О кризисе

Сегодня произошли весьма важные события. По порядку.

Сегодня NYT опубликовал статью, "U.S. Escalates Online Attacks on Russia’s Power Grid". Начинается статья так:
The United States is stepping up digital incursions into Russia’s electric power grid in a warning to President Vladimir V. Putin and a demonstration of how the Trump administration is using new authorities to deploy cybertools more aggressively, current and former government officials said.

In interviews over the past three months, the officials described the previously unreported deployment of American computer code inside Russia’s grid and other targets as a classified companion to more publicly discussed action directed at Moscow’s disinformation and hacking units around the 2018 midterm elections.
Немного в сторону. Значит, "администрация Трампа" предпринимает агрессивные шаги против России. Это, естественно, трампистами и просто нечестными или недалекими людьми сразу заносится в список "Trump is tough on Russia", вместе с Джавелинами и неизвестным количеством убитых российских наемников в Сирии. Как пример: Естественно, что "администрация Трампа" и Трамп -- это совершенно не одно и то же, и Трамп может вообще не знать о каких-то действиях своей администрации. О чем в очень пугающей форме сказано прямо в этой же статье!
Two administration officials said they believed Mr. Trump had not been briefed in any detail about the steps to place “implants” — software code that can be used for surveillance or attack — inside the Russian grid.

Pentagon and intelligence officials described broad hesitation to go into detail with Mr. Trump about operations against Russia for concern over his reaction — and the possibility that he might countermand it or discuss it with foreign officials, as he did in 2017 when he mentioned a sensitive operation in Syria to the Russian foreign minister.
Но это только начало сегодняшней истории.

На сцене появляется сам Трамп:
Do you believe that the Failing New York Times just did a story stating that the United States is substantially increasing Cyber Attacks on Russia. This is a virtual act of Treason by a once great paper so desperate for a story, any story, even if bad for our Country.

ALSO, NOT TRUE! Anything goes with our Corrupt News Media today. They will do, or say, whatever it takes, with not even the slightest thought of consequence! These are true cowards and without doubt, THE ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE!
Это выступление президента важно во многих смыслах. Наименее значительный из которых -- президент США обвиняет ведущую американскую газету в предательстве.

Президент США обвиняет NYT в предательстве! This is huge! Было бы... но президентом США сейчас Трамп, поэтому who cares? Moving on. (Also, it is treason, but it is not true. But again, this is Trump.)

Другой момент -- Tom Nichols:
It is hard to read this tweet in any way other than: "I am terrified that Vladimir Putin will read this story and believe it, so I will say that it is not true and attack the NYT for reporting it."

The President's very personal fear of Putin is palpable.
Yes, it is. But again, not really new. Moving on.

Самое, пожалуй, важное, вот что. Цитирую твиты Фрума:
The US military is not briefing the US president on major cyber warfare operations against a hostile foreign power because they do not trust the president not to betray those operations to that hostile foreign power.

If that's not a constitutional crisis, what is?

If the military is wrong about the president, if he should be trusted, then we have here the worst breach of civilian supremacy over the military since ... ever, right?

But if the military is right ... what do we have then?

If the president is not in command of cyber warfare operations against Russia, is he in command of the response to Iran's apparent provocations in the Gulf? If not, who is in command of operations in the Gulf - and by what authority?

Maybe Congress should summon the Secretary of Defense to explain? Oh right, there is no confirmed Secretary of Defense, and there hasn't been one since January 1.
В общем, да, "If that's not a constitutional crisis, what is?"

И это относится далеко не только к сегодняшнему эпизоду, конечно.