Editor, Manteca Bulletin,
Why is it that every time Trump or anyone in the Trump Administration meets with or calls an official from the Russian Government, we have to learn about it from the Russian government or the Russian press? It has happened something like eight times that I have read about or reported on TV news.
1. The first time was just after Trump’s swearing in when Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in a conference call with reporters that contacts between Moscow and Washington about the date of the first phone call were being handled by the Russian Foreign Ministry. The call actually happened on Jan 28 or so we learned from the Russian Press.
2. In the Spring right after Trump fired James Coney, FBI Director, the Russian State News Agency tweeted out a picture of Trump meeting with Russia’s Foreign Minister shaking hands in the Oval Office. Also on hand were the Russian Ambassador and several other Russian officials. The American Press was not aware of the meeting or allowed into the Oval Office, however the Russian Press was there snapping pictures. This was the meeting in which Trump told the Russians, a weight had been removed from his back by getting rid of his FBI Director. It was also the meeting in which Trump let the cat out of the bag about how we get some of our intelligence from allies like England. When Trump later was asked why he took that meeting, he said “Because Putin asked me to”.
3. In early November, the Kremlin reported that Trump was going to meet with Putin at the Asia Pacific Summit. The Administration denied a meeting was scheduled but Trump did meet with Putin, not once but several times. In these meetings, only the Russian interpreter, Trump and Putin were present, there were no other Americans. Wonder why?
4. By the end of November, the Russian Press reported that Trump and Putin would hold a telephone conversation after Assad’s visit to Russia.
5. On Dec 14, the Russian Press tweeted out a photo of Putin taking another call from Trump. The American Press was not informed by the White House.
6. Three days later, the Russian Press reported that Putin and Trump had another conversation. I wonder if Trump calls his wife that often, I would bet he doesn’t.
7. At the end of January, the Russian Press reported that Russia’s foreign spy chief, Sergey Naryshkin, who is under U.S. sanctions, met a week prior, outside Washington with Dan Coats and other U.S. intelligence officials. The sanctions on the spy chief (SRV) prevented him from visiting the U.S.... Who gave the OK for this guy to be in the U.S.? Also the head of what used to be the KGB, and the head of the GRU. The GRU was the lead Russian government agency that meddled in our elections in 2016. Current and former U.S. Intelligence officials said they could not recall so many heads of Russia’s espionage and security apparatus coming to Washington at once. We know that two of the three met with U.S. officials, but nothing about the GRU guy. Where was he? Who did he meet with? Nobody knows. Maybe we will have to wait for the Russian Press to tell us what was actually going on in our country with our Government. Welcome to the age of Trump.
8. A few days ago, the Russian Press reported that Putin and Trump discussed by telephone, the Palestinian-Israeli settlement. That call was all over the Russian media, Russian tweets and even Facebook. All of that before the U.S. press had any idea what was going on.
This doesn’t happen with any other country in the world, why is that?
Remember that letter the other day (Deep State: The script) Feb. 14 by Frank Aquilla? It was all about a foolish, Alex Jones type conspiracy about how the whole Russian/Trump connection was a farce because the FBI, the entire DOJ and of course President Obama and Hillary Clinton all met someplace and conspired to makeup this Russian/Trump collusion scandal. That whole Aquila rant sounds pretty silly now doesn’t it?

Larry Baca
 Manteca