What’s happening in Belarus matters to U.S. security. And Trump and his team are fumbling this moment (largely by kowtowing to Putin and staying on the sidelines).

1/ A THREAD on what's happening in Belarus, why it matters, and what the U.S. should do.
2/ For the last 11 days Belarusians have been engaged in the largest protest for democracy in their country's history after President Lukashenko tried to steal the election. Strikes are crippling the economy, and a sense of pride and unity is sweeping the nation.
3/ Lukashenko has detained and allegedly tortured protestors. Rumors are that Russian forces are readying a big move on his behalf.

The movement hasn’t subsided though. They are demanding Lukashenko’s resignation, the release of political prisoners and new elections.
4/ All this matters because:

a) America should always promote the spread of democracy (more democracies makes the world safer); and

b) our counter Kremlin strategy must involve assuring people living on Russia’s periphery can choose their own fate freely.
5/ Trump has done next to nothing. He hasn’t spoken up on behalf of peaceful protest. He hasn’t called on Putin to stand down. He hasn’t reached out to the EU to craft a joint strategy.

He has left the protestors adrift and this ultimately helps both Lukashenko and Putin.
6/ So what should we do?

First, work w the Europeans to sanction Lukashenko and key allies.

I’m generally a skeptic of sanctions’ utility, but in this case it would be a targeted, meaningful sign of which side we are on. But we should only do it with the EU.
7/ Second, make clear to Putin that we will not accept a Kremlin-led military move.

We didn’t see Crimea coming early enough to stop it. We can learn lessons here and take steps (again, w Europe) to take a tougher line.
8/ But remember, Belarus is unique - it’s not Ukraine. Lukashenko and Putin have a fraught relationship. Nuanced diplomacy can take advantage of this.

And the protestors aren’t asking to join the EU. So the stakes aren’t as high for Putin here. Again, another tactical advantage.

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More from @ChrisMurphyCT

1 Oct
This hasn't gotten enough attention, but you need to know. Everybody needs to know.

1/ It's about the massive coverup campaign underway to disguise the octopus-like Russian election interference operation being run on Trump's behalf.

Please read this whole thing.
2/ Earlier this year, reports start coming into Congress about a giant, multi-layer Russian effort to help Trump in 2020. Bigger than what they did in 2016. Looks like Russians are trying to get U.S. persons - especially those close to Trump - to help.
3/ On July 13, Dem leadership writes a letter to FBI Director Wray, asking for an all-Congress briefing, especially because the reports we're reading suggest Russian agents are trying to find Members of Congress to assist their interference operation.
speaker.gov/newsroom/72020…
Read 10 tweets
30 Sep
1/ Let's be clear - Trump had a goal last night to get his right wing, white supremacists to organize an election day intimidation effort. He succeeded. Recruitment by Proud Boys and others is underway. Here's why this is especially worrying this year - and what you can do.
2/ In 2018 a federal judge ended a three decade long court order on the Republican National Committee that placed restrictions on the RNC's "ballot security" measures and Election Day activities at the polls. Why were these restrictions in place?
3/ In 1982, Republicans used illegal harassment and voter intimidation to discourage Black Americans from voting. They sent targeted mailings warning about the consequences of voter fraud & posted armed guards at polls in minority neighborhoods. Thus, the court intervened.
Read 4 tweets
29 Sep
1/ If Amy Coney Barrett gets to the Supreme Court, the ACA is gone, and in Connecticut, 260,000 will lose their insurance.

That's the equivalent combined population of these CT towns:

Litchfield
Easton
Durham
Haddam
Woodstock
Old Lyme
Essex...

(not done...see rest of thread)
2/

Lebanon
Westbrook
Brooklyn
New Hartford
Killingworth
Marlborough
Beacon Falls
Willington
Bethany
Harwinton
Pomfret
Chester
Barkhamsted
Ashford

(wait...not done...)
3/

Columbia
North Stonington
East Granby
Canterbury
Bolton
Preston
Deep River
Middlefield
Union
Canaan
Warren
Colebrook
Norfolk
Lisbon

(nope...not done)
Read 5 tweets
24 Sep
1/ A THREAD on the death of honor in the Senate and why we can't just let it go and brush it off as "Republicans doing Republican things".
2/ Democracy is predicated on the exercise of restraint and fair play. Our Constitution has enormous amounts of wiggle room in it - enough so that a democracy could be converted to a one party system without a technical violation of our founding document.
3/ For instance, the founding fathers didn't require a Senate vote on a President's nominee for the Supreme Court bc they assumed fair play. They never envisioned a situation like 2016 where the Senate's majority party refused to vote on the president's pick.
Read 7 tweets
30 Aug
I know what I wrote below sounds harsh. But I stand by it and I want to explain why.

1/ From the start of the epidemic, Trump has mostly refused to wear a mask and engage in social distancing. He often does this very publicly and brazenly (like in Oklahoma City).
2/ His RNC speech was his biggest stage. 23m watched.

The question is - WHY did Trump choose not to socially distance guests or require them to wear masks, as his own CDC guidelines below recommend?

There seems to be no good reason. He easily could have.cdc.gov/coronavirus/20…
3/ He and his advisors KNEW the consequences of brazenly thumbing their nose at their own CDC.

They know viewers follow his example, and thus it will now be impossible to convince many people social distancing/masks are important. Bc Trump has made it crystal clear they AREN'T.
Read 6 tweets
26 Aug
Spent some time this week surveying Connecticut's current COVID testing system.

It's made it clear to me how disastrous Trump's refusal to build a national testing plan has been - even in a state like CT that has done COVID response right.

1/ A short THREAD on where we are:
2/ Current turnaround time at New Britain's community health center drive through testing program is 3 days.

3 days is NOT GOOD. That's 3 days for a unknowing positive person to spread.
3/ Trump has refused to build the additional lab capacity nationally to reduce these wait times. Connecticut can't do it - the testing industry is national. Only HHS and partner federal agencies can expand this capacity, but they simply refuse. Outrageous.
Read 8 tweets

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