Russian “ambassador” Donald Trump with President Putin in Helsinki. Photo: YouTube.
[Speaking Truth To Empower]
Donald Trump’s recent statements, at the Helsinki summit, has further unmasked him as a likely treasonous patsy for Russian President Vladimir Putin—and is exposing Republicans as utter unprincipled frauds, who care more about winning elections than protecting America.
The Helsinki meeting was yet another example that should make all Americans ask: why does Donald Trump act so deferential to Vladimir Putin?
Some pundits, on the progressive left, have asked what is wrong with Trump trying to seek peace with Russia? The answer would be nothing—assuming one really believes a bellicose bully like Donald Trump was somehow capable of being a peacemaker. That notion of Trump as a peacemaker is patently absurd.
Trump’s whole political persona has been built on him berating and threatening people. The difference between how he treated political allies of America, and how he kowtowed to Putin at Helsinki, has raised eyebrows for good reason.
Before lavishing groveling praise on Putin in Finland, Trump tongue-lashed European members of NATO and criticized Prime Minister Theresa May. The contrast between his conduct with these leaders and with Putin cannot be quieted by the curious claim that he is seeking peace. Even those who are opposed to the NATO alliance should find this behavior by a U.S. President startling.
During the 2016 Elections, Trump railed against the Iran deal brokered by President Barack Obama. He ignored the advice of former cabinet leaders, like his former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, who urged him to keep the deal in place, with fixes. Other American allies called on him to preserve the deal, but he refused and has since squashed it.
Is this the conduct of a man interested in peace and protecting the national interest?
Trump has been consumed with destroying the Obama legacy, because of bigoted jealousy.
In the fallout from the Helsinki disaster, Republicans are seeking ways to repair the political damage caused by Trump. So, then came contrived White House spin that Trump just made a mistake using the word “would” instead of “wouldn’t.” Republicans always make excuses for Trump’s troublingly treasonous behavior.
If President Obama had behaved this way—with the country President Ronald Reagan called the “evil empire,”—does anyone think Republicans would be so conciliatory? Republicans love to lecture us about “putting country before party.” So, why are they tolerating Trump’s treasonous behavior and putting him ahead of country?
Recently, New York Republican Representative Chris Collins told CNN’s Chris Cuomo that Trump was using his supposed deal-making skills to broker peace between Russia and America. According to Collins, because Russia has influence in Iran and Syria, two current foreign policy hotspots, that Trump was pleasing Putin to create change in those countries.
Mr. Collins’ spin is creative conjecture indeed. However, it is undercut by Trump’s own political provocations in both countries. If Trump was seeking a peaceful solution in Syria, why has he authorized bombing strikes there? If Trump is seeking peace in Iran, why did he tear-up the Iran nuclear deal?
In fact, where is the evidence Trump cares anything about peace?
Has Trump tried to foster domestic peace in this country when he attacks African-Americans, Mexicans and Muslims—and anyone who is non-White, especially those who come from “shithole,” or “shithouse” countries? Didn’t he just try to deflect from Helsinki by stroking division about last week’s newest update on the NFL’s decision to suspend their anthem policy until they come up with a “standstill agreement”?
If Trump hasn’t shown any regard for repairing our divided nation, why would he care about promoting peace abroad
Before President Obama left office, he started to engage and relax the political restraints America placed upon Cuba, which has been stifled by an economic embargo for half-a-century. But Trump railed at this and has reversed significant aspects of that policy against Cuba.
Are these the actions of someone who cares about peace
Since we can safely say Trump is not a peacemaker, we must then ask ourselves why he is so submissive to President Putin? There are only two people Donald Trump seems to have an aversion to attacking: Putin and porn star Stormy Daniels. Why is Trump so reticent in saying a bad word about these two people, when he has attacked nearly everyone else?
Over the last few years, numerous women have accused Trump of sexual harassment and assault. Trump has called most of these women liars and has been very vicious in his comments about some. But why is Trump so scared to speak publicly in a disparaging way against Stormy Daniels, like he has done to most others?
It’s not hard to figure out Trump understands Ms. Daniels may have incriminating evidence on him, of a sexual nature. Trump’s restraint against Putin may also, very well be, in part, because he knows Putin has something he can use as leverage. Perhaps tapes of him in sexually compromising positions.
Let’s remember, former FBI Director James Comey said in his book, “A Higher Loyalty,” that Trump wanted him to investigate rumors he had been involved with Russian prostitutes, because he was worried it would upset his wife, Melania. “He brought up what he called the ‘golden showers thing,’” said Comey. “Adding that it bothered him if there was ‘even a 1 percent chance’ his wife, Melania, thought it was true.”
In addition to possibly being caught in a Russian “honeytrap,” there have been reports the Special Counsel Bob Mueller is also investigating possible other nefarious Trump dealings with Russia, including money-laundering.
Still, the sexual angle is hard to ignore given the many women who’ve accused Trump of sexual harassment and assault. It’s easy to see why Trump would worry about sexual recordings which might magnify and give added weight to all the American women who’ve accused him of sexual misconduct.
As many people have noted, Trump acted as an attack-dog when he met with NATO leaders and British Prime Minister Theresa May. Was he following unspoken instructions because he knows what Moscow has on him? Yet, he behaved as a lap-dog when he was standing on the stage with Putin. Why did Trump bend over, spreading wide on all fours, for Putin?
Trump’s Helsinki behavior has been compared to President Richard Nixon’s during the infamous Watergate scandal. Something much worse is going on here. Nixon, despite his denial, was a crook, but his actions did not reach to the levels of treason, as we are seeing here.
Why did Trump choose to meet behind closed doors with Putin? Was that an opportunity to coordinate the public spin? Why didn’t Trump take other members of his cabinet into this meeting? What is he hiding from America and the world?
Let’s remember this as well: on May 10, 2017, Trump met in The White House with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak; on that occasion, he reportedly disclosed classified information obtained from Israeli intelligence sources to the Russians. Legal experts have pointed out this action, in of itself, is a standalone impeachable offense.
Russia has announced that a deal was reached between Putin and Trump. What was this secret deal about? Why aren’t Republicans roundly condemning this backroom pact with Putin?
Republicans are being exposed in this crucial moment of national crisis. Some, initially, complained about Trump’s conduct after Helsinki. But that was easy to do, since the one essential entity that could seriously damage Trump’s approval ratings were broadcasting their own criticisms of his behavior at the summit: right-wing media.
Some have stated that pressure from inside the White House, and among Republican leadership, forced Trump to admit he made a mistake by using the word “would” instead of “wouldn’t.” We should question that notion. Was Trump not more shaken by the disapprovals he received on Fox News?
Trump isn’t scared of Republicans. Republicans fear him—and his influence on the bigots in the base of the Republican Party.
But Trump surely knows he couldn’t survive sustained criticism on Rupert Murdoch’s Fox News, and other right-wing media outlets. That would be his undoing. So, Trump gave us the “would” vs “wouldn’t” spin to appease Fox News, and the right-wing media that disseminates
the propaganda that keeps his approval rating high in the Republican Party.
This is why Republicans are now pretending this traitor to America has “clarified” his conduct in Helsinki.
