Trump has given us new resolve to protect liberty
Think of President Donald Trump’s performance in Helsinki on Monday as a gift. If there were still doubters that he is supremely self-centered and clueless about his role in upholding America’s values, his statements in the press conference following his summit with Russia President Vladimir Putin erased all uncertainty.
By his disregard not only of Putin’s dangerous history but also of the legitimate work of American intelligence forces, the president made it clear where his allegiance lies, and it is 100 percent with the face in his mirror.
Trump’s behavior that some called treasonous has finally liberated those who had been some of his staunchest supporters to call out his unacceptable praise of murderous tyrants and his undermining of U.S. relations with longstanding allies in Europe and Canada, among other failings.
The president’s incredulous comments were enough to prompt Belmont County Republican Party Chairman Chris Gagin to immediately resign his southeast Ohio position “as a matter of conscience, and my sense of duty.”
Just as that county party chair was freed from backing a president who no longer — if he ever did — upholds basic American ideals, we also are unencumbered of any obligation to support a commander in chief who has purposely put his own self-interests above those of this nation.
Trump’s backpedaling Tuesday — saying he now accepts intelligence reports — was predictable and did not negate the damage caused by his unwillingness to take a strong stance for America on the world stage he had Monday.
It is laudable that the president’s regrettable remarks moved many members of his own party to finally levy some well-deserved criticism. U.S. Sen. Rob Portman of Ohio and U.S. Rep. Steve Stivers of Upper Arlington have been quiet on some of Trump’s past transgressions, but on Monday even they were silent no more.
From Portman: “When given the opportunity, President Trump did not hold President Putin to task for election meddling, for the illegal annexation of Crimea, or for the continued aggression in Eastern Ukraine.”
From Stivers: “We must be absolutely clear: Vladimir Putin is not our friend and cannot be trusted.”
Even Newt Gingrich, former House speaker and a strong Trump supporter, said the president’s comments were “the most serious mistake of his presidency” and should be corrected “immediately.”
But the president clearly has no intention of correcting anything because he does not believe he made a mistake. In his Trumpcentered world, he must defend his election at all cost by discrediting any suggestion that the Russians helped. And we may never know if he is also motivated by something ruinous that Putin has been discreetly holding over him.
The president’s conduct on Monday should not have surprised anyone.
Indeed, with the way Trump has been signaling his admiration for Putin since the beginning of his presidency, the bigger surprise would have been if the president had come out with a strong rebuke for any of Putin’s demonstrated aggression toward other nations and his own people.
Now that we know for certain that the president won’t defend our values, we are duty-bound to identify and support those who will stand up for the freedoms that define us. That is the motivation President Trump unleashed on Monday in Helsinki.