dog-whistled antisemitism, appointments of nincompoops, crooks and white-supremacist psychos to his inner circle and future cabinet, admiration for repulsive dictators, attacks on women, Hispanics, African-Americans, the handicapped, endorsements from neo-Nazis and the KKK. What could there possibly be revealed that would be worse than the stuff Trump tweets every day?

[moondust]

12. Hidden camera

documenting criminal activity, sexual perversion, etc.?

[ProudProgressiveNow]

13. +1 nt

[2naSalit]

14. Hey, didn't he demand that we look at

the sex tape? Maybe he meant the one(s) he stars in-that he had made at home.

Maybe it's him and Ivanka? Or maybe there's something about Ivanka. Why is shemoving to DC and not the actual office holder? Smells really fishy along with every other aspect of these gangsters.

[StevieM]

15. Not a bad point, but all that stuff did cost them the election. At the last minute James Comey

bailed them out by giving them the final piece of the puzzle in creating a fake Watergate. The American people were tricked into believing in a fake scandal, one that that amounted to nothing, but was successfully portrayed as unprecedented levels of corruption.

The GOP does not actually believe that they won the election on the issues, like the media is pretending they did--and way too many Democrats are also saying.

[ffr]

17. Sums it up. The Reps I know would have voted for a turd if they had to.

They hate democrats for destroying their economy and their traditional beliefs. Donald could threaten to stab each of them lethally and they'd still be with him until the last drop of blood drained from their stupid crazy bodies. Their moral compass is gone. They only have love of power, greed, and money that drives them. It's no coincidence they get their daily dosages of RW TV and radio to prop up their delusional reality.

[pnwmom]

19. Maybe "squeaky clean" Comey is being blackmailed; maybe McConnell.

Maybe Paul Ryan. Every Rethug who has switched to supporting DT must be viewed with suspicion.

[Duppers]

22. Exactly!

As if any video would make any difference to the RW alternative universe. They'd just claim CGI created it.

The damage is done, M$M lobotomies were successfully completed.

[jalan48]

16. Why not the Democrats as well?

Senators, Representatives, Judges, Governors, etc.

[pnwmom]

20. They were targeting Democrats during the election.

If they had more they probably would have used it.

If you doubt that, then which Democrats do you see who, unlike some of the GOP, have suddenly become big Trump/Putin supporters?

[jalan48]

21. I think it's more like the mafia.

No one says, "I support the mafia". It would be about voting for specific legislation that would benefit Putin or Russia. Perhaps something like opening up the Arctic to a joint drilling exercise between the two countries. Let's keep our eyes open on this one.