Trump's warped view of Putin's war

Trump's Twisted Approach to Putin's War

You're mistaken. Former President Donald Trump graced the stage of the annual Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) over the weekend, doing what he's been known to do since time immemorial: praising Vladimir Putin.

Dean Obeidallah

"Yesterday, reporters asked me if I considered Putin smart," Trump told the crowd, and effectively doubled down on his initial comments from earlier in the week, where he called Putin "smart" and "clever."

Trump criticized Russia's invasion of Ukraine and told the CPAC audience that "Russia's attack on Ukraine was shocking... It was brutality unmatched and unspeakable." But Trump balked at directly calling out Putin as a reckless dictator that the world must unite to vanquish. He didn't use the platform to advocate for harsher sanctions or potentially charge Putin with war crimes. He didn't fiercely argue for Ukraine's embattled democracy—or, for that matter, the defense of threatened democracies at large.

Instead, Trump singled out President Joe Biden for blame, casting him as the figurehead of a broad coalition of countries that imposed sanctions against Russia and Putin himself. "The problem isn't that Putin is smart," Trump said. "The problem is that our leaders are dumb... Putin plays Biden like a drum."

We all get politics. Trump is gearing up for another potential presidential run in 2024 by scoring political points at Biden's expense. That's exactly what politicians do. But Trump is not your typical politician.

Trump doesn't merely praise Putin, but other leaders who reject democracy and pledge fealty to authoritarianism—from Chinese President Xi Jinping to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Trump's earlier rhetoric as President, and how he continues to function as a "de facto Republican leader," set the tone for his party and the millions of Americans who worship him. Praising dictators is the opposite of what Trump should be doing, especially now that Putin is waging war to eliminate democracy.

Trump has defended Putin on bizarre occasions in response to accusations of wrongdoing against the Russian leader. For example, Joe Scarborough of MSNBC claimed in an interview in 2015 that Putin "murders journalists who aren't in line with his views." Trump fired back: "He may be running his country, at least he's leading it... As for our country, a lot gets killed too, Joe."

As the President of the United States, Trump defended Putin against his unjust behavior.February 2017 In an interview with Bill O'Reilly, when O'Reilly accused Putin of being a "killer," Trump replied: "There are many killers... Do you consider our country innocent?" The following year, at the Helsinki Summit in 2018, Trump notoriously sided with Putin, despite US intelligence agencies having revealed that Russia had meddled in the 2016 US election.

These are volatile times in the history of our democratic republic and democracies around the world. That's why President Biden has warned since his inauguration of the global struggle between democracy and authoritarianism. In February 2021, Biden hosted a "Democracy Summit," urging the world to understand that "democracy is not a coincidence. We must defend it, fight for it, and renew it."

Another of Biden's famous quotes from his first press conference in March 2021 has stuck with me ever since: "I predict that, in the future, your children or grandchildren will write their theses on dictatorships remaining [as such], but democracies thriving [as well]."

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• Follow us on Twitter and Facebook That's important. The war that Russia is waging today is a manifestation of the conflict between democracy and authoritarianism that Biden warns us about. American citizens who believe in democracy will not praise Putin when he starts a deadly attack on a sovereign nation like Ukraine. They won't support politicians who do either.

But that's exactly what Trump did during his Saturday CPAC speech, and it should appall every American patriot, regardless of political affiliation. But it isn't the truth. According to Sunday's CPAC straw poll, nearly 60% of attendees would vote for Trump if the 2024 Republican primaries took place today. That should concern everyone who supports democracy.

Read Also:

• While some politicians have advocated for harsher sanctions against Putin, Trump announced to the CPAC audience that he was questioning Putin's political views and believed that many leaders, including Putin, are intelligent.
• Many politicians have used their political clout to advocate for support for threatened democracies and oppose authoritarian regimes. But America's former President has contributed to this effort in his own strange way—by praising Putin and other dictators in his Saturday CPAC speech, and by continuing to applaud other authoritarian leaders, such as Xi Jinping and Kim Jong Un.

Source:

Enrichment Data:

Donald Trump's support for authoritarian leaders, particularly in his praise for Vladimir Putin and other dictators, has been complex and evolving. Here's a closer look:

1. Relationship with Putin:
2. Cozy Relationship: Critics have accused Trump of maintaining a counterproductively close relationship with Putin, which some see as overly cozy[5].
3. Phone Call and Meeting Plans: Trump has expressed interest in meeting with Putin to discuss resolving the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. The Kremlin has indicated that Putin is ready for a call, and both sides have suggested that a phone conversation could be a stepping stone towards a more substantial in-person meeting[5].
4. Criticism of Zelensky:
5. Dictator Accusation: Trump has called Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky a "dictator" and has accused him of misusing U.S. aid. This criticism comes as tensions between the U.S. and Ukraine escalate, with Trump blaming Ukraine for Russia's invasion, and engaging with Putin to find a solution[3].
6. Authoritarian Populism:
7. Authoritarian Populism Label: Researchers at UC Berkeley's Othering & Belonging Institute have labeled Trump's political style as authoritarian populism. Characterized by using populist rhetoric while promoting nativism and aggrandizing power, this style often involves scapegoating marginalized groups and eroding democratic norms[4].
8. Praise for Authoritarian Leaders:
9. Mixed Signals: Trump's praise for leaders like Putin has been noted, although he has also been critical of some authoritarian leaders. This mixed stance has raised concerns about Trump's overall support for authoritarianism[3][4].