Bolton
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I believe the discussion was about O'Brien and the fact that Biden's handlers rescinded his. Your "totality of evidence" claim indicates that that was because of "threat assessment". Because to admit that politics might have played a role, would weaken the rhetorical punch of "spiteful Trump".
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It’s conceivable there’s some non-obvious back story between O’Brien and Biden that caused Biden to finally reject an extension after granting it at least twice (I’m not clear on the timeline). But the continued protection of other officials rather weakens the case that Bolton got it for hating on the fat man.
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I've read reports that there was internal pressure on the Biden admin to continue O'Brien's. They didn't.
It's difficult to imagine intelligence agencies being able to be so specific that they can say "that guy, that guy right there, he's received death threats from Iran, but we're sure they're not after him now. Let's save 6 million and not give him protection next year". But I know, that's the world you have to live in for your "totality of evidence" theory to hold.
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It’s like you missed my last post. Let me repeat it.
It’s conceivable there’s some non-obvious back story between O’Brien and Biden that caused Biden to finally reject an extension after granting it at least twice (I’m not clear on the timeline). But the continued protection of other officials rather weakens the case that Bolton got it for hating on the fat man.
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"Bolton got protection for hating on the fat man" has never been a central claim of mine. I was responding to your ridiculous notion that the Biden admin should have been expected to have antipathy for Bolton, but kept his SS, which proves they are objective and fair. It proves nothing of the sort. The Biden admin absolutely should have been expected to value Bolton's life very highly.
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And how about Mike Espers? And Pompeo? And Hook? You have yet to acknowledge what their inclusion in the list does to your overall argument, to the extent that you have one. (Of course I get that nipping at my heels is the point and you don’t necessarily have an argument).
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I suspect there is some sort of back story with O'Brien which made Biden's handlers drop him. Having worked for Trump in some capacity is not enough, if that's the point of your comparisons with Pompeo et al.
Again, you have to live in a world where the intelligence services are able to say "that guy, that guy right there, he's received death threats from Iran, but we're sure they're not after him now. Let's save 6 million and not give him protection next year". So, just to be clear, that's the world you live in, right?
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No, I suspect we are going to see a lot of changes at the Secret Service. I think we are going to see assets pulled from peripheral figures such as Bolton or Pompeo. I suspect they are getting out of the counterfeit investigation business.
Pique, realignment, efficiency, whatever.
Times are changing...
“Cry havoc and let slip the DOGE of war!”
Those who cheered as J-6 American prisoners were locked in solitary for 18 months without trial, now suddenly fight tooth and nail for foreign terrorists’ "due process". — Buck Sexton
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No, I suspect we are going to see a lot of changes at the Secret Service. I think we are going to see assets pulled from peripheral figures such as Bolton or Pompeo. I suspect they are getting out of the counterfeit investigation business.
Pique, realignment, efficiency, whatever.
Times are changing...
Pique, realignment, efficiency, whatever.
Spite.
This is first day stuff. The shock and awe planned including rewarding friends and smiting enemies. I don’t think they spent the last 45 days studying cost efficiency in the secret service with the idea to unleash efficiency moves day one.
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I don't really understand this whole argument. Is anybody seriously trying to argue that Trump isn't petty and vindictive and takes everything personally?
The best anybody has managed to come up with is 'Trump is coldly rational when dealing with Bolton, but is emotionally attached to O'Brien, so his better nature leads to him allowing him to keep his security', which seems to be an extraordinarily generous assessment of Trump's personality.
I was only joking
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When you look at everything through a blue lens, everything has a blue tinge.
“Cry havoc and let slip the DOGE of war!”
Those who cheered as J-6 American prisoners were locked in solitary for 18 months without trial, now suddenly fight tooth and nail for foreign terrorists’ "due process". — Buck Sexton
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Jolly’s answer to your question is ‘yes’.
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I don't really understand this whole argument. Is anybody seriously trying to argue that Trump isn't petty and vindictive and takes everything personally?
The best anybody has managed to come up with is 'Trump is coldly rational when dealing with Bolton, but is emotionally attached to O'Brien, so his better nature leads to him allowing him to keep his security', which seems to be an extraordinarily generous assessment of Trump's personality.
@Doctor-Phibes said in Bolton:
I don't really understand this whole argument. Is anybody seriously trying to argue that Trump isn't petty and vindictive and takes everything personally?
The best anybody has managed to come up with is 'Trump is coldly rational when dealing with Bolton, but is emotionally attached to O'Brien, so his better nature leads to him allowing him to keep his security', which seems to be an extraordinarily generous assessment of Trump's personality.
I think these revocations are conveniently frameable as spite, but can be easily viewed as reasonable. I do not think there is going to be open season on these people now that they don't have their detail, and it is public record how expensive they are. There is such a thing as an abundance of caution, and there is such a thing as spending other people's money in order to make oneself feel secure that your own ass is covered. Trump has exposed his ass here if Pompeo or Bolton et al get assassinated, but obviously they have a far greater chance of dying in a random traffic accident or any number of other things. The calibrated risk for these people is extremely low, or so I surmise. Not worth 6m per year of taxpayer money. To what benefit is killing these people, exactly? Other than some terror effect? Terror effects can be achieved easily in other ways.
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@Doctor-Phibes said in Bolton:
I don't really understand this whole argument. Is anybody seriously trying to argue that Trump isn't petty and vindictive and takes everything personally?
The best anybody has managed to come up with is 'Trump is coldly rational when dealing with Bolton, but is emotionally attached to O'Brien, so his better nature leads to him allowing him to keep his security', which seems to be an extraordinarily generous assessment of Trump's personality.
I think these revocations are conveniently frameable as spite, but can be easily viewed as reasonable. I do not think there is going to be open season on these people now that they don't have their detail, and it is public record how expensive they are. There is such a thing as an abundance of caution, and there is such a thing as spending other people's money in order to make oneself feel secure that your own ass is covered. Trump has exposed his ass here if Pompeo or Bolton et al get assassinated, but obviously they have a far greater chance of dying in a random traffic accident or any number of other things. The calibrated risk for these people is extremely low, or so I surmise. Not worth 6m per year of taxpayer money. To what benefit is killing these people, exactly? Other than some terror effect? Terror effects can be achieved easily in other ways.
To what benefit is killing these people, exactly? Other than some terror effect? Terror effects can be achieved easily in other ways..
None of those questions ever cross the mind of ideological or religious fanatics. It’s all about the terror effect. Nothing more.
Elbows up!
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The O'Brien character apparently has his detail reinstated, which I can only guess is maybe payback for Biden's handler's having capriciously dropped it (or, in jon's world, the intelligence services providing an exacting threat assessment which singled out him as the one guy Iran doesn't want to kill anymore), or maybe it's just a crony, sweetheart deal. There is also a chance that Trump considers him a valuable asset for some reason, more valuable than the others he dropped. Which sounds cold, but perfectly reasonable as the actions of an executive go.
