Donald Trump has an affinity for Russia with Putin in charge. His
Fox sycophants (the opinionated as
opposed to the news announcers) take their lead from him as do fellow travelers
such as former Fox personality Tucker Carlson ("Moscow has better
supermarkets than we do " – the one he visited and gushed over is owned by
a Danish company.)
The affection for our past – and current – enemy is not shared by
most rank-and-file Republicans. 80% view Moscow unfavorably. But few GOP
legislators voice that sentiment.
So what is going on?
Donald Trump's friendly view of Russia is nothing new. From his
pre-politician days when his "Miss Universe" enterprise held an event
in Moscow decades ago to the early days of his first presidency when he sided
with Putin's view on electoral fraud over that of American intelligence
agencies, our president has been unwilling to speak ill of the Kremlin.
One can speculate that he simply admires the Russian tyrant's
ability to get his own way. (Some observers think Trump's regard for the
Chinese leader has the same foundation.)
The conspiratorial-minded could speculate that Trump's conduct is
part of a broader plan, sponsored by Putin, to undermine the West. Of late,
Trump has indeed taken actions regarding Ukraine, Europe, Mexico and Canada
which threaten Western unity as well as Ukraine's survival. There has even been
talk of the president's ceding "spheres of influence" to Russia and
China which endanger America's interests and friends around the world.
On their face, such thoughts are preposterous. Donald Trump is
incapable of strategic thought. With him, everything is personal. He thrives on
flattery. If Putin, et al., tell him sweet nothings, he'll do their bidding or
at least what he thinks will please them. That makes him a malleable fool, not
a Manchurian candidate character.
Members of Congress and administration officials fall into line
with Trump's solicitude toward Russia as being in their personal interest (to
disagree can be political suicide). They are cowards. Or maybe others are
simply intellectually vapid. They used
to spout anti-Russian language because that is what Republicans were supposed
to say. But Trump's attitude has changed that. Their fingers in the wind causes
them to shift their views. And then there are people who were seen as
principled, such as current Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who have
changed from being hawks to parrots reciting
lines from Trump's script.
For those GOP leaders who were actually sincere in their
previously expressed hostility toward Russia, the question lingers. Why
sacrifice your soul –and the nation's interests (and the world's too) – for the
ephemeral fruits of ambition?
One hopes their comeuppance will not be long delayed. Trump will
jilt them– as he always does to those prostitutes whose flattery eventually
bores him.
