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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsDoes Trump love Putin more than his Cabinet and Americans serving overseas?
https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/right-turn/wp/2017/08/11/does-trump-love-putin-more-than-his-own-cabinet/Does Trump love Putin more than his Cabinet and Americans serving overseas?
By Jennifer Rubin | August 11 at 9:00 AM
... In the mind-numbing press conference on Thursday, Trump retained his perfect score. Hes never criticized Russian President Vladimir Putin. Asked about expelling our diplomats from Russia, he sounded, even for him, ridiculously obsequious. I want to thank him because were trying to cut down our payroll, and as far as Im concerned, Im very thankful that he let go of a large number of people because now we have a smaller payroll, Trump told reporters from his New Jersey golf club. Theres no real reason for them to go back. I greatly appreciate the fact that weve been able to cut our payroll of the United States. Were going to save a lot of money.
This is appalling on many levels. First, it suggests Putin can take free swings at America because Trump will bend over backwards to invent excuses for his Russian soulmate. The statement signals abject weakness on Trumps part, virtually inviting Putin and other adversaries to throw out our people. And, to boot, Trump is confused on the facts. The expelled diplomats remain employed by the U.S. government; we havent saved any money. Putin however has gained the upper hand (again) with Trump, raising a legitimate concern as to whether Putin has something on Trump.
On top of that Trumps remarks amount to a gratuitous insult to an already demoralized State Department (as well as other employees working at the embassy). Having served in Moscow myself I know that service there is difficult in the best of times, says former ambassador Eric Edelman. In recent years, American diplomats have been harassed and beaten up by Putins thugs from the special services. Trumps comments, which were probably intended to demonstrate that he is not fazed by Putins actions, conveyed total disregard and disrespect for what our diplomats do every day. He concludes, He has given Putin a pass to do what he will with official Americans in Moscow and he will be responsible for the consequences. It was an incredibly irresponsible thing to say.
... Then theres the case of deputy assistant Sebastian Gorka, a darling of the alt-right who hasnt managed to qualify for a security clearance. Nevertheless, apparently with the full backing of the president, he goes on TV to insult and undermine the legitimate spokesman for Americas foreign policy, Secretary of State Rex W. Tillerson. On BBC earlier in the day, Gorka admonished Tillerson for trying the reassure the American people we are not on the brink of war. (Americans should sleep well at night.) The nerve of Tillerson, eh? Gorka declared, The idea that Secretary Tillerson is going to discuss military matters is simply nonsensical. Actually, what is nonsensical is allowing Gorka to invent his own foreign policy and insult the people actually in charge of foreign policy. Gorka must have realized he blew it. Later in the afternoon he tried to blame the whole thing on the media. (Ho-hum. Are there no creative excuses?) I was admonishing the journalists of the fake news industrial complex who are forcing our chief diplomat into a position where they are demanding he makes the military case for action when that is not the mandate of the secretary of state, he babbled incoherently on a Fox Business News appearance. Tillerson should not put up with this. Unless Gorka goes Tillerson should quit.
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Does Trump love Putin more than his Cabinet and Americans serving overseas? (Original Post)
dalton99a
Aug 2017
OP
Or Paul Ryan, or Dean Heller, or Jeff Flake, or Lisa Murkowski, or Rod Rosenstein, or
geek tragedy
Aug 2017
#5
murielm99
(30,780 posts)1. K&R
geek tragedy
(68,868 posts)2. Compare his treatment of Putin vs how he treats Jeff Sessions. nt
spanone
(135,919 posts)3. ..or mitch mcconnell
geek tragedy
(68,868 posts)5. Or Paul Ryan, or Dean Heller, or Jeff Flake, or Lisa Murkowski, or Rod Rosenstein, or
John McCain, or Jeb Bush, or Marco Rubio, ...
SHRED
(28,136 posts)4. He owes Putin
Love has nothing to do with it.
Wounded Bear
(58,762 posts)6. Trump loves Trump...Putin owns Trump...