NSC Spokesman: Trump Didn't Get Aggressive With Putin on Phone Call Because He Didn't Want to Tip Them Off About the Coming Expulsions

Hmm. This occurred to me as a possibility, but I rejected it in my own head; why would bringing up the British poison case tip Putin off to any specific move?

Eh, I don't believe this. But here you go.

A spokesman for the National Security Council said Tuesday that President Donald Trump did not discuss the nerve agent attack on an ex-spy in the United Kingdom during his call with Russian President Vladimir Putin because he didn't want to "give them advance notice" of his plans to expel their diplomats.

"The reason he didn't bring up the poisoning in the conversation with Putin is because this U.S. action was in motion at the time they had the conversation," NSC spokesman Michael Anton told CNN. "As President Trump often has said, he doesn't telegraph his moves or telegraph his punches when he's about to make a move."

The Trump administration announced Monday it is expelling 60 Russian diplomats over Moscow's alleged role in the attack on Sergei Skripal, a former Russian spy, in Salisbury earlier this month.

I don't see how bringing up the poisoning gives advance notice, or how failing to congratulate Putin would give advance notice. I'm also not sure why, when dealing with a nuclear-armed enemy, you wouldn't want to do a little preview so that the expulsions are less of a shock.

Whatever. The Important Story, we know from CNN and CBS, is whether Trump watched Shark Week during his apparent one-night stand with a porn actress.

posted by Ace of Spades at 05:39 PM

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