A new item: Trump apparently told Putin “ok” to the suggestion that Russia should be able to question Americans Putin wants to “prosecute” i.e. push out of a high window.
WH press sec Sanders acknowledged that Putin talked to Trump about his interest in prosecuting financier Bill Browder and former US ambassador Michael McFaul. she declined to rule out US cooperation in that effort, saying Trump would consult his national security team
— John Harwood (@JohnJHarwood) July 18, 2018
from WH briefing
Q: Russian authorities named Americans they want to question in Bill Browder’s “crimes” incl former ambassador McFaul. Does President Trump support that idea?
SANDERS: There was conversation about it. no commitment made. we'll let you know
cc: @DanielBShapiro— John Harwood (@JohnJHarwood) July 18, 2018
Don't let this question by @maggieNYT go unnoticed. Sanders says Trump will discuss allowing Russia to question American citizens pic.twitter.com/8Chl70Ryif
— Katy Tur (@KatyTurNBC) July 18, 2018
.@Billbrowder: “The fact that the people who passed the Magnitsky Act & the people who are investigating money laundering are being targeted to be intv, and the Pres of the US says that's an "interesting idea"? This has got to be one of the lowest points in his presidency.”
— Bianna Golodryga (@biannagolodryga) July 18, 2018
I warned that we are in increased danger because of the surrender in Helsinki, and that Putin would make more aggressive moves. I didn’t expect it so fast: It only took 72 hours for Putin to demand the handover of a US ambassador.
— Tom Nichols (@RadioFreeTom) July 18, 2018
https://twitter.com/waltshaub/status/1019690516252938240
Comments
3 responses to “Hand over the suspects”
We’re really through the looking glass here. Trump’s sycophancy to Putin is so extreme that people are arguing that Trump couldn’t possibly be a Russian intelligence asset, because if he were he wouldn’t be so obvious about it.
The argument is flawed because it’s based on a notion that being an intelligence asset means that he has a handler who sends him coded messages in his Big Mac wrappers or something, with specific orders from Putin that Trump must then carry out. I don’t think anyone thinks it’s that explicit a relationship. It’s sufficient that Trump knows that he owes Putin, that Putin could ruin him, and so Trump looks for ways to please Putin, and of course he’s clumsy and obvious about it, because he’s clumsy and obvious about practically everything. But it doesn’t have to involve explicit blackmail, threats, ultimata, or clandestine meetings with guys named Sergei.
But the real point is this: people are “defending” the U.S. President on the grounds that his toadying to a Russian dictator is so extreme that it can only be the product of incompetence. Think about how extraordinary that is. And then pour yourself a good stiff drink.
Given the ‘base,’ and the grovelling of the GOP, is there ANYTHING that could ruin Trump?
John,
I don’t know if any single thing could “ruin” Trump, but he can be damaged.
I think his weakness with Russia has hurt him even among his base. It erodes the “tough guy awesome negotiator” image he tries to project and which his base has bought.
There is some indication that his trade wars have cost him support in specifically affected regions.
Any further bad news out of North Korea is likely to hurt him, too, by making it hard to keep pretending that Trump obtained peace in our time in Singapore.