READ IT: Here’s the document that ex-Trump adviser Gary Cohn swiped from the president’s desk

[phands]

Holy shit...this White House is FUBAR.....

Reporter Bob Woodward is making several explosive claims in his new book, titled “Fear: Trump in the White House” — and he’s got the receipts to back them up.

Reporter Ryan Lizza has posted a document from Woodward’s book that offers proof that former Trump economic adviser Gary Cohn really did resort to stealing documents from President Donald Trump’s desk to prevent him from signing them.

Ryan Lizza
✔@RyanLizza





Woodward has receipts. For instance he publishes the draft letter Cohn swiped from Trump’s desk: pic.twitter.com/nvR42wY0Mf
12:28 PM - Sep 6, 2018
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This particular document is a letter that was to be sent to the South Korean government that would have cancelled a trade deal struck between it and the United States. In the letter, dated September 5, 2017, the president tells South Korea that the current deal will automatically terminate within 180 days of the letter.

According to Woodward’s account, Cohn thought this letter would have been disastrous — and he took it away from Trump and then distracted the president until he forgot that he was supposed to sign it, thus averting a potential trade war with Seoul.

Read the document below.

https://www.rawstory.com/2018/09/re...ump-adviser-gary-cohn-swiped-presidents-desk/

 

[Tom Sawyer]

The real question is how hokey is the system the White House if swiping a document off of a desk is all that it takes to stop the process of withdrawing from a trade agreement? One would think that would be a whole thing and hiding a piece of paper would have minimal impact on the process.

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

How far along is this document? What is the process from here to getting a finalized version which is to be signed?

 

[Tom Sawyer]

How far along is this document? What is the process from here to getting a finalized version which is to be signed?

It looks like that trade agreement included a clause that if one party wants to withdraw from it, they need to give the other party 180 days of notice before they do so. This would have been that initial step to give this notice and kick off that time period.

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

How far along is this document? What is the process from here to getting a finalized version which is to be signed?

It looks like that trade agreement included a clause that if one party wants to withdraw from it, they need to give the other party 180 days of notice before they do so. This would have been that initial step to give this notice and kick off that time period.

That isn't what I meant. This is a DRAFT document, it isn't an official document. Trump couldn't sign and send this. Stealing this letter didn't stop this​ letter from being mailed out. It might have made Trump forget about South Korea, though.

 

[Tom Sawyer]

How far along is this document? What is the process from here to getting a finalized version which is to be signed?

It looks like that trade agreement included a clause that if one party wants to withdraw from it, they need to give the other party 180 days of notice before they do so. This would have been that initial step to give this notice and kick off that time period.

That isn't what I meant. This is a DRAFT document, it isn't an official document. Trump couldn't sign and send this. Stealing this letter didn't stop this​ letter from being mailed out. It might have made Trump forget about South Korea, though.

Is it a draft? It looks like a finished product which was ready for a Presidential signature to then be sent over to South Korea.

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

That isn't what I meant. This is a DRAFT document, it isn't an official document. Trump couldn't sign and send this. Stealing this letter didn't stop this​ letter from being mailed out. It might have made Trump forget about South Korea, though.

Is it a draft? It looks like a finished product which was ready for a Presidential signature to then be sent over to South Korea.

The top of the letter says "Pre-decisional/Deliberative". You'll also note it isn't on any sort of letter head.

 

[Tom Sawyer]

But Cohn said that he took it so that it wouldn't be signed and sent. If it's not something to be signed and sent, what's the value in taking it?

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

But Cohn said that he took it so that it wouldn't be signed and sent. If it's not something to be signed and sent, what's the value in taking it?

You are now asking the questions I was originally asking. The only value in taking this document was to make Trump forget all about it, which sadly might have been enough. The letter clearly indicates he wanted to fall out of a deal with South Korea. The US didn't, and Cohn taking this draft letter may have been enough to see that we didn't.

Here is something regarding the text atop the paper.

• Pre-decisional means the document must have been created before the decision. Drafts are usually pre-decisional. Documents announcing a decision are not.

• Deliberative content means that the document must reflect internal deliberations over a pending Agency decision. Generally, documents expressing personal ideas, staff opinions, recommendations or advice are deliberative, as are options papers, issue papers, management briefing documents, edits or comments on draft documents, draft decision and supporting documents. Documents that are factual are rarely deliberative. Documents conveying or explaining decisions are usually not deliberative. If a“recommendations” document is treated as a decision document (e.g. it is signed by the decision-maker), it is not deliberative. Documents providing solely non-substantive or factual information, such as meeting location, logistics, planning documents and meeting agendas are not generally deliberative.

 

[Toni]

But Cohn said that he took it so that it wouldn't be signed and sent. If it's not something to be signed and sent, what's the value in taking it?

To delay further action. Even to make Trump forget about the issue, even if temporarily.

Trump seems to have a short attention span.

Seriously, if one listens to recordings of Trump from 30 years ago, he sounds like an egotistical business thugster, but one who has all of his marbles if not many morals. If one listens to Trump today, unless he has somehow been coached enough--and perhaps medicated enough to stay on script for 30 or 40 consecutive seconds, he no longer sounds as though he has all of his marbles. I don't like the man or anything he stands for but that's a separate issue. If this were my beloved grandfather, I'd still be horrified at the mental decline evidenced almost anytime he opens his mouth.

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

But Cohn said that he took it so that it wouldn't be signed and sent. If it's not something to be signed and sent, what's the value in taking it?

To delay further action. Even to make Trump forget about the issue, even if temporarily.

Trump seems to have a short attention span.

Seriously, if one listens to recordings of Trump from 30 years ago, he sounds like an egotistical business thugster, but one who has all of his marbles if not many morals. If one listens to Trump today, unless he has somehow been coached enough--and perhaps medicated enough to stay on script for 30 or 40 consecutive seconds, he no longer sounds as though he has all of his marbles. I don't like the man or anything he stands for but that's a separate issue. If this were my beloved grandfather, I'd still be horrified at the mental decline evidenced almost anytime he opens his mouth.

Anyone remember the "stamina" questions about Hillary Clinton... and then she belts the antagonistic Republicans in the hearing that lasted 8 or 10 hours in the teeth and they leave with nothing more than they had when it started. Trump can't go a paragraph without falling of the rails... or even repeating himself.