Devon & Sarah discuss what the hell is going on with the Russia Investigation, Jared Kushner’s role in creating back channel communications with Russia, and how The Kush’s privilege has shielded him from what amounts to treason. They award the Donald Trump Dishonor in Dickwaddery.
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Key Articles
- Sign up for Raising Hell, the Hellbent Podcast Newsletter
- A high-stakes gamble: How Jared Kushner reacted to previous crises by Michael Kranish and Jonathan O’Connell (WaPo)
- Jared Kushner now a focus in Russia investigation by Matt Zapotosky, Sari Horwitz, Devlin Barrett, and Adam Entous (WaPo)
- Exclusive: Trump son-in-law had undisclosed contacts with Russian envoy – sources by Ned Parker and Jonathan Landay (Reuters)
- Blackwater founder held secret Seychelles meeting to establish Trump-Putin back channel by Adam Entous, Greg Miller, Kevin Sieff, and Karen DeYoung (WaPo)
- ‘This is off the map’: Former intelligence officials say the reported Kushner-Russia plan is unlike anything they’ve ever seen by Natasha Bertrand (Business Insider)
- Kushner Is Said to Have Discussed a Secret Channel to Talk to Russia by Maggie Haberman, Mark Mazzetti,
and Matt Apuzzo (NYTimes) - Cory Booker Pumps Brakes On Trump Impeachment Talk by Igor Bobic (HuffPost)
- Senate Intelligence Committee requests Trump campaign documents
by Robert Costa (WaPo) - Trump campaign likely didn’t save documents: report by Max Greenwood (The Hill)
- Top Trump adviser says POTUS is “looking at” lifting Russian sanctions by Laurel Raymond (ThinkProgress)
- Angela Merkel says Germany can no longer rely on Donald Trump’s America: ‘We Europeans must take our destiny into our own hands’ by Samuel Osborne (Independent)
Gratitude Check Links
- Frustrated 5-Year-Old’s Speech About ‘Marack Obama’ Is Deeply Relatable by Zahara Hill (HuffPost)
- ‘I don’t want to be associated with him’: 100 eighth graders refuse to pose with Paul Ryan during DC trip by Elizabeth Preza
- Men Lose Their Shit Over Alamo Drafthouse’s Women-Only Wonder Woman Screening, Theater Responds By Adding More by Lauren Evans
- Macron Says Trump Handshake Was ‘Moment of Truth’ – The Associated Press (Bloomberg)
- Justin Trudeau and Emmanuel Macron Make Bromantic Dreams Come True in Sicily by Jerry Portwood (Rolling Stone)
- Florida Just Became The Latest State To Abolish The ‘Tampon Tax’ by Catherine Pearson (HuffPost)
- Hillary Clinton Is Furious. And Resigned. And Funny. And Worried. by Rebecca Traister (NYMag)
Pure gold. Macron walks towards Trump then swerves to greet Merkel. Handshakes others before finally greeting Trump pic.twitter.com/qKk1eeb9ZC
— HawaiiDelilah (@HawaiiDelilah) May 25, 2017
.@HillaryClinton: “I couldn't think of any place I’d rather be this year than right here.” #Wellesley2017
— Sarah Lerner (@SarahLerner) May 26, 2017
Hillary: "I don't think anger's a strategy"
Traister: But Bernie & Trump both capitalized on anger
Hillary: "Yes, and I beat both of them" pic.twitter.com/LLJZxwMyla— Molly (@isteintraum) May 26, 2017
Action Items
- How to Join the Fight Against Texas’s Racist Immigration Law by NationAction (The Nation)
Let's turn American orange on June 2 for National Gun Violence Awareness Day! #WearOrange pic.twitter.com/h6m2Ly7h64
— Moms Demand Action (@MomsDemand) May 25, 2017
Donald Trump Dishonor in Dickwaddery Links
- Exclusive: Tillerson declines to host Ramadan event at State Department by Yeganeh Torbati (Reuters)
- h Trump’s statement on Ramadan is almost entirely about terrorism by Sarah Pulliam Bailey (WaPo)
- Ann Arbor restaurant says ICE agents ate breakfast, then detained 3 workers by Jessica Haynes (M Live)
- x Texas teachers give ‘most likely to become a terrorist’ award to 13-year-old by Amber Ferguson (WaPo)
- Texas Bill Could Send People to Jail for Driving a Woman to an Abortion, Lawmaker Says by Sophie Novack (Texas Observer)
- A Man Is Serving 10 Years In Prison Because Of The Crime He Was Acquitted Of by Lilly Workneh (HuffPost)
Ben Carson calls poverty "a state of mind" during interview https://t.co/DDS1J7bgEj
— Washington Post (@washingtonpost) May 24, 2017
Hit by a truck, Huete was asked him about his status before being offered medical care. He’s now facing deportation. https://t.co/k4MX1khLN8
— Southern Poverty Law Center (@splcenter) May 27, 2017
In which a sitting U.S. Senator calls the nonpartisan CBO's findings "fake news." This is where we're at. pic.twitter.com/BVN2ruamXP
— Sarah Lerner (@SarahLerner) May 27, 2017
Twitter Index
Twitter References
@hellbentpod Question: do you have or plan to have any 'Local politics is sexy' merch? Any travel mug options? Thanks!
— Ms Grump (@grumperton) May 26, 2017
Sec. Kelly calls back-channels "normal…and acceptable": "It's not a bad thing to have multiple communications lines to any government." pic.twitter.com/Gr5bWn5U8a
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) May 28, 2017
We talked to these "people" too. We would not publish their account unless we could signal they were speaking for Kushner. They refused. https://t.co/UpNrh7UHDV
— Scott Wilson (@PostScottWilson) May 27, 2017
.@MalcolmNance on @MSNBC: If this story is true, then "that crosses the line to the Espionage Act of 1917."
— Sarah Lerner (@SarahLerner) May 27, 2017
At the CIA, if I arranged comms w/ Russia outside official channels & set up secret meeting in a 3rd country, I would be tried for espionage
— Nada Bakos (@nadabakos) May 27, 2017
1.Did I sound a little panicked on @chrislhayes over Kushner-Rubsecret comms report. I am. What did he intend to pass? The PDB? Nuke codes?
— Malcolm Nance (@MalcolmNance) May 27, 2017
A CIA veteran in a text to me just now: "This is the first time the hair has stood up on the back of my neck WTF." https://t.co/EAFn9LBSG4
— Yashar Ali 🐘 (@yashar) May 26, 2017
Been trying to think of a legitimate reason why a Trump official would want a secret line to Putin that FBI/NSA couldn't monitor. I can't. https://t.co/uKR5OkNzvH
— Senator Dick Durbin (@SenatorDurbin) May 27, 2017
Graham has been talking tough but is not ready to subpoena Trump's tax returns: "We're not there yet." #CNNsotu https://t.co/6olFmFT5lk
— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) May 28, 2017
.@CoryBooker disagrees with the DNC: he thinks it's too soon to revoke Jared Kushner's security clearance. #CNNsotu https://t.co/JV4P1SDJjd
— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) May 28, 2017
Felonies regardless of any collusion:
-Obstruction of Justice by @POTUS
-Perjury by Sessions
-False Stmts by Flynn
-False Stmts by #Kushner— Ted Lieu (@tedlieu) May 27, 2017
(!!!!) –> Russian oligarch/Manfort associate Oleg Deripaska seeks immunity to testify before congress. https://t.co/GkCv3YgNIc
— Caroline O. (@RVAwonk) May 26, 2017
Since 1945, the supreme strategic goal in Europe of the USSR and then Russia was the severing of the US-German alliance. Trump delivered.
— David Frum (@davidfrum) May 28, 2017
Putin could not be happier with Trump's trip: embrace of autocrats, sowing division within NATO & G7, threat to pull out of Paris accord
— Michael McFaul (@McFaul) May 28, 2017