Trump Goes Full Putin--Capitulation Inside the Oval Office

[Dennis Donovan]

https://www.justsecurity.org/66370/trump-goes-full-putin-capitulation-inside-the-oval-office/

by Joshua Geltzer and Jake Sullivan
September 30, 2019

Vladimir Putin’s favorite form of argument is whataboutism. Accused of virtually any wrongdoing, Putin points to something done by a country other than Russia and asks, “What about that—what’s the difference?” New revelations about Donald Trump’s 2017 Oval Office meeting with top Russian officials indicate that Trump has taken Putin’s approach to a whole new level. For Trump, it’s not just what about them—it’s what about us.

Over the past two decades since Putin came onto the scene, the United States, alongside other Western nations, has called out various Russian transgressions. And his retorts have had a consistent ring. A Russian invasion of Georgia—but what about the American-led “invasion” of the former Yugoslavia? Russian aggression in Crimea—but what about America’s “aggression” in Syria? Russian interference in U.S. elections—but what about America’s “interference” in the internal politics of Ukraine—not to mention, in Putin’s view, in Russian politics via American nonprofits preaching democratic reform?

We’ve long known that Trump has a strange admiration for Putin. But recent reports confirm that Trump has adopted Putin’s whataboutist logic wholesale—and put his own stamp on it.

Trump’s instinct toward whataboutism isn’t brand new, of course. We’ve seen it, for example, in Trump’s attempts to deflect criticism of his interactions with Ukrainian leadership by pointing toward those of his political rival Joe Biden: Think I did something wrong in pressuring Ukraine—what about Biden. It matters not, of course, that the comparison fails to withstand scrutiny.

Trump’s emulation of Putin’s brand of whataboutism is highly dangerous when deployed as public propaganda by an American President. But it turns out Trump has followed this logic not simply for public consumption. He’s apparently internalized it and, moreover, turned it against the United States in private diplomatic exchanges. Consider stunning revelations that, in a 2017 Oval Office meeting with Russia’s foreign minister and ambassador to the United States, Trump said he was unconcerned that Russia interfered with America’s 2016 election—the very election that put Trump in the Oval Office. He also apparently expressed lack of concern–or even “seemed to invite”–Russian interference in other countries. The reason Trump reportedly gave for his lack of concern? His view that the United States takes similar steps to meddle with domestic elections in other countries.

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[MFGsunny]

1. Excellent, factual overview - and a must read. n/t

[Wellstone ruled]

2. When Trump did the

so called Miss America thing in Russia. In that time frame,there was a few stories about Putin's Palaces or his lavish Homes in various Russian areas. The Photo spread was pretty extensive and am wondering if this is why Donnie of Little Honesty,wants what Putin has.