In Russia politics, Kompromat (Russian: компромат; IPA: [kəmprɐˈmat], short for компрометирующий материал, literally "compromising material&quot is compromising materials about a politician or other public figure used to create negative publicity, for blackmail, or for ensuring loyalty. Kompromat can be acquired from various security services, or outright forged, and then publicized by use of a public relations official.[1][2] Widespread use of kompromat has been one of the characteristic features of politics in Russia[3] and other post-Soviet states.[4][5]

From Wikipedia

and his greed and self-absorption have gotten him into
some questionable deals with unsavory characters who
now have him by the short orange curlies. It seems
Trump is beholden to crooks and murderers.

He's too much of a loose cannon to be an agent. I do think he and Putin share an agenda, though.

they wanted to bring him down with it.
They DIDN'T BRING OBAMA DOWN!

They used every tool they had, legal or not, always unethical, and he's having the time of his life.
They never got a dime on him.

I think he's in over his head with this crew and he's too dumb to realize it. At this point I almost (not quite, but almost) feel sorry for the poor dumb bastard. He's a had lad, and there is no way this ends well for him. I do think he realized he was in bed with Putin and a few other pretty heavy hitters, but I think he thought he was gonna be able to control it. In reality he's screwed himself.

If I'm being dead honest, I said before his inauguration that he'd managed to screw himself with the intel guys, and that is a seriously bad plan. He's pissed off the media, and that never ends well, and he's out of control with his tweets. All his people out in the media on his behalf hurt him more than they help. There is not one room in DC that is a friendly one for him. Add it all up and it looks pretty grim for the orange anus.



Laura

backed himself in a corner. Plus, he wants to change the subject

I always had the feeling and just can't shake it. Maybe it's the Russian wife? I just can't get over the feeling that something is NOT right.

And they have been laundering money through his casinos and shady real estate shams for a long time.

My thought exactly. I don't see it ending well for him. I don't think they are the understanding type and he hasn't been able to deliever anything and it's not looking like he will ever be able to.

knows too much....

Who's moved to America? He had plenty of opportunity to do that at a few of his buildings.

but he's probably a source of great amusement for Vlad and friends.

"Watch this, Tovarich!" Pushes button, Trump waddles off golf course to tweet an inanity. Laughter ensues.

"That's nothing," says Vlad. "Wait until this afternoon. I've arranged for him to overhear a rumor."


.

I think under it all is that Trump used his real estate deals to launder money for corrupt gov officials from various countries. He is such a corrupt greedy bastard that money from anywhere by any means possible is just fine with him.

Except once.

His priorities his self, his ego, Oh and did I say his ego, his "status", bragging rights, his money, his property, finding people who will kiss his ass, his kids, their money, and that's about it.

He is a useful idiot put forward as a prize for putin by the russian oligarchs.

say ANYTHING bad about Russia or Putin.
Anything at all.
I would be open to reconsider my opinion.
But I think that Bill O'Reilly interview before the Super Bowl showed us who he is, someone who does not believe in the greatness of America and completely deferential to Putin and Russia.
IMHO

Putin's Bitch.

Correct me if I'm wrong, because accuracy is very germane.

...as the pRezident.

he is able to believe he is not, rather he is using the US to protect his bad business deals with Russians. The Russian government will use this to get what they want out of the US - sanctions lifted, broken NATO, etc.

There are four kinds of intelligence operatives, and which one you are is determined by who you work for and who you report to. (As described in Orrin DeForest's book "Slow Burn," which is the bio of a CIA interrogation officer working in Vietnam, unless someone has access to directives he's just another human being. Trump definitely has access to directives.)

An Officer works for our side, and reports to our side.

An Agent works for their side, but reports to our side.

A Double Agent works for either our side or theirs, but reports to both sides. (Most of the "spies" we catch in our ranks are double agents.)

A Spy works for (or is paid by, anyway) our side, but reports to theirs.

Role reversal time: Our agents are their spies, and their agents are our spies.

If you think Donald Trump is working for us, the Shop Steward from Local 13 of the International Amalgamated Brotherhood of Shithouse Rats would like to have a word with you about your union card.

Donald Trump is a spy.

of Russia. However, I am also willing to entertain the idea that this relationship began by trump being an unwitting asset years ago. If that's the case, he definitely became a willing asset last year. (IMO)

You back off helping Ukraine fight Russia and we'll hack, disseminate propaganda and Hillary lies, etc. to help get you elected...not to mention disparaging NATO and the EU, which Putin would love.

and being Putin's idiot. Possibly that conspiracy. I need to say this, if someone has a weird sexual desire it should not really matter. He was not hurting anyone and yes I know it is sick but it was done in private. Yes, they managed to film him ( so we hear ) but it just does not justify calling him bad. Now I am in no way protecting him because other things he is doing are bad and going to hurt people. But there are a lot of people who have strange sexual desires and most of them are good people. You all probably know someone you think is nice but have no clue about their private life. I am not standing up for him but more for other people that are good people who do have some of those issues but would never hurt anyone.

and, perhaps, even makes DT rich or richer, and in exchange DT removes the santions, lets go Crimea, partners with Russia and Assad in Syria, goes easy on Ukraine, helps break up the EU and NATO, let's the former satellites become vulnerable, and more....

You don't have to be sharp to figure this one out. Just listen. DT and his really stupid sons said it, piece by piece.

Seems like a matter of semantics. Left unchecked, he and his cronies, and all the GOP'ers in charge from federal on down to local levels are going to abso-fucking-lutely gut, raid and pillage everything. They're going to disregard all the rules and change all the laws in their reign that stand in their way, so whatever they can't get their grubby hands on immediately, will fall to them when it comes sliding down the hill of shit they're going to leave in their wake.

Short of making us all call him Puti-too and changing our currency to Rubles, the end result doesn't really look all that different to me.