McMaster and commander

The words were positively presidential. Under Vladimir Putin, the speaker said Monday, Russia has been growing ever more aggressive around the world, denying its actions, “and we have failed to impose sufficient costs.” True. “Russia has used old and new forms of aggression to undermine our open societies and the foundations of international peace and stability.” Also true.

And: “We are now engaged in a fundamental contest between our free and open societies and closed and repressive systems.” Yes.

But it wasn’t a President who threw down those gauntlets, laying out with bracing clarity the threat and the stakes; it was departing National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster.

Meanwhile, in almost every public statement, Donald Trump responds to fresh revelations about Kremlin interference with something like: “Getting along with Russia is a good thing, not a bad thing.”

The last time McMaster spoke out about Russian meddling in the 2016 election, saying there was “incontrovertible” evidence of it, Trump took to Twitter to rebuke him.

A good man and clear-eyed defender of American interests has been forced out of the White House. The President of the United States remains.