Putin’s puppet is at it again
On Wednesday, the New York Times issued a blistering expose by David E. Sanger and Matthew Rosenberg revealing that Donald J. Trump knew about Vladimir Putin’s personally ordering “complex cyberattacks to sway the 2016 election.” Despite having that information, Trump has continued to blame others for the hacking and met Monday in Helsinki with his handler and in a press conference, stating that he had “no reason to believe” Russia had hacked the United States election. He backed down a bit the next day, but then continues to caveat that it could be others.
What Trump is saying is astounding in what it says about his views of United States intelligence, dismissing their work and findings. While in private he acknowledges that Putin hacked the election, in public he continues to attack our intelligence community. Much has been stated the last few days about the definition of treason and, while it is perhaps tough to fit what is happening nicely into that definition, we have a treasonous, poisonous, complicit, dangerous person in the White House.
One who cozies with the enemy (Russia, whether declared or not, is not a friend of freedom and democracy), a brazen killer and dictator, is someone who is a danger to the United States. What is astounding is that Trump on Wednesday, in response to the question, “Is Russia still targeting the U.S.?” replied back, “No.” He then changed course again.
What this demonstrates more than anything is someone who is bound to his handler, Putin, someone who is an asset, and someone who is conspiring with the enemy to isolate the United States from its allies. For a president to continually counter his intelligence team, to counter his Director of National Intelligence, Dan Coats, is treasonous. We look to the Republicans in control of Congress to do anything or face the fact that they too are treasonous co-conspirators in an attempt to destroy America and what it has stood for these two hundred and thirty-one years.
Daniel is a lawyer writing and teaching about SCOTUS, and is the author of the book “The Chief Justices” about the SCOTUS as seen through the center seat.