The Art of the Deal: Selling Out to the Russians

IF YOU ARE OLD ENOUGH to remember Happy Days, a popular TV series in the 1970s, you may remember an episode where a water-skiing character, the Fonz, jumped over a shark. The plot line was so lame the expression “jump the shark” entered the language. 

It came to mean the point at which something once popular went into serious decline.

Monday, President Trump jumped the shark.

The motor boat towing the President of the United States took off early, as the Skier-in-Chief turned to Twitter Monday morning. “Our relationship with Russia has NEVER been worse thanks to many years of U.S. foolishness and stupidity and now, the Rigged Witch Hunt!” he complained.

If you started rubbing your eyes right then and there, you’d be excused. Did our leader just say our poor relationship with Russia was our fault? Did it have anything to do with the fact that Russia invaded the Crimea in 2014?  Did it have anything to do with the fact that Russia continues a low-level war (if you can call 10,000 Ukrainian dead a low-level war), along the Ukrainian border today? Was it a problem when Russia shot down a civilian jet liner and killed everyone aboard? Were the hundreds of billions of rubles Putin and his cronies laundered through the world’s banks—often investing ill-gotten gains in U.S. real estate—an issue? No, none of that bothered the president.

What about Russian agents poisoning a Putin critic on British soil? What about all the critics of Putin who ended up dead?

What about Russian military forces propping up Bashar-al-Assad in Syria while the Syrian people died by the hundreds of thousands? What about the attack by Russian mercenaries in Syria on a U.S.-held military base?

Perhaps the problems between our countries were exacerbated by Russia’s extensive meddling in our 2016 election?

No. Trump wasn’t troubled by that. The problem was us. The problem was the United States.

It only got worse as the day wore on. After sitting down, alone,  for a two-hour meeting with Putin (not that President Trump has anything to hide), he and the Russian strongman came out, read prepared statements, agreed that their discussions had gone great and took questions.

And what a proud day it turned out to be for Vladimir Putin.

The puppet President of the United States danced perfectly as Putin jerked him up and down on his strings.

A reporter asked Mr. Trump if there was anything he held the Russians responsible for, in terms of our poor relations. Specifically, did Trump believe the Russians had interfered in the 2016 campaign?

Trump’s answer was stunning.

“I hold both countries responsible. I think that the United States has been foolish. I think we’ve all been foolish ... we’re all to blame,” he responded.

Asked whether he believed the assessment of the U.S. intelligence community that the man standing at the next podium was responsible for a campaign to undermine the 2016 election, the president danced furiously on his strings. Rather than answer directly, he decided to attack the F.B.I. for not confiscating the hacked e-mail server of the Democratic National Committee.

Here, in view of the entire world, he was peddling a convoluted conspiracy theory (that the Democrats hacked themselves and ditched the evidence) and letting Putin and the Russians off the hook.

“Where is the server?” he asked. “I want to know where is the server and what is the server saying.”

Yes, he admitted, his Director of National Intelligence, Dan Coates, “and some others” had told him “they think it is Russia,” they think Russia hacked the election. Trump remained skeptical. “I don’t see any reason why it would be. But I really do want to see the server. I have great confidence in my intelligence people,” he said. “But I will tell you that President Putin was extremely strong and powerful in his denial today.”

His response was so unexpected—so bizarre—that even seasoned reporters watching were stunned.

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You could expect Democrats—and probably most patriotic Americans—to hit the roof. And most did. 

Still, it would be easy quoting Democrats to bolster the point. Let’s sample the reaction of Republicans instead.

Sen. Jeff Flake: “I never thought I would see the day when our American President would stand on the stage with the Russian President and place blame on the United States for Russian aggression. This is shameful.”

Rep. Will Hurd, a former undercover CIA officer: “I’ve seen the Russian intelligence manipulate many people, many people in my career, and I never would have thought the US President would be one of them.”

Rep. Adam Kinzinger, a former U.S. Air Force officer: “The American people deserve the truth, & to disregard the legitimacy of our intelligence officials is a disservice to the men & women who serve this country. It’s time to wake up & face reality. #Putin is not our friend; he’s an enemy to our freedom.”

Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming:

As a member of the House Armed Services Committee, I am deeply troubled by President Trump’s defense of Putin against the intelligence agencies of the U.S. & his suggestion of moral equivalence between the U.S. and Russia. Russia poses a grave threat to our national security.

Former CIA and National Security Agency Director Michael Hayden, who led the NSA during the final years of George W. Bush’s presidency, says Trump looked “raw, naked and unfiltered.”

In a tweet, Hayden expressed agreement with an analysis that Trump believes Putin more than American intelligence agencies.

When another user tweeted “holy f****n s**t” following the president’s remarks, Hayden responded simply, “I agree.”

Yep. Holy fucking shit!!!

Mark Lowenthal, a former assistant director at the C.I.A. called Trump’s response “beyond the pale.” “He’s the best president that Russia’s ever had.”  

Chuck Hagel, decorated war hero, former Republican senator from Nebraska, former defense secretary under President Obama, said it appeared Trump had no real strategy. “This was not a golf outing. This was not a real estate transactional kind of arrangement.... Engagement must be connected to a strategic interest, a strategic purpose. I don’t know what that strategic purpose was. I am now convinced we didn’t have one.”

The meeting with Putin, he added later, marked “a sad day for America” and “a sad day for the world.”

New Jersey Rep. Frank LoBiondo, who chairs the House CIA subcommittee, said Trump had missed an opportunity to grill Putin.

I strongly disagree w/ statement that Russia did not meddle in 2016 election. With all I have seen on House Intel Comm & additional indictments of 12 Russian officers last week, it is clear Russia’s intentions. President Trump missed opportunity to hold Putin publicly accountable.

Sen. Ben Sasse called Trump’s comments “bizarre.” “When the President plays these moral equivalence games, he gives Putin a propaganda win he desperately needs.”

Sen. Rob Portman said Trump had “failed to stand up to Vladimir Putin on some of the most critical security issues facing our country and our allies.”

Sen. Orrin Hatch, a key Trump ally, issued a statement backing up the intelligence community.

Russia interfered in the 2016 election. Our nation’s top intelligence agencies all agree on that point. From the President on down, we must do everything in our power to protect our democracy by securing future elections from foreign influence and interference, regardless of what Vladimir Putin or any other Russian operative says.

Sen. Tim Scott tweeted: “The President’s summit in Helsinki today should have been an attempt at confronting Russian aggression, hacking, and election interference. Russia is not a friend or ally. As Americans, we stand up for our interests and values abroad; but I fear today was a step backwards.

Governor John Kasich released this statement:

Putin’s words should never be given equal weight of our own Director of National Intelligence. Putin is a KGB operative trying to undermine the West and supporting other murderous dictators. He cannot and should not be trusted. Other American leaders, in both parties, should speak with one voice and let the world know we are not on the side of Russia.

Mitt Romney: “President Trump’s decision to side with Putin over American intelligence agencies is disgraceful and detrimental to our democratic principles.”

Even Milksop Mitch mustered up a tidbit of courage. “I’ve said a number of times and I say it again, the Russians are not our friends and I entirely believe the assessment of our intelligence community.”

Naturally, the Kentucky Republican dodged the next question when asked if he would tell Trump he disagreed.

Sen. Lindsey Graham said the president had handed Putin an easy victory. “This answer… will be seen by Russia as a sign of weakness and create far more problems than it solves. Bad day for the U.S. Can be fixed. Must be fixed.”

In a rare moment of levity, considering the disaster Americans had just seen unfold, Graham warned the president to leave a soccer ball, a World Cup souvenir from Putin, outside when he came home.

“If it were me, I’d check the soccer ball for listening devices and never allow it in the White House.”

Sen. Bob Corker, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, told reporters he was “saddened” by Trump’s performance. Trump’s assertions that both Russia and the U.S. were to blame for the poor relationship “make us look like a pushover.” “I did not think this was a good moment for our country,” he said. Putin was probably eating caviar on the plane home, Corker added.

Sen. Susan Collins of Maine warned that Russian attacks on our elections were “relentless” and certain to continue. “It’s certainly not helpful for the President to express doubt about the conclusions of his own team,” Collins told reporters. “He has assembled a first-rate intelligence team handled by Dan Coats and I would hope that he would take their analysis over the predictable denials of President Putin.”

Former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, who served during the Obama administration, who isn’t a Republican, but does know this subject, called the news conference “truly unbelievable.”

“On the world’s stage,” Clapper added, “in front of the entire globe, the President of the United States essentially capitulated and seems intimidated by Vladimir Putin. So it was amazing and very, very disturbing.”

In a lengthy statement, Sen. John McCain, chairman of the Senate Committee on Armed Services, let rip:

Today’s press conference in Helsinki was one of the most disgraceful performances by an American president in memory. The damage inflicted by President Trump’s naiveté, egotism, false equivalence, and sympathy for autocrats is difficult to calculate. But it is clear that the summit in Helsinki was a tragic mistake.

President Trump proved not only unable, but unwilling to stand up to Putin. He and Putin seemed to be speaking from the same script as the president made a conscious choice to defend a tyrant against the fair questions of a free press, and to grant Putin an uncontested platform to spew propaganda and lies to the world.

…No prior president has ever abased himself more abjectly before a tyrant. Not only did President Trump fail to speak the truth about an adversary; but speaking for America to the world, our president failed to defend all that makes us who we are—a republic of free people dedicated to the cause of liberty at home and abroad. American presidents must be the champions of that cause if it is to succeed. Americans are waiting and hoping for President Trump to embrace that sacred responsibility. One can only hope they are not waiting totally in vain.

Former C.I.A. Chief John O. Brennan, who served both Republican and Democratic presidents, had seen all he could stand. In a scathing tweet he blasted President Trump.

Let’s give Brennan, a man who devoted a long career to serving our country, the last word for today:

Donald Trump’s press conference performance in Helsinki rises to & exceeds the threshold of “high crimes & misdemeanors.” It was nothing short of treasonous. Not only were Trump's comments imbecilic, he is wholly in the pocket of Putin. Republican Patriots: Where are you???"

It appears that Trump’s “art of the deal” means selling out to Vladimir Putin and the Russians.

In today’s coverage we explain how Trump’s failing lips and no good, rotten tongue got him in trouble at Helsinki.

In other words, we shouldn’t blame him.

The Art of the Deal: Selling Out to the Russians.