What scares me most isn't knowing what Trump and his cronies are capable of, it's that we cannot imagine what such people might do. My thanks to @JoeNBC for having me on today to talk about @Renew_Democracy.
Autocrats don't care how bad it looks, or if it's legal. They believe they can get away with anything as long as they hold on to power. That they'll cover their tracks, pardon their allies, and not fear the law because they are the law.
But American votes still matter, and the more votes there are, the less impact all the interference has. Tell your reps to demand what's needed to guarantee a fair election and also make sure you register and vote. vote.org
Lawmakers must make it clear that they are watching and that there will be consequences for all accomplices of Trump's assault on American democracy, foreign and domestic. No "we didn't know" or "we were just following orders." They know.
• • •
Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to
force a refresh
I'm afraid you're too good for the brave new Putinized world of Trump, Mike! This is a business meeting, no foreign policy expertise required. Witkoff & Bessent, Russian finance guys, that's where the action is. Putin may toss in some Ukraine for show, at best.
Everything Trump does is about Trump. Not Ukraine, not America. This hasty and otherwise pointless and destructive meeting is no exception. It's for the Dear Leader's monetization and glorification. Rubio had to be there for token camouflage only.
Putin may grant Trump some Ukraine headlines to fulfill the glory requirement. The real goal is to normalize relations to enrich them both. Any deal signed with Putin's murderous dictatorship will end America's role as leader of the free world as much as a document of surrender.
Totally misunderstanding Witkoff's mission and Trump's entire agenda. Witkoff's only job is to make the most profitable deal for his boss, and he's competent at that.
The media is so used to standard narratives of national interests that they force everything into that framework even when it doesn't fit. Dictators like Putin and would-be autocrats like Trump don't care about "Russia" or "America", only their personal power, wealth, and image.
Struggling to see how Trump or Putin's decisions are good for their nations or people is pointless. They don't care. The top goal of the elected autocrat is to make the will of the people meaningless. Putin succeeded years ago and Trump acts like he's close--and he may be.
Nothing is honorable about rewarding the aggressor & condemning the victim to occupation, torture, and death. And Ukraine doesn’t have to forcibly expel every Russian soldier from its land when hitting Russian targets + allies destroying the RU economy will force them to leave.
"Ukraine can’t win" has been the mantra of Kremlin propagandists for years now. As if Ukrainians needed to march on Moscow, or send out meat waves of infantry like Russia does. Ukraine *can* win, by making continuing the war more dangerous for Putin’s grasp on power than leaving.
As the great English philosopher GM Nigel Short once said, when your opponent offers a draw, stop and consider why he thinks he’s losing! Putin is showing more interest in negotiations because his position is getting worse, and he knows Trump will help.
The Russian economy is collapsing, Ukrainian strikes are crippling RU energy & will only expand, and all Putin has left is terror attacks on civilians. What to do? Call Trump to the rescue! Get sanctions lifted, stop UKR strikes, marginalize Europe, kill more innocents. 1/7
If Senator Graham has any decency left he will hide in a dark corner and never speak again. Rubio is a Catholic who believes in Heaven and Hell, no? The only question left is the price. How much is Putin paying for the US to betray its allies, values, and its own security? 2/7
Don't forget Fox News & the rest of the MAGA sycophant media. "Russia hoax"? Ok, give one example of anything Trump has ever done that harmed Putin directly. The only hoaxes are Trump pretending to care about Ukraine & months of "he's getting frustrated with Putin" stories. 3/7
For over a century, US power, including hard power, was a force for good in the world. Yes, I said it. My latest Autocracy In America guest @AmbJohnBolton also says it, with plenty to back it up. From Iran to Russia to Hamas, what Trump's isolationism gets wrong. Link 👇
Listen or read my latest podcast episode of Autocracy In America with Ambassador John Bolton, who still believes America can, and should, be a force for democracy in the world. theatlantic.com/podcasts/archi…
Growing up in the USSR, but with the rare privilege of traveling abroad thanks to chess, I had no doubt who the good guys were, and it wasn’t us. Not to say the US and its myriad interventions were all pure of intent or outcome! But democracies standing up to dictators is good.
Some good material as usual, but do not give so much credit to the Western leaders Putin evaluated correctly. They were ready to concede Ukraine. Putin's big mistake of underestimating Ukraine and Ukrainians is one Biden and others made as well, and it all comes back to that.
Also, Putin is a KGB man, not a military leader, and his war on the free world started long before 2014, in 2005. His methods changed as his sense of impunity grew in the face of Western weakness. He was building political & economic leverage before using force.
E.g. Orban to undermine the EU & NATO, supporting Brexit, Le Pen, and Trump to do the same. Nord Stream 2 was under construction even after Russia invaded Ukraine. Although Putin's record wasn't 100%, it was only Ukraine's surprising resistance that forced allies to step up.