Trump really wasn’t so tough on Russia

A simple review of the facts should put to rest the fantasy that Donald Trump would have been tougher on Vladimir Putin than Joe Biden has been:

• One of Trump’s first actions when running for president in 2016 was to remove support for providing lethal defensive weapons to Ukraine from the RNC’s official platform.

• While president, Trump repeatedly attempted to restore Russia to the G-7, tried to undo the Russia sanctions implemented by the Obama administration for annexing Crimea, and directed National Security Adviser (and convicted criminal) Michael Flynn to tell the Russian Ambassador not to react to the sanctions Congress passed for Russia’s 2016 election meddling because he would undo them when he took office.

• Trump continually denigrated NATO and seriously considered withdrawing the US from the alliance.

• President Trump publicly took Putin’s word over every US intelligence agency regarding Russian election interference, and actually suggested Ukraine was responsible.

• In addition to famously withholding military aid to Ukraine unless they announced a bogus investigation of Hunter Biden, Trump also refused Zelensky’s request to meet at the White House, which would have shown US/ Ukraine solidarity against Russia.

• He called Putin a “genius” and “savvy” for invading Ukraine.

Finally, can any rational person truly believe that the guy who suggested that we paint our F-22s with Chinese flags and “bomb the s***” out of Russia would be more competent in handling this global crisis? — Scott Paulo, Chico