2w ago

Republicans just can't seem to condemn Trump's policy shift toward Putin

www.huffpost.com Republicans Just Can't Seem To Condemn Trump's Policy Shift Toward Putin

GOP officials who have supported Ukraine are trying to balance their opposition to Russia while remaining loyal to Trump.

Summary

Republican lawmakers who have condemned Putin hesitate to criticize Trump’s recent pro-Russia stance.

Trump falsely blamed Ukraine for the war, called President Zelenskyy a “dictator,” and demanded Ukraine surrender rare earth minerals in exchange for U.S. aid.

While some GOP officials reaffirmed support for Ukraine, they avoided directly challenging Trump. Meanwhile, Trump’s administration negotiated a Russia-Ukraine peace deal without initially including Ukraine.

Zelenskyy rejected Trump’s minerals demand, warning of dangerous precedents.

38 comments

Blows my mind, having grown up in the age of Reagan Republicans, to see how Republicans act today, vs then. Its so weird.
_This _comment _is _licensed _under _CC _BY-NC-SA _4.0
- I'm not shocked that they're proving themselves self-serving cowards after lying about being the party to uphold traditional values and be trusted to take care of america and the american people, to bring honour and glory on the world stage.
  It was always a lie but just a less obvious lie than what's going on now and they never had any shame. Like corporations which only care about values or anything else insofar as it affects their bottom line.
  They were always looking after their own interests - wealthy people protecting and trying to increase their own wealth.
- IMO.... Reagan republicans would have behaved like this if they could have gotten away with it.
  They've been working on getting to this point for a very, very long time.
  
  Reagan republicans would have behaved like this if they could have gotten away with it.
  No. Hard-disagree with that. For the Republican party members in Congress at least. Those who voted for them, some not, some so.
  The greatest generation types would not stand for how the country is currently being used, and they spilled blood on foreign sands to earn that right of judgement.
  I gotta believe that Nixon has got to be doing cartwheels in his coffin right now (he might of actually been cremated/urned, but you know what I mean), seeing what Trump/MAGA gets away with, when he was just trying to ease-drop on some opponents and used the FBI to do so.
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- Having once been one (well I was under voting age at the time), it's so confusing to me. Fortunately I'm considerably older and wiser now, but it's wild to see. Russia had replaced Nazis as the predominant bad guy of the zeitgeist. Now both are seen favorably by the right.
  I feel like the brain worm problem is far more prevalent than just RFK. Is this just a subtle alien invasion? I'm not actually given to such conspiratorial thinking but if it were true, it would explain a lot.
  
  Poor education, religion and unchecked propaganda. American problems that have been ignored for decades.
  
  brain worm
  Some are seriously thinking it is the prevalent lead in the water and the result of many years of lead exposure in gasoline.
  
  right wing ideologies are right wing ideologies. of course they are viewed favourably.
  
  Having once been one (well I was under voting age at the time), it’s so confusing to me.
  Well, if you take them at face value, then the things they said were important to them back in the Reagan era were just lies, since today's MAGA-Republicans don't follow anything like them now.
  But even having said that, supporting a Russian dictator invading another country and NOT supporting NATO, that's such a un-Republican thing to do that its hard to believe they can even act that way.
  Half-kidding, but I'm thinking that there are lots of photos of political people doing compromising things being held over their heads.
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- 'The Russians aren't communist anymore, see they are just oligarch capitalists, like we aspire to be'
  -republicans
- As somebody who was barely sentient when Clinton was in office and grew up under Bush Jr., I've seen the writing on the wall since I was old enough to understand the concept of sexuality.
  I can't say I expected blatant Nazism and a fascist coup back then, but I remember when we had to make up a brand new word that meant "I'm a straight man who also happens to wash their hair and like dressing well" because that was enough to make people assume you were gay. And if people thought you were gay, it could cost you your career.
  The slide started under Reagan but truly accelerated when Nixon showed the Republicans that big government could be good for them, too. My entire life, the two guiding principles of conservative philosophy have been hatred and control. American society has always had issues with deeply rooted bigotry.

"Zelensky is a ruthless dictator that started the war, but if he gives is rare minerals we will give him weapons"
I'm baffled Trump can make this kind of argument and nobody on his party A. Calls him out for saying Ukraine is a dictatorship that started the war B. Calls him out for gleefully announcing he will support a warring dictatorship for a price
Bunch of traitors.
- Actually, no. It's worse than that.
  Trump isn't asking for rare earth minerals in exchange for weapons. Trump is demanding the rare earth minerals as retroactive payment for weapons already received. If Zelensky signs over 50% of the mineral rights as payment for past aid, then maybe Trump would be willing to strike a deal for new weapons depending on what else Zelensky is willing to give up. Maybe.
- Some R's have spoken out:
  https://uk.news.yahoo.com/putin-dictator-gop-balks-trump-212234635.html

They're on the same Putin Payrolll
- Nah, he has dirt on them. The DNC emails weren't the only ones hacked, but they were the only ones released.
  
  I'm sure they all have dirt on each other down to mutually assured destruction. I'm still betting we're over 50% remotely controlled on both sides.

I was checking out that CNN news humor show “Have I Got News For You” and they had Mike Lawler on as one of the guests. It was painful to watch him stick to talking points on certain subjects (like Ukraine.) Even the GOP congress critters who are somewhat anti-trump act like they’re hostages, while the all-in people act like cult members.
- It's because the US has entered an Authorian Era. The penalty of going against an authoritarian ruler is literal career suicide so they have to toe the party line. Even if they're against it.
  A Conversation With Steven Levitsky and Lucan Way
  https://www.foreignaffairs.com/podcasts/america-path-authoritarianism-democracy-trump
- I had to shut it off. To everyone else's credit they hammered him about it, but I cannot keep watching something that platforms....that.

Bunch of cuck bitch traitors.
- Rotten to the very core serving the felon king.

Reagan would be rolling in his grave now. Given that he was one of the key players to pave the way for this, I'd laugh at the irony of it if, you know, it wasn't screwing the whole world over.

Back in the day, a Soviet leader said that when the time came to kill the West, they'd use weapons an American businessman sold them.
edit = did a search and apparently it's a spurious quote that can't be verified.
On the other hand, it sure looks accurate right now.
- The capitalist will sell you the rope for his own noose or something?
  
  Apparently, it's been attributed to everyone from Marx to Gorbachev and never been verified as an actual quote.
  otoh, it's sure looking accurate right now.

Kompromat.
Gaetz. Epstein. Drake.

I personallybelieve the US was always some sort of corporate authoritarianism. Democrats that spoke against the corporate status quo often got shoved aside.
But now more than ever we have entered a naked Authorian Era of single party rule. The penalty of going against an authoritarian ruler is literal career suicide so they have to toe the party line. Even if they’re against it.
And the opposition party? It doesn't exist, the democratic party was never an opposition party and they enabled a lot of what is happening now for reasons I just mentioned.
A Conversation With Steven Levitsky and Lucan Way
https://www.foreignaffairs.com/podcasts/america-path-authoritarianism-democracy-trump

Imagine believing that politicians stand for anything at all besides violently imposing their privilege. These bros couldn't give less of a fuck about ukraine or anybody.

38 comments