this post was submitted on 15 Nov 2024
708 points (99.0% liked)

News

23301 readers
3473 users here now

Welcome to the News community!

Rules:

1. Be civil


Attack the argument, not the person. No racism/sexism/bigotry. Good faith argumentation only. This includes accusing another user of being a bot or paid actor. Trolling is uncivil and is grounds for removal and/or a community ban. Do not respond to rule-breaking content; report it and move on.


2. All posts should contain a source (url) that is as reliable and unbiased as possible and must only contain one link.


Obvious right or left wing sources will be removed at the mods discretion. We have an actively updated blocklist, which you can see here: https://lemmy.world/post/2246130 if you feel like any website is missing, contact the mods. Supporting links can be added in comments or posted seperately but not to the post body.


3. No bots, spam or self-promotion.


Only approved bots, which follow the guidelines for bots set by the instance, are allowed.


4. Post titles should be the same as the article used as source.


Posts which titles don’t match the source won’t be removed, but the autoMod will notify you, and if your title misrepresents the original article, the post will be deleted. If the site changed their headline, the bot might still contact you, just ignore it, we won’t delete your post.


5. Only recent news is allowed.


Posts must be news from the most recent 30 days.


6. All posts must be news articles.


No opinion pieces, Listicles, editorials or celebrity gossip is allowed. All posts will be judged on a case-by-case basis.


7. No duplicate posts.


If a source you used was already posted by someone else, the autoMod will leave a message. Please remove your post if the autoMod is correct. If the post that matches your post is very old, we refer you to rule 5.


8. Misinformation is prohibited.


Misinformation / propaganda is strictly prohibited. Any comment or post containing or linking to misinformation will be removed. If you feel that your post has been removed in error, credible sources must be provided.


9. No link shorteners.


The auto mod will contact you if a link shortener is detected, please delete your post if they are right.


10. Don't copy entire article in your post body


For copyright reasons, you are not allowed to copy an entire article into your post body. This is an instance wide rule, that is strictly enforced in this community.

founded 1 year ago
MODERATORS
 

Summary

Donald Trump’s transition team has bypassed standard FBI background checks for key cabinet nominees, relying instead on private investigators, as reported by CNN.

This breaks decades-old norms meant to vet candidates for criminal history and conflicts of interest.

Controversial appointees include Matt Gaetz (attorney general), Tulsi Gabbard (director of national intelligence), and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (health secretary), all facing scrutiny for past investigations, pro-Russian views, or personal admissions.

Critics argue Trump seeks to undermine traditional vetting, with potential security risks tied to bypassing these checks.

top 50 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] [email protected] 4 points 8 hours ago (1 children)

Given that last time they weren't even real proper investigations, they were directed by the White House and didn't actually look into things (in spite of Trump saying otherwise repeatedly), this is really only saving unnecessary spending.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 8 hours ago

Well, the FBI agents are still getting paid and they are paying private investigators so I'm pretty sure these fake investigations are costing even more than the other fake investigations did.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 9 hours ago

Well duh. That's what's a convicted felon would want to do if they got into power.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 10 hours ago

Of course je did. How else is he going to appoint criminals and people with conflicts of interest ?

Well call this process "efficient" and say that Musk came up with it in his big brain

[–] [email protected] 9 points 16 hours ago

Another “norm” that we thought was a requirement. The shittiest Civics class.

[–] [email protected] 11 points 18 hours ago* (last edited 18 hours ago) (1 children)

Tulsi Gabbard as the head of intelligence means the US intelligence community will have a blind spot in Russia, Ukraine and the Middle East. Plus many field agents are going to die. It’s going to be massive set back for Ukraine. And she’s probably going to relay everything to dictators like Putin and Assad. Mahalo Tulsi /s. And fuck your sPiRIt of alOHa

[–] [email protected] 1 points 8 hours ago

Talking about US funded biolabs, that are already public knowledge, is hardly evidence of being a Russian spy.

Saying solutions in Syria need to involve Assad is common sense, not heretical.

[–] [email protected] 28 points 1 day ago (1 children)

It's crazy that all these things I thought were laws my whole life turn out to just be "norms" that can be totally ignored

[–] [email protected] 8 points 22 hours ago

It turns out that the erosion of rights will be done for fun during the real task of butchering the federal infrastructure and agenci6snd selling them to the highest bidding friend

[–] [email protected] 22 points 1 day ago (1 children)

So, Cheeto is relying on private investigators...run by the Russian FSB. Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, the Deep State is going to filled with neo-Nazis, religious nutters and Russian agents.

load more comments (1 replies)
[–] [email protected] 76 points 1 day ago (2 children)

So... About that "deep state" I kept hearing about for the past 30 years... Think maybe now it's probably the time, if there ever was one, to do something to preserve the world order.

Turns out the "deep state" are a bunch of rich people who don't want to pay taxes. Oops.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 8 hours ago

Didn't the deep state already green light an attempted assassination on Trump?

[–] [email protected] 9 points 1 day ago

The deep state was always meant to mean the FBI, FDA, EPA, and other agencies that while not always forces for good are forces of career bureaucrats that keep the United States a functioning nation.

[–] [email protected] 14 points 1 day ago

I assume if they’re investigating or vetting anything it’s: will they be loyal to Trump? Anything good to hang on to as blackmail or extortion material?

[–] [email protected] 26 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

to his supporters, this just looks like someone who gets things done. and they probably don't trust the FBI

[–] [email protected] 173 points 2 days ago (5 children)

This breaks decades-old norms meant to vet candidates for criminal history and conflicts of interest.

Come the fuck on. The FBI background checks are a "norm" too? Do we have actual laws for anything?

[–] [email protected] 1 points 8 hours ago

The FBI were supposed to check Hunter Biden's laptop.

[–] [email protected] 97 points 2 days ago

The actual laws also don't seem to matter, in all fairness.

[–] [email protected] 60 points 2 days ago (2 children)

Up till now, we didn’t really need them because everyone agreed it was the smart thing to do.

We’re done with smart.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 9 hours ago

"Up till now, we didn’t really need them because everyone agreed it was the smart thing to do"

That doesn't sound very smart to begin with.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 21 hours ago* (last edited 21 hours ago)

That's the hope. If we're gonna have a fascist state, at least let it be a bumbling incompetent fascist state.

load more comments (2 replies)
[–] [email protected] 230 points 2 days ago (9 children)

How much corruption can we take before he's even installed? For real. This is way fucken nuttier than last time. It seems so malicious.

[–] [email protected] 129 points 2 days ago (11 children)

We will take whatever he gives. The US voters approved him. They want this. They chose this, and everything that comes from it.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 day ago (2 children)

He got more votes than he ever did in the previous elections, and won the popular vote for the first time. God damn.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 9 hours ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 hours ago

I’m not even sure what world be the worse outcome, more fraud and cheating from Trump or that so many people genuinely voted for him.

Sadly my gut tells me that real votes are the worse situation, and also the true one.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 day ago

Yup. There will be lots of opportunities to say “well, I hope you didn’t vote for trump if you wanted ______”

Healthcare, retirement, any kind of social service, etc etc.

[–] [email protected] 80 points 2 days ago (5 children)

This. There is no authority above the authoritarian. His word is law now. Whatever Our Glorious Cheeto wishes is now US doctrine.

load more comments (5 replies)
load more comments (9 replies)
load more comments (8 replies)
[–] [email protected] 111 points 2 days ago

A crook and convicted felon fills his cabinet with folk who probably can't pass an FBI security screening? Color me shocked.

The robber barons are back, baby

[–] [email protected] 65 points 2 days ago (1 children)

No shit, one of his picks has white supremacist tats all over his body, one paid a minor for sex and gave them hardcore drugs, and the other is an actual Russian Agent.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 8 hours ago* (last edited 8 hours ago) (1 children)

Citation for "Actual Russian Agent"?

(Hillary Clinton said so doesn't count. )

[–] [email protected] 1 points 7 hours ago (1 children)

Whether she has a direct chain of command from Russia or not, she is a Russian Asset by her actions.

She has been non-interventionist and spoke positively of Vladimir Putin and Bashar al-Assad for decades.

Gabbard promoted party division during the 2016 elections by supporting Bernie Sanders for president even after Sanders asked people to vote for Hillary Clinton. This aligns with Russian psyops on social media at the time.

When Russia Invaded Ukraine she parroted Kremlin Newspapers on the false claims that the USA operated 36 Biolabs in Ukraine.

She sued Hillary Clinton for calling her a Russian Asset for some good press but then dropped the suit shortly after announcing it to the news. Meaning she thought Hillary could have actually won such a case if it went to court.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 6 hours ago (1 children)

She has been non-interventionist and spoke positively of Vladimir Putin and Bashar al-Assad for decades.

Diplomatic can often be confused with positivity

Gabbard supported Bernie Sanders for president even after Sanders asked people to vote for Hillary Clinton.

No, before

When Russia Invaded Ukraine she parroted Kremlin Newspapers on the false claims that the USA operated 36 Biolabs in Ukraine.

Well, The US did fund biolabs in the Ukraine.

She sued Hillary Clinton for calling her a Russian Asset for some good press but then dropped the suit shortly after announcing it to the news. Meaning she thought Hillary could have actually won such a case if it went to court.

Meaning value was gained in publicity and saved in legal fees.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 6 hours ago* (last edited 6 hours ago) (1 children)

Fucking tankies, bro...

Diplomacy supporting war and death is not a good thing.

You linking to before doesnt argue the point.

She had a lot more to gain by successfully suing Hillary. The only reason to drop the case already filed would be because the allegations were true enough that the opponent could provide evidence and the supposed victim couldn't demonstrate otherwise.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 5 hours ago (1 children)

Diplomacy reduces the war and death.

Supporting Sanders over Clinton could be exactly why she started the "Russian Asset" lazy mudslinging.

The only reason to drop the case already filed would be because

Winning a case, quickly, cleanly and cheaply is impossible.

It certainty doesn't prove guilt.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 5 hours ago* (last edited 5 hours ago) (1 children)

Diplomacy with fucking Assad certainly never reduced war or death. I bet 80+ years ago you would have been the type to advocate the USA allying with actual Adolf Hitler.

I've got an idea to win the case quickly and cleanly: not have anything to do with Russia and having the court send Clinton the bill (pun not intended).

[–] [email protected] 0 points 5 hours ago

Diplomacy with fucking Assad certainly never reduced war or death.

Gabbard said they discussed her meeting with Assad and stressed the importance of meeting "with adversaries or potential adversaries, not just our friends, if we are serious about the pursuit of peace."

Asked if she viewed Assad as an "adversary" of the US, Gabbard demurred and said it was important to look at who posed a threat to the US and how the interests of other nations compare to those of the US.

Pressed on the point, she said, "You can describe it however you want to describe it."

When asked later in the interview if she thought Assad was a good person, Gabbard said, "No, I don't," and asked if Russian President Vladimir Putin was an adversary to the US, she responded, "Yes."

https://www.cnn.com/2019/02/06/politics/tulsi-gabbard-syria-assad/index.html

I bet 80+ years ago you would have been the type to advocate the USA allying with actual Adolf Hitler.

Gabbards stance against Assad is exactly equal to America's in 1945.

I've got an idea to win the case quickly and cleanly: not have anything to do with Russia and having the court send Clinton the bill (pun not intended).

That is a shitty, and ironically slow and expensive, idea.

[–] [email protected] 89 points 2 days ago (20 children)

Gabbard is the biggest threat here, in my view.

You couldn't dream of putting a spy in a better position than the DNI whose position is literally to oversee all intelligence agency silos.

Russia will know literally everything.

load more comments (20 replies)
[–] [email protected] 70 points 2 days ago (8 children)

This all highlights how many loopholes and deficiencies there are in a system that prides itself so much on checks and balances.

load more comments (8 replies)
[–] [email protected] 14 points 1 day ago (3 children)

Lemmy doesn't offer a way to filter posts by words in the title do they? I'm over hearing anything about this waste of oxygen and his buddies.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

Voyager app does... it's how I don't see most musk threads.

load more comments (2 replies)
load more comments
view more: next ›