Is It Amnesia or Hypocrisy That Fuels the GOP’s Crazy Response to Putin? – Mother Jones

In the midst of a world disaster created by Russia that would doubtlessly set off a struggle in Europe, Republicans and right-wingers on and off Fox News have pledged allegiance to…Vladimir Putin. At the least, they’re siding with the Russian autocrat and trash-talking President Joe Biden’s effort to block his aggression. But there’s nothing shocking about the ongoing romance between conservatives and the democracy-crushing thug-leader of Russia, who has invaded Ukraine and violated worldwide regulation. Anyone shocked by this has forgotten considered one of the key info of the twenty first century: Putin waged struggle on the United States, and Donald Trump and his get together aided, abetted, and benefitted from that assault.

In latest days, as Putin has threatened a conflagration, high conservatives and GOP officers have virtually pinned “I’m-with-Vlad buttons” onto their lapels. One instance: Mike Pompeo, Trump’s ultimate secretary of state and earlier than that his CIA director, had solely praise for the corrupt Russian autocrat, describing him as “proficient” and “savvy.” Donald Trump, speaking to a conservative podcaster on Tuesday, hailed Putin’s strikes in Ukraine as “genius.” Referring to Putin’s invasion of japanese Ukraine, Trump mentioned, “Putin declares an enormous portion of…of Ukraine. Putin declares it as impartial. Oh, that’s fantastic…I mentioned, ‘How good is that?’ And he’s gonna go in and be a peacekeeper…Here’s a man who’s very savvy.” Later in the interview, Trump continued to gush: “I knew Putin very properly. I acquired together with him nice. He favored me. I favored him. I imply, you already know, he’s a troublesome cookie, acquired quite a lot of the nice appeal and quite a lot of delight. But the manner he—and he loves his nation, you already know? He loves his nation.”

No condemnation. No name for opposing Putin’s unlawful and provocative maneuvers. Just one huge bear hug from Trump for the tyrant. Putin could unfold repression by pressure however he positive “loves his nation.” (Remember, Trump’s crush on Putin stretches again to 2013 when he tweeted: “Do you suppose Putin shall be going to The Miss Universe Pageant in November in Moscow—if that’s the case, will he turn into my new finest pal?”)

Conservatives have additionally boosted Putin by pooh-poohing the invasion of Ukraine as no huge deal. In his common too-clever-by-half manner, Tucker Carlson on Tuesday night time dismissed outrage over Putin’s aggression:

What is that this actually about? Why do I hate Putin a lot? Has Putin ever known as me a racist? Has he threatened to get me fired for arguing with him? Has he shipped each middle-class job in my city to Russia? Did he manufacture a worldwide pandemic that wrecked my enterprise and saved me indoors for 2 years? Is he instructing my youngsters to embrace racial discrimination? Is he making fentanyl? Is he attempting to snuff out Christianity? Does he eat canines? 

It appeared as if Carlson was quasi-defending Putin as a result of the Russian chief doesn’t advocate essential race idea and isn’t the chief of China. He ridiculed considerations over Putin’s menace to world peace and stability and asserted Americans are being “skilled to hate” the Russian chief. In different phrases, there’s no motive to fret about Putin’s militarism—and if you happen to do fear, you’re only a brainwashed sheep. Carlson is proudly anti-anti-Putin. Pro-Trump right-wing activist Charlie Kirk much less eloquently pushed one other speaking level that assists Putin: “Who cares? This is a household dispute between two international locations. One (Russia) reasonably sturdy. And one (Ukraine) very corrupt and weak.” And MAGA persona and now self-proclaimed international coverage knowledgeable Candace Owens inspired Americans to settle for Putin’s tackle the Ukraine battle and tweeted, “WE are at fault.”

Republicans are pushed by an outdated adage: The enemy of my enemy is my pal. It’s Biden-hatred on steroids. Biden is in a confrontation with Putin. Thus, Putin should be doing one thing proper. Their precedence isn’t how to restrain Putin however how finest to troll Biden. Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.), for one, tweeted: “Joe Biden is unfit to function Commander-in-Chief. He has constantly given into Putin’s calls for and proven nothing however weak point.”

Joe Biden is unfit to function Commander-in-Chief.

He has constantly given into Putin’s calls for and proven nothing however weak point.

— Elise Stefanik (@EliseStefanik) February 23, 2022

Former scandal-ridden House Speaker Newt Gingrich took a similar stance: “Putin is pushing daily and has no concern of NATO as a result of he has no concern of the United States or its President.” 

This is all patently absurd when thought-about towards the document of Trump’s personal interactions with Russia. As but extra proof of what Gore Vidal rightly dubbed “the United States of Amnesia,” these Republicans and right-wingers are conveniently overlooking the unique sin of the Trump presidency: how Trump assisted Moscow’s assault on the United States. When Putin mounted a covert assault on the US election in 2016 to assist Trump win, Trump and his crew denied this was taking place. Moreover, at a press convention throughout the marketing campaign, Trump encouraged Russian hackers to goal Hillary Clinton. (It appeared the Russians have been listening. Hours later, in accordance to particular counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation, Moscow’s cyber ops tried to break into Clinton’s private e mail server.) 

Trump’s denials—which got here after his high advisers (Donald Trump Jr., Paul Manafort, and Jared Kushner) had been privately knowledgeable that Moscow was attempting to clandestinely assist his marketing campaign—supplied cowl to Putin. They additionally made it extraordinarily tough for any Republican to denounce the Russian operation. How may the GOP fiercely oppose one thing that its chief insisted wasn’t taking place? When President Barack Obama reached out to Mitch McConnell, then the Senate majority chief, and requested him to be part of the administration in forging a forceful bipartisan response to Moscow’s underhanded intervention in the American election, this high Republican instructed Obama to take a hike. 

After he turned president, Trump, fearful that the profitable Russian assault undermined the legitimacy of his victory (which it did), continued to serve Putin’s pursuits and by no means pressed him on this matter. During a May 10, 2017, Oval Office assembly with Russian international minister Sergey Lavrov and Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak, Trump reassured the pair that he was unconcerned about Moscow’s interference in the election. (A Russian photographer snapped pictures of the three of them yukking it up in the Oval Office. American journalists weren’t allowed to witness the assembly.) A 12 months later, when Trump and Putin held a joint press convention following a summit in Helsinki, Trump told reporters he trusted Putin when he mentioned that Moscow had not sabotaged the 2016 election: “President Putin says it’s not Russia. I don’t see any motive why it could be.” It was all, Trump incessantly insisted, “a hoax.”

Throughout Trump’s presidency, Republicans assisted or excused their chief’s profound betrayal. They echoed his claims that any investigation of Putin’s assault and the Trump marketing campaign’s interactions with Russians was only a witch hunt. They concocted conspiracy theories—the actual scandal was Ukraine serving to Hillary Clinton!—to deflect consideration. They endeavored to flip the investigation of the Trump-Russia scandal into the actual scandal. (Trump was spied on!) They by no means acknowledged the commander-in-chief had helped a international authorities conduct clandestine info warfare towards the United States and that they’d all gained from this assault. 

Now the Trump cult glorifies the despot who assaulted American democracy. Or they condemn an American president for being weak in the face of Putin’s aggression. Or each. There’s a Russian proverb: Hypocrites kick with their hind toes whereas licking with their tongues. These days, Republicans and conservatives are fairly busy with each ends of that equation.