A russian mole?
Opinion by Team Thomas
In the oval?
If you listen to his critics, Donald J. Trump certainly had a stunningly divisive first term in the White House. There are many, indeed. And the Trump track record is amply littered with numerous examples of political mischief.
From the earliest days of his Administration, Mr. Trump was credibly accused of colluding with Russians to defeat his political opponent, Hillary Rodham Clinton, in the 2016 presidential election. Trump’s National Security Advisor, General Michael Flynn, even pled guilty to lying to the FBI about discussions with Russian leadership, although Flynn is now trying to withdraw that guilty admission.
The President obstructed Congress in its investigation of his decision to withhold $400 million in U.S. security assistance for Ukraine in their ongoing skirmish with Russia unless Ukraine’s new president agreed to investigate his 2020 presidential election opponent, former Vice President Joe Biden.
the U.S. House of Representatives impeached President Trump for obstruction and abuse of power in the Ukrainian matter. The Senate did not convict the President using the nefarious excuse of not calling supporting fact witnesses, which only served to reinforce the image that the Senate trial was a hoax, hardly instilling any new confidence in our failing governing institutions.
Despite overwhelming evidence, corroborated by the U.S. Senate Select Committee on Intelligence chaired by North Carolina Senator Richard Burr, that Russia meddled in the 2016 and 2018 U.S. elections, President Trump has largely ignored calls by Republicans and Democrats alike on Capitol Hill to sanction the former Soviets for their interference in American democracy. It appears that Russia may now be meddling in the 2020 U.S. elections as well if recent intelligence reports are to be believed. However, President Trump once again dismissed mounting evidence.
Mr. Trump has claimed absolute authority over the U.S. House of Representatives despite what Articles I and II of our Constitution stipulate about shared powers, checks and balances, appropriating, and more. It would appear that Mr. Trump is further undermining the U.S. Constitution by firing Inspectors General at various federal agencies, refusing oversight inquiries from committees of Congress, flouting the rule of law, collecting emoluments, and more.
The President is and has been frequently attacking our closest allies and relationships, many of which were forged in the trying days of World War II. The 45th president has successfully undermined our alliances with the British, French, Germans, Canadians, Australians, and Mexicans, for example. He has debased NATO, the United Nations, and the World Health Organization. Mr. Trump has unilaterally canceled out several critical multinational accords and canceled long-standing arms-related treaties with the Russians in a manner that favors the Russians.
So many of these Trump actions appear to benefit the Russian government at the expense of the United States public that some are now questioning: Is President Trump a Russian mole in the Oval Office, as has been rumored in some quarters? Is Mr. Trump Vladimir Putin’s man on the inside dismantling our institutions of power? Thumbing his nose at our rule of law?
“If the President cheats on those closest to him, and chronically lies as the Washington Post and others have documented, critics observe and ask, do you think it might be reasonable to ask if he is cheating on America?”
The President's behavior, or lack of response, toward Russian transgressions has officials in Washington scratching their collective heads ever since Donald J. Trump announced his candidacy. Consider for a moment these other stunning developments over the past few years that lend further credibility to the mole question:
Then-Secretary of State Rex Tillerson chastised Russia over spy poisoning in the United Kingdom, on British soil no less, and was fired.
FBI Director James Comey investigated Trump’s reported Russia ties while the President sought a loyalty pledge. When that pledge was not offered, Comey was fired, and Russians celebrated the deed in the Oval Office!
POTUS roundly discredited Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Special Counsel Robert Mueller for ensuring justice was served. Sessions was fired, and the President and White House trashed Mueller’s reputation.
President Trump actively denigrated US intelligence operatives for evidence Russia interfered in USA elections – the President and White House vilified the parties.
Trump campaign officials and family members met with Russian agents in Trump Tower, which was denied and then later determined to have happened. It appears that President Trump intentionally deceived the American public.
President Trump asked Russia to hack into Hillary Clinton’s emails, and they did, with that sensitive and Clinton-embarrassing information being publicly released.
The President revealed secrets in an Oval Office meeting with key Russian officials and refused to allow the American side to produce transcribed notes of the meetings.
The President ignored and then unilaterally dismantled Congressionally-mandated sanctions against Russia, hoodwinking Congress and the American public at the very least.
POTUS had praised numerous authoritarian world leaders for their heavy-handed control of their populations.
The President has inexplicably looked the other way on continuing serious Syrian atrocities supported by Russia or when Russians have shot down civilian airliners.
The President consistently refuses to disclose business and personal arrangements in or with Russia or to disclose his taxes as has been custom for decades.
Added trillions of dollars to the U.S. debt, taking America closer to bankruptcy.
Took affordable healthcare away from working Americans and has failed to replace it with a more viable alternative after more than three years.
Mr. Trump has isolated our nation and discredited the country by adhering to his unbending “America First” philosophy.
We walked away from and abdicated our traditional global leadership role, which had existed since the end of World War II and maybe even World War I.
Refused addressing the pressing COVID-19 crisis, labeling it a political hoax that would miraculously disappear.
Then, as COVID-19 was winding down somewhat and a long stay-at-home ordered period was relaxing, the George Floyd incident happened, and there, at the end of a week of tormenting violence in more than 100 American cities, stood Donald John Trump on the steps of historic St. John’s Church in Lafayette Square holding a bible desiring to project the image of a strongman in control of the authorities stamping down American dissent and protest. In a few politically ill-advised fleeting minutes, Donald John Trump appeared to join the ranks of former leaders looking awkwardly idiotic, trying to look in control of their masses: Muammar al-Qaddfi, Saddam Hussein, Bashar al-Assad, Kim Jong Un, Jim Jones, David Koresh. The list is long, and the scenery is similar, which is deeply unnerving.
Vladimir Putin could not have better planned this jaw-dropping anti-American strategy, conclude President Trump's most ardent political opponents, and it’s hard not to disagree.
Suppose the President cheats on those closest to him and chronically lies, as the Washington Post and others have documented more than 19,000 times. In that case, critics observe and ask: do you think it might be reasonable to ask if Trump is cheating on America?
Only time will tell who is misleading whom about the President's developing legacy. In the meantime, investigations surpassing Watergate intensity continue to unfold while America is distracted from a host of equally serious challenges hampering our nation.
Violent riots, 103,000 dead pandemics, 40 million-plus unemployed, dismantled strategic defense alliances, insurmountable debt – Putin could not have asked better of any American president.
Do you think it is possible? Might Donald Trump be a Russian mole?