2017 May 30^th

We have some of our high-level intelligence types commenting on Jared Kushner’s ham-handed attempt to establish a back channel to Putin through Russian diplomatic communication        routes. This was attempted, apparently not successfully, in December after the election.

Nothing about this presidency should surprise anyone who has followed Trump’s road to the office. There were Trump’s verbal assaults on the press, the press that he penned up during his rallies while he encouraged his followers to physically assault them as they left the buildings. Then on his trip to Europe he hand wrestled with the new Premier of France. I think that was a draw with Macron ahead on points. Who is surprised that favorite advisor Jared Kushner consults Russian Ambassador Kislyak about a private channel of communication to the Kremlin?

Some of the high-level intelligence people were surprised and some were not. Who falls into which category is interesting: General H.R. McMaster is Trump’s national security advisor and he has made curious defenses of Trump and of his policies. When Trump gave the Russians intelligence we got from Israel on the use of laptop computers to smuggle bombs aboard airplanes. McMasters said that was nothing untoward and no big deal. Now he says that Jared Kushner’s back channel efforts are no big deal either, back channel communications happen all the time. They do indeed, but between low-level staffers trying to prearrange agendas before the big boys get together. This back channel is completely different. General McMaster has a sterling reputation of standing up to power. What happened?

General John Kelly who says the Kushner back channel efforts “are no big issue” joins McMaster’s evaluation of Kushner’s efforts. General Kelly is Secretary of Homeland Security. It seems that some senior White House officials want to diminish the importance of Kushner’s back channel attempt as much as they can even if their own reputations are wrecked in the process. Why are these previously honorable people willing to sacrifice themselves to protect the reputations of people who don’t deserve their efforts.

Former CIA chief John Brennan points out that Kushner is under investigation by the CIA for his Russian contacts. Do Kelly or McMaster believe the CIA is interested in an investigation of Kushner because his attempts to connect with Russian senior officials and a Russian bank are all very innocent; not likely.

General Michael Hayden whose intelligence credentials  are substantial: United States Air Force four-star general and former Director of the National Security Agency, Principal Deputy Director of National Intelligence, and Director of the Central Intelligence Agency. So what does General Hayden say about this? He does not pass it off as of no consequence: "This was probably as off-putting to Kislyak as it is for you and me. This is off the map. I know of no other experience like this in our history, and certainly not within my life experience."

"What manner of ignorance, hubris, suspicion, and contempt [for the previous administration] would you have to have to think doing this with the Russian ambassador would be a good or appropriate idea?" Hayden added.

Kushner, who did not disclose the meeting on his security clearance form, is now under investigation. 

I’ll bet Donald Trump is too.