Trump in Transition (v12)

I'm using a slightly larger version of the f-bomb picture for this post, because he's dropping an even larger one than usual on the country.

Donald Trump has thought it funny, all along, that Russia was hacking Americans to try and influence the election.

He asked them to hack Hillary Clinton's private email server, or suggested they had, or maybe he was just being sarcastic.

Russia, if you're listening, I hope you're able to find the 30,000 emails that are missing. I think you will probably be rewarded mightily by our press... By the way, they hacked -- they probably have her 33,000 emails. I hope they do. They probably have her 33,000 emails that she lost and deleted because you'd see some beauties there. So let's see.

When it was brought up during the campaign that Russia was hacking us, Trump said it could have been anyone.

I mean, it could be Russia, but it could also be China. It could also be lots of other people. It also could be somebody sitting on their bed that weighs 400 pounds, OK? You don't know who broke into DNC.

Russia hacked America, specifically the DNC and the Gmail account of John Podesta, Hillary Clinton's ill-fated campaign chair. They did not hack Hillary Clinton's private email server. We asked them to stay out, we sent back-channel warnings, President Obama spoke personally to President Putin, and they did not listen.

When asked about the Russian hack and the news that we were getting close to announcing a response, Trump offered his, ahem, nuanced take on technology.

I think we ought to get on with our lives. I think that computers have complicated lives very greatly. The whole age of computer has made it where nobody knows exactly what is going on.

We announced sanctions, and took who knows what other actions behind the scenes that we were not told about. The actions by the Obama administration were praised, albeit backhandedly, by Congressional Republicans, including House Speaker Paul Ryan and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.

Ryan noted

While today's action by the administration is overdue, it is an appropriate way to end eight years of failed policy with Russia. And it serves as a prime example of this administration's ineffective foreign policy that has left America weaker in the eyes of the world...Russia does not share America's interests. In fact, is has consistently sought to undermine them sowing dangerous instability around the world. 

Similarly, McConnell also complained about the lateness of the action.

Sanctions against the Russian intelligence services are a good initial step however late in coming. As the next Congress reviews Russian actions against networks associated with the US election, we must also work to ensure that any attack against the United States is met with an overwhelming response. 

Donald Trump's response? Again, we have more important things to worry about.

It's time for our country to move on to bigger and better things. Nevertheless, in the interest of our country and its great people, I will meet with leaders of the intelligence community next week in order to be updated on the facts of this situation.

Aw, shucks, Mr. #NotMyPresident, thanks for thinking about me, and for worrying your pretty little head about America, and please don't let getting those facts disturb your #MAGA mission or your #BAHA mission or your #TakingCreditforStuffYouDidntDo mission.

Those little slogan-thingys are bigly important I'm sure, so we wouldn't want you to lose focus over having to, you know, take an intelligence briefing or anything, or get acquainted with the facts of something like an attack on our country, no, we surely wouldn't.

And, aw shucks, we're sorry that you're so busy chatting up your friend Vlad on social media, and we hope this won't put a dent in your little bromance, we really hope it won't.

Yes, that's right.

America announces sanctions against Russia, and Trump tweets a proudly fawning message when Putin responds by saying he won't do anything now, but will wait to deal with Trump.

I don't know what you'd call that, but in my book, that's a big ole f-bomb to America right there.