THREAD: It’s important to understand that Trump has now done for Turkish President Erdogan roughly what Trump asked Ukrainian President Zelensky to do for Trump: a foreign policy “favor” for domestic political benefit. Here’s what I mean… 1/5
Trump has a problem: he’s unpopular at home. That’s b/c he’s actually not great at governing his country. So he needed another way to improve his domestic political standing. For that, he looked abroad—in particular, to Ukraine, for dirt on Trump’s leading political rival. 2/5
Erdogan too has a problem: he’s unpopular at home. His party lost big—in part b/c he too isn't great at governing. So he also needed to improve his domestic political standing & looked abroad—to attack a familiar target, the Kurds. He asked Trump for help: get out of the way. 3/5
What’s remarkable is that Ukraine basically said no to Trump. Its leadership wouldn’t utter even the handful of pre-written sentences about Biden that would’ve placated Trump, the most powerful man on earth.
But Trump? He said yes to Erdogan—despite the cost to US security. 4/5
But Trump? He said yes to Erdogan—despite the cost to US security. 4/5
It’s the same play: boost domestic standing not by domestic governance but by a foreign “favor.”
No US president should run that play—either by asking a foreign leader to intervene in US elections or indulging a foreign leader against US national interests.
Trump did both. 5/5
No US president should run that play—either by asking a foreign leader to intervene in US elections or indulging a foreign leader against US national interests.
Trump did both. 5/5
