THREAD. I try hard to find areas of agreement on national security issues with the Trump administration. I've praised many of their actions. But I'm fed up with this new talking point that Trump is tough on Putin. Stop insulting my intelligence! /1
"Sorry, but Trump is not ‘tough on Russia’" Let me explain in this thread beyond this piece I wrote a year ago. washingtonpost.com/opinions/2019/… 2/
Yes, the Trump ADMINISTRATION has continued many tough policies started by the Obama administration regarding Russia, including economic sanctions, bolstering NATO (the 2% target on spending came from Obama), and assisting Ukraine. 3/
In a few areas, the Trump ADMINISTRATION rightly has gone beyond Obama policies, including most notable providing lethal assistance to Ukraine and wiping out some Russian mercenaries in Syria. Bravo. 4/
But Trump himself does not support a tough line on Russia. He has said so MANY times people! Maybe a thousand times by now ! He wants to be friends with Putin and get along with Russia. Don't believe me; read his own words. 5/
Trump personally has NEVER criticized Putin. Never. Trump has never spoken out in support democratic or human rights activists in Russia. Never. 6/
Trump did NOT want to sign CAASTA, the sweeping legislation tying his hands on preserving economic sanctions on Russians. See Statement by President Donald J. Trump on Signing the “Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act” whitehouse.gov/briefings-stat… 7/
Trump himself has not been an enthusiastic supporter of implementing these sanctions. slate.com/news-and-polit… 8/
The lifting of sanctions on Deripaska's companies was especially probative. washingtonpost.com/politics/how-a… 9/
Trump personally did not support giving javelins to Ukraine. Thankfully, Mattis and everyone else did. But as a cautionary condition, those missiles must be stored in western Ukraine. foreignpolicy.com/2019/10/03/far… 10/
Trump has never criticized Russian interference in our 2016 elections. Instead, he stood by Putin in Helsinki and said the exact opposite. He has never endorsed the findings of the Mueller report (which some of us believe didnt go far enough washingtonpost.com/opinions/2019/… 11/
Also in Helsinki, Trump agreed to hand over for interrogation to lawless Russia a dozen innocent Americans (Democrats and Republicans). Tough on Russia? Give me a break ! washingtonpost.com/outlook/putin-… 12/
Trump has not pushed for passage of any of the pending legislation designed to reduce foreign interference in our 2020 elections. Most of our four dozen recommendations for securing American elections have not been pursued. shar.es/a3LEUB 13/
Against the advice of SecDef Mattis and others, Trump pulled out of Syria, handing Putin a major victory. (In response, Mattis resigned.) 14/
Trump repeats Putin's false propaganda all the time, be it the myth about the Crowdstrike server in hiding in Ukraine or the tale about how Montenegro is going to start WWIII. 15/
Most recently, Trump was willing to sacrifice Ukrainian security by withholding U.S. military assistance as leverage to help his own reelection campaign. washingtonpost.com/opinions/2019/… 16/
Unlike Trump's tv defenders, Moscow understands the difference between pro-Putin Trump and his anti-Russian Administration. Putin & team hope that Trump re-election will liberate Trump from his advisors & the deep state and allow him to deepen his friendship with Putin. 17/
So enough already. Claim rightly that the administration is following a tough Russia policy. Argue more smartly that Putin is trying to undermine Trump's reelection legitimacy by helping him. But stop insulting our intelligence by claiming that Trump is tough on Putin. 18/ END
