Thread by @ByronYork

THREAD Washington Post does story with headline, 'Trump quotes Putin condemning American democracy, praises autocrat Orban.' Raises question: OK, what did Trump say? 1/12 washingtonpost.com/elections/2023…

Put aside Orban. After all, the US political system did not convulse for years over Viktor Orban, as it did over Putin. So what did Trump say about Putin? 2/12

First graf of Post story says Trump's words, in campaign speech in New Hampshire, were 'part of an ongoing effort to deflect from his criminal prosecutions and spin alarms about eroding democracy against President Biden.' 3/12

OK, but what did Trump say? No quotes in first, second, or third graf. Fourth graf cites 'experts, historians and political opponents' who have 'voiced growing alarm' about Trump's rhetoric. 4/12

OK, but what did Trump say? Fifth graf quotes professor at Texas A&M who says, 'Putin hates western values like democracy and the rule of law, so does Trump.' 5/12

OK, but what did Trump say? No quotes in sixth graf, but it does note that Putin 'agreed with Trump's own attempts to portray the prosecutions as politically motivated.' 6/12

Finally, in seventh graf, there it is, from WP: ''It shows the rottenness of the American political system, which cannot pretend to teach others about democracy,' Trump quoted Putin saying in the speech. Trump added: 'They're all laughing at us.' 7/12

That was it. And you wonder, was that it? Did Trump say any more? So checking the video, here is more of what Trump said: 8/12

A little context there. Two observations. One, Trump appeared to refer to Putin as an 'adversary.' And two, Trump described a position--that the prosecutions of Trump are politically motivated--that millions of Americans share, all on their own. 9/12

They don't need Vladimir Putin to tell them that. After all, special counsel Jack Smith is taking extraordinary measures, racing to try, convict, and imprison Trump before the 2024 election. Not a surprise that some see that as politically influenced. 10/12

Putin's criticism of the US is in line with Russian/Soviet critiques of the US going back generations. In this case, there is an entirely American debate over the appropriateness of the Trump prosecutions. 11/12

So that is a bit more context for the Washington Post story. By the way, you can buy the reporter's new book, 'Finish What We Started: The MAGA Movement's Ground War to End Democracy,' next April. 12/12 End.