Trump asks Putin for Dirt, Again
It's okay to ask a war criminal for some political dirt on your opponent, right?
Given that Vladimir Putin ordered the invasion of a neighboring country without provocation, has proceeded to level cities, and is certainly guilty of war crimes, you’d think that it would be political suicide for an American politician to opine in public about how Mr. Putin might could do him a political favor.
Well…
Someone page Senator Collins, as I don’t think Trump learned any lessons from being impeached for trying to leverage foreign governments for dirt on Biden. I suspect she would find this clip concerning, however.
All flippancy aside, this clip shows not only the efficacy of Russian disinformation but Trump’s ongoing willingness to parrot it. To me, this is just further evidence that confirms the gullibility of Team Trump and its vulnerability to Russian interference in their political behavior, including back during the 2016 campaign.
In the word salad on the display above, he continues to reiterate the false notion that Ukraine had something to do with HRC’s e-mails, various conspiracies about Hunter Biden, and a new one (to me) about the wife of Moscow’s mayor giving the Biden’s money.
The likely defense, that he is just “asking questions” ought to be utterly rejected.
All of which reminds me directly of the following (via the PBS Newshour): Trump asked Russia to find Clinton’s emails. On or around the same day, Russians targeted her accounts.
It is profoundly troubling that he is still considered the frontrunner for the GOP nomination ins 2024. (Of course, it is profoundly troubling that he was president for four years).
Oh, yes, the business about Yelena Baturina giving Hunter Biden 3.5 million for a company he co-founded a decade ago has been floating around since the middle of last week.
Trump made this revelation during an interview on something called justthenews.com.
A few years ago it would never have occurred to me that a major party would create a political issue by opposing public health measures against a pandemic. We already see the beginnings of Republicans creating an issue by opposing support for Ukraine.
Well, he didn’t have to.
Benito thought he could do whatever he wanted, and not face any adverse consequences. and that’s exactly what happened.
The GQP, especially some Senator from Kentucky whom I won’t name, might want to learn that allowing the All Mighty Cheeto free reign in such matters, gets him to align more closely with anti-American authoritarians like Mad Vlad.
If they won’t be too busy whitewashing Vlad’s image to please their Fearful Leader, that is.
@Kathy: The other senator from Kentucky being incapable of learning, you must be referring to Moscow Mitch, who has his own oligarch ties and seems just fine with aligning with Vlad. The American Century isn’t ending because of growing Chinese power or Russian aggressiveness, it’s being frittered away by Republicans. W and TFG each took a decade off it. A shame. Despite our flaws, we have been a relatively benign hegemon.
Gullibility is at the heart of the Trump brand. Just listen to the Trumpkins talk about their Dear Leader. Every one of them is a sucker.
Looking at the rest of the plausible Republican candidates, Trump might be the least worst. DeSantis, Hawley, Cotton? At least Trump is incompetent and easily distracted.
@gVOR08:
This is what the Tucker Carlson wing of the Republican Party is supporting. Who will make them pay a political price for it?
@DK:
Well, they’re saying on Lucianne.com that this is fake news.
@DK: @CSK: So basically, no one? Got it.
Some of those swell guys and dolls over at The American Conservative got together with some friends and…
Well, google “up from chaos conference” if you want to see where the R-party is headed with TFG leading the band.
@JohnMcC:
Ironically enough, I find myself in agreement with Candidate Vance on this point; which is why I wish the Republicans would STFU and let the world do what it can to help out a country that was invaded without cause other than Vlad feeling blue.
I’d rather be Ukrainian than a Republican…
I don’t get this; can someone explain it to me? If Putin had any real dirt or was willing to manufacture some plausible dirt, would not have been smart for Trump to contact him through private channels? At this point any adverse information about Hunter is completely tainted. Trump publically asked Putin for his help. Does anyone think that Putin has an unwavering allegiance to the truth? Isn’t it an embarrassment to ask favors of the monster who destroyed Mariupol?
If I wanted to manufacture some publicity showing good ties with Putin, I’d ask for the release of Brittney Griner.
@Slugger:
Please. Trump privately asking Putin for dirt wouldn’t garner Trump any publicity.
@Slugger:
In 2016, Trump publicly asked Putin to steal Hillary’s emails. The DNC was then hacked by the Russians later that day. Trump’s campaign met with Russian operatives in Trump Tower to discuss election meddling and sanctions relief, after which tough sanctions language and support for Ukraine was removed from the Republican platform at Trump’s direction.
Steve Bannon and Trump’s Russian asset campaign manager Paul Manafort — who had helped Putin rig elections in Eastern Europe — then used stolen DNC data to help the Kremlin coordinate its anti-Hillary social media propaganda.
Not only was Trump never held accountable for it, neither the media, Republicans, nor the Bernie left has yet admitted and reckoned with being duped by the Wikileaks/Putin anti-Hillary psych ops. Instead of an apology from the Emailghazigatepalooza stooges, Hillary is told she ran a terrible campaign and to shut up and go away.
Why would Putin’s puppet not do it again when Round One worked out like gangbusters for the Trump crime family?
The same 33.33+% (conservative estimate) of the Republican Party that think patholgical lying birther bigot Trump “tells it like it is.” I believe the relevant idiom is “basket of deplorables.”
@CSK: The Moscow mayor’s wife story was thoroughly aired as part of the original New York Post story in 2020. Hunter Biden’s firm handled a payment for her to a third party, as lawyers do. Trump Republicans mispresented it as a gift to Hunter.
Look on the bright side. A recent poll suggests that if the former guy doesn’t run, DeSantis might not be the inevitable nominee. Junior is hot on his heels!
A President Junior would have us pining for the calm rational days of his dad’s administration within a few weeks.
@CSK: or dirt.
@Gustopher: But will those circle jerks be able to bring all of the Magats over to them? Possibly because they can’t think for themselves. TFG will eliminate his wannabes by being even more Trumpier than them (I know, how is that possible?). Frankly, it will be interesting to watch once again how they eat their own and come back to lick up the vomit TFG has spewn about them. See Cruz, Rubio, Graham.