I know, the U.S. Constitution has a specific definition of what treason is, that it can only be done during war. However, our forefathers who wrote that Constitution could not have foreseen the technology of our times, that there are electronics and an internet that makes possible what is now called “cyber warfare.” In this light, U.S. President Donald Trump is constantly and increasingly doing and saying things that make him look like a traitor. Our national intelligence agencies have been saying ever since Donald Trump was elected president that Russian government operatives used especially the internet to try to interfere in our 2016 presidential election. Russia, and before that the Communistic Soviet Union, has been the chief enemy of the U.S. since WWII because the U.S. has been throughout this time the leader of the democratic free world, and the Soviet Union/Russia opposes democracy.
From the perspective of U.S. citizens, President Trump’s trip to Europe last week, and especially his press conference with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday, was such a disaster on Trump’s part that it made him look like a traitor to the U.S. And Trump has made it look even more so since then.
Last week, on President Trump’s trip to Europe and engagement with European leaders, he did as he has done before by criticizing NATO, criticizing the European Union as being unfair to the U.S. in trade, and it goes on and on. He even sounds like he wants to pull the U.S. out of NATO, which has been the most successful defense alliance in world history and the bulwark in protecting democratic nations. Then on Sunday, Trump held a private and lengthy meeting (not really a “summit” as it was described) with Putin in Helsinki, Finland. No account was given publicly about their remarks, which I think is suspicious. Because of that secrecy, Democrats in Congress are now calling for the U.S. interpreter–who was present and interpreting in this meeting–to testify to Congress about what was said.
On Monday, during a press conference with Putin and Trump, Putin was asked if he interfered in the 2016 presidential election. He answered that he had not. President Trump was then asked if Russia meddled in the 2016 presidential election. Trump said he had Mr. Putin right here, and he says Russia did no such thing. So, Trump gave the impression that he believes Putin more than he believes his own intelligence agencies. Those intelligence leaders have been telling Mr. Trump repeatedly, and announcing it publicly, for a long time that Russia certainly did interfere in the election.
During that press conference, Trump had said concerning a question about electronic interference in the 2016 presidential election, “I don’t see any reason why it would be Russia.” Then, yesterday, he said he misspoke by saying “would” and that he meant to say “wouldn’t,” thus, “I don’t see any reason why it wouldn’t be Russia.” That is such a bald-faced lie. The main reason is that it doesn’t comport with anything else that he said in the press conference. Moreover, what he did say corresponds to what he has always been saying in his disparaging remarks about the special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation of Russian interference in the election and possible collusion of Trump’s presidential campaign with Russians, which is that he constantly calls it “a witch hunt” and “a hoax” and that he is trying to stop it.
It is being reported that the next day, yesterday, after President Trump had arrived home, Vice President Mike Pence and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo alerted Trump about what he said at that press conference and that they suggested he hold a press conference and explain that he misspoke the word “would” and that it should have been “wouldn’t.”
There has been an outrage among some important Republican members of Congress against what Trump said in his press conference, Monday, with Putin. I won’t list those remarks because many Americans probably have already heard them on TV. This is the first sign of “the dam breaking,” meaning loss of Trump’s supporters on Congress. Most of them are scared and spineless, in my opinion, to stand up to Trump for fear of losing their position in Congress due to the next election. I think they will suffer more, politically, for not opposing some of these things about Trump, especially his constantly lying and misrepresentations, which, plainly speaking, is BS.
Yesterday, the Director of National Intelligence, Dan Coats, made a very firm and clear public statement that Russia did indeed conduct efforts in trying to affect the election. That appeared as a rejection of what Trump had said the day before. Yet Trump had said that he believes in his intelligence agencies, which seemed to conflict with what he had said about Putin saying Russia did not interfere.
Then, just over an hour ago, President Trump was asked by a news reporter, “Is Russia still targeting the U.S.?” Trump answered quickly, “no.” Therein, he again refuted what his Director of National Intelligence, Dan Coats, has been saying, that Russia is still conducting activities trying to interfere in our elections and those of many democracies around the world. With this answer, President Trump clearly is not trying to protect our democracy, with its main feature being fair and free elections.
Donald Trump’s presidency is now beginning to unravel big time. It’s because he is siding with Russia and is speaking out against our friends. Mr. Mueller’s investigation will add further momentum to this unraveling as the trial of Paul Manafort, Trump’s former director of his presidential campaign, begins next week.
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