Letter: Party of Putin? – Post Bulletin | Rochester …

Posted: March 6, 2022 at 9:43 pm

Is it fair to call the Republican Party under Donald Trump the Party of Putin? I think not.

True, Vladimir Putins Russia helped Trump narrowly win an Electoral College victory in 2016. In office, Trump played up to Putin by disparaging NATO and the European Union. At the Helsinki summit in 2018, Trump described Putins denials of U.S. election interference as extremely strong and powerful despite the contrary consensus of US intelligence agencies. More recently, Trump has praised Putins peacekeeping invasion of eastern Ukraine as pretty savvy and genius.

Republicans have mostly refrained from criticizing Trump for condoning Putin when condemnation was called for. They blame President Bidens perceived weakness as much as Putins unjustified aggression for the invasion of Ukraine.

No, the GOP remains the Party of Trump, with a Putin wing on one side and a few moderates on the other. Most members, including candidates for governor in Minnesota, remain captive to the Big Lie that Trump won the election in 2020. Thats the focus.

One hopes that their tolerance and occasional admiration of Putin, so contrary to the old Party of Reagan, is more a sign of subservience to Trump than admiration for a brutal autocrat at war with democracy.

As for Trumps servility to Putin, none dare call it treason.

Norman Senjem, Rochester

Read the rest here:

Letter: Party of Putin? - Post Bulletin | Rochester ...

Related Posts