Today I'll be asking questions at the nomination hearing of our new Amb. to Russia.
Probably a good day to run down the mindblowingly long list of ways that Trump's foreign policy has been one giant wet kiss to Russia.
Hard to fit it all in one thread, but let's give it a shot!
Probably a good day to run down the mindblowingly long list of ways that Trump's foreign policy has been one giant wet kiss to Russia.
Hard to fit it all in one thread, but let's give it a shot!
May 2016: Announces his support for Brexit. Who benefits from a weaker EU? Russia.
May 2016: Questions U.S. commitment to NATO (aka the defense pact that prevents against Russian aggression).
July 2016: The Trump campaign scraps language in the Republican platform on giving Ukraine military assistance to counter Russian forces.
December 2016: Trump – despite a clear consensus across 17 U.S. intelligence agencies – denies Russian interference in the 2016 elections.
January 2017: From the beginning, Trump and his officials refuse to stand up the capabilities of the Global Engagement Center to combat Russian propaganda and disinformation.
February 2017: Refuses to criticize Putin’s murder of political opponents. Direct quote from Trump: “We’ve got a lot of killers. What do you think, our country’s so innocent?”
June 2018: Recognizes Crimea as part of Russia, as he first suggested on the campaign trail in 2016. The ultimate gift to Putin.
July 2018: The Helsinki summit. Trump again sides with Putin over U.S. intelligence agencies re: 2016 and invites him to the White House.
January 2019: Lifts election interference sanctions on Oleg Deripaska (a Russian billionaire with ties to Paul Manafort), despite no changes in Russia's behavior.
August 2019: Withdraws from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, upending decades of bilateral work on nuclear arms control.
August 2019: Holds up nearly $400 million in military assistance to Ukraine – critical aid they needed to help fendoff Russia – to try and force them to manufacture dirt on a 2020 rival.
October 2019: Abruptly pulls U.S. troops out of northeastern Syria – abandoning our Kurdish partners and creating a vacuum for Assad and Russia to fill.
October 2019: Announces his intention to withdraw from the Open Skies Treaty – which infuriates our allies and would eliminate a key channel for transparency that prevents Russia and the U.S. from stumbling into a war.
Too many times to count:
-Parrots Kremlin talking points
-Denies Russian election interference in 2016
-Refuses to take any key steps to protect our upcoming elections
-Parrots Kremlin talking points
-Denies Russian election interference in 2016
-Refuses to take any key steps to protect our upcoming elections
