Tag Archives: Jonathan Karl

TRUMP ALERT

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It turns out that the Jonathan Karl/Sean Spicer “Worst Interview of New Year’s Day” previewed the Trump Team’s latest Russian hacking denial/obfuscation/diversion strategy.

On January 1, Karl asked Spicer whether Trump would accept the unanimous U.S. conclusion of U.S. intelligence agencies that Russians had hacked the election. Spicer rambled about inadequate DNC cybersecurity and offered this false equivalence relating to one of the Democratic primary debates:

“Why aren’t we talking about Hillary Clinton getting debate questions ahead of time?”

Today, Trump tweeted:

“Somebody hacked the DNC but why did they not have ‘hacking defense’ like the RNC has and why have they not responded to the terrible things they did and said (like giving the questions to the debate to H). A total double standard! Media, as usual, gave them a pass.”

And this:

“Julian Assange said ‘a 14 year old could have hacked Podesta’ – why was DNC so careless? Also said Russians did not give him the info!”

And this:

“@FoxNews: Julian Assange on U.S. media coverage: ‘It’s very dishonest.’ #Hannity ‘More dishonest than anyone knows.'”

Perhaps the the U.S. Constitution’s emoluments clause isn’t the only lurking legal problem for Trump:

“Whoever, owing allegiance to the United States…adheres to their enemies, giving them aid and comfort within the United States or elsewhere, is guilty of treason…” (18 U.S.C. Sec. 2381)

TRUMP ALERT

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The worst Sunday morning interview on New Year’s Day:

ABC’s Jonathan Karl asks Trump’s White House Communications Director/Press Secretary-designate Sean Spicer if Trump will finally accept the unanimous conclusion of all U.S. Intelligence agencies that Russians hacked the presidential election. Spicer dissembles and deflects.

SPICER: “Why aren’t we talking about the influence, other influences on the election? Why aren’t we talking about Hillary Clinton getting debate questions ahead of time? That’s a pretty valid attempt to influence an election…When are we going to start talking about the other side of this. Which is what did Hillary Clinton do to influence the election? Is she being punished in any way? What are we doing to make sure that people don’t get the debate questions ahead of time…”

KARL: “Just to be clear, that was during the Democratic primary, it was not in the debates with Donald Trump. But let me move on.”

Now we know the next false equivalence argument that Trump will utilize in minimizing the significance of Russian hacking that put a thumb on his side of the election scale.

Jonathan Karl is Chief White House Correspondent for ABC News. If he doesn’t grow a spine, bombastic bullies like Spicer will keep running over him — and all of us.