Donald Trump’s on-stage performance with Vladimir Putin wasn’t without some benefit. Jellyfish, slime molds, and limp dishrags around the world are feeling better about themselves after the man currently residing at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue vividly illustrated that neither backbone nor intellect is required to hold high office. And among the mindless organisms cheered by Trump’s performance, include this one: Donald Trump.
Arriving back in DC, Trump seems upset that he’s not getting the hero’s welcome he so deserves after a whirlwind week of destroying alliances, blowing up special relationships, and selling out the nation. And, as the Washington Post reports, he knows just where to cast the blame for the lack of cheering throngs to greet Air Force One.
In a morning tweet, the president blamed the media for negative coverage of his joint news conference Monday with Putin in Helsinki — a performance by Trump that was widely panned by members of both poltical parties.
“Widely panned” may be the only part of that phrase that will stick with the ratings-obsessed Trump. To date, he’s loved bad coverage … because it’s coverage. And because it gives him the chance to tee-off on his favorite “fake news” back nine. And so far Trump’s party and fans have rewarded him, no matter how egregious his action, by keeping his poll numbers amazingly robust and his backing up every moment of his shtick, even when he contradicts himself within a few hours.
But while Trump’s televised capitulation to Russia isn’t generating the reaction that it should produce from his fellow Republicans, it isn’t exactly drawing huzzahs, Multiple Republicans are not exactly distancing themselves from Trump, and not exactly condemning his actions, but … edging slightly away while urging him to quickly make up with US intelligence agencies and walk back some of his buy-in to Putin’s claims.
And of course, there were some who were standing by to join Trump on the Putin team.
[Trump] thanked Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), one of the few prominent Republicans who have defended his performance at Monday’s remarkable 46-minute joint news conference.
Rand Paul is now planning his own Russia trip, though it’s not clear if he gets dibs on favors from Putin over the several Republican senators who showed the incredible hubris to visit the Kremlin on the Fourth of July.
But Paul isn’t the only Republican who is happy about Trump supporting Putin over the United States. According to The Hill, Trump won the enthusiastic support of a leader essential to Trump’s core audience.
Former Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke offered praise for President Trump’s widely criticized press conference with Russian President Vladimir Putin, calling it “historic” and “courageous.” …
“Bravo Trump! Bravo Russia! Bravo to all the true American Patriots who put America first and Peace and Justice first before the Zionist Deep Evil State ruling American Media and Politics,” Duke continued.
Nothing finishes off a “Bravo Russia!” moment like a heavy dash of antisemitism. Meanwhile, other Republicans continue pleas for Trump to “clarify” or “rephrase” just exactly how Putin is right and American intelligence agencies are wrong.
“I look for the president to maybe illuminate a little further the progress that was made in the closed-door session,” [Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.)] said, referring to a two -hour meeting earlier Monday between Trump and Putin, at which only their translators were present.
Gaetz, who is widely believed to be the congressman who asked Russian operatives to provide him with stolen information on his opponent—which they did—might want to practice a little “illumination” of his own. Though he, and most of the Republican Party, seems to think leaving the public in the dark is a fine thing.