are, believe them"
Analysis by Chris Cillizza,
At a campaign rally in Georgia over the weekend, the former President, again, praised Russian President Vladimir Putin.
"The smartest one gets to the top," Trump told the crowd. "That didn't work so well recently in our country. But they ask me, 'Is Putin smart?' Yes, Putin was smart. And I actually thought he was going to be negotiating. I said, 'That's a hell of a way to negotiate, put 200,000 soldiers on the border.'"
Trump added that Putin made a "big mistake," but that "it looked like a great negotiation."
That all sounds a lot like what Trump has been saying about Putin almost since the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
"I went in yesterday and there was a television screen, and I said, 'This is genius,'" Trump said during an interview with conservative radio hosts last month. "Putin declares a big portion of the Ukraine -- of Ukraine. Putin declares it as independent. Oh, that's wonderful."
The very next day, Trump said almost the same thing.
"They say, 'Trump said Putin's smart.' I mean, he's taking over a country for two dollars' worth of sanctions," Trump told a crowd at a fundraiser at Mar-a-Lago, according to a recording of the event. "I'd say that's pretty smart. He's taking over a country -- really a vast, vast location, a great piece of land with a lot of people, and just walking right in."
Then, in a speech to the Conservative Political Action Conference several days later, Trump tripled down. "Yesterday reporters asked me if I thought President Putin was smart," he said. "I said, 'Of course, he's smart,' to which I was greeted with 'Oh, that's such a terrible thing to say.' I like to tell them, 'Yes, he's smart.'"
It now seems pretty clear that Trump meant what he initially said about Putin. Because between then and now Putin has carried out a relentless and deadly attack across Ukraine. And over that same period of time, prominent Republicans have scrambled to distance themselves from Trump's Putin praise, even scolding the former President for saying what he said.
And yet, through it all, Trump has stuck, basically, to his original line -- that Putin is a savvy player on the world stage who is always one step ahead of the United States.
Don't overthink it: Trump keeps saying it because he believes it.
We saw time and again during his presidency that Trump is attracted to the strength and unapologetic nature of authoritarian rulers like Putin. (Here are 15 times Trump praised authoritarian leaders.) From crackdowns against the press to demands of total fealty from everyone serving in his government, Trump seemed at times like he was trying to model his four years in office on the way that authoritarian rulers from Russia to Turkey to China behaved.
Never forget that during a photo-op with Putin on the sidelines of the G20 meeting in Japan in 2019, Trump said this of the media: "Get rid of them. Fake news is a great term, isn't it? You don't have this problem in Russia but we do." To which Putin said: "We also have. It's the same."
Trump's praise of Putin then is a feature, not a glitch. He says it -- and keeps saying it -- because he is genuinely admiring of the supposed might the Russian president is showing in invading Ukraine. It's that simple.
Link: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/donald-trump-just-can-t-stop-praising-vladimir-putin/ar-AAVA9db?ocid=msedgntp&cvid=25ad6418ce824ea8bea306ab1e60277a
think that the best thing for you to do now is say nothing. Still, I suppose there could some value at directing attention away from him....so carry on, I guess.
Is the unprovoked invasion....with its killing and destruction...of a nation seeking democracy a "smart" thing to do in your mind as well?...i.e. do you still support Donald Trump as President of the United States?
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(assumedly including 'Foreign Policies') yet as Mr. Cillizza clearly lays out, DJT absolutely REFUSES to condemn Putin's unconscionable act of aggression against Ukraine...therefore, he continues to support Putin...the logic is clear...Baron would support Trump supporting Putin.
Yelling that "it's not true", doesn't change the logic and conclusion.
Chris94 considers the Trump-Putin issue closed, because I invoked the magic words. I thought I'd move on to an open issue.
what's your response to my last post on that matter?
If Trump were still president, Putin would not have invaded Ukraine. That alone shows you that Trump's policies were not pro-Putin, but Biden's policies are pro-Putin. Interestingly, your support for suppressing speech shows that you are more in line with anything Putin might do than Trump. Don't accuse Trump of being like yourself (like Putin). Trump is much better than you, even with all of his faults (and he has very, very, very many faults).
invaded Ukraine while Trump was in office...all suppositions...what is FACT is that Trump has NEVER excoriated Putin for his totally unwarranted attack on that country...EVERY single President/Prime Minister of a democratic nation has done so...thus, there is NO DOUBT that Trump supports Putin...one needn't even bring up Helsinki and all the other 'boot-licking' examples of his acquiescent behaviors...your attempt to rewrite the narrative doesn't even deserve a 'golf clap'.
As for Biden...the FACTS are there for all to see...no need for me to list them...the U.S. is arming Ukraine and squeezing the economic life out of Russia...enough said...unless you think Putin invaded just because Biden is 79 years old.
And, as for me...that pitiful "suppression of speech" deflection isn't worth a reply...stay on point...Trump supports Putin...FACT...Baron supports Trump...FACT....you can't erase all the posts that show this.
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Weapons...as the article I've attached notes, those states that have used CWs in the modern age (e.g. Rhodesia and Syria), have done so "In Extremis" when fighting against insurgents threatening their regime's existence...don't see that scenario existing for Russia...yet, it's possible that Putin is "All-In" on his "Mission" and will never leave w/o getting his "pound of flesh" out of Ukraine, through any means necessary...including CWs...
I've mentioned elsewhere that I see Biden's "In Kind" remark as alluding to actions (but not CWs) that would have as much impact or more impact on Russia as their use of CWs...not sure what that might be...but he and our military are obviously discussing the options....but, I don't imagine Biden would authorize them in Ukraine...and, short of an "In Extremis" situation here at home, I don't see us supporting their use anywhere.
Hopefully, we can use our knowledge of CWs...and 'remedies'...to prepare Ukraine for any possible use by Russia...but again, I don't envision us going 'tit-for-tat' and expanding the scope of the conflict...
Sadly, this question isn't going away any time soon (see article)...lots more to learn...not just about CWs, but also ways we can build international agreements and working relationships that make it nonsensical to employ CWs...a bit 'pollyanna-ish', but hey, worth holding that thought.
Link: https://warontherocks.com/2017/08/long-ignored-the-use-of-chemical-and-biological-weapons-against-insurgents/
Can't get any clearer than that.
You, elp, eli, 678, baron plus a few more here are UUge Trump supporters - ergo, you're all Putin supports - Clear as Day.
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a fool and he should be ignored for the stupid idiotic statements he makes. I could rip him to shreds but then I would be covered in fried chicken fat. I’m not sure I’ve seen a bigger asshole.
Hey Donald karma is a bitch, you’ll get yours.
You gonna insult and be angry with at least 74 million voters for another 4 years?
the 70 million clowns that voted for this asshole. And if you still are one, you are merely a follower without a reasonable mind. If you can’t see him NOW for who he is I can’t help you. Follow him down the rabbit hole. He’s counting on dopes like you.
By the way did the 74 million voters get him elected. No. But you think so. Right. Grow a spine.
unleashed the monster.
Deeds matter, not words. Policies matter, not personalities.
Anyone who votes for Joe Biden's policies has been unintentionally aiding Vladimir Putin in reality. Shutting down our drilling in ANWR, eliminating fracking, ending the new delivery capability of the Keystone Pipeline all cut off the Trump plan to replace the EU's growing dependence of Russian energy with the US's own production. Amazingly Biden went further and eliminated the Trump sanctions of the Nord Stream 2 Russian pipeline to bypass Ukraine and supply Germany with the energy. This all made the EU and Germany hesitant to stand up to Russia strongly enough before Putin invaded, and Putin knew that without the EU, the US would be unable to make significant opposition with NATO. In fact Trump warned of this very thing happening, and the german chancellor as much as said so in his willingness after the fact to switch to US sources - which have now gone from being ready to go to being years behind in production ability.
AND there was the Afghanistan Debacle. A Clown Car Operation done so incompetently with so many gaffes by Biden, that Putin felt even more emboldened that he could succeed against what pretty plainly walks, talks, and quacks like a demented puppet.
I am not one of the doofuses (doofi?) who say that anyone who voted for Donald Trump or Joe Biden supports Vladimir Putin. That man is a killing monster, and such an accusation would imply intent which is simply not there on either side - shame on you. But I am certainly able to recognize that the combination of foolish policies and failures had the result of uncaging the monster.
I will always support the effort to put the killer back in his cage, but this is not mutually exclusive from recognizing and calling out the emperor for having no clothes - especially since the whole world has seen it and knows it.
I oppose Vladimir Putin wholeheartedly. It also breaks my heart to see some of his practices creeping into our own country (a dishonest, government biased media; socialist policies that don't work; a lack of respect for human life; "czars" managing critical aspects of our lives; and lying to get the masses to do what he wants). But Putin is beyond those things, he is a dangerous killer. Thus, I support the policies that held him in check and will handle him in the future. Thus I will vote for Ron DeSantis in '24 if given the opportunity. If Donald Trump is the nominee against Joe Biden or someone like him, then I will proudly and vote for Donald Trump. I will let the "doofi" be concerned with what a jerk he is because Trump's policies kick ass. It's true that I would like the whole package (thus DeSantis), but above all, I want the policies.
One last thing folks....ALL OF THIS HAS HAPPENED IN JUST 14 MONTHS SINCE JOE BIDEN TOOK OFFICE.
I absolutely think that we need to remove him and his behind the scenes handlers in the next election, as well as all candidates who support his policies this Fall.
Running your mouth like a middle schooler at anyone who doesn't agree with you is not the way to win an argument. Just a little tip from a grown adult.
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