"Russia is not our friend. It has acted in a hostile manner."
*After* the U.S. made it clear it was not Russia's friend and acted in a hostile manner.
Let's go over this one more time.
There was a strategic balance: Ukraine was in the Russian sphere of influence. What's more Ukraine *needed* to be in the Russian sphere of influence because the Crimea technically belonged to Ukraine but Russia considered Crimea as its own.
That strategic balance was thrown out the window when the Russian-leaning government in the Ukraine was overthrown. Leave aside whether or how much the U.S. was involved in this overthrow. Instead just look at how the U.S. reacted to Russia's legitimate concerns that it keep control of the Crimea. Somebody in the U.S. was giving very bad advice, because even minor students of Russian history would know that Russia would not, under any circumstances and faced with any threats, give up control of the Crimea. Instead of working for a save-facing measure to swing the Crimea back to Russia, the U.S. drew a red line.
One can argue that the American method was morally correct: freedom and democracy are moral anchors for the West, and trying to extend their geographic borders must trump all over concerns. Fair enough. But just remember it's the U.S. which started this, not the other way around.
25
In 1994 Russia signed the Budapest memorandum, in which it guaranteed the territorial integrity of Ukraine in exchange for Ukraine handing over all the ex-Soviet nuclear weapons remaining within its borders. This treaty confirmed that Crimea is part of Ukraine; even Putin has never argued that the Memorandum doesn't cover Crimea. So Russia certainly didn't "consider Crimea its own" in 1994. Indeed in 2010 Putin himself negotiated a 25-year extension of the lease on the naval facilities in Sebastopol, implicitly recognising Ukraine as the legitimate landlord.
The "Crimea is ours" policy is a 2014 invention. Before then, "Russia's legitimate concerns that it keep control of the Crimea" were never mentioned. Concern about continuing access to the Sebastopol naval facilities, yes. Political control of the whole peninsula, no.
So Putin did start it.
7
"It's the U. S. which started this?" The U. S. and Russia haven't been allies since WW II and they haven't been "friends" since long before that (if ever). Most Americans still understand that.
4
To those more knowledgeable about Russia's cybertrolling, does this comment by "abo" fit into the pattern of disseminating misinformation and sowing discord that has been discovered? It includes a skewed analysis of Crimea (know does a nation "keep control" of a region that is legally its neighbor's territory?) and seems to forget that Ukraine is a sovereign nation with the inherent right to determine its own alliances without usurpation by a foreign government.
3
"he has shown himself unwilling or unable to defend America against a Russian campaign to divide and undermine our democracy"
Nonsense. Nothing Trump could do or say would "defend America against a Russian campaign."
First, the Russians just are not that effective at anything. A few dollars, a tiny amount in the scale of elections, could not swing the whole thing by some evil genius beyond all our political experts. Even skilled Democrats and Republicans with 1,000 times as much money could not do that -- they tried.
Second, if there is a threat to to "divide and undermine our democracy" it comes from articles like this one, imagining and proclaiming vast damage to a supposedly fragile American system.
Our only fear is fear itself. The hype does damage the Russians never could. Putin ought to thank Friedman and the cohort pushing Hillary's excuses.
Trump may be all the nasty things said about him personally, and Putin may be a dictator, but the election was lost by Democrats who failed. They failed to motivate their own voters, the same voters who elected a black man twice with the middle name Hussein while we were still fighting Saddam's Iraq. They were the same voters who in those key purple states like Michigan voted Bernie in the primaries rather than Hillary. Team Hillary not only did not listen, they openly insulted their own, and got what comes of that.
Russia had nothing to do with getting this to a razor thin margin.
95
Whether or not the Russkies managed to overturn the election result the fact is that they clearly tried to do so and that cannot be tolerated ("a few dollars," did you say?). And if Hillary was all that awful a candidate why did they even bother?
Just for the heck of it, wouldn't you like to see The Donald's tax returns?
480
A bit too blasé. We have a President who is compromised, unfit to lead and unwilling to do what's required in defense of this country.
279
I think that it is naive to think that Russian interference had no effect on the outcome of the election. I accept that it is very hard to prove; hard to show that some specific false story led to a specific voter action, for example. But the Russian operatives were organised, funded and determined; they were not doing it for the fun of it but with a specific purpose. If there was no chance of an effect one should call in to question the whole of the advertising business and the whole of legally funded TV and radio political campaigning - what would be the point of it if it had no chance of having an impact?
86
It is amazing how ignorant people are on this farce of an article. This is not journalism and a good reason why the NYT's will be out of business in the next 5 - 7 years. The comments here make me laugh. Here it is you idiots...the Russians have been meddling in our politics for 80 years and supported by the left. I know you are generally not deep in history, but the reason the Russians were putting out anti-Hillary propaganda is they assumed like most of you idiots that she was going to be president. They were trying to weaken the supposed future president. Trump did not collude with them and it will be proven that he did not collude with them. Keep dreaming that he colluded with them if it helps you live your fantasy of seeing him impeached because the next 7 years are going to be very hard for you. The fact of the matter is that your candidate had an illegal server and every intelligence agency had her emails. This is what the Russians were able to use as part of their disinformation program. Once Trump was elected, they have started trying to undermine Trump because that is what Russians do. You fools have helped them and continue to help them by pushing this collusion nonsense. Just wait for the Mueller report to come out and you will be crying in your latte's and white wine.
11
All of this is true, Mr. Friedman, but you left out a significant part of the story.
Was Russia responsible for Citizen's United? Did Russia fight tooth & nail to prevent the ACA from taking root, or object to the Public Option? Is Russia responsible for the vast, growing degree of wealth disparity in the US? Was Russia behind the recent tax giveaway to the richest Americans? Has Russia worked vigorously for the past 6 decades to make sure every American has at least one gun at his or her disposal?
Our democracy has been in the process of undermining itself for decades now. DT and his Russian buddies simply saw an opening and exploited it. Does anyone think a DT presidency or Russian (Soviet) influence could have been a remote possibility in 1960, or 1980? Ironically, America was a great deal more "socialist" back then: union membership was much higher, and income inequality was nowhere near what it is now.
DT's "Drain the Swamp," "MAGA" followers will remain unmoved until we address the reasons they voted for him in the first place. Of course there is collusion - but until and unless we're honest about how this whole thing came about, it will only get worse.
919
For several years, I was a public defender in a large eastern city - among the hundreds of stone guilty dudes (and dudettes) with whom I've interacted, NONE have acted as terrified and guilty as Trump.
That's saying something. It's hard to imagine how Trump reverses the perception in the face of the factual avalanche that's begun.
He will soon have much more time for golf., provided he can keep himself on the street or (literally) out of Putin's sights,
453
What are the odds that Putin started courting Trump on or before 2013?? Directly or indirectly?
183
I just finished reading the opinion column about Mayor Megan Berry's circumstances -- a romance with a subordinate -- in Nashville, TN.
Then I came upon the Thomas Friedman's column on "Whatever Trump is Hiding . . ."
What a stark juxtaposition these two columns have offered to reader of the NYT.
Mayor Berry has placed her cards -- face up -- on the table.
She also has spoken forthrightly to the citizens of Nashville.
YES, questions about this matter remain to be answered. And an investigation is in process, delving into the facts of this matter.
Donald J. Trump is bobbing and weaving -- to use the words of pugilists -- rather than making a an effort to come clean. Not unlike Richard Nixon, his story lines are subject to frequent change.
Trump -- it is patently clear -- does not welcome the Special Prosecutor's investigation.
Rather, he lives in mortal fear of its findings and outcomes.
Too bad President Trump does not read very much.
He would learn a good deal -- about himself -- it he would digest the column about Mayor Berry.
Thank you Thomas Friedman for speaking truth to power.
And thank you Mayor Megan Berry for speaking candidly to your constituents about your hurtful transgressions.
209
Trump is bad news, but systemic injustices in our country are an even bigger issue. If we don't solve them, we are in danger of electing retreads of this same vulgar man. Friedman, let's stop focusing on how bad Trump is and instead demand action on: racism and the way it plays out in all its ugly forms (immigration, the death penalty, etc. etc), the NRA's control of lawmakers, the redrawing of voting precincts that results in the silence one party and the elevation of another, better public schools that produce highly literate students who question everything, and an internet that is as open and free as a neighborhood public library. And I'm not finished! In addition, we need better laws that require presidential candidate's and their cabinet appointees to release tax returns, publish investment portfolios including details about offshore accounts, and demand divestiture from private companies. Solutions to these issues and injustices will protect future US citizens from corrupt, unethical leaders like Trump and his smarmy crowd.
305
Last presidential election is a perfect storm that is sinking our great ship named USA. Years of conservative talk show venom primed an angry middle America who lost out on fast changing economy. Russian fake news operation turned out to be the best catalyst that resulted in the ‘whitelash’. Hillary is not exactly a darling with this crowd. From a public vantage point we are seeing billowing smoke with all the indictments and plea deals. There is definitely fire. This president and GOP have a lot to answer.
154
How Terrible a President we MUST have - Where a Horrific School Shooting In Florida offers a much needed Smoke-Screen for the White House under siege.
Trump Junior has boasted of huge Russian Investment in Trump-World.
People Close to Trump have already been indicted and/or have turned States Evidence to reduce their criminal sentences.
Are Trump's Defensive Shields "Weakening" . . .
The recent Twitter-Tirade has been quite Stunning -
Maybe the most Un-Presidential since the "biggest inauguration crowd ever" .
Mueller would never agree to granting Gates "a deal" - without him possessing some juicy meat on those "closer to Trump" - if not the big smelly cheese himself !
All 3 "possibilities" as presented by Mr. Friedman - Yeah - Put me down for all three !
Mr. Mueller, We've seen the Warm-Up Act -
Please - Now for the Main Event !
134
What makes Donald Trump an illegitimate POTUS is NOT the circumstances surrounding his election. He is the POTUS. What makes him illegitimate is his unwillingness to honor the oath he to preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution and all of us.
239
There is another reason trump may be failing to protect America. He could really be the manchurian candidate. But more than likely it is about money. As for the type of president he should be, that will never happen. There is nothing more to trump than what you see. The type of president you describe is exactly what President Obama was. Miss him yet?
150
His unexposed tax returns could explain a lot.
184
There's no mystery about this. The Russian oligarchs have been bankrolling the Trumps for years and using his hotels and condos to wash money. That's why he is frantic to stope Mueller. Mueller is quietly assembling the proof.
246
Trump: Clear and Present Danger in aiding and abetting our enemies. How much more of this can we take??
110
It sounds really scary. And demeaning that we have a President who has not said a word against the Russians even after his own Justice Department has indicted a bunch of them. Mr. Friedman, I firmly believe it’s BOTH money and sex tapes that keep Trump under their thump. I am utterly disgusted at the behavior of the Republican congress who are so petty that they don’t see the danger the Russians are putting us American in!
145
The closer we come to exposing the truth the more dangerous Trump will become.
180
If Our Republic is in trouble over 13 million in facebook ads we should fail as a Country.
19
For Trump and his ilk, its always about the money. Money is the only criteria by which he regards himself and others. Greed is the ultimate driver of his words and actions. He is hollow and vacuous.
103
To quote the great Voldemort "There is no good or evil, just power and those too weak to seek it." He may get the GOP ticket in 2020.
31
I think there's a third option as to why Trump won't respond to this threat - his mental disorder renders him incapable of comprehending the objective reality. In his mind, this whole issue is a threat to his fragile ego, and he reacts by striking out at everything and everyone.
123
If trump says that every time he sees Putin, that Putin tells trump that he, Putin, had nothing to do with the hackers, do you think that trump would have the sense ( very doubtful) to say that he knows Putin personally did not engage in this hacking, but his minions have done so. Personally, from my assessment, trump is now an agent of Russia because he is in hock to thieving oligarks. We really do need to see trump's tax returns. Surely someone can get ahold of them and leak them to the public. I completely agree with Tom Friedman.
51
Well, we're over 2000 replies so this Friedman piece hit a nerve. On both sides.
As usual, the two sides talk past each other. As a result, we have to separate narratives that're remarkable in how orthogonal they are one to the other.
Like matter and anti-matter. Dominant is the outrage and sense of peril. I share that. But also, from interesting but almost all self-anonymized conservative voices such as "RJ" and "JehJeh" with his/her "fabricated hugh [sic] story," we have blithe narratives that fan away any real serious damage being done.
So what to do? For starters I find it instructive to try reading and understanding the opposing view-holders' ideas. RJ for example is correct. We can for sure agree on something: mass stupidity and gullibility. If anyone can help me from either pole, please do so: what can be done about those defects, borne out of on-the-Internet-nobody-knows-you're a dog?
15
The entire Trump family has been conspicuously silent for quite awhile, I believe even they might be worried he is going over the edge. What a nightmare!
51
Trump is hurling us into an abyss as dangerous as in time in our history perhaps only superseded by the Civil War when luckily we had the great Abraham Lincoln to hold our fragile Nation together. The man of our times who could save us, Sad Sack Senator Mitch McConnell, is tragically too busy undermining Senate norms just when the Country needs this body most to counteract Trump's follies. It's a broken Senate and if McConnell doesn't make a sharp turn he'll go down as our worst leader yet along with Trump.
68
The last counts in the Manafort and Russians' indictments are the money laundering Forfeiture Allegations. The coming Trump indictment will have a similar count and will require Trump to forfeit Trump Tower, all his golf courses, other real property, his childrens' property, and all Melania's jewelery.
41
I don’t think it’s only negative, in that Trump owes the Russians money. There’s an upside:
I think Putin told Trump “Stick with me and I’ll show you how to make billions from being in power. I’ll show you how to get kickbacks, how to funnel it, how to siphon off funds, how to help your inner circle.”
Trump wants to be like Putin, rich. Everything else doesn’t matter.
43
Hard to believe that this trumped-up presidency has gone on for a year, and still will go on for who knows how much longer. Yes, we are. most of us, waiting for the moment it finally ends.. Every word you wrote, Thomas Friedman, is emblazoned on the air around me.
53
Trump is owned by the Russians and is totally compromised when it comes to dealing effectively with Russian on a range of issues, particularly concerning interference with the 2016 election. It defies reason to suggest that the Trump campaign was merely unwitting players. Don Jr. and Trump himself admitted coordinatin with the Russians. Mueller hasn't even gotten to the financial issues: tax issues, money laundering etc. This is all so crazy but this is what we get for electing a con man. Worst president ever.
78
Donald Trump is not that man -- to "lead our nation’s defense against this attack on the integrity of our electoral democracy." He is America's fool, bought and paid for by Russians who have bailed out his failing enterprises. It's not a mystery -- the Trumps have said as much. Moreover, because he's said it all in public, it appears unbelievable.
49
Keep poking, Tom. And, I hope your colleagues do, too.
40
I remember reading about Trump many years ago (20? 30?). He came across as a towering fool then. So I'd tend to vote for "both".
39
Well he certainly does not belong running a country, however, most of the blame should be redirected at the entire Republican establishment who have put this incompetent huckster in office and continue to support him. Republicans, and to some extent the Democrats, are a bunch of spineless bottom feeders for letting this totally inept person continue to run this country. Seems like all they care about is getting their agendas passed at any cost. The first clue to how dishonest this liar is, is when he refused to show his TAX records before he was placed in office. Anyone who had nothing to hide would have gladly submitted to this scrutiny as many have before him. If that was not the red flag needed by "decent" politicians I don't know what was. Instead he turned the whole process of elections into a circus. They should all be ashamed of themselves.
91
Congress passed sanctions. Enact them. NOW. Or face the charge of treason because that's what this is.
76
I think we're seeing a de-compensation that will lead to a Trump resignation when: 1) the public awareness, disgust and ridicule have continuied to reach what DJT regardsa as a "critical mass", +; 2) DJT's awareness that it REALLY IS ABOUT HIM when Flynn, Manafort, Gates and George P. among others begin to testify.
Watch for Trump to resign "they won't let me MAGA, for all their fake news? --- otherwise the next set or two of specific indictments v. Jay-rod, Don Jr., etc. should do it.
29
Mr. Trump, show us your tax returns.
74
Can a Republican please explain to me why 80 % of you are perfectly okay with this and approve of the President?
130
If Hillary and her team had all these Russian contacts, Republicans would have already brought up impeachment papers.
69
Everything Trump does is only for his pleasure and entertainment, nothing more. He lied about getting out of service in Vietnam by pretending to have "bonespurs", and then laughed about how his hardest job during that period was to prevent getting VD (venereal disease).
Because his only goals in life are self pleasure and entertainment, he uses his money (and his lawyers) to get out of trouble, like having his lawyers pay financial "bribes" to prevent women he's had affairs with while he's been married from "tattling" on him. Of course there are others, like Ryan and McConnell, who are also cover for him, but they're doing it to prevent themselves from being swept from office this November and further on, if Donald lasts that long.
He doesn't deserve much, but his placement as the worst president in our history (see today's NYT) is richly deserved. This is something we can finally say he truly deserves.
72
This is such an important issue, but how do we get Congress to move on it and call Trump's bluff? Why are the Republicans so bent on protecting this sociopathic liar no matter what he says or does?
49
And yet you listen to the Trump supporters on "60 Minutes" last night and they couldn't care less about anything he's done since he took office. They deny it all or simply don't care as long as their 401k keeps going up. They love him more "every day, every hour".
They astonish me. How can people be so willfully ignorant and uncaring about their own country? And so proud of it? Pretty scary.
127
And I STILL have friends who tell me to tune out the background noise and look at the good he does. Or to just give him a chance. All with a straight face. This incoherent buffoon can't even talk in complete sentences.
95
Thank you for continuing to print truth. SHAME on the House for its complicity.
61
He is a corrupt traitor and tool of a foreign nation and he isn't really hiding those facts. People are just pretending that it isn't happening.
45
Mr. Freidman:
Barak Obama was president in 2014-2016 when the Russian subversion campaign occurred. Surely he, James Clapper, and John Brennan were aware that the Russians were up to something. Why did he speak up only after HRC (unexpectedly) lost the election? Mr. Obama should be accountable because this occurred on his watch.
From Mr. Mueller’s indictment, it appears that the Russian’s main objective was to discredit the American electoral process. To America’s chagrin, it appears that they were highly successful in this effort. They discredited not only HRC, but all the Republican Establishment candidates as well. They made a point of not disparaging Bernie Sanders and Jill Stein, as well as Mr. Trump. After the election, they fomented anti-Trump rallies as well.
If the Russians really had damning information with which to blackmail Mr. Trump, do you think it would still be secret? With the widespread institutional hatred for Mr. Trump in the FBI, CIA and other government agencies, don’t you think that that information would have already leaked? I doubt that sexual exploits would be suitable blackmail material because most people are now inured to that type of dirt.
I would call Luigi Zingales, a professor of business at the University of Chicago, who predicted Mr. Trump’s ascendency five years ago based upon the Italian experience with Silvio Berlusconi. He would tell you that your anti-Trump caterwauling is backfiring and engendering sympathy and support for him.
12
He's in a virtual straight jacket. What's next, catatonia?
6
When will some prominent Republican legislator find whatever shred of decency and patriotism that may remain within him or her to rear up and roar, "ENOUGH!" ??
37
Greg Gutfeld just gave a great analogy. Collusion of Trump with the Russians is to the left like Curling is to the Olympics. If you don't win you have no future. You're done. The left put all their eggs in the collusion basket. Haha.
5
It's ironic that "President' Trump used to ridicule President Obama and Hillary Clinton for "not being able to utter the phrase 'Radical Islamic Terrorism'" and here we have Trump not able to admit that Russia meddled in the 2016 Presidential election. Sad!
41
Follow the money....
27
Why can't Trump's tax returns be subpoenaed by the special prosecutor?
29
I agree that all 3 of Friedman's theories are plausible, but he left an obvious one out: Trump is a scared narcissist who deep down knows he is not qualified to be president, something that every day's news proves in abundance. He may in fact be guilty only of colossal naivety (and bad intentions), but not of collusion. If that were to be proved in black and white, his cultivated persona of savvy businessman great white daddy would crumble into dust, possibly even with some portion of the 30% of Americans who still believe he is going to make their lives better.
17
I do not believe that Trump is all that susceptible to blackmail as far as the dossier related revelations since this flawed mentality would take a perverse pride in it and it would not cost him any $$ The RICO Act is where Trump and family are going to pay the price due to the extended criminal penalties for acts performed as part of an ongoing criminal organization.
There are 35 offenses that constitute racketeering, including EXTORTION, MONEY LAUNDERING, OBSTRUCTION OF JUSTICE, BRIBERY. and WIRE FRAUD. A racket is a planned or organized criminal act, usually in which the criminal act is a form of business or a way to regularly, or briefly but repeatedly, earn illegal or extorted money. Fines include up to $250,000 and double any illegal gains as well as triple on unpaid taxes due to fraud. I believe Trump has laundered at least hundreds of millions and likely billions of Russian funds through Trump and extended family businesses during the past 15-20 years .
Trump is toast and he knows it. He is a cornered, desperate, and dangerous man that needs to be very closely monitored. He is becoming more unstable and irrational by the day and he will literally do anything that would get him out from under what is soon coming. The nation is indeed in danger. This is no longer something that is black humor, salacious, or worthy of further analysis.
32
Tom, you've made a start by writing this piece and calling this a Code Red. You have a big platform, lots of visibility and connections up the wazoo. How will you use all that to continue to sound the alarm? I don't care what someone's political preferences are, the safety of our votes is bedrock, and is under threat. Be a patriot, don't let this piece be a one-time thing, use your position to ring the alarm again and again and again.
40
Reading Friedman's article as well as what I have suspected for quite some time, Donald Trump is undoubtedly a Russian asset. Russians tried hard to put him in the office and have succeeded. This will be remembered as one of the biggest achievements in the history of intelligence operations.
19
Trump supporters' narrative, which is as 'self-evident' to them, as the above arguments are to those of us who are appalled by Trump, is that he is being harassed and undermined by Democratic party lies.
Arguments or evidence are not convincing to them, as Trump's rhetoric is unconvincing to liberals. Trust, or the lack of it, is more the issue than rational discussion, isn't it?
6
It may have taken Friedman a bit of time to arrive at these conclusions but I'm very glad that he got here. Trump and the banana-Republicans are an existential threat to our Republic. He is most likely compromised by Russian intelligence and will continue to get more dangerous to this country and the world as the noose tightens around him and his family. My major worry is that the mother of all distractions will be his delusional path of escape i.e., that he will provoke a war with N. Korea or Iran in a desperate bid to unite the country around him. Code red indeed!
31
TF, thanks for asking the crucial question that so few others seem to be asking right now: why were the Russians so eager to make Trump president? They had to know their methods and those behind them would eventually be exposed, but once the election was over it didn't matter; their hand puppet would be in the White House. Dollars to donuts Putin has the goods on Trump and, as TF suggests, it has to do with Trump's financial dealings. Maybe there was no collusion; there didn't need to be. But Trump needs the investigation to go away; it's probably too late for him; if Mueller is half the investigator he seems to be, he's got the goods on Trump by now.
19
And why is he getting away with not imposing the sanctions that were authorized with overwhelming (and incredibly rare) bipartisan support? How can he do this and get away with it? Wake up America before it is too late. WAKE UP CONGRESS! This emperor is trampling over our Constitution, our heritage and the principles for which our forebearers sacrificed so dearly. WHY STAND WE HERE IDLE?
27
People forget that Russian meddling was a major issue during the 2016 election campaign. Americans knew Russia favored Donald Trump because Hillary Clinton kept telling them so. It was major talking point in her campaign speeches and in presidential debate. She characterized Trump as Putin’s puppet.
During the second presidential campaign debate, Hillary said, “our intelligence community just came out and said in the last few days that the Kremlin, meaning Putin and the Russian government, are directing the attacks, the hacking on American accounts to influence our election. And WikiLeaks is part of that, as are other sites where the Russians hack information, we don’t even know if it’s accurate information, and then they put it out. We have never in the history of our country been in a situation where an adversary, a foreign power, is working so hard to influence the outcome of the election. And believe me, they’re not doing it to get me elected. They’re doing it to try to influence the election for Donald Trump.”
Russian support cost Trump votes. The U.S. intelligence community assessment noted that in June 2016 Putin stopped praising Trump because Moscow realized that “any praise from Putin personally would backfire in the United States."
https://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/10/us/politics/transcript-second-debate....
14
One thing that you failed to mention is the possibility that he could be exposed to criminal prosecution for money laundering Putin's money. If Putin is holding Trump hostage, it's not exposure of some salacious activity in a hotel room. Trump would be proud of that.
13
tRump could care less about the validity of the "pee tape" being exposed, he's gotten a pass on all his other sexual perversions from his base and the Repubs. The only thing he cares about is his "brand" which will be in shambles once all the illegal dirty money and dealings are exposed. tRump will have no business left and he will be a pariah in business just like he has always been socially.
40
Gotta give the Russians credit. They know Americans better than Americans. They were able to put an idiot in office.
49
Money laundering
42
I wonder what it feels like to be a Russian stooge.
12
Traitor Trump and his clan of flipping clowns. Whose next to turn on the Con Don? We can see you, Jared.
27
Not your grandpappys Republican Party now is it?
If a whiff of this occurred during a HRC presidency the million moron march on Washington would have occurred already. These is ridiculous. When will GOP voters wake up???
29
Either Trump “has taken large amounts of money from shady oligarchs linked to the Kremlin . . . or rumors are true that he engaged in sexual misbehavior . . . .”
If only those were the worst possible alternatives, Mr. Friedman. Other likely scenarios: tax fraud, money laundering, collaboration with Russian intelligence both during the campaign and while in office, shameless profiteering while in office. The signs are plain as day.
Trump must resign. Now.
Pence will be awful. But at least the nation won’t go through living hell every single day.
35
Mark then why are you writing?
Trump = Treason.
30
amen
4
Tom Friedman has jumped the shark. Innuendo after innuendo. Where is his column excoriating Obama for not reacting to what the Russians we're doing when he knew about it in 2014? Why not go after Mark Zuckerberg and his minions at Facebook whose only motive in looking the other way was greed? How ' bout some commentary on how the MSM - and Obama - made fun of Romney for saying Russia was the greatest threat? Uranium One - not a peep. The stupid "reset" button Clinton gave to Lavrov - sheer idiocy. But Tom Friedman is an anti-Trumper like all of his colleagues at the Times. Thank k G-d the Times has the Crosswords - the only remaining worthwhile section.
13
Ya think?
2
"They’ve uncovered a Russian program to divide Americans "
NYT columnists and Democrats are pawns to Putin's intrigues by following his plan to divide and conquer.
9
“This is code red. “
Hear hear! Lets call it treason!
17
President Russian
Russian Republican Party
8
It's sad to see what Friedman has become. This is what happens to pundits/prognosticators who are consistently wrong. They become desperate and hysterical. Calm down Tom. Write another book about globalization--- stay away from day to day American politics-- you're embarrassing yourself.
11
Happy President's Day! Please Mr. Trump, go back up the escalator from whence you came! And take your chaos coterie with you.
19
Trump hatred is really hurting Mr. Friedman.
9
A con man sold fear and hate to stupid people and now we have an immoral, disgusting human being disgracing the office of the presidency and embarrassing our nation. While a gutless Republican senate and house bought and paid for by big money does nothing, the only thing that can save the republic is a massive turnout in November.
Without a check and balance on this moron playing the president by a Democratic House and Senate, and hopefully an impeachment, the damage done to the country, our democracy and environment will be generational.
40
Treasonous...Trump...Zuckerburg and all the other tech executives who made money working with the Russian plot to undermine the US government...the whole lot of them should be indicted for their treasonous actions...
15
The Russians & Mafia are in The White House!
13
You folks are seriously deranged. A nothing burger is just that - NOTHING.
9
If this be treason, the gallows needs to be prepared. George Washington would demand it.
6
It is clear to the world, and his Secretary of State, that Mr. Trump is a moron. It is likely that a majority of the Republican leadership agrees. Then why are your Republican leaders complicit in treason?
15
The danger is the Republicans in the US Congress who are ...not speaking up.
The danger is not Trump; since it is almost a given that he is unable to be
a capable President.
The danger for our democracy which the Russian government has successfully
tarnished...is the lack of spine from the US Congress....who do not stand up
to Trump;...why are the GOP so spineless....who capitulate to Trump...ergo
to their paymasters...i.e. their campaign funders...Trump is certainly the
'fool' ...the 'Lord of Misrule'....however...the spineless pawns of the PAC
funders of these mouthpieces of the .01 percent ...what are their priorities...
why this capitulation to a fool like Trump....ergo Putin.... so when will the
Leaders of the GOP....get their act together and charge Trump with ...say
Amendment 25; Section 4 (claiming him to be mentally unfit) or will they'
wait until Trump is charged with treason...well ????
8
There was one bit of good news for Trump this weekend--he saved himself some money. He urinated in his own pants at Mar-A-Lago instead of paying Russian prostitutes to do it for him. That's a positive!
8
Isn't it ironic that someone as shameless as Donald Trump would try to hide his sexual encounters and escapades? He practically built his candidacy on destroying behavioral norms for politicians. Unfortunately, cheating on his wife with a porn star seems expected for someone of his abysmal character. Which makes it all the more likely that he's hiding financial entanglements with the Russians. Somewhere in the bowels of the IRS or a bank is someone who knows this. It's time for a massive leak.
21
So Mr. Friedman, what do we do that we are not already doing? With Paul Ryan, Mitch McCommell and the rest of the GOP goose-stepping behind president s--th--e, what are we to do?
8
Trump does not care about America! He has made everything about him. He does not care that the American way of election & campaigning has been totally destroyed. He does not care that racism & deaths from violence have increased since he was “elected”. He only cares about himself. He does not even care about his own wife & child. His legacy is going to be hate, death, & violence!
Yeah Russia Owns Trump!
He will do nothing to help this country! He is protecting himself & his money!
There are two ways to stop this destruction of innocents & our world...Come together & Vote these Supporters of Guns for all & this egomaniac out of office & the press needs to stop giving all the details of violent actions out (gives ideas to the next assassin) & stop giving Egomaniacs (Trump, Congressmen, et al) press attention. The press needs to be covering more good things going on not just the bad! We sound like a third world country in the midst of a civil war.
Only Americans can Make America Great Again! Not one man who thinks he is America! Let him know he Is Not our country!
Oh yeah, Trump you rescinded the mental health plan for guns, Now you own that! You ended DACA, You own that! Stop blaming everyone for your failures!
10
Trump's manifest unfitness for office becomes more obvious each time he tries to deny or downplay the Russian threat to our democratic process. His piggish past with women who were paid to keep their mouths shut underscores how credible the Steele dossier is and how this renders him vulnerable to blackmail. How else explain his bromance with Putin to include refusing to impose tougher economic sanctions against Russia that were overwhelmingly approved by Congress, including those spineless GOP lawmakers, several months ago. If anyone is up for a "golden shower" it's this horndog. And the video evidence is likely at the ready by his Moscow masters.
7
Thomas Friedman is an astute observer and this column nails it. Again.
Thank you.
If only the people who are in Congress today, both parties, both houses, would pay attention, grow a spine and get rid of D.T.! Congress pilloried Clinton for much less--everyday we're learning something new about D.T.'s behavior, actions, and personality traits that are creepy, distasteful, immoral, likely illegal, disgusting, idiotic and heartless. What a joke to have him as President.
Our country and, we, the people, are the laughingstock of the rest of the world.
Congress,READ THOMAS FRIEDMAN'S COLUMN!!! Do something about the idiot dunce in the White House. PLEASE. TODAY.
13
The USA is under cyber attack by Rusia and the Conmander In Chief is awol. Isnt that derelection of duty an impeachable offense?
12
You fail to explain why Obama did nothing in 2014. Were Clapper and Brennan totally unaware, stupid, or complicit?
10
There really is no other satisfactory explanation than the current president is on videotape in a russian hotel room watching a couple of women urinate on each other.
There is no plausible argument that this would be beyond his sense of morality.
1
"Code red" sounds like a fine moment for the Editorial Board of the New York Times to call for impeachment.
3
IMO, Friedman no longer has any credibility.
8
Trump is both corrupt and a fool. How much more obvious does this have to be?
11
OMG Tom Friedman! I started reading this early morning and thought I had somehow logged on to a tabloid instead of the NYT. Are these the only two possibly explanations you can think of? A columnist of your stature? Has the Trump presidency created such an upheaval that you felt compelled to drop to the gutter? You’re better than that. At least, I always thought so.
4
The difference between left leaning NYT and the rest of reality is breath taking. If this is the only place you get your information, you are uninformed.
7
BRAVO!!! Hitting the nail SQUARELY on the head (without bruising a thumb). Thanks to Mr. Friedman for what we can truly believe about Idiot Trump! He is such a nincompoop he doesn't even know how to ACT like a President. GAWD - what a blessing it will be for our entire country (and the world) when this nitwit is thrown out of OFFICE!
8
This has to be one of the most logically challenged articles I've ever read, and that's saying something given that it comes from the New York Times.
7
I read Friedman's piece. Then I read a couple dozen comments. Friedman sure knows his audience. They eat up every word. Sad that Friedman's audience doesn't know that Friedman is either a fool or a complete partisan hack, (and this hit job on Trump simply confirms that). You NYT readers need to get some better news sources.
7
I agree with Mr. Friedmann. Trump is a wholly owned subsidiary of Putin. If he were not, then he would freely reveal his tax returns.
This is a petulant manchild who trashes everyone but Putin. You don't have to be a rocket scientist to come to the conclusion that if Putin is the only person on the earth, save Trump, that doesn't get trashed by Trump then Putin must have Trump by the shorthairs (and I don't mean the short hairs at the back of his head).
13
A Russian asset sits in--and despoils--the Oval Office, aided and abetted by the Republican Party eager to use this opportunity to impose its sickening agenda on the country. This fact has been apparent since the inauguration of this towering fool and "useful idiot." Friedman has finally sounded the Code Red alarm, and it's high time. Let this be the rallying call for the 2018 midterm election. If this situation is not remedied by the voters, we may all find ourselves required to master the intricacies of the Cyrillic alphabet, no easy task.
8
Donald Trump is a trifecta traitor.
First, he knows that Putin holds the bag on him (financially and/or sex-scandalously) and is terrified of exposure by Mueller or Putin.
Second, he dismally confuses his job as President with his ego identity as a business fabulist, oligarchic manipulator and mendacious demagogue for a minority of ignorant, resentful Americans.
Third, he betrays his oath of office by ducking his obligation to defend the nation and its Constitution, by accepting established intelligence on Russian interference almost surely abetted by Trump campaign operatives and other "useful idiots" who have committed auto-lobotomy.
If the lords of the Republican Party cannot heed these facts, and remove Trump by push (abdication) or shove (impeachment and conviction), even if that sticks us with the pious stooge Pence, then the party deserves that oblivion which befell the Whigs and (more suitably) the Know-Nothings.
13
Wow! Mr.Friedman,a HatTrick,aGrand Slam. I have read you books and all for years. You have the creds to make these statements. About time someone put them out there in a widely read venue as the NYT. There is a Jewish expression( translated ,loses its zing) ‘ Auf de gonif brent di Hittel’,(the hat burns on the thief’s head). And so it is here. All the denials, the name calling, the utter childish flailing against our judicial institutions must only be generated by an underlying fear of discovery. The truth will out, and America will be stronger for it,one hopes. Ya’asher Kochachah. Be strong. You hit the nail on the head.
13
....... Saturday night tweet: “Very sad that the FBI missed all of the many signals sent out by the Florida school shooter. This is not acceptable. They are spending too much time trying to prove Russian collusion with the Trump campaign — there is no collusion. Get back to the basics and make us all proud!” .......
The dotard is poking a stick into a beehive. I hope this idiot keeps it up. The FBI is going to take him down. Perhaps Mueller's next announcement will name the unidentified American in last Friday's announcement. Who could it possibly be? Junior? Son-in-law? One of the dozens who have been fired? Someone in the cabinet? Nunes, he is pretty stupid? Someone attending the meeting in Trump Tower in June 2016?
12
I could not agree with Thomas Friedman more. Trump cried out months ago when his Attorney General recused himself: "Where is my Roy Cohn." He wanted an Attorney General that would front and apologize for him, and to bend the law to protect him, no matter what. Well, Donald Trump has become Vladimir Putin's Roy Cohn. Trump bends the truth and obfuscates in as many way possible to protect Putin. In doning so, Trump has become the greatest threat to our country that, I believe, we've ever had. Roy Cohn is Donald Trump's mentor; he now personifies Roy Cohn to protect Putin, but reasons that only Robert Mueller can determine. Oh, by the way: Roy Cohn was one of the ugliest, most despicable person I've ever heard about. Now we have a president who is exactly the same: ugly and despicable.
20
When Cheney was in power, I commented that I felt the USA was becoming a civilization in decline. Let me amend that to becoming failed state (the enemy within). Hang on to your hats folks, the wild ride is just getting started! Thanks GOP, Tea Party, Rush Limbaugh, Faux News, Alex Jones, Roger Stone, NRA, Alt Right, Bannon, Carl Rove, Lee Atwater, Hannity, Fake Christians, etc. And of course Vladimir Putin!
11
Although I believe totally compromised, or total fool are both pretty good explanations, let me offer a third possibility.
Magical Thinking. Somewhere he believes that as soon as he's accused of some moral failing or illegality, he inoculates himself by accusing others (usually Obama or Hillary) of the same offense. Classic projection.
More magic-- He seems to believe that denying something makes it not so. He's got FAUX News and hate radio to back up every bizarre denial. If that's not enough, Infowars will concoct a conspiracy theory-- Sandy Hook never happened. Hillary's child prostitution business in a pizza house basement.
And of course Trump always has Fox and Friends on to tell him what to think.
So in addition to mental deficiency and/or criminality, let me submit-- crazy.
17
C'mon, Mr. Friedman. Mr. Trump said he specifically asked Mr. Putin whether Russia interfered with the election. Putting told Trump that Russia had not.
Trump said Putin sounded very believable in his denial. And who wouldn't believe a nice man like Mr. Putin, especially if he sounds sincere?
Mr. Trump obviously is a very good judge of character. Clearly you don't get to be a very wealthy celebrity like Mr. Trump (or, say, Kim Kardashian) without good judgment.
Unless your daddy leaves you millions, or maybe you happen to have been in a business that was booming for most of the years you were in it (say, like real estate), or maybe if you got a lot of financing, illicit or not, from a foreign power, say, like Russia.
After all, you can't grow up to be a Donald Trump if you are an idiot, right?
20
Trump is a Trojan horse. What he is hiding is his life's complete WASTE of time. Has he committed money laundering? Without a doubt. Has he committed lewd sexual acts? Without a doubt. Is he bought and owned by the Russians? Without a doubt.
Even more disastrous than Trump is the Republican Party. It was their sworn duty to protect the Constitution and act as a check on the Executive Branch. But they are traitors.
25
Comparing fake Facebook accounts to 9/11 is beneath you. I have never agreed with your politics but until now have never questioned your intellect.
5
It may lessen our anxiety for a moment to suppose that Trump is doggedly loyal to Putin, values his friendship, or is somehow not absolutely up to his eyebrows in trouble or treason.
But this is not a possible scenario. Trump has no loyalty and no allegiance, no friends or philosophy. His only consistency is selfishness.
I can get lost in the possibility that he is so insulated from reality, that Fox News has him in such thrall and so exclusively, that he is as ignorant as he seems. But he watches CNN. What about his staff?
The excellent website justsecurity.org has published the documents released with the indictments last week. Among them are the plea agreements of Michael Flynn and George Papadopoulos, as well as the indictment of Paul Manifold and the 13 Russians the Government has charged.
These are legal writings, devoid of passion or flavoring. The transcript of Mr. Papadopoulos' allocution is especially chilling, as he admits to lying to the FBI, and attempting to hide evidence. This one guilty cog in the wheel, has been diminished by the administration's PR. But his transcript is very damning.
He wasn't a nobody, as the administration claims, but an actual middle man, between the Russians and the reckless, arrogant, ignorant, Trump campaign.
There's no chance that Trump truly thinks he and his campaign are innocent. He's just grifted for so long and so successfully, that he's flabbergasted at finally being held accountable.
24
In 1951 the Rosenbergs got the electric chair for selling out to the Russians. What about Trump?
24
Tick....tock....tick....tock.....Donald Trump, justice is coming for you. Closer and closer....your secrets will be revealed. So rest easily this weekend in Mar a Lago. Who knows when you may be remembering it from a prison cell.
7
Narcissism has always been the biggest destroyer of democracy. In our history it killed millions of people (e.g. Adolf Hitler). You do not have to be Einstein or a behavioral scientist to recognize that Donald Trump is a narcissist. It is the task of media and security agencies together to intercept narcissists. Above that each country should implement standardized, and with an overall scope, periodical monitoring (Political Score Card (PSC)) of their political systems to protect and maintain a transparent democracy.
7
Code red, yes! The people we have elected to office, who work for us, must do something about this traitor. The time is now!
12
Trump is a foolish man. He is unfortunately a skilled communicator. But hubris will bring him down along with the fantasy-minded Republican party. For the moment. time is out of joint as is said. But the rising voices of the citizens, especially the young we have heard since the shootings, will bring common sense back to the nation. This is a wake-up lesson that stared with Bush v. Gore. Americans expect rational behavior!
9
Flawlessly executed Op-Ed, Mr. Friedman. Now can you get it onto FOX. somehow, please?
8
Trump has been Putin’s “useful idiot” for a long time. Putin is Trump’s brain and has been telling Trump what to do ever since before the 2016 election. Trump is Putin’s ‘asset’, guilty of espionage and treason. He needs to go for the benefit of Western democracy and post-election behavior is proof enough of his guilt. It is no doubt worse than we think.
8
there is a third option: all he cares about is putting his name on buildings in Russia and does not want to make waves. they all come down to one word TRAITOR
8
Stop with all these allegations.... get down and do some down and dirty investigative reporting ...dig up facts.... stop with the WHAT IF'S
7
Why did he meet with Lavrov, Kyslyak and the Russian "press" only in the oval office in May 2017? https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/10/us/politics/trump-russia-meeting-amer...
6
I have to smile at your allowing for mental incapacity to be one of the reasons for the president's misbehavior. Of course, it's not that; it's money. It always is. As was said during Watergate, "follow the money". The fact that he has over 2,500 lawsuits in his shady career and is greedy to the extent that he will not give up his business whilst president speaks volumes as to his lack of integrity and paranoia about being found out. I do not think he is a useful idiot to the Russian underworld; I believe he is a willing accomplice in international criminal financial dealings. His behavior is traitorous to the country and all of us, including his deluded base.
15
Thank you for this incisive and thorough summary of the code-red state of our affairs. But one thing I would dispense with is the notion that Trump is naive in the Russian matter. That the attack dog Trump on matters big and small would fail to identify Russian interference as a threat defies belief.
Trump is compromised big time. He not only cozies up to Putin, but takes direct orders from him (remember all the secret meetings in the White House with Russian diplomats. Why? Because Putin requested it. Why has Trump not imposed sanctions? Because Putin does not want him to.)
Sometimes the absence of something (no condemning or disapproval of Putin, no standing up to Putin, no sanctions on Putin) can be the most damning.
It is indeed code red. Where are our Republican leaders? Do we need teenagers to step in and lead on this as well?
11
Trump's tweets are diversionary garbage and his responses are an embarrassment and underscore to his unfitness for office. We can debate his motives and what he is hiding - its probably all that he's suspected of. Hence the focus must be on getting him out of office asap. The skeletons in his cupboards are monstrous.
3
My vote is for Trump being both a towering fool and compromised by the Russians. After it comes out that he cheated with a porn star and a playmate, its hard to believe there isn't more to come.
6
What are the odds that Trump was playing around with prostitutes while in Moscow in 2013? About the same as the odds that he was playing around with a porn star while his wife was home with a new baby a few years earlier.
11
Donald Trump will soon be known as the modern day Benedict Arnold.
Would you stay in a Benedict Arnold hotel or want to buy into a Benedict Arnold condominium?
Trump is trying to save his empire and his brand and could not care less about America or its people.
He is well beyond being a pathological narcissist.
He is a traitor and a criminal.
10
Mitch and Paul are the enablers of this strange man who pays thousands of dollars for a P. O. A., who flew around the country in an orange jet with his name all over it. Who argues with survivors of K.I.A. veterans, denies the possibility of Russian intervention in our elections, and who profits by people with government business staying in his hotels. He actually promises the morons who voted for him that he'll make coal come back! Please put this guy away in the booby hatch where he belongs, with Mitch and Paul to keep him company.
12
Once again Friedman nails it.
Aside from Mueller, I'm wondering if Melania Trump, humiliated by a porn star and a Playboy centerfold, has the guts to bring her philandering husband down.
She'd be doing the country a great service, as I can't imagine Trump screaming "fake news" if she finally decides to start talking.
8
What , if anything, has Russia got on Trump? While the financial matters are certainly relevant, allegations about the “Golden Showers” video should not be discounted. Trump once dismissed this by saying he wouldn’t do such a thing because he is well known to be a “germophobe.” But recent press accounts of his alleged liaison with Stormy Daniels state that the two had unprotected sex (https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/jan/19/stormy-daniels-trump-ste.... Unprotected sex with a porn star who has “acted” in scores of films? Not exactly the behavior of a germophobe.
10
Trump is a fool and a disgrace to his very core and nothing is going to change that. What really disappoints me is that the Republican Congress won't do anything about Trump's proclivity to placate Russia. Russia is a failed petro-state and has demonized the US since the end of WWII. If we have a true enemy in the world, they are it.
Trump is not only letting Russia get away with it but is even thwarting the will of Congress by not enforcing sanctions and they are too spineless to do anything about it. For God's sake quit voting Republican until they can clean up this mess. And I speak as a former Republican myself.
13
Mr. Friedman lacks evidence that Trump is compromised by the Russians. Thus Friedman chooses to insinuate that Trump must either be guilty or some sort of sexual perversion or owes the Russians exorbitant sums or money or he is an idiotic incompetent. What is the basis for these insulations? In order to reach this conclusion, Friedman literally compares a group of Russian internet trolls to the 9/11 attackers. A group of foreigners taking advantage our free speech norms and perhaps committing some financial fraud is now comparable in Friedman's mind to killing 3000 people in a single day. Do you suppose these repugnant Russians are the only foreigners to have trolled Americans during campaign? Of course not. This is not a phenomenon that can be prevented in a free society in the internet age. We should push back, but this is not a constitutional crisis, and nor should it overwhelmingly drive our foreign policy. Furthermore, the Left's newfound concern over the Russians is glaringly hypocritical. If Clinton had won, we would not hear a peep from them about Russia. Where were they when Obama was caught sending a covert message to Putin that he would give the Russians more flexibility after the election? Where were they when Obama ridiculed Romney for calling out the Russian threat? BTW, Trump has actually tangibly pushed back against the Russians and their surrogates in Ukraine, Syria, and Iran, while Obama had a policy of dithering and appeasing.
8
Trump sold the US, all of us, out for a pittance. Lenin was right when he said, "The Capitalists will sell us the rope with which we will hang them." BTW. No mention of Facebook, Instagram and Fox for aiding and abetting a foreign enemy to attack our country? Also, Trump told us he was a germaphobe (believe me when I tell you) to knock down the salacious intelligence in the Steel Dossier, yet Stormy Daniels states he didn't use a condom. I wonder what Barron thinks of his father. Poor Melania. Poor U.S. His father Fred, pro fascist that he was, would be proud of his son. His mother however, had it right when she said, : 'What kind of son have I created?' Indeed!
5
i doubt the Russians had to use their blackmail materials to own the president. He has been dependent on Russian financing for quite a while, after stiffing so many major banks here, and all they had to do was promise him more. Throw in some flattery, and he was putty in their hands.....
4
So sad, so embarrassing, so pathetic is Trump.
President's day on Monday will be forever know as Buffoon's day 2018.
3
Mr Friedman, Please keep up the heat. Even though this immoral tyrant of a president will not read your column, hopefully his aids will and know the
jig will soon be up. ie: "TIMES UP!"
4
There is only one conclusion we can draw. Trump is an agent of Putin. That Trump is president should terrify and enrage us. The reality that Friedman addresses must be pursued by Mueller whose skills are clearly up to the task. The political right with the FOX noise machine is fully engaged in their distortions and deflections and misrepresentations that find support in much of America. It is my impression that we are on the same track that Germany was on the road to Hitler and the greatest tragedy in the history of humanity. We must speak out and voice what is clear. America is under attack from the White House. We are at Defcon 5. Speak out America. Get involved. Our democracy and our Nation and our lives are in grave danger.
7
Here is a man who probably has his wife and children sign "non-disclosure contracts". I suspect that the payoffs (or hush money if you prefer) would be significantly higher than say......a Playboy bunny or porn star.
1
I'll probably get slammed for this, but I have to point out that Nazi Germany would never have become what it did if a good portion of the population hadn't had turned a blind eye to the evil in themselves and those around them. We have umpteen million co-conspirators that we act with every day. By now they know the truth but do nothing about it. They refuse to see the evil.
7
totally agree- That despicable Bannon was right when quoted in the Fire & Fury book - follow the $$$ - because that is all that matters to "45" - he will disparage our finest institutions, senators, congressman, play a dangerous game of chicken with North Korea, and not say a word to PUTIN- Nothing - Sanctions? oops - forget about that- Congress / The GOP is going to have to grow a spine and get that implemented because Donny boy won't- I'm wondering if whether all these women coming out now is timed as Putin's reminder of what can only get worse for the Trumpster.
2
Trump has been compromised on many fronts if reports are to be believed. From being the potential target of blackmail from a porn star lover to Vladmir Putin, our nation is at risk daily because of him being in the Oval Office. I still wager that the election was not just influenced, but hacked and the vote changed in a very complex scheme. Let’s face it, the easy way would be to change votes. It would be easily detectable. No doubt unraveling that scheme will take time, but it will be unraveled and then we will understand just how big of a threat Trump has been.
2
The St. Petersburg, Russia candidate. Is there any doubt at this point that Trump is a KGB asset? Trump's plan is clearly out or the Joeseph Goebbels playbook: Tell the lie so many times that (gullible) people believe it. "Not a puppet!""No collusion!" Oh, and thanks Fox News for all your help (Not).
Come on folks, it doesn't take a genius to see what's been going on. This has clearly been the low point of the American democratic experience.
3
There are several things in The Donald's life that are much more important to him than the country he was fraudulently elected to lead: 1) his financial assets, 2) his golf game, 3) his pride, and 4) access to women that will have sex with him. Mr. Friedman finally wrote what we're all thinking, and that is our president is owned by the Russians. We know he's the GOP's "useful idiot" but being the same tool for an enemy of democracy like Russia is really beyond the pale. Is it November yet!?
"...why don’t you actually lead — lead not only a proper cyberdefense of our elections, but also an offense against Putin" Oh Tom, why would you bother asking the dotard to change his ways and do something right? At best, that naive sort of pleading will never work and, at worst, it prolongs everyone's suffering by signaling you would continue to accept token decency and half-measures of competence. He is a thoroughly corrupted man and he is not fixable. At this point only a fool cannot see that.
2
ACORN lobbied to register primarily poor/minority Americans to vote.
The NRA lobbies to register concealed handguns and assault rifles to kill primarily the poor/minorities, with "collateral" of sometimes a few children get slaughtered as well.
Which got ran out of business??
I finally figured out why Russia financially supports the NRA and washed their election donations through them.
They want to "grow the market" and get all those AR-15s to be AK-47s one day! And the NRA will gladly take their money to do it...
... look! A rainbow cake!!
2
Dear Mr. Friedman,
it has taken 15 years, to the day (March 20, 2003) but you have finally won back my respect. You have more than made up for your colossal, post-9/11, Iraq War misstep.
Well done, sir. Well done, indeed.
If the Congressional GOP is the equivalent of a loose affiliation of people (read: Hacks) shilling for their corporate overlords, then Donald is political-AIDS injected by Nurse Vladimir into the American body-politic's glutteous maximus.
Keep up this stellar work, sir. You're on the correct track.
1
If the FSB/SVRR/GRU does have a tape of Trump being naughty in a Moscow hotel room, his religious right supporters will stay with him as long as the prostitutes were female.
3
Its highly highly likely that they also have some sexual dirt on him, too. He appears to be as ready and willing to go after porn stars and Play Boy bunnies and foreign model wannabes as he does anything else. And it’s much easier for that to happen than it is to get someone to invest in one of his cheesy towers. So do not discount that angle.
Mueller may be less likely to focus on that aspect, but as an old lady who has seen “Donald Trumps” all her life, somenone has that kind of dirt on him somewhere, somehow.
2
I believe him to be utterly shameless, so anything most folks would deem immoral, like the various 'bimbo' eruptions he considers just fine and acceptable for himself, while condemning it in any non-republicans. Disclosures about his money dealings has to be what he fears, as his empire would be destroyed most probably should prosecutors dig in to his likely money laundering and other financial crimes.
3
I have been involved in advising on financial crime for a number of years, and have worked extensively in Russia, among other countries, on this issue. I am fairly certain that what is really going on here is that Trump is beholden to the Russian oligarchy (ie, mafia). When Trump was facing personal bankruptcy he turned to Moscow for help. No US bank would deal with Trump (imagine, a US president that no legitimate bank would touch), nor would any legitimate European bank. He had to turn to the Moscow office of a certain large German bank that has a very dodgy reputation from a long list of money laundering and sanctions violations. I'm fairly certain that the funding Trump received was money laundered from the Russian mafia.
At this point, no one cares if Trump got peed on by prostitutes.
5
Just how many times does tRump have to fail before America accepts the reality that what we have here is a born loser?
2
Obama December 2016:
“So in early September when I saw president Putin in China, I felt that the most effective way to ensure that that didn't happen was to talk to him directly and tell him to cut it out and there were going to be serious consequences if he didn't. And in fact we did not see further tampering of the election process.”
1
your words about mr. trump are so true,it should be required reading for all americans
8
The problem seems to be that, not only did Trump benefit from the Kremlin's meddling, but that his party, the GOP as a whole, did as well. How can any of them be expected to act responsibly to curtail the very clandestine Russian efforts that ensure they all continue in office? Trump and the republicans will have to be shamed into acting responsibly. The question is, who can do it?
5
Well. Finally. Now that you've found someone that will say it can you please find a way of repeating the line: "In sum, Trump is either hiding something so threatening to himself, or he’s criminally incompetent to be commander in chief."
Repeat it. Remember, advertisers repeat their message over and over again because they have to. The message doesn't take if they don't. So do as they do and repeat the message that Trump is hiding something really bad, or he's incompetent. And we know he's not incompetent, so let's let Mueller find out what it is that Trump is hiding, and in the meantime keep repeating the message so that he'll have our complete support. Thank you.
4
This opinion is on point.
And, mostly everything stated by other posters is accurate too.
But at this point, to me, it isn't worth trying to figure out. We need to get rid of him and all of his enablers as soon as possible. I surely hope Mueller will come through, but the process is slow and the damage is quick.
7
This feels like an attempt to learn nothing about how far America has fallen and resurrect the old "it isn't our fault" escape plan.
Large numbers of citizens voted for Trump = they were duped by clever Russian super trolls.
Mueller and the FBI unearthed a super secret scheme = they read the article on the Internet Research Agency published openly last year.
Trump's many, many enablers will remain in place facing no consequences = to maintain the stability of a country in self-inflicted crisis.
All the ins and outs of the total ethical failure of American governance violates every American's certainty that their country is so superior that it was all an innocent act of unintended folly.
This is a country that refuses to learn Anything.
5
Excellent! And needs repeating every day.
5
The Mueller indictment doesn't allege Russia, the Russian government or Vladimir Putin interfered in the 2016 election. It alleges three Russian corporations and 13 Russian nationals interfered in the election. The Trump administration has indicted the corporations and individuals and plans to prosecute them.
2
Mueller is identifying and indicting Russians who are complicit in the attack on the American democracy. In the end, he may, as a side benefit, expose the gigantic conspiracy among Russian oligarchs to loot the treasure of Russia for the benefit of the autocrats such as Putin who are running the country. If the downfall of Trump results in the simultaneous downfall of the Russian autocracy, then this entire hideous experience of the last two years will be worth it.
2
According to every major poll the vast majority of Americans do not stand with Trump and disapprove of his performance as president. Instead of wringing our hands about the malfeasance corrupting our government and complaining about the inaction of Congress, why isn't there a massive public outcry and mass protests to rectify this very dire malady affecting our democracy? Americans, for the most part; are too busy with their sporting events, social media, and, what they're going to eat next, to genuinely become involved. We The People have the power to shape our destiny, but have been blinded and lulled to sleep by deftly manipulated media paraphernalia. Unfortunately, despite all of our well founded complaints, we as a nation seem to be setting the stage for what we ultimately deserve.
6
Mr. Friedman, a great analysis.
As a former KGB Officer, Putin's greatest achievement is his mastermind in steering the operations to interfere in our country's 2016 elections. Putin is ruthless and nasty. As leader of his country, Putin is no politician or to be included with other world statesmen. All his actions, behavior and thinking can only be likened to a Spy. That is how Putin thinks.
No matter how, Russia has attacked our country. The WMD story, made us attack Iraq. How different is it in the case of what Russia has done, importantly, in our country's internal affairs? Does this not warrant action from our POTUS? There is not even a warning or a threat on Russia? Being passive or "not to care", further encourages Putin.
Whether the Russians were upto sowing discord using cyber intelligence or thru their physical presence in our country, is of concern and does disturb us. How do we know whether there are others with fake passports masquerading under false pretext, carrying out their nefarious activities?
Russia is not our friend. They are bent on creating chaos and dividing our country. They are attacking our democracy. People want to know what our POTUS and elected representatives will be doing to safeguard and secure our country from further interference from a foreign country?
I encourage everyone to watch "The Americans"
4
There's another reason Trump is just fine w/Putin's interference in our politics. Putin helped him get elected & continues to help & support him. He has helped & continues to help the GOP, their intransigence and grab for complete power. Putin supports the IRA and their insane insistence on fighting any sensible gun control regulation. Putin's interference is engineered to be on Trump's behalf & that's all that matters. Why fight it? Everyday Trump ignores the Russian threat, is a day he colludes with them - current tense.
4
Mr. Friedman,
I couldn't agree more, but you've left some people out, the ever growing list of those who are accomplices after the fact, the members of the cabinet (the A.G. leaps to mind) the Vice President perhaps, the Senate Majority leader, the Speaker of the House, and all the others for whom party and politics have 'trumped' their oaths of office of which the primary is to 'Preserve, Protect, and Defend' against all enemies foreign and domestic.
We are clearly dealing with both enemies, and thus far Congress has done nothing but obfuscate.
It seems that we are now in the realm of treason...as well as foreign invasion.
3
“It’s as if George W. Bush had said after 9/11: ‘No big deal. I am going golfing over the weekend in Florida and blogging about how it’s all the Democrats’ fault — no need to hold a National Security Council meeting.’
Actually, that might not have been such a bad response to 9/11 (and by extension to the Mueller revelations.) One thing is certain: we Americans overreacted to 9/11. And the consequences of such overreaction were and are disastrous: We are still fighting in Afghanistan. We’ve destroyed Iraq and unleashed chaos in the Middle East. We’ve provoked the hatred of much of the world. That Tom Friedman’s reaction to the Mueller revelations is so over the top just tells me that some people will never learn.
1
COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF = NOT.
Denies Russian involvement in attacking American Democracy and electoral process. What to do? NOTHING, except, attack the FBI and other American Intelligence Agencies. That's what Republicans want and stand for, obliterate American Intelligence Agencies so that the world views America as Russia wants. The world watched as the CELEBRATION was held in the Oval Office with Trump, Sergei Lavrov and Sergei Kislyak at what Russia had accomplished. Rejoice Republicans - you did this.
2
Trying to get my mind around President Mike Pence. I agree with almost none of his positions, but at least he is an adult human being, loyal to his wife, loyal as far as I know to the United States with no loyalty to Vladimir Putin, as far as I can tell impeccably polite and kind to others on an interpersonal level. A religious Christian, he might one hope tend to remember, "What you have done to the least of these you have also done to me." Unfortunately he is a climate change denier supported by the Koch Brothers-- educable on this subject?, maybe. As an administrator and legislative leader couldn't be worse than Trump-- he does have a history of being a Congressman and a Governor. And in 2020 there would be a rich Republican primary and, one hopes, a campaign not supported by the Russians.
2
I think that there is only one explanation for Donald Trump's silence on Russia. To wit:
He has concluded that the heat he has (and will continue to) take for not acting on Russia's activities is more survivable than the heat he'd be faced with if he punished Russia in a meaningful (and painful to them) way such that whatever the Russians have on him would cause if it was made known.
I have no idea what this dark secret is but it clearly has an immutable control over the President's mindset to our collective detriment.
I think that the "Master of the Deal" has got himself in a corner that's getting smaller and tighter with no exit in sight.
4
What was delivered on the news on Friday was like yes we are under attack
Before that we were in denial.
We do lack of knowledge why Putin doing this???
Remember he is a KGB he works there from the bottom to the top and he still think of the old Soviet Union and he think the Cold War didn’t over yet and if any body wants to know how the KGB work on us read : Deep undercover for Jack Barsky and Cindy Coloma .
What so sad is the Republican Party were they stand on this , during watergate the true patriotic republican stood to protect our institutions and told the president “what you know when did you know it “ where is the Republican leaders now they got lost when we are under attack .
GOD help us , GOD bless USA.
2
America's democracy is indeed in danger, as is the rule of law. My fear is that if the Mueller inquiry draws yet closer to this President, his finances, and family - Mr. Trump will fire Mueller and, in a desperate effort to distract America's and Congress' attention, will start a war with Iran or N. Korea.
With the Nunes memo, Mr. Trump now knows he can start a war with Iran or N. Korea based on cherry-picked, twisted, out-of-context classified intelligence that only he can declassify - and nobody can publicly correct/refute him. This is the stuff of dictatorship.
He may well do this before the midterms - and attempt to raise a patriotic hysteria in the nation making opposition seem "treasonous", confirming the old adage that "patriotism" is the last refuge of the scoundrel.
The midterms will no longer be about Democrats/Liberals Vs. Republicans/Conservatives, but will be about Authoritarianism Vs. Democracy. Responsible, non-extremist Republicans and Democrats must join together to ensure a huge voter turnout for true democrats from both parties to thwart this threatening dictatorship plus insist that no candidate is acceptable who doesn't solemnly promis to make abolishing the Electoral College their absolute first priority.
Michael Northmore
20 Silver Lake Road, Staten Island, NY 10301
Tel: 718 273 0331 (day/evening)
[email protected]
10
The FBI helped in getting this traitor elected.
He and his staff were under investigations before the the 2016 elections yet they focused on emails from Weiner.
Comey literally handed the presidency over to this fool 8 days before the election.
10
Trump is simply a fraud. A fraud to all the people he ever did business with, a fraud to the people that elected him, a fraud/traitor to the people of USA and
the constitution upon which is stands.
9
I could not agree more. He's hiding the money or the sex. But somebody in Russia owns our "tough guy" president.
4
So this is why Hillary lost? You mean it wasn't because she didn't campaign in Michigan or Wisconsin? Or the fact she was the most joyless candidate in in in my lifetime. Or maybe calling the people she wanted to vote for her "Deplorable" wasn't the right move. Maybe it was her fainting at the 9/11 memorial. Perhaps it was those revealing and embarrasing emails "hacked" by the...oh you know...the RUSSIANS!
The Russian didn't change any votes. They ran some ads -- most of them after the election. This is all one big "nothingburger". Your statement "It is so obvious what Trump is up to:" Obvious to whom? To you he's either a sucker or he's hiding something. To many others, it's simple. Mueller ain't got nothing on him.
As for that "demented" tweet from the President. He said what I (and I'm sure many others) thought when we learned the FBI dropped the ball on this. There's no excuse for this type of incompetence and heads should be rolling. Fire the whole upper management staff at the FBI and start again. Better yet, eliminate the whole Bureau. We surely can't do worse.
One more thing. Calling the President by his first name is beneath you. He's the President of the United States. I know you don't like that he is, but at least respect the office and stop calling him Donald.
3
Putin is a clever thug. He knew that Trump was so stupid, so easily manipulated, and yet so vain and brittle psychologically that he would never admit to being duped. Trump has no choice but to defend Putin, because to a malignant narcissist to admit mistakes is equivalent to psychic death--it would cause Trump so much intense pain and terror that he simply cannot do it. That's his tragedy, and the nation's peril.
2
If he's compromised by Russians it has to be about money. He knows that any sexual impropriety the Russians have on him would just be added to the list and have no meaningful impact on his support base.
One other possible explanation for his inaction: he's stupid-stubborn. If he is told or forced to do something, he very often does the opposite just to show he can.
3
"Donald, if you are so innocent, why do you go to such extraordinary lengths to try to shut Mueller down?"
Really, Thomas, what extraordinary lengths has he gone to? You don't say.
"... why don’t you actually lead — lead not only a proper cyberdefense of our elections,.."
These interventions occurred and were known to be occurring as early as 2014. Hmm who was president then? Oh that's right it was Obama.
This is all just the next in a long list of DNC fantasy stories to explain how Hillary and the democrats lost the election. That party and this journalism isn't even credible anymore.
2
Trump's not a fool. He's a con artist. Putin no doubt has compromising material on Trump. However, Trump has no shame. A real tough nut to compromise.
So I wonder what Putin has offered Trump.
6
As the NRA dances around the cash register, earthquakes tornadoes and floods make inroads onto our precious soil, and Russians make a mockery of our only freedom the old boogeyman of the far religious rights who claim a man will come unto use that will cause such chaos and dominants and will bring Armageddon.
Vote Vote Vote
3
Russian-Soviets must now feel that since the US and Western oriented groups like the international Republican and international Democratic party organizations as well as UN organizations which aid third world and other politically primitive states(Russia), to establish "free" western systems of electoral politics, that it is only fair for them to get a few good shots in to the West to show that , in fact, we are not the democratic freethinkers we claim. What the big-wigs in Russia and the new SSRs don't get ort care about is that all they are doing is weighing in on issues , while supporting no sides and attacking all. This is basically the same modus operandi of Easterners since the 19th century. The Russian secret agents of the Czar created the kooky elders of Zion to promulgate a virulently racist view of both Judaism and it's supporters or followers , long before Zionism tok root in the West with a plan to re-establish the kingdom of Israel under a neutral flag of international homeland for all Jews. The irony is that many of the plitical lies and scams the agents of the East push end up being precisely what the lowest common denominator of thug politics tend to agree with. The real question will be whether they can ride the tiger or whether it will turn and swallow them.
Bad actors inventing and spreading lies and fake news are effectively recruiting white American suicidal terrorists. Fake news is literally killing our children now. We have to come together around the truth and take action. The President is, unfortunately, a bad actor.
2
Whatever Trump is hiding, most likely will be discovered. But in all earnest he should be booted from the WH one way or another. What a cowardly way to hide his rancor, his utmost ignorance of facts but most importantly what seems to be a perennial treasonous ways. Can a US President be found guilty of treason? This one may just be the biggest traitor of them all.
4
Donald always wanted to be remembered, and so he will....along with Quisling and Benedict Arnold. Years from now traitors will be referred to as "Trumps."
5
Yes they own him. He borrowed from them when no one else would give him any more money. The number I have seen is 500 million. It's probably more. They probably have video with hookers also. But at this point the sex tapes hardly matter, there's probably hundreds of liaisons. He doesn't even understand what he has gotten himself into. And there's also the sanctions which are holding up Exxon's billion dollar investment. The Russians didn't just sow discord to sow discord, they wanted him in. They want their money. I keep saying the same thing over & over, Why? ...Why did Trump hire who he hired for his campaign? Why did he pick T Rex? And Sessions. His campaign helped the Russians target certain areas where they felt it would do the most good. They let them in.
As far as what we can do about it, we can protect ourselves better. But when one candidate is helping..... Put more sanctions? Start a cyber war? Start a real war? I don't think it's worth it. Although if Israel attacks Iran and starts WW3, we will be fighting the Russians soon enough. I am sure we meddle all over and have in Russia also. We have to work with the Russians all around the world, and do business. .........
We have a Traitor as President, and Pence is not innocent either.
9
Trump is a traitor. He sold himself to the Russians for money and he is now caught under the glaring light of Robert Mueller and his investigative team. Please remind me of any president that invites the Russians to the Oval Office allowing only Russian media to be present and then gives them classified information.
It is sad that so many in this country are still defending him, sad that a network not worthy is calling itself news is promoting his destruction of this country, after his treason, his ineptitude and his indecency.
11
Best piece you've ever done, Tom. No punches pulled. We are being destroyed by the enemy within -- our own president is a traitor who is selling us out to Russia.
11
So all the deplorables who claim to have voted for Trump because god forbid evil flesh-eating Hillary should be commander in chief are complicit in this corrupt, infantile, useless oligarch who is sits in the White House (some of the time) to wreak havoc on our environment, our citizens, our markets, our health care, our international reputation, our efforts at diplomacy, and our democratic process. Why wait for Mueller? This reprobate doesn't belong in Washington, he belongs in prison.
4
Putin has been successful beyond his wildest dreams, he wants to destroy American style democracy and he has hit a home run with his boy Trump. He owns Trump and Trump obviously knows it.
I wonder if Melania might spill what she knows after the humiliation of Trumps affairs with porn stars and who knows who else continues to leak out weekly. Oh that's right she probably had to sign a non disclosure agreement on her wedding day.
3
"It's the money, stupid!"
In rephrasing James Carville's iconic statement during Bill Clinton's 1992 campaign---"It's the economy, stupid!"---I propose the adoption of these words to make it clear what Trump really cares about. Money.
Tom Friedman is right. We know Trump doesn't care what others say about his sex life. He has proved this to us repeatedly!! No, after having thought deeply about why Trump won't go against the Russians, I have concluded the following: the Russians own him. Literally own him.
I believe the Russians can make Trump a pauper in 5 minutes if they don't like what he does, or doesn't do. It's that simple. The only thing Trump will not tolerate, no matter whether it takes our country down, is being poor.
Think about it. Can you imagine Trump having to actually WORK for a living? Nope. Not happpening. No way, no how, no matter what.
5
Ever since it raised its head to win the presidency by the yugest margin in recorded history we have known that it is a sociopathic narcissist. So this business with Russia and selling out the USA to protect himself isn't too surprising.
What is amazing, though is that essentially the entire GOP caucus, of whom only a few are sociopathic narcissists, supports, enables and protects the current White House resident.
The GOP caucus marches in lock (goose) step with the White House because they do the bidding of the Koch brothers, Mercers and other billionaire "donors."
Does this mean that the top hundredth of a percent that owns the GOP is a bunch of sociopaths as they blithely drive our country into the ditch?
Maybe that is the answer to question "Why is it still in office?"
2
As has been mentioned upteem times collusion in itself is not a crime. What Robert Mueller did was lay out a conspiracy. Now if anyone gets linked into that we are not just talking collusion we are talking criminal conspiracy. Maybe that is what is causing President Gasbag so much heartache this past weekend.
6
It has been obvious for the last year that Trump is a corrupt narcissist who learned his "business" strategy from the mafia in Queens. But it is his followers who baffles everyone. They cannot be that stupid or amoral. If they are then heaven help the USA
1
I hold the GOP guilty in this entire mess.They have refused to do anything about our corrupt president,they have taken $$ from the Kochs,Russia and the NRA.They are soulless,corrupt traitors who daily have tried to destroy our democracy.They do NOTHING about all the people in the WH privy to classified info,the entire trump adm. putting taxpayer $$ in their pockets…it goes on and on.Anyone who continues to vote republican is complicit in the destruction of our democracy.
4
Remember when the Republican Party, Ronald Reagan, viewed russia as the "evil empire'?
13
This weekend was a mile marker. Not only is he in denial, it's full blown frenzy. Were his tweets evidence of a critical meltdown? Veteran intelligence experts say debating with him over his denial that any of this was “collusion” with the Russians remains a distraction.
His personal insecurity over the matter is affecting our country's collective security. He's unable or unwilling to concern himself that a foreign actor spent four years upending US democracy. A conclusion shared by intelligence directors and his own senior advisers!!!
Nor can he resolve to stop Russian interference from continuing. He views it as simple political partisanship here in the U.S. out to discredit his win. As a White House official said, "...Someone senior around Trump needs to explain the distinction between Russian meddling and Russian collusion.”
Are you listening, newly rumored candidate for chief of staff Gary Cohn?
We could use some help here.
7
I read another article in today's paper on Washington.
I decided then to read Washington's Farewell..
http://avalon.law.yale.edu/18th_century/washing.asp
Now listen to anything Trump has ever said or managed to read off a Teleprompter. Or for that matter anything republican has ever said or written.
My god, Washington was worldly, wise and articulate beyond anything I have heard with few exceptions since Eisenhower's Farewell.
Trump, Ryan, McConnell, Trump's cabinet, etc belong in one of those Monty Python village idiot skits.
13
"We should be using our cyber-capabilities to spread the truth about Putin — just how much money he has stolen, just how many lies he has spread, just how many rivals he has jailed or made disappear."
That's being a "real president" in Friedman's book!
Seems like Tom's been spending too much time with his cronies in Israel (why talk to a Palestinian when you can get all the info you want from Israel?), swooning about "punching." Not "counter punching." Just "punching." Why? When you can get away with it, string out some charade that lackeys in the US will be eager to sop up, "we live in a 'tough neighborhood.'" And then, just go ahead and do whatever you want, no matter how destructive and disproportionate or unjustified. It's always the other guy's fault.
At least there is a consistency in Friedman's recommendations and "strategies."
1
Tom Friedman's commentary should be posted on every billboard in our country. Donald Trump is the greatest threat to our democracy. He is cannabalizing our democratic institutions and norms. The only plausible explanation is that he is hiding something from the ublic's view about his involvement with Russia. Either that or he has fallen for Putin's charm propaganda.
4
A dumb question: Shouldn't the president, or any presidential candidate pass a primary, get security clearance? If this or any president is own by a foreign adversary or be coerced by them the American system as we know it is doomed. Many of this president's WH underlings have (rightly and fortunately) left for less that Mr. Trump is known to have done. Our country had never dealt with such a crook of an individual as this president, and in a world as complex and potentially dangerous as today's.
3
Remember when Obama and Romney were debating, and Romney said Russia is the greatest threat to America? Remember how Obama responded? He laughed.
2
My thoughts are: the harm that the Russians did to our electoral and
governing process is nothing next to the far greater effect of the Left Wing press, lead by the NYTimes. The attacks on Trump before the election, by the Left, were far far worse than those on Clinton by the Right and probably less than the attacks on Clinton by Sanders.
You are acting in exactly the same manner: attack, attack, attack, lie, lie, lie.
You are incapable of seeing the truth: Trump won because the people voted him in fair and square. And you are still attacking him with egregious ad-hominem attacks because you hate the truth. The truth is, his policies are far more pro-America, pro-Americans, and pro-freedom that yours than yours.
YOU are the problem.
2
Whether Trump is a witting or unwitting tool of Russia has yet to be detemined by Mueller, but he is at the very least what Soviet spymasters called a "useful idiot." There is some doubt whether Lenin himself ever used the term but he did once predict that “capitalist dupes will sell us the rope with which to hang them" -- a perfect description for Paul Ryan, Mitch McConnell and other Republican enablers who are helping Putin achieve his goals at the expense of our national security and our democracy.
2
Joseph-Marie, comte de Maistre (1753 – 1821): "In a democracy people get the leaders they deserve." (alternate translation: "Every country has the government it deserves").
Americans deserve Donald Trump, Mitchell McConnell & Paul Ryan.
USA deserves a One-Party Regime: the GOP & Trump.
3
The hush payments to a porn star and former playboy bunny, along with the manditory non-disclosure agreements required of anyone affiliated with trump in almost any capacity show that trump thinks he can behave however he wants because for decades he's bought silence with money, contracts and lawsuits. Such a man sees no need for discretion, and has shown he'll pay for silence; hence he Is very likely being blackmailed.
2
These pointed questions you are asking of Trump -- perhaps you should be asking Fox News? That seems to be who he gets his opinions from. Or maybe Rupert Murdoch? Or the GOP, or whoever they are answering to? Or Russia? Or Macedonian bloggers? Trump himself seems the least in control here.
1
If it is shown that he or his campaign conspired with the Russians to take control of the Presidency, he MUST be tried for Treason. We, the citizens of this nation, must make an example of him.
2
I'm sorry, columns like Friedman's today and the daily barrage from the Times of multiple columns attacking Trump (and news stories as well) are much more divisive and a threat to our democracy (because progs refuse to accept the results of the 2016 election) than anything Russia did.
3
The Russian's don't just own Trump. They own his kids. And a large portion of the American business establishment. And so does China.
That's how they all remained solvent after 2008. These are treasonous times.
4
The simplicity is the cruelest point. Trump could not get a loan to save his life so he began dealing with Russian Oligarchs (mobsters) who would give him "loans" (money to wash) furnished by a German bank (Duetcha). Trump took a piece of this by "overselling" his worthless junk real estate. This combined with some loose sexual blackmail has given the Russians nation for play. Clearly, Trump is terrified of being criminally charged with money laundering
6
Trump is a dangerous man, and Tom Friedman points out why. If he's innocent, why all of the efforts to deligitimize Mueller and our national intelligence people (e.g., McMaster)? We have a Russian troll in the White House.
5
Desperate men take desperate measures. I will bet the mortgage that Trump eliminates Mueller. In his warped mind, eliminating Comey put an end to the investigation, thus, eliminating Mueller will have the same effect. He will then boast to his Russian amigos that, like Comey, Mueller is a "nut job." All while McConnell, Ryan, and the rest of the GOP boot-lickers have Trump's back. They all know he's as corrupt as the day is long and they cower in fear of him and his base. Pathetic.
1
Perhaps Trump could ask George W. Bush to look into Putin's eyes in order to see his soul. Then we'd know for sure!
3
The hysteria of this piece suggests that Friedman is running around with his hair and moustache on fire. He would be well advised to douse it by reading the sober pieces by Amanda Taub and Max Fisher, and by Scott Shane in the current Times. There is little doubt the Russian government was up to CIA style dirty tricks, just as always, and that Putin is far from a full-blown democrat, but he's not Satan. And Trumps behavior on this issue is no different that his behavior on any other issue. Friedman seems to think he's the Manchurian Candidate. Calm down, for Pete's sake.
4
At this point, short of hard evidence that the Russians have totally compromised Trump, my money is on the alternative hypothesis.
But that's simply because there is abundant, overwhelming evidence that Trump is, indeed, a towering fool.
1
The logic of this Friedman article seems to be that since Trump has not acted against the Russians and Putin in a fashion that would satisfy Mr Friedman, therefore Trump must be a blackmailed puppet of Putin. However, a similar rant of treason and puppetry was never declared by Friedman against Obama when he was caught in an open mic, sending a message to Putin that after his re-election he will be able to cut favorable deals with the Russian dictator, or after Obama failed to stop Russian military entry into Syria, or after he failed to send arms to the Ukraine and sanction Russia in any real way, or after he knew about Russian interference during the 2016 presidential campaign but staid silent, or when Obama failed to punish China after they hacked and stole 20 million Federal government employee records. Nor did the money trail from speeches and businessmen to the Clintons or their foundation create a puppetry rant against the Clintons.
Non of these acts led to accusations that Obama or the Clintons were traitors and puppets of Russia or China. Had Mr Friedman ever hinted at any such outrage against Democratic Party leaders, his accusations of Trump would carry much more weight. But a partisan rant unfortunately undermines both his outrage and his puppetry accusations. I say, unfortunately, because our country needs a fair minded media more than ever and would be grateful to such thought leaders. But you don't want to upset your paymasters or your fans. A great pity
5
There is no longer any dispute that Russians meddled in the 2016 US presidential elections. Trump took an oath to defend the United States against external aggression. The US congress, led by the President's own party, has overwhelmingly passed a law to punish Russia for election meddling (which is a form of external aggression) but Trump is refusing to carry out that law. These are the facts. Is it your position, as a US citizen, that our president should not defend us against election meddling from Russia? What would that make you?
1
Trump is too ignorant to know that the Russians have him. In his mind, he has borrowed money legitimately from people or institutions who happen to be Russian. He sold property at inflated values to Russians--because he is so brilliant. He cannot see that these are threads in a noose.
Trump is Snidely Whiplash, who has kidnapped Democracy [aka Nell Fenwick] to the railroad tracks to coerce Nell to marry him. Let’s hope Mueller foils him.
1
Tom, you are old enough to remember Watergate, when old Dick Nixon used the Oval office to trash his political opponents. Luckily then, we had the Woodward and Bernstein to unravel his scheme and bring him down.
The story now is not the Russians controlling Trump and threatening democracy, it's that Hillary and the DNC paid for a dossier that said Donald was in bed with the Russians, that made its way to the FBI and the media. That dossier, which its author Christopher Steele later admitted was filled with inaccuracies, was taken to the FISA Court, which issued an FBI warrant to spy on Trump, at first under the direction of agent Peter Strzok and his mistress Lisa Page, who we now know were Trump haters and reporting to the Obama White House. The fake dossier was then taken to the press and became real news, blasted on CNN each night. demonizing Trump and his supposed pal Putin as taking down our democracy. The real story is how this fake information got to the FBI in the first place, and was taken up and reported by our media as fact, a trail that goes all the way back to the Obama White House and Hillary, trying to influence our institutions of government to advance their political agenda. That is the real Russian story here, and it is the real threat to our democracy.
Readers, don't let your hatred of Trump keep you from seeing the forest from the trees. And Tom, you have a chance to be Woodward and Bernstein again and really save our union.
2
Forget Trump for a second. There is no longer any dispute that Russians meddled in the 2016 US presidential elections (these are not realities created by Mrs. Clinton). The US president takes an oath to defend the United States against external aggression. The US congress has overwhelmingly passed a law to punish Russia for election meddling (which is a form of external aggression). Is it your position, as a US citizen, that our president should not defend us against election meddling from Russia? If this is your position then you love Trump more than you love America and that should be scary to place your faith in a fallible human against our system of government.
Thank you Thomas Friedman.
One has to wonder what the Russians have on Donald Trump such that the support and affection he seems to exhibit for Vladmir Putin is met with an equally vehement contempt for Barak Obama.
Perhaps it is a good thing that Donald Trump is keeping Gitmo open.
1
So since 2014 we were aware of the Russian activity. Please tell me why the Obama administration did nothing? Politics thats why! Countries have been using propaganda and disinformation for centuries since the invention of the printing press. The reason Hillary Clinton lost was because she was a bad candidate. Perhaps we should use our capabilities to spread the "word" on Putin. Oops we have been doing that for years! Really, the biggest threat to our integrity is the oval office? Perhaps we should as Americans should pay attention to my 6th grade English teacher who suggested we evaluate the source before quoting it or perhaps ignore social media all together since it is a wasteland of misinformation. Be very careful I could be a BOT! :)
4
“This is code red.”
———
That should have been the title. I think his issues are multi-disciplinary, though, not just the two you mentioned, so what we have is the perfect storm. Yes, he stupidly mortgaged himself to the Russians. Yes, he engaged in embarrassing sex in Russia (or possibly they have video from elsewhere). But his father was also a monster and Trump suffers from sort of psychological issues related to that. And he is exceedingly stupid (I mean, who else would mortgage themselves to Russia and not expect it to come back to haunt you?). He is also clearly moving through the early stages of dementia. Let’s not forget that the only reason he is still in office is because of his Republican enablers. Code red? How about DEFCON 1?
1
Just unearthed - the real Grimm story of Trumpelstilskin.
The Goper boasted to the emperor that his adopted daughter, Fair Democracy, would do magical things. Enticed by the promise of never ending tax cuts the emperor locked up Fair Democracy and demanded she get to work.
An orange haired man heard the cries of Fair Democracy. 'I can help you become great,' He said. 'You will be the greatest. I will do this but you will be mine to grab and maul and molest. Ha Ha Ha Ha'
'You have only one way to escape this pact that is to understand who I really am.'
To Fair Democracy there was no choice. She worked and worked but the harder she worked more and more was being demanded of her. After some months Fair Democracy was looking tired and somewhat less attractive to the orange haired man.
He was lazy, bored and quite forgetful and one night within earshot of Fair Democracy he recited his nightly chant.
'Cheating people is my game
Democracy Autocracy it's all the same
I'll always find someone else to blame
For Trumpelstilsckin is my name.'
The next morning the orange haired man was in for a shock. Fair Democracy recited the chant back to him.
'That's not me, I never said it, it was my twin, it was all my mother's fault . . . the orange hair man responded and with each excuse he became smaller and smaller and smaller.
At the same time Fair Democracy became stronger and stronger. Too big for a dungeon and too big for Goper, too big for an emperor.
The end
1
Trump's actions are laser-focused, as always, on the same target--money.
His failures as a businessman got him in hock to the Russian kleptocrats and now they have him and us by the short-hairs.
I hope Mr. Friedman does incite us to VOTE in 2018. If you don't, I don't want to hear your complaints.
2
Impeach him and idict his family and throw away the keys. He swore an oath to protect this country. He is not doing that. He is compromised. Putin is laughing his off at watching the Donald squirm. Putin does not care about him
2
Do the Russians own Trump over money or over sex?
He's so unethical, I'm betting both.
I'm waiting for Mueller to charge Don Jr. with a crime so Fauxtus can say, "he was mostly a hanger-on, very junior, who didn’t do much of anything, certainly not anything important. Maybe we were in the same place once or twice but I don't think we were ever formally introduced."
4
The dissection of the man is no longer needed. He is a carnival barker. A fraud, a cheat, a racist, and more than likely guilty of not only obstruction, but money laundering. Truly the only move is to give him the next 2 plus years, watch him laugh all the way to the bank, and then vote all the scoundrels out that enabled him.
If it is not now abundantly obvious to anyone with a firing synapse that Trump is not fully comprimised, then, do I have a deal for you.
Whether or not Russians interfered in 2016 elections, it is very clear that NYT and its gaggle op-ed columnists is out to subvert American democracy with its non-stop flow of gossips, innuendos, rumours and conspiracy theories. All because the newspaper bet on the wrong horse and likes of Friedman now find it difficult to accept that the world is not flat.
3
Seriously! You're own newspaper is full of articles explaining how the Russians used our partisan biases against us; used these biases to tear us apart across racial and social demographic lines through our media outlets. Used our media to play on our worse suspicions of our fellow countrymen and women in an effort to destroy our sacred democracy. And despite this dawning realization, good old Tom Friedman, joins in the cacophony of conspiracy theories surrounding the election. Great job Tom! However, as you sow more distrust amongst Americans, I begin to wonder if maybe you're the one on the Russian' s payroll. Perhaps instead of playing right into the hands of the Russians, consider using your platform to find ways to bring us together against their divide and conquer tactics. Because at the end of the day, it is people like you not the president who are going to have to sift through the gushing sewer of false news running through our media and find ways to give us common ground. Signed your fellow American in arms.
6
"My guess is what Trump is hiding has to do with money."
This is probably true and the the reason, also, that Trump will not do anything about the NRA. " It's all about the economy, stupid," as Bill told us years ago. Our freedom, our Constitution, the lives of our children are hostages to Trump's personal economy.
28
McConnell and Ryan are complicit in this attack on America, and Nunes should be removed immediately from any contact with this investigation. The Republican Party owns this!! You have done nothing -- meaning, you are not holding up the requirements of your jobs. Vote these complicit self-interested pocket-liners out of office. They do not work in the service of the American people -- and you know what that says.
38
trump is a Russian operative. A traitor. His tax returns tell much of the story of his criminality and treasonous behavior.
The rules regarding decorum, security clearances, accountability have been altered, ignored, and defiled at every turn. No other group of Americans--black, Hispanic, gay, female, immigrant--would ever receive such a pass.
47
Thank you. Now if only the people blinded by this man running our country would read, digest and comprehend your words....but how....
29
Thanks Thomas for the clarity you always use to describe, what I believe to be, the situation. And just wondering, why doesn't Twitter just shut down Donny's account for all of the hateful things he spews?
13
Wow! The writer seems to have fabricated a hugh story out of thin air. What's funny is that the comments echo this fabrication. Now, is Trump hiding somthing? Maybe. Is he guilty of something? Maybe, maybe not. One thing that is for sure, though is that, as of now, there is no evidence proving any wrong doing, after one year of investigations.
4
That's not the point of the article.
The point of the article is that there is incontrovertible evidence that Russians meddled in the 2016 presidential elections and are likely to do so again in the future; however, a disloyal, insular president refuses to protect the United States from such intrusion, possibly because he could be under threat of blackmail from the Russians. Otherwise, why isn't the president carrying out the duties he swore to uphold, which is to protect the United States from external aggression, especially as the US congress (led by the President's own party) has passed laws to punish Russia for election meddling?
At this point he's acting like a traitor, unfortunately, doing Russia's bidding. It would be better if he resigned out of honor if he, in fact, may be under threat of blackmail.
JehJeh-your forgetting that the Watergate investigation took almost 2 full years to bring to light.
At last! Tom Friedman has finally said it out loud! I figured out right after the inauguration what is really going on. What does Trump love more than anything else? Money! After his business failures/bankruptcies when he couldn't get loans any more from U.S. banks, he turned to Russia for funds to run his business empire and fund his lifestyle. Both his sons have said as much (Don Jr. in 2008 and Eric in 2011 that funds for the golf courses came Russia). Trump says for Mueller to look at his family/business crosses a "red line." That's because his tax returns/financials will show where all the funds are coming from - Russia. Putin owns him hook, line and sinker. Putin found a "useful idiot" to do his bidding. He supported Trump for president to defeat Hillary and to sow chaos in our democracy. But it didn't end with the election. Trump is still doing anything Putin wants to keep the funds flowing. He doesn't care about the U.S. - he only cares about money. He's still doing Putin's bidding. He won't say anything bad about Putin or impose sanctions so he doesn't make Putin mad and cut off the funds. Why do you think he makes so many phone calls to Putin without us knowing? Trump still needs to get his marching orders from Putin! We have a Putin puppet Manchurian candidate in the Oval Office. Treason pure and simple! That's what he's so afraid Mueller will find out. When you look at it thru this lens it all makes sense. God help us. Hurry, Mueller, hurry!
41
right on target. And, Trump's entire identity tied to his wealth. Putin and his buddies can call loans and force Trump into bankruptcy, wiping out his Fortune and destroying his life and all his children's lives.
impeachment is only solution.
As one who won a $100 bet with his wife in June, 2015, that Trump was certain to win the Republican nomination, I can be trusted implicitly when I tell you to your face that it has been obvious that Trump is and always has been a literal Manchurian Candidate puppet of Putin from well before the 2016 election, much less since. Everyone has got to drop the idiotic party line from Putin that Trump behaves as he does towards Russia simply because he’s such a narcissist that he can’t stand any hint that Russia caused his presidential victory. That’s simply a cover to distract from the much graver, totally obvious fact that Trump is nothing but Putin’s ventriloquist’s dummie in the Oval Office. What sentient being can now doubt that reality?
33
Greedy fool or traitor, either way, I have no doubt that Mueller and his team will expose it all. Our Free Press deserve Pulitzer's when all is said and done! I agree, Mr. Friedman, "this is code red!" The chaos in the Oval office, is threatening our democracy and now is the time to decide which side of history you want to be on.
22
Donald is unfit for his current job; and he's a disgrace to this nation; this much is obvious. It is equally outrageous that the Republican leadership (McConnell, Ryan, Nunes, et al) has been actively working to enable/promote/ignore Trump's disgraceful behavior and GOP partisans *still* support this vulgar, chaotic, obtuse man despite his shady life. Sad!
20
I like being reminded of what ought to be happening and would be if we had an actual president. Thanks. -- It has to be the money. There's no way Trump gives a toss about sex scandals; they just make him look like the alpha male he wants everybody to know he is. It's the money, money, money!
10
With all the garbage that has already emerged about the odious buffoon’s complete moral debauchery, the thought that there is something WORSE still to be revealed is truly staggering! Thanks Republicans, when you’re done disgracing the office of the Presidency can decent Americans have it back?
16
For a president to succeed, both at home and abroad, he or she must earn just one thing: respect. In Donald Trump, we have a serial womanizer, adulterer and avaricious swindler. His motivations are greed and self aggrandisement. A summer soldier and sunshine patriot if ever there was one, he is an anti American who cares only for himself. He is as sick and shameless an example of our countrymen as possibly could be unearthed.
18
Trump started the week by ignoring the victim of the wife-beater he sheltered in his office, suggesting that the abused women were unfairly destroying Rob Porter (and his abusive co-beaters and harassers) without 'due process', a right that does not apply to jobs in the White House and which the battered women were denied by Porter's fists.
We were then treated to the spectacle of Trump responding to the horrific Parkland slaughter by refusing to even allude to the obvious need for gun control, bur instead suggesting - with no supporting evidence at all - that the shooter is mentally ill and that we need more resources for mental health. This on the first anniversary of the day he signed an executive order reversing the Obama restrictions on collecting data on the dangerously mentally ill for the purpose of denying them gun purchases, and after the publication of his budget that specifically slashes funding for mental health support.
We end the week with him failing to grasp that the Mueller indictments not only fail to vindicate him from collusion, they provide a blueprint of how the Russian government infiltrated our electoral system for the express purpose of deflecting the will of the American people and shoving Trump down our throats. They did so to compromise faith in our government, to divide us as a people and to weaken both our government and our international alliances.
Trump is illegitimate, stupid, corrupt, vicious, insensate and inept. Putin must be proud.
26
If Trump is compromised, so are the supine Republican delegations to House and Senate. They are probably hanging together to avoid getting hanged together.
19
I think when it all comes out, we’re actually going to be shocked on a level we can’t even fathom today. And this even in the face of all the talk of being numbed and desensitized to the corruption.
The complicity and involvement of the GOP will be so expansive and so broad, the Democrats will of course be accused of making it up, because it will seem too far-fetched.
The number of other GOP leaders involved will make people hear the Ryan and McCarthy audiotape in a whole new light.
The use of the NRA as a conduit for dirty Russian money to the Trump campaign will make even some Republicans blush and question Citizens United.
It will be an absolute earthquake. Big enough to wake up a country and have us put down our phones, get off our butts, and go vote to take our country back from these thuggish crooks who call themselves leaders.
20
Congress and/or the Cabinet are criminally negligent for not holding hearings to remove DT from office. Enough of this madness. We made a mistake electing this pathetic little man. Let's acknowledge our error and fix it. Now.
For those who were suckered by him, I for one forgive you. If...you do the right thing. Now.
9
"President Trump is either totally compromised by the Russians or is a towering fool, or both."
Nope. He knows that the people that voted for him are so immoral, afraid, and angry, that he can do whatever he wants, as long as he appears to be sticking it to "them."
The problem is not Trump. There will always be a Trump--a lazy huckster that cheats at everything, and lies about winning. The key is not that his supporters don't know he's lying. They know. They LOVE that he's lying. They love that we are hurt by him.
They hate you and want to hurt you. He promises to hurt you. So they love him.
21
Alas, I think you're right. A followup question: why is the hate so intense these days? And what can we do about it?
I'm waiting for Fox News to take a stand against his treason. If Tom Friendman can turn on a Republican president (or Resident, as I've heard him described lately), then perhaps one or more of the faux humans at Faux News will see the light. Maybe.
there is no longer any need to tiptoe around the truth. trump and his campaign conspired with the Russians to steal the 2016 election. he is a traitor. at this point he is a Russian puppet. he has to be removed. it really doesn't matter how, although impeachment followed by criminal prosecution would be ideal. those who have supported him have to be removed. they belong in federal prisons for the rest of their lives.
10
Trump was widely known to be mentally unstable. a pathological liar, a business crook, a draft dodger, a tax evader, a willful destroyer of other people’s reputations, a faithless husband, a serial philanderer, a terrible example to all of our children, a man with no discernible knowledge of foreign affairs or American history and a man devoid of sympathy for Muslims and other minorities when the American people hired him.
True to his word, the country is now sick and tired of winning.
So what more do we need to know before we fire him?
14
All you say is true but also irrelevant.
Like you state he is true to his word.
Those words got him elected.
You can't fire him because he is fulfilling the promises he made and why people voted for him.
By so called firing him you are the one who is destroying our democracy so the fact he isn't competent isn't relevant because everyone knew that before the election.
If being unfit for office can be used as a reason to impeach it should have been a reason to take him off the ballot.
Once you accept him as a person who is on the ballot then you do not have the right to fire him when he wins the election.
This is because you are telling people they can vote for him but when they do and he wins by not letting him govern you are taking the right these people have to determine the winner by the vote they cast.
Make that:
True to his word, the country is now sick and tired of him winning.
1
So why aren't the GOP congresspeople doing something? They should have acted long before now. Mitch McConnell refused to stand with President Obama and release information before the election that Russia was meddling - he threatened as well that if President Obama went to the people he, McConnell, would raise hell about "partisanship." Meanwhile the Senate under McConnell's leadership refused to do its Constitutional duties and give Merrick Garland a proper hearing, preferring to wait until he could stuff the right wing's poster judge into SCOTUS.
Trump is a clear and present danger - he is code red as Friedman says. But he wouldn't be so powerful or so dangerous without key Republican leaders enabling him and taking full advantage of the situation to destroy our safety nets, grossly exacerbate inequality, and do grave harm to the environment, public education, and human and civil rights in the US.
15
I'd like to recommend this 10 times. THIS is the problem: "he wouldn't be so powerful or so dangerous without key Republican leaders enabling him and taking full advantage of the situation to destroy our safety nets, grossly exacerbate inequality, and do grave harm to the environment, public education, and human and civil rights in the US."
1
Which is why we the people need to vote every single corrupt politician out of DC in November!
1
Trump is being blackmailed by Putin. It's so obvious.
If you were the POTUS and it was clearly demonstrated that another country meddled effectively in our election process - our democracy itself! - why wouldn't you pick up that banner and rush to battle with that enemy with similar tools? Why wouldn't you? Your approval rating would sky rocket! It's been basic behavior for leaders to identify an external threat to bolster their popularity. And Trump needs popularity like a dope fiend needs heroin.
Tom is right. It's about money.
The fact that his tax returns aren't available bolsters the argument. But we don't need that fact to see that our "Commander in Chief" is now acting like a traitor to his nation.
Perhaps it is time for a Patriot at the IRS to share the truth.
10
Why didn't Obama fight back when he learned that Putin's Russia was hacking our elections? I supported him but he failed us in a most fundamental way here. Professor Obama deliberated, hesitated, consulted - and did nothing. And now we have a vulgar pig in the most sacred office in the land. Shame on Obama!
3
Obama administration imposed sanctions before he left office, then 45 rescinded them immediately after the inauguration. Don't blame Obama. Mr. Obama made errors, but ignoring this issue was not one of them.
3
Obama believed, as most pollsters asserted, that Ms. Clinton would win. He also thought that by intervening forcefully he would tip the election to Trump, who had been screaming for months that the election was rigged.
2
Mike, Obama was concerned that he would be interfering in the election in a partisan way had he done more. I think that he SHOULD HAVE done more, but I understand what he was concerned about. Obama did take away all the Russian "headquarters" that we had in the United States...these mansions where they holed up and conducted their dirty work.
2
Trump's impotence is probably related to all three points. The Russians basically own him, they have compromising video footage,lastly he is obviously a huge fool in general. At this point nothing would surprise me. I believe we have a amoral, depraved, narcissist as P.O.T.U.S, who is not defending our country against an obvious incursion from Russia.
2
He has never been faithful not once in his life. He has broken every contract, both personal and private. He lied to the Nation with the same vulgar hand that he has violated countless women with when he placed it upon a bible he has never read. He doesn't care a whit about the Constitution or the common man. He is a walking ID, devoted only to hedonism, and an utter stranger to shame and restraint. His bedfellows in the Congress know that he is mad, but he is also stupid enough to do their bidding, as long as it is accompanied by a signing ceremony with flashing bulbs and enthusiastic applause. Give him the pomp and circumstance of the office and he will happily hand our enemies the keys to the kingdom.
6
This is a lot of hyperventilating about the Russians using Facebook ads to push their message. If Americans are so stupid that they believe anything on Facebook, then they deserve whatever happens here. How about some self responsibility to think for oneself? Plus, it isn’t like the election outcome really mattered...we were just choosing which variety of window dressing we wanted to look at while those with the real power continued to operate the country.
1
Every day Trump shows how disgustingly self-centered and vainglorious he is. I truly believe that anything coming out of his mouth that shows the slightest concern for the American public is forced by his staff who knows what a failure he is at leading, governing or even showing basic human concern for all Americans.
Trump's campaign slogans were all lies, and it is tragic that Americans were so hungry to believe that someone would do something for them as opposed to the serving the oligarchs, they elected him. Lies, all lies! Now they will reap the whirlwind and will still defend their traffic choice.
1
Trump is a national security crisis waiting to happen. What if we were physically attacked by Russia? Would this “President” defend us?
Whenever the Kremlin asks Trump for information, he likely blabbers trying to impress them. He is that dumb.
I have no confidence in Trump’s ability to protect anyone, not even himself.
Whether he's a fool, or compromised, or both, the Russians are playing Donnie Two Scoops like the cheap piano he is. And the Republicans are applauding.
3
It’s the real estate, sanctions and money laundering, and there’s a probably European bank(s) in on it too. Trump wants Russian real estate and is an unscrupulous narcissist willing to do anything to enlarge his empire. Putin needs cash, but how to get around the sanctions? Easy, sell Trump prime real estate, and in return, Trump launders his money to Putin. This scenario matches what these thugs are really about - money. Mueller’s move shows the public Trump is a traitor. The question is will Americans wake up in time to stop ICE from becoming the incarnation of the KBG.
3
My father, who immigrated to this country from Nazi Germany and fought to defend the US from fascism and tyranny, would turn over in his grave had he known how America is unraveling at the base hands of Trump and his Republican stooges.
Perhaps a tweet from the past is needed to bolster our spirits in this time of rot and decay in values and governance: "When I despair, I remember that all through history the way of truth and love have always won. There have been tyrants and murderers, and for a time, they can seem invincible, but in the end, they always fall." - M. Gandhi
Let us pray that Mr Gandhi's words prove correct...bigly!
9
Soon the Russian trolls and the Trump apologists will be posting comments rationalizing his behavior or trying to redirect attention to Hillary, the deep state or some other Fox & Facebook fueled paranoia. Trumps deeply compromised at best and a self serving traitor at worst, but useful to the republican leadership for now. Sad!
2
It's about money. He owes the Russians and they own him. No bank with any business sense or integrity would loan anyone like Trump a dime. At the least he's a money launderer for Russians and who knows who else.
Right now he's picking The Treasury clean and his supporters don't seem to grasp that he's stealing their tax money. They're so ignorant they think he's stealing only from Democrats.
6
I endorse, respect and support all that Mr. Friedman writes here. I also believe with increasing conviction that this fellow, Trump, suffers significant mental/emotional impairment.
4
If it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it is a duck. Tom is correct. Mr. Trump is "either a total sucker for Putin or, more likely, he is hiding something that he knows the Russians have on him, ..." The answer matters. Is he merely criminally unfit or is he also a traitor? In any case, as we wait for the answer, he is failing to protect our democracy and elections. He has already violated his Constitutional oath.
2
The poor fellow is so utterly unaware that he is completely out of his depth. Worse still, he is totally unaware of his faults and shortcomings. He thinks he is doing great. Every time we see him on TV we laugh. He comes across like a true buffoon. So sorry it's so serious for you Americans.
3
Why were Jill Stein and Mike Flynn at the same event in Russia and sitting at Putin's table?
3
Trump so flagrantly ignores Russian attacks on the US and seeks to avoid criticizing a resurgent enemy of our country (during a renewed Cold War) that I think Friedman's inference is correct: the Russians have something on this disgusting President: and it's probably not (or mostly not) election collusion with the Russians....it's financial corruption with their oligarchs or filmed sexual escapades in Moscow by this (well-documented) exploiter of women. Bob Mueller...full speed ahead!
1
If Obama or Clinton were president the Reoublicans would be leading the charge to get them impeached. Instead they are doing everything they can to defend treasonous Trump.
3
The Russians own him. He laughs about firing Comey with them in the Oval Office. It's so painfully obvious only willfully ignorant collaborators don't acknowledge this and there are apparently more of these than one might have imagined.
4
" or rumors are true that he engaged in sexual misbehavior while he was in Moscow running the Miss Universe contest, which Russian intelligence has on tape and he doesn’t want released"
Wow. You are actually going to put an excerpt from the Steele dossier in your article to bolster your position? That's beyond pathetic.
1
Between tRump and Congress, it seems it will be just a matter of time before the White House is referred to as the Red White House.
What a disgrace.
3
Irony is the country would be better off if all Republicans, Trump, GWB, Ryan, McConnell etc did nothing more than pass continuation resolutions.......and play golf.
Why don't people call trump for what he is - a TRAITOR! Freidman dances around the idea but won't say the word. He is certainly aiding and abetting the enemy on two fronts. One, he is giving Putin free reign to send his invaders to our country. Two, trump is doing everything he can to destroy our core institutions from the inside - FBI, intelligence community, the media, etc.
2
When is the truth about Donald Trump's inaction regarding Russia going to be voiced for what it truly is? TREASON! Yes, he is a traitor to our country. For whatever reasons he's harboring, his inability or unwillingness to engage in the defense of our democracy let alone counterattack our enemy is treasonous, pure and simple. Donald Trump is a traitor to America and his Republican enablers are complicit in this unprecedented crime. Call it what it is, wake up America!
1
Rage, grandiosity and lack of empathy are common traits of narcissists and mass murderers. Sweet dreams if you can.
1
Americans are paranoid and delusional. 44,000 dollars of Facebook ads are not a major concern. Section 95 of the indictment makes it clear that the intent was click bait! None of the media have commented on this fact.
1
The indictment makes it clear the intent was to disrupt our democratic processes and our trust in them and to damage Hilary Clinton, partly by egging on trump and sanders supporters. I suspect they thought Clinton would win and wanted her presidency damaged from the start. Ha! We fooled them.....no, seriously, if we can pull out of this ignorance and bigotry spin into facism and come out of it smarter, more engaged etc it may be the best outcome. I wish she had won and I wish bullies and liars hadn't attacked her for twenty years but one must deal with all "possible" worlds.
1
What’s new to us is old to the Russians, but no less laughable to them. In addition to their amazement at abetting such a foolish person’ election to the highest office in the US, in addition to their incredulity at how long it took any one to find out about it, they can now sit back and watch a foolish nation take forever to act upon it.
Meanwhile, while the foolish person is repeatedly battering relations with neighbors and allies, the Chinese are making their long game a lot shorter by stepping into the monster-sized holes caused by the deterioration of Trump’s recidivist foreign policy, mirrored in a shrinking state department.
There is not a single adversary or competitor who has not benefited from this weak and ignorant American leader. How ‘great’ does America look now, Americans?
1
There are vicious murderers of people, such as the apparently mentally unstable young Florida man for whom purchasing an AR-15 was as easy as picking up a pack of chewing gum. There also are vile would-be killers of democracy, such as the all-too reliably greedy, narcissistic bully occupying the White House, for whom sending out cheap verbal potshots is as easy as twiddling his thumbs. No reason to forgive him, Lord, since he knows full well what he is doing and relishes being able to blatantly misuse powers with which we have invested him. The FBI acknowledges the mistake it made. When will we acknowledge the huge mistake we have made [one compounded by the insidious work of Putin and his pals]?
Trump childishly lashes out at anyone who challenges or denigrates him. He is attacking the FBI because admitting to Russian influence would diminish his victory, which harms his ego. That is the third possibility. While the Russians certainly did their best to influence the election, there's no evidence so far that there was any quid pro quo. The Trump campaign gives no indication that it had the organizational capacity for collusion. I think we should be careful jumping to conspiracy theories too quickly, because the most likely outcome is still that beyond some contact with foreign officials, there's nothing concrete that can be proven about collusion. If you accuse him of being a traitor, and he's just a useful idiot, he'll end up looking vindicated.
1
Let’s not fool ourselves about Trump and the Russians. Every building that brags TRUMP is mortgaged to Russia. And his money is their money. The man in the White House owes his business success to Russia, and now he owes them for the presidency. The devil will collect. And the devil is here.
Narcissists have no core self. There is no there there. They have a deep secret that they keep from the people around them, which is that they think they are frauds. If you could get a narcissist to reveal how they feel about themselves (and that's mighty hard to do) they would confess that they are filled with shame. They will do almost anything to avoid being shamed. Anything that makes them look less than superior or perfect is shaming to them.
Here is what would shame Trump. If the world found out that he's a sham businessman, leveraged to the hilt to the Russians. That he owes them big time and is not remotely close to rich or successful. The other thing would be something sexual, perverse. ugly or foolish. If the Russians had tapes of Trump covorting with prostitutes, especially something kinky or weird or "unmanly" he would lie and obfuscate to keep those tapes out of the public eye. And, he has known from day one that he's got to protect whatever secrets the Russians have about him and that means currying favor with Putin and his oligarchs.
What President or politician has ever surrounded himself with so many people connected to Russians? What President protects an enemy of the United States? It is there for all to see, but his base just doesn't care, doesn't understand, or can't admit that they made a terrible misjudgement about their hero. And, the Republicans have used Mr. Trump for their own ends. We are in a mess of monumental proportions.
2
On a related matter...could a freedom of information request be
made to extract the photo of tweeter in chief signing (in secret)
the order that weakened controls on guns for people with
some type of mental history issue in their past? Apparently
WH did not think it wise to release said photo...but wouldn't
that be something to which freedom of information request
applies? Can't the Times make such a request?
"The biggest threat to the integrity of our democracy today is in the Oval Office"
No, I think it's in Congress. Trump is what he is and knows no better. GoP know what he is and and do know better. They use him as a big, dumb human shield while they work away in the background undermining democracy, taking advantage of his permanent ability to distract
1
Is Mr. Trump naive and actually believes Mr. Putin's denials? Impossible. Mr. Trump cut his teeth in the hard boiled world of New York real estate. If he were a naive, approval seeking, man-child then he would not have been able to accomplish what he has.
Is Mr. Trump acting to protect himself from exposure of sexual impropriety now that he is happily married. Obviously not.
That leaves the money. With somebody like Trump, its always about the money.
1
Is Donald a traitor ? He has to prove beyond the doubt that he isn't. And after all these days and month's, he hasn't proven that he isn't. He needs to come before the American public and totally explain his reasoning's to blame everything under the sun for his inactions to protect our Constitution and our American people from Russia's interference. If he is not aware of how he can't handle incredible horrors going on in this country today and not reply with Presidential necessity, he is incompetant and should stand down immediately.
All of the above. Putin's Puppet in Chief, supported by a cabal of complicit treasonous collaborators, is intent on not offending his puppet master. And like all sociopaths has not a shard of concern for victims.
1
A man with no empathy can never lead. Trump is a hollow narcissistic shell -- he does not truly fathom the EXISTENCE of other people, never mind abstractions like ideals or 'America. ' He knows about winners and loser, tall and short, black and white, like a baby. He is a broken man and we are all endangered by him being in office.
1
The man, Trump, is plainly dangerous. We must keep our collective eye on him, and prevent him from doing more damage and more permanent damage to the nation we love.
12
I am with you. The day he was inaugurated, I wrote two-page reasoned letter to every legislator I could think of about why I beliveved this man was unsuited for the office -- and begged them to keep an eye on him. We all need to do that, painful though it can be. That, and vote in numbers, to repudiate this disgraceful regime.
When our president takes the oath of office he swears (in Trump's case on two Bibles) to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States of America. So now what is the penalty for obviously not doing what he swore to do? If there are NO checks and balances in place to force our House and Senate (all members of whom also swore to protect and defend that same constitution) to do their SWORN DUTIES and begin impeachment proceedings to protect this nation, then what do we have left? We have no nation, no democracy, no nothing. We only have a wellspring from which the money grabbers can grab, and those foreign powers who wish to undermine us can do so.
17
The alleged meddling took place during the previous administration. The Trump administration has obtained indictments and is prosecute the corporate entities and individuals allegedly responsible. How does this violate Trump's oath of office.
Were I one of Team Trump?
... a charter jet direct to Moscow would be looking very attractive.
No check-in on private flights.
But certainly a check-out on my US citizenship.
3
I fervently pray that Canada doesn't close the door on us, for many Americans may soon be in the position to legitimately claim political refugee status.
14
Don’t flee. Fight.
1
Even if you were a staunch conservative it should be difficult to support President Trump at this point. I mean, it's better and safer for the country for the US congress to impeach Trump and put Pence in there as president. At least we'd still have a conservative but, hopefully, a president that's loyal to the United States.
5
If Pence was loyal to the United States, he would have ashtray loudly criticized Trump for his inaction on the Russisn meddling. Instead, Pence supports Trump, so they are in it together.
The governors and states' attorneys general must lead in his place.
The media must lead with analysis, analysis for our times, keen enough and careful enough to rival Thomas Paine and the Federalist Papers.
The opposition candidates must understand they are running the most serious and consequential campaign of the century.
We must have clearly justified plans, and we must rally behind what is right.
Citizens must be willing to subject themselves to the discomfort and danger of peaceful demonstration. We have the future of the nation, if not the world, upon us.
22
Of course it's about money. It always is with him. He'e in deep to the Russians and he is terrified.
He would sellout his own mother to protect himself. Why not an entire country?
Manafort is the key.
67
No he isn't. and Manafort the key to indicting president Obama and Hillary since all his charges come while they were in charge.
"It’s as if George W. Bush had said after 9/11: “No big deal. I am going golfing over the weekend in Florida and blogging about how it’s all the Democrats’ fault — no need to hold a National Security Council meeting.”
Isn't that what all of the smart people said? Bush was not known as being the smart one.
10
No, what the smart people said, and still say, is that he should have treated it as a criminal act by a criminal organization, and not the opening salvo in a war of civilizations that so threatened our national survival that we needed to jettison a chunk of the Constitution to meet the threat, alienating billions of Muslims in the process.
Yes this is code red and yes our democracy is in serious danger. A narcissistic sociopath sits in the office of the presidency, completely blinded to reality and to his duties by his own sick needs. Are their ANY leaders, any patriots, left in the Capitol to call this out for what it is and oppose it??
60
Question: Which of the following factors best explains Trump's inaction (lies, counterattacks, etc.) in the face of Russia's assault on our democracy?
Answer(s):
The Russians have (or even might have) a tape of Trump engaged in inappropriate to perverted sexual behavior?
Trump is so indebted to Russian oligarchs and Putin or up to his eyeballs in money laundering that they own him?
There was collusion, and we'll all soon get to see how extensive it was?
Trump is such a narcissist - sociopath - you name it, that:
He can't see the situation any further than the end of his nose.
He couldn't care less what his lies and inaction do to his credibility and the country.
He can't admit he's wrong and reflexively blames and attacks Obama, Clinton, the FBI, the Democrats, or somebody else.
Trump is either clueless, incompetent, utterly incompetent, or criminally incompetent?
There is no positive way to look at this situation and, unfortunately, no plausible, favorable or constructive way to explain his behavior?
Trump is acting out of fear and weakness?
One or more of the above?
All of the above?
Second question: What do you think?
Answer(s):
Sad?
Really sad?
We're really in trouble?
Trump's inaction borders on treason?
27
All of the above, and all of the above.
Trump is obviously being blackmailed by Putin. It's all about dirty Russian money propping up a failing business. When are Republicans in Congress going to put a stop to this? How much destruction of our democracy and institutions are they willing to allow before they finally impeach Trump and remove him from office? They are literally willing to risk the entire country and perhaps the world for the sake of Dangerous Donald. Why? They got their tax cut. What else do they think they can accomplish by continuing to enable Trump? When Trump is finally ousted by the Democrats after they win back control of Congress in November, there needs to be investigations into the Republican conspiracy to undermine the rule of law and subvert the Constitution.
62
Outside Independent Investigations are mandatory. The R's LOVE what is happening...for their corporations' self interest/values... have totally stacked our courts http://time.com/5066679/donald-trump-federal-judges-record/from Gorsuch on SCOTUS down. This in itself is devastating for Democracy. The rollback of rules can be changed but so much damage. We will face a horrible civil unrest...
This fraud who occupies OUR White House is a traitor that the republicans fell in line with for their own self interest, collusion on collusion. Trump invited the Russians Lavrov and the ambassador Kisliyak right in with pictures provided by Russian News AGency. We need to defend our country by getting out to vote in November and then we can clean up this mess.
44
Tom Friedman has nailed it. I'm betting on the money. Congress? Paul Ryan is not stupid. He is immoral, and is leading his team to the abyss.
63
For the sake of the earth and all its inhabitants, Trump and his whole administration must be removed.
67
Right! We have a lot of immoral people in the White House, as well as in Congress. We've got to Vote, Vote, Vote and stand behind Mueller! Let's try them all for treason!
1
Trump is a traitor. He has committed treason and should be impeached for not protecting the United States. After he is removed from office, he should be tried for treason, with the possibility of the maximum punishment. He is the worst leader the United States has ever had in its long history.
Wikipedia: In Article III, Section 3 of the United States Constitution, treason is specifically limited to levying war against the US, or adhering to their enemies, giving them aid and comfort. Conviction requires two witnesses or a confession in open court.
Penalty: U.S. Code Title 18: DEATH, or not less than 5 years imprisonment and not more than life imprisonment without the possibility of parole (minimum fine of $10,000, if not sentenced to death).
55
I believe Trump will face treason and conspiracy charges. That is why Mueller laid the criminal groundwork with his first indictment. Check out my post from yesterday.
When will the Trump voters understand how awful he is? He's clearly not following through on his populist policies, favoring the super rich with his unaffordable tax cut. Now he's allowing a hostile foreign government to attack our democracy and mounting no defense against this. The only thing he is doing is following up on his racist promises to attack and deport Mexicans and Muslims. For some people, helping them feel that they are an inch above the brown "others" is enough.
26
Trump voters will never understand. That's the long and the short of it. After all, here we are in 2018 and Trump voters are still in favor of "trickle down economics", which translates to give more and more to the rich and they in turn will offer you their pocket change. If Trump voters can't see through this charade, after decades of failure, how can they be expected to recognize Trump for the con-man that he is? After all, any news that isn't pro-Trump is "fake news"...
1
You are too kind with the analogies. It's more like they've breathlessly brought FDR the news of Pearl Harbor and he turns over a page in the book he is reading and says, "So?" This is JFK, told about the Cuban Missiles, and he says, "Shucks, that's nothing. Now get me Marilyn Monroe on the phone!" This is every alarm at the bank blaring, and when the police finally show up, guns at the ready, helicopter hovering...they find the night security guard tipped back in his chair, tossing a ball in the air, with the doors to the strong room door wide open, every safety deposit box robbed, a few stray C-notes fluttering in the breeze. "Fake news!" says the night guard, and laughs at the cops.
17
trump’s tweet tantrum after the indictments dropped should be a wake up call to his supporters, but it won’t be. Rather than take any leadership, he points fingers at everyone BUT Russia, while the sanctions he signed into law remain unapplied. Why? That seems obvious. Putin’s eyes must have lit with glee the first time he met trump.
Apparently trump is so dumb he thinks there are only a handful of people working at our FBI, and that those few people can only work on one thing at a time. I was gobsmacked at his tweets, which undermine our law enforcement agencies (yes, local LEOs, it undermines you, too. How can you continue to support him? It’s baffling). Is he unaware that it isn’t the FBIs failure, it’s the failure of all the agencies who looked into Cruz’s horrifyingly troubled past and did nothing, for years before the FBI was even tipped about him?
Trump is a huge problem with a huge ego. He managed to make the deaths of those kids all about him, never his problem, nothing he can do, it’s failure everywhere but oh, not him, he never fails.
Russia, if you’re listening (and we know you are...just saying) come get your stooge. We’re onto him. ( If Putin is paying attention, he must be a little sweaty right about now. I wonder how all his oligarchs are doing? Are they getting restive, now that his golden(sprayed) boy is politically on his knees? Can he see what’s coming? Does he understand that for every action, there is an opposite reaction?)
24
At this point, how can anyone honestly believe that Trump has not violated ethics rules, 5 C.F.R. part 2635? The big one, Trump has failed to put loyalty to the US Constitution, laws and ethical principles above his private gain. What an utterly revolting fact---Trump is owned by Russia.
33
Thank you, thank you, thank you!
I've been waiting for someone to state the obvious -- that Trump's behavior can only be explained as that of a Russian asset or a complete fool. Thank you, Tom Friedman!
38
Absolutely true. This vile man has polluted our political system and our democracy. We are all being placed in jeopardy by traitorous vulgarian and his obsequious congressional enablers.
22
Trump is obviously already being blackmailed. He's not really worried about a porn star, but he won't impose the sanctions voted by Congress, he won't defend the United States against cyberattack, he insists that the Russia investigation is all a hoax and has obstructed justice and tortured truth in attempts to interfere with it. What doubt could there be that he is hiding something catastrophic?
18
Read my post from yesterday. What he is hiding and why he will never criticize or take action against Putin/Russia is not about sex or money laundering. It would take something more to make Trump do or not do all the things you listed. It is more sinister and when the truth is made public, it will rock our country to its core. He will make Benedict Arnold ashamed of him.
Mueller is gradually and carefully making his case because it will be devastating.
Trump is too depraved and self-obsessed to be frightened by a sex scandal. Whatever happened at the Ritz-Carlton in Moscow, even if the cast of characters was bigger than the Ziegfeld Follies, would not be enough to turn Trump into a craven tool of the Kremlin. He's done it all before, and it's all been exposed to the public before. To paraphrase Dorothy Parker, "If all the girls who slept with Donald Trump were laid end to end, I wouldn't be at all surprised." It has to be money. Money is at the heart of Trump's identity. It is his soul, and his weak spot. Eventually, we will unearth just how much dirty money has been flowing through the Trump organization, and how much of it is Russian. Odds are that if that money somehow disappeared, it would be enough to bankrupt Trump for good. Trump without money is a nobody, and that's what he fears the most.
29
I agree with you about the sex part, but money laundering doesn't explain why he doesn't criticize Putin. It wouldn't matter if he did if his bank records/taxes are made public. I believe there is something more sinister and treasonous at work here. It's almost as if he has an NDA with Putin.
Hey Trump supporters, turn off Fox News to see what's happening in the real world-
-better do it soon because your 'bubble' is about to burst.
(to be honest, I wouldn't be surprised if Fox News is caught up in the Mueller investigation as well)
17
We've already got Hannity communicating with Assange about "dirt" he can spread about Clinton. He's in this up to his neck.
1
Continue to do your work Mr. Mueller the American people will march in the streets to defend your investigation. We look forward to the day when you unmask this group of Benedict Arnolds and restore trust in our democracy. God speed Robert Mueller.
20
I'm going with towering fool and criminally incompetent. Trump is so self-obsessed he can't grasp the larger consequences of Russia sticking its dirty fingers in the democratic process -- and getting away with it. He still thinks it's all about him and his tremendous campaign (the best ever!). He can never put America first and take himself out of the picture because he's the narcissistic ringmaster of the Trump circus, forever wondering in the hall of mirrors and in thrall with what he sees. With Trump it will always be about Trump, no matter what.
16
Thank you for saying what has been obvious for over a year. Trump is not trustworthy and is very likely a traitor to our country.
15
Congress GOP has taken money from Russians too. It's why they are complicit.
10
He's not hiding anything, Thom. Read the news. He's been vindicated. There was no Russian collusion --- except that of the Hillary and Obama team. Hopefully, we'll see Mueller soon indict both of them.
1
Right, that's why he eagerly released his tax returns because he has nothing to hide.
5
He hasn't been vindicated at all. There is no alleged collusion for these indictments. That doesn't mean much. It is unlikely that this is the end of it.
We don't know what Mueller has, so can't say that there is collusion or not. Wait until the probe has run its course before you jump to conclusions.
On the other hand, as Thomas Friedman points out, Trump has blamed just about everybody for something... except Putin and Russia. 19 indictments of Russians with ties to the Kremlin should warrant some attention. Instead he seems to be blaming the Russian probe for the Florida school shooting. But not a word about those who were actually indicted.
It looks fishy to everyone except Trump supporters who do what Republicans have learned to do - trying to shift peoples attention to something else. Even if that something else has been thoroughly discredited - doesn't matter. FOX News and other right-wing outlets will keep pushing one conspiracy or another so that Trump supporters will have something to focus on that doesn't have anything to do with the news of the day. As long as they can have something to focus on that has to do with liberal conspiracies, they are happy. No reason to pay any attention to what comes out about Trump. It is just the mainstream media upset because Hillary lost. Ridiculous
1
*facepalm*
1
You exhaust the sensible world, Republicans.
The 'code red', so aptly put here, is for your country
and your way of life. Not that you've shown a wit of
concern for all that by keeping Trump in office.
9
What's more, even were Trump to convene a National Security Council meeting to address the issue of Russian meddling, just having Trump in the room would pretty much guarantee dysfunction and and contradictory statements.
At this point, his chumminess with Russia is secondary to the bigger problem: he without a doubt a towering fool.
5
Simply listen to the 2 shows of Fresh Air by Terry Gross, on Nov 20th and 21st of last year, (Trump, Russia, the Panama and Paradise papers) and you will walk away convinced that Trump was up to his neck in shady business with the Russians.
https://www.npr.org/podcasts/381444908/fresh-air
5
It is phenomenal, really. The present set of circumstances. One man, Trump, in a position to cause harm to 350 million Americans. At stake are his financial empire (and possibly his freedom if criminal conduct is involved), versus the populace of the United States. And he behaves narcissistically, so not much hope that he will voluntarily do the right thing.
If the Russians have sex tapes on him they are not of a man and a woman. Trump is not afraid of that. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if he or his hacks planted the stories about Trump and the Porn star, the Hollywood access tape, and the Playboy bunny, to bolster his tough guy (ie, hetero) image.
No, I think it’s not Trump with a woman. That may be the real gun against Trump’s head.
5
Perhaps the PEOPLE should impeach D. Trump! Marching on the White House is futile as is marching on Congress. Perhaps a march on the Supreme Court to evaluate the justice of Trump not upholding his Oath ... DJM
5
The bottom line is that Trump is totally incompetent--period. What else is there to say?
8
There isn't one once of patriotism or even honesty in Mr. Trump. He avoided the draft numerous times, cheated on all his past and present wives and wouldn't know the truth if it smacked him in the head. He's surrounded himself with people that are smarter then him to do his dirty work over his entire career. Yet he's president of the USA.
When whatever he's hiding does come to light, he will deny it, hang on to power with his teeth and finger nails and claim everything was fixed from the beginning. It won't be easy getting rid of him, but he must go all the more.
8
Any one of his character flaws would disqualify him. His own inadequecy is being rewarded by a political party that has chosen to support him in the face of his obvious unsuitability.
5
But the problem is not limited to the Oval Office. What do we call the repubs in congress, the corrupt rabble known as the cabinet, and the besotted base who don’t recognize when their pockets are being picked by the tax scam, and the rabid gun lovers who are putting us, themselves, and their children at high risk of murder the next time some emotionally disturbed individual decides to legally buy an assault weapon and mow down innocent fellow citizens?
Can we make it as a nation until November and will the gerrymandering and voter suppression be overcome in time to allow some relief?
7
Time to face facts; there is a narcissist psychotic serial liar in charge of the most powerful nation in the world, being enabled by lawmakers who are using him to enhance their beliefs and gain as much benefit as possible while he is President. It is the worst possible threat to America’s standing in the world and its ability to lead global affairs. It has taken just over a year to rip apart hundreds of years of efforts and countless successes that made the most remarkable country the world has ever known. Who would have believed it could have gone so badly this quickly?
11
My problem with Trump, and with American who continue to support him, is he only cares about himself. There is simply no credible argument to the contrary! The oath he took to protect the public’s health, safety and welfare is his biggest lie; one that paints all his supporters with a similar hypocrisy!
5
President Trump is, never has been, nor ever will be a serious man worthy of being taken seriously. He may not even be a man, considering the standards of manliness that human beings typically accept.
His response to the Florida massacre has been nothing but an exercise in shallow, narcissistic self-aggrandizement. There is no human essence behind his flat, dull, soulless voice, venting lies and bile that fails to focus on anything or anybody other than himself, alternately selling himself as the heroic hero astride the global stage while pathetically whining his victimhood, lashing out at the people he has abused, imagining them as tormenters.
My rant has all been vented countless times before by so many outraged citizens, but the president's atrociously persistent assault on the core norms of common human decency demand that the venting valve be opened again, and again, and again.
What goes on in that shriveled pistachio of the president's heart? Can our constitutional democracy survive his defilement of it?
8
Trump is shallow, mendacious, vulgar, mean-spirited, bigoted, misogynistic, vindictive, disloyal, and unworthy. But, he is not naive or unwitting.
Therefore, there is only the one explanation for his behavior towards the Russians --- they own him.
Otherwise, a great column.
6
Don't make "ignorance" a choice of reason for Trump not responding to Russian interference, such as "President Trump is ... a towering fool," otherwise we are insulting the word: "ignorance."
Trump is a show-off who likes to act as Grand President. In normal circumstance, one would expect him to make a grandstanding against Russia.
Why he hasn't? Because Trump must have something needs to hide for him to disregard our national security. This is common for Trump--always putting himself above the country. All his tweets, policies and everything else are aiming at political calculation for getting re-elected and for keeping his wrongdoings hidden, furthermore making more money for himself and his family.
The most corrupt, unethical and undeserving president of my lifetime.
6
But if he'd handed the Russians a phony "re-set" button with a mis-translated message and a big toothy grin, well, you'd be OK with that.
I don't normally comment but this article says it all. Con man Trump is pulling the biggest con on America.
8
Why do elected Republicans continue to support Trump? Obviously there is something Russia has on Trump. I agree that it has to do with money because that is what Trump cares about. I am so very ashamed of Pres. Trump. I did not vote for him bec. he is a charlatan but I underestimated his ego, his insecurity, and his cheating.
4
From the column: "...... It’s as if George W. Bush had said after 9/11: “No big deal. I am going golfing over the weekend in Florida and blogging about how it’s all the Democrats’ fault — no need to hold a National Security Council meeting.”
AND/OR he said " I checked with Bin Laden and he said he didn't do it so I'm good with that", and then went off to play golf and tweet against Mueller.
5
If almost any opinion page the NYT has written on Trump was transposed back in time (from 2 years and backwards) and the name replaced by any past president's name, Washington would have been burning.
The present apathy-numbness of the system is insane.
4
You are spot-on, Mr. Friedman, and he needs to be impeached immediately on treason charges for dereliction of duty.
3
If the US were in a declared war with Russia and Trump gave information to the Russian navy enabling it to enter New York harbor and seize Manhattan, he would be guilty of treason, could be impeached and executed. If there were no declared war and he did the same thing, he would be a traitor but guilty of no crime and could not be impeached. Lack of consequences for failure to defend the country against foreign aggression is a giant hole in the constitution and Trump is driving a truck through it. Being a traitor is not praiseworthy, but it’s not illegal.
Robert Millsap
32595 County Road 19
Woodland, California 95695
530-681-7583
1
".... he would be a traitor but guilty of no crime and could not be impeached."
The "high crimes and misdemeanor " clause in the Constitution refers to the "high crimes and misdemeanors" that the U.S. Congress deems worthy of impeachment, not the justice department or the laws on the books, either federal or state. Remember what Gerald Ford said "an impeachable offense is whatever a majority of the House of Representatives considers [it] to be at a given moment in history..."
He's getting angry because we're getting closer to proving the truth and the truth WILL come out. Any decent person would resign however Trump's failure to do so will provide us with perhaps the greatest reality television show of all time....the FBI leading him out of the White House in handcuffs.
4
Trump is just trying to keep his hair on (literally) at this point in time. Every day he is more and more exposed as the illegitimate president that he is. When you choose to take money and do business with mafia types as a regular business practice, over time it is likely to set your hair on fire so to speak. Mueller is following the money and that will not end well for Trump.
5
Mueller has put Trump in the position that he has worked long and hard to achieve as he has to admit he was either:(1) that is is totally crooked or (2) he must admit he has acted as a complete fool and tool of Putin. So which is it Mr Trump?
2
What of the recent revelation that Obama knew before the election and said nothing publicly?
1
The reps in the congress have no backbone and a terrible memory. They can't remember ...preserve and protect the constitution... It is not p and p trumpy. It seems as if they don't care about anything but groveling to trumpy and their donors to get reelected without a whit for their constituents or the United States.
Presidential and congressional lying has reached heights never seen in America.
Impeachment is required without delay.
3
I guess everyone believes that there is still a possibility that this is all just a coincidence and that we really haven't been completely blindsided by a Russian plot to elect Trump. And even more unbelievable, that Trump was not in on it from the beginning. Really? I mean this duck quacks and swims. This is a modern day cyber Pearl Harbor event and the reason Trump isn't doing anything is because he is part of the plot. He is so deep in laundered Russian money he does whatever they tell him to do, and so do his kids. The collusion here isn't even the Trump administration, they're co conspirators. The collusion here is the entire Republican Party and their donors and Pacs, supporting and aiding and abetting after the fact, the greatest cyber attack in history. Marvel at this and ask yourself, why are we sitting on our hands while this Manchurian candidate continues to occupy the White House? Because now Republicans are in this too, trying to slow the judicial process in order to move legislation that may very well be considered anti American due to its pro rich pro oligarchy pro Russian origins. Republicans are obstructing justice even as they probably realize that Trump is a puppet of Moscow. They don't care because the time is ripe for raping the country for their rich donors. Trump and the Russians did this to us. Republicans are just reaping what Russians and their stooge Trump already sowed.
5
There is one explanation and one explanation only which explains all of Trump's behavior towards everything Russian. He is compromised by Russia. Most likely it is 20 years of taking money and money laundering for the Russian Mafia. Surely golden showers in the Moscow Ritz Carlton doesn't help, but his base is too ignorant to care about that.
1
"In sum, Trump is either hiding something so threatening to himself, or he’s criminally incompetent to be commander in chief." Yes and yes to both. My hope is that Dems will regain control of Congress and impeach Trump. Mueller isn't enough and he'll probably be axed. Every day brings new risks to our country. Our POTUS is really Don Vito Corleone with nukes! Yikes! What's next a declaration of 'national emergency', suspension of The Constitution? So, be sure you're registered, know where the polling place is--and VOTE! No sitting this one out. Get involved. Spend some money. Devote some time. The stakes have never been higher. Boot this crime family out of our lives!
2
Mr. Friedman, wow, you have embraced conspiracy theory.com and brought the kooks out. What happened with the indictments is that Russia, as it has for decades, tried to influence US opinion. Now armed with social media, it has had more affect. Hard to see it would have had more affect than the billions spent by both parties on their respective campaigns, but go ahead and continue to drink your KoolAid. No collusion between the Russians and Trump has been found, repeat no collusion. Your entire mantra of collusion just got blown up. Now, you want to claim Trump’s response to a Russian assault on our democracy is not strong enough and therefore Trump is either stupid or the Ruskies have something on him. Read that last sentence one more time, I think you have lost your mind.
2
"...he is either a total sucker for Putin or, more likely, he is hiding something that he knows the Russians have on him,"
Or he is willingly betraying his country (just as he has betrayed virtually everyone in his life from his investors to his creditors to his wives) in the service of Vladimir Putin to settle a financial debt owed by Trump to him.
Enough already of allowing this vile man to damage OUR nation. At this point the Democrats and the media need to start demanding that the Republicans stop pretending Trump's lies are credible and start impeachment proceedings.
2
We the People have to elect a Congress that will put a check on this president, up to and including articles of impeachment.
When Trump Jr and others took a meeting with Russians to get dirt on Hillary Clinton, that was conspiracy with foreigners to affect the outcome of an American election. When Trump fired Comey over "the Russia thing", that was obstruction of justice.
We the People have an obligation to protect our republic.
4
Finally a direct demand on lying Trump, to stop his stupid tweeting and his devious bullying and get out of the way. His willful ignorant incompetence and corruption are incompatible with the functions of the presidency; as he so clearly demonstrated, over and over, his reluctance to speak and defend these United States from Russian's aggression in the recent past...and surely Putin's plans in meddling this coming November. On the other hand, without removing the irresponsible and possibly malevolent deafening silence of Trump, we must look at his unscrupulous and complicit enablers, especially Paul Ryan and Mitch McConnell; they should know better. Demagogue Trump has been a master, thus far, of distraction, of finding scapegoats and belittling any and all people daring to defy his alternative facts and offer, for the good of the country, constructive criticism. Can we infer, by Trump's highly suspicious behavior, that treason must be considered? Tempting as it is to include his coward and hypocritical stance on guns, to satisfy his donor, the N.R.A., we shall deal with that elsewhere, given that the trampling on national security is what seems pertinent to point out in your column. You mentioned money as the driving force in Trump's business mafia, a most likely factor, given his long history of cheating others...as we presume is going on even now, using the Oval Office, for his private benefit and at our expense. How, and why, in the world did we elect this crook?
2
How can it be that the Republican leadership is protecting him? The Party of Lincoln it protecting a racist. The anti-communist party of Barry Goldwater and Joe McCarthy now is protecting someone who defends Putin. What amazes me is not that Trump is either "compromised or a fool", but that the Republics continue to support Trumps lunacy.
4
Thank you, thank you, thank you.
I have been gasping...we all know this...please won't somebody talk about the emperor's wardrobe? What do the Russians have on this guy?
I think Mueller hit a pool shot, indict the Russians and watch poor Trump squirm...he cowers and he gets called on it (what seems happening) or the Russians feed him bit by bit to the sharks. I think that is what Trump and sons were holed up chewing on this weekend.
The brain trust.
Of course it’s the money. Americans, and especially Trump’s base, will forgive—or at lest ignore—any sexual peccadillo you can imagine. I’d bet the farm we will see that Trump has been engaged in money laundering for the Russians for years—to a staggering degree that will astound everyone. Except for as-yet-undisclosed colorful perversions, Trump’s sexual escapades are pretty much out there already. No one really cares. Senators are routinely re-elected from Deep South states after their trysts with prostitutes are exposed in the press and all over TV. That’s not what Trump is covering up here.
29
Gotta hand it to Trump, Fox, and the Kochs. They know the deplorables are too dim to catch on to being used. That's some icy calculation.
36
To be fair to Putin (ahem) we were doing a pretty good job of poisoning our own politics for quite some time now. There are no claims that I'm aware of that Putin was involved in depriving Obama of his rightful pick for the Supreme Court. It wasn't Putin who shouted "You lie!" during a SOTU address or sponsored a years long investigation into Bengazi. The Democrats aren't angels, but they shouldn't have to be.
28
Bravo to Mr. Friedman for calling out the obvious truth on Trump. He is OWNED by the Russians.
The mainstream media (and all but a few brave Democrats) wasted two full years refusing to call Trump a LIAR.
And now our country is in mortal danger.
We can't waste any more time with namby-pamby euphemisms and false equivalences.
Trump (and the utterly complicit Republican Party) will do NOTHING about Russian interference in our elections because they expect the Russians to continue helping them in the upcoming mid-terms.
This is TREASON.
Our country is being hijacked right before our eyes by TRAITORS. Let's call them what they are. TRAITORS.
34
Thanks for a great piece. If Trump and GOP won’t defend us against the ongoing Russia attack, perhaps the press can? NYT and every other media outlet should launch an all-out investigative barrage against Putin.
Please, inundate us. How about a 100-part series on Putin’s corruption, political murders, stealing, and megalomania? Also I’d like to hear how unhappy Russians are fighting his proxy wars, how badly their economy is doing, and what it’s like to live in a totalitarian oligarchy that pretends to hold elections. Oh wait.
24
Corrupt, yes. Treasonous, definitely. But his Saturday night tweet was also extremely cruel and heartless for the victims and survivors in Parkland, Fla. when he tried to turn their grief into a political point about his Russia troubles. Blaming victims is part of his frozen-hearted style. So add abject cruelty to corruption and treason.
24
Treason is when the President of the United States fails to uphold the Constitution that he swore to protect and defend. It is not when you fail to clap for outrageous statements by this morally and ethically challenged president.
26
Perhaps the real issue isn't that Russia made a bunch of Facebook memes, but a right wing party filled with bootlickers willing to do the bidding of psychopathic donors and a hapless, nominally left wing party that'd rather blame consistent losses on foreign meddling than actually providing a platform that offered working people something tangible.
7
Exactly. Well said.
6
"It’s as if George W. Bush had said after 9/11: 'No big deal.'" If only. Imagine how much better the world would be.
5
The prince of Deceit. Doing the least he can do, under any circumstances.
Thanks, GOP. Aren't you ALL just so proud.
7
Read Adam Davidson in The New Yorker on Trump's business dealings. He is most likely up to his neck in laundered Russian money. And there is probably zero chance that Putin and his pals don't have some nasty kompromat materials on him, given how long his dealings date back and how susceptible he is to ego stroking. Probably, he doesn't worry too much about all that because his supporters and now the Republican party writ large won't care if all that's true. I suspect the real reason these indictments are driving him to a twitter rage is because his narcissism can't handle thinking he needed criminal help "winning" this election, with or without collusion. That's some dangerous stuff there.
11
Code Red in the Oval Office? Will the crash cart save us from the most divisive and ignorant president in American history? Today may be the beginning of "the week that was". Thank you for your alarum, Dr. Tom. What can we the people do beyond witnessing and suffering from the clash within our 50 states? This is a new time that will try our American souls. Will our democracy weather it?
8
What Friedman said is absolutely true. Trump is up to his eyeballs into Russian mob's money. He couldn't have survived in the real estate business in NY without their patronage. He just does not have the brains to make it there (remember! Frankie Sinatra). Trump just couldn't make it anywhere after those Coney Island gang got through with him. Now it's payback time baby. He will.. No, he has sold America to save his own skin. How can he stand up for America.
9
Like Lear Trump will lash out in fury. His demons will be unleashed by the unlimited power he, and only he alone possess. We should be ending this madness before he orders attacks on Iran and North Korea. Trump is insane. Those closest to him know this. Save our nation. Save our Democracy. Save the world before it is too late.
11
With every passing day, the balance of power tilts further toward Russia. Trump’s ignorance, incompetence, and dishonesty has shaken our allies and emboldened our foes.
13
well said....now get out and vote america.
13
At least North Koreans who worship Kim Jong Un have no choice in the matter, nor do they have any choice in their source of information and news, foreign or domestic.
How can one explain then, that tens of millions of Americans knowingly support a serial liar, serial adulterer, racist and misogynist, and willfully seek out media choices and information to support their tribal bias?
America is surely doomed. It contains 30-40 million petty, angry, willfully credulous people, whose only common thread seems to be blaming others for their lot in life. No country can survive that.
12
Now?
The day he took office ICE started raiding homes and jobs. A father of three in San Francisco killed himself when they came to deport him. He'd been in this country for years, paid taxes, worked hard and loved his family.
Now?
The day he took office he began a malign, sustained attack on immigrants, refugees, Muslims, black people, the poor, and the environment...all that Lady Liberty asks us to embrace.
I'm sorry, but titles like this infuriate me. We have him precisely because so many people refused to acknowledge in the moment-- when he could have been stopped--how dangerous he was.
That said...yes, of course, he's hurting us. Therefore, the GOP's refusal to uphold its oath to act as checks and balances in order to safeguard this country from enemies foreign and domestic now also needs to be investigated. It's gone way beyond complicity. Their silence condemns them; they are now active participants in the crime scene.
My disgust for this GOP trumps what I feel for the man in the White House. He's an inept tool; they use him to their advantage and they're destroying us in the process. Oust them all at midterms.
But that's not enough. IF treason occurred, as now looks probable, those who colluded--if only by impeding an investigation-- need to be tried and held fully accountable.
14
Hopefully, and thankfully this is finally coming to the end. The hysterical stream of poor me, me, me, tweets this weekend can leave even the most ardent supporters of Trump with realization that he is severely mentally impaired. I am no friend of Pence. but it is time to change horses.
8
I am terrified this man is going to cause a nuclear war to take us all off the trail. Republicans, stop being Dr. Faust. Grab your souls back and protect our nation.
5
Exactly! It's just that this is hardly news. Anyone with an iota of intelligence read between the lines months and months ago and came to the same conclusion. Traitorously criminal or criminally incompetent, our way of life, the true American way of life, has been in danger the second the big orange muppet perjured himself swearing to protect the United States and its Constitution.
8
Florida FBI immediately admitted their error. Juxtapose it to DJT - world of difference. Truth vs. lies, lies and more lies.
4
Please reflect on the fact that Mueller may indict but there will never be a trial because none of the people indicted can be extradited to USA. They are all in Russia and their closest link to the Kremlin is geographical. Mueller can indict any foreign person he wishes and charge them with conspiracy to kill President Kennedy and he will never have to present evidence unless he can bring them to court. Mueller has to give some fodder to the fake news media after all.
2
Today I wish we had a parliamentary government and we could vote this whole administration out. Every single day I wake up afraid to hear what Trump had to tweet the night before. He is appalling but so is Congress, his wealthy supporters and all those Americans who still believe in him. They are either complicit, self serving or stupid. There is no other explanation.
5
If the Russians all invade,
And the President's tirade
Is all: "There was no collusion! Don't blame me!",
With not a word about defense,
Or even a pretense,
No " Duty", "Oath of Office", just all " Me!";
If the Russians launch their nukes,
And the President rebukes
The media and the Democrats -- Ah, me!;
It would be a curious thing
To see a president sing,
"No collusion! No collusion!",
While not doing anything,
While the collusion was IN
Not doing anything!
2
Where is the announcement of the Russian Sanctions, Mr. Trump?
3
Your most important column ever, Tom. Thank you.
6
"...either Trump’s real estate empire has taken large amounts of money from shady oligarchs linked to the Kremlin — so much that they literally own him; or rumors are true that he engaged in sexual misbehavior while he was in Moscow..."
From what we know about Trump, it's probably both.
4
How can you expect a petulant child to be more than a petulant child?
Is the Donald, when he reads off the teleprompter as if in a trance, telling his base " this is what they want me to say"? Or, is he just illiterate, and a huge danger to mankind!? It doesn't make any difference! At this point Pence would be an improvement! Impeach!
2
It's not the prostitutes - though I believe those tapes exist. It's the money. Trump has been in bed with Russians for decades. Mueller must already know this because he's seen the financials. What will the GOP do?
3
We just annihilated several hundred Russian soldiers in the Middle East, and Trump just proposed a 25 cent gas tax last week, one of your pet ideas for a long time. I think Trump's been listening to you, Thomas, maybe a little too well.
With all due respect, how can you write this article without mentioning the republicans who enable his every horrific whim?
2
What I can't get is how republicans still like this traitor. On 60mn yesterday we saw a bunch so happy about the stock market (that was before the crashes) and "Merry Christmas is back" and "reactionary justice is blooming" and "no taxes for the rich who worked so hard for their millions"... How about the thousands who worked even harder, for them? The russians have little to do with it but their little is plenty just because some of us are brain damaged by the FoxNews virus and happy to spread extreme right propaganda. Make America Germany Again!
2
Its all about the money, always has been. So many tells. Start with the sale of a house in Palm Beach to Dmitri Rybolovlev for a profit of over $50 million in the midst of the 2008 crisis. If you don't think Trump and his organization have been aiding and abetting Russian (and others) money laundering in exchange for a percentage kickback you don't know your man and his family.
5
Tell me something I don't know. And while you're at it, go interview the Republican cowards who've decided not to run in 2018 because they lack the courage to perform their sworn duty to uphold the Constitution,and protect our Republic
5
It has all been said, we have all seen it for a year and we all know this man's life story - 70 years of inferiority complex, lies, deception and bullying. Trump is a narcissist and sociopath, devoid of compassion and empathy, thus utterly unfit for ANY public office. But there lies the real guilt and shame of the political establishment, specifically the Republican party, the lobbyists and at the very bottom the rest of the opportunist like many of his base voters who will still defend him, as long as their team wins.
True democracy takes courage, empathy and intelligence. None to be seen among Republicans. They have disqualified themselves from the political arena of a democracy and should be disbanded. It is high time for new political parties to become meaningful players. That upheaval would be the only thing we can thank Trump for. Exposing and cleaning out the Republican swamp!
8
Trump is a failure on so many fronts that this is just another "L" for those keeping score. I'm suffering from Trump fatigue- soon to be entered as a real medical condition in the DMS-5.
His parlor tricks of diverting the national focus into rabbit holes is on par with his incompetence. Both deserve a chapter in our nation's history book. When faced with obvious incompetence - divert our attention or better yet- call it "fake news'.
I have no doubt that history will not be king to no. 45, and may well refer to him as the "fake president".
But enough with the charades. Time to impeach. There is plenty of fodder for the congressional action.
4
Bravo to Mr. Friedman for calling out the obvious truth on Trump. He is OWNED by the Russians.
The mainstream media (and all but a few brave Democrats) wasted two full years refusing to call Trump a LIAR.
And now our country is in mortal danger.
We can't waste any more time with namby-pamby euphemisms and false equivalences.
Trump (and the utterly complicit Republican Party) will do NOTHING about Russian interference in our elections because they expect the Russians to continue helping them in the upcoming mid-terms.
This is TREASON.
Our country is being hijacked right before our eyes by TRAITORS. Let's call them what they are. TRAITORS.
4
Mr. Friedman - there is one possibility you neglected to mention, which is that our President is such a narcissist that everything is about him, all the time. He can't comment on the school shooting without making it about him. The man is a dangerous tool.
3
Trump is heading into treason territory.
He needs to be put under oath ASAP.
He is not a reliable president for the US- it is screamingly obvious he is compromised.
2
The esteemed writer did not mention a third possiblility: Trump likes the Russian interference, knows it helped get him elected, and will not say no to more interference in the election of 2018. Anything to get himself re-electeed!
Our best defense against this President is to elect a Democratic majority in both houses of Congress. I'm starting a new, highly innovative Super PAC to do exactly that, Congress Majority. See https://www.facebook.com/CongressMajority/
5
It's funny, a month ago it was Trump who arranged the Russian involvement in the election. Now that it has been proven he had nothing to do with it, and the Russians even started in 2014 (you remember 2014, when Hillary and Dibbie Wassermann Schultz were busy rigging the Democratic National Committee), it's Trump that needs to protect everyone who had Instagram and Facebook. Is this some kind of SNL skit?
The 'President' is so obviously in Putin's pocket that a 4 year old can see it, I doubt he cares about the sex scandal angle, after all what's one more in a sordid litany. But money, that's a different story. If Putin's folk can call the loans that prop up Trump's sagging empire, then Trump is his poodle. And good poodles don't bite that hand that feeds them.
Oh, and the Russian interference didn't sway any votes? If you believe all that propaganda didn't swing a single vote, then I have a bridge to sell you!
2
Folks we are facing a dangerous situation.. Trump's brain will at some point break through the concrete wall of Denial, and he will understand that he and his family are in serious legal trouble...possibly criminal...And that is when we should all worry about what he will do... Certainly hope General Kelly (a racist,misogynist for sure) keeps a close watch on the "nuclear briefcase"...
1
In Trump's world, the only thing that matters is the end result. How you get there is irrelevant. If you want to build an office building or hotel, you bribe, threaten, sue, bully (or probably even beat up) anyone that gets in your way. It doesn't matter if your methods are illegal. Laws are for losers. If you want to be president of the US, you use whatever means available. If the Russians can help you get elected by subverting American democracy - that's perfectly fine. To Trump, Democracy is worthless if it doesn't get him elected, and his agenda passed.
2
He reminds of a goodfella, his dimwitted tweets and constant mode of intimidation.
I suppose it's just a matter of time now, when you're numbers are being tallied, and they don't match what you put up on the board, they will take him down.
This is much more grave than any of us imagined.
1
It’s long past time to blast the over 60 million ill-educated, misled Americans and the right wing Republicans in Congress who not only tolerate but seem to cheer this malicious narcissist.
2
This president has no moral compass, no wisdom , no virtue , no vision .
His pathological narcissism and hidden “ secrets “ will forever stain this Country, while the GOP is sitting on its hands .
4
We have a commander in chief who is only concerned about protecting himself, and not the country - basically the antithesis of being president. Furthermore, it is frustratingly clear to anyone capable of critical thinking that he is hiding something.
But deep down Trump is just a spoiled rich kid, having a tantrum. It's sad to say, but we just can't expect much from him. His lack of mental horsepower and inability to think outside of himself can't be changed. He is an emotional infant, incapable of self-reflection.
But what about the "adults" in this situation? This Republican congress is full of sycophants and cowards who are enabling this man-child to all of our detriment. Ryan and McConnell have the ability to put a check on this president, instead they look the other way to save their own hides from the wrath of Trump voters. They have sold their souls - and they know it.
They are the ones who will go down in history as having witnessed our democracy swirling around the toilet bowl, and doing absolutely nothing about it - except waving bye bye.
2
I do believe it is time for all our living past Presidents to gather their respective service-honor to our of Country, Constitution and Presidency and demand that Congress begin the impeachment process. Enough is enough from this clown car president.
An another subject. While she still has leverage, Melania would be wise to start divorce proceedings and save herself.
4
Mr. Friedman left out one other possibility (alluded to by Larry Eisenberg in another comment): Trump committed treason by conspiring with a foreign adversary to overthrow our normal democratic processes and have himself installed as Putin's Puppet.
1
For nine years Trump would not believe that POTUS Obama was born in Hawaii, in spite of all the evidence including the birth certificate, but he instantly believed Putin when he said that he did not meddle in the 2016 election. There's only one logical explanation and you know what it is.
2
Hurting is more is the roughly 40% of Americans that continue to support Trump. The Republican Party, evangelical Christians, moral majority have pledged allegiance to a man instead of their country, the constitution, the flag and our democracy. They are the enablers of this travesty. Deplorables.
1
With all the evidence you obviously have access to it seems odd that the special Prosecuter, FBI, US Senate and House of Representative haven't brought out these facts and impeached the President. Either you are wrong or we should fire all of the above.
Qui s'excuse, s'accuse. The lady doth protest too much, way way way too much, methinks. No one, not even you in this excellent opinion, Tom, can point a more certain finger at the man than the man himself does again and again. Even his supporters deeply know this. Code red? Something is rotten in the State. It smells to heaven....
1
A lot of people still don't grok how vast & brutal the Russian poison-gas of sickened info has been. Tens of Millions of people were poisoned. There was a Napalm of Lies that charred and made rancid our civic landscape. Notice your own exhaustion and nausea. Wreckage has been wrought upon our precious Democracy&Decency. The land-mines of racist and misogynist judges will take decades if not generations to clear. The terrible sabotage was strikingly easy. They hacked and ransacked our minds and hearts and never had to fire a single bullet, CyberWAR. We have been somnolent. We must wake up or in 85 years in 2103, the bewildered people then will be asking, "Where were the Good Americans?"
3
Trump ran for POTUS not to win but to raise seed money (he never uses his own) for Trump TV. He copyrighted "Make America Great Again in 2014 and tweeted about it-and the Russians saw their chance to sow chaos in our election with the perfect "useful idiot". And every time Trump refuses to criticize Putin or impose more sanctions on the Russian government he digs himself in deeper. Money laundering and obstruction of justice charges may be the least of his worries right now. As to "code red" Mr. Friedman_many of us have been calling a code red since June of 2015-and we're glad that you have caught up.
3
And some folks in the DJT administration are forced to tell other world leaders at a meeting in Munich to ignore Trumps tweets. Like he's some toddler off in a corner having a tantrum. SAD!
I think what DJT is hiding can be summarized by the Kander lyrics from the movie 'Cabaret'
Money money money money money money
Money money money money money money
3
He can t be honest or faithful with his wife. Why should he be with any of us?
2
Tom,
I’m shocked that it has taken you this long to write this column. But you are still offering incompetence as an alternative. While I give you that the man is incompetent that is and has never been the explanation for his traitorous conduct.
It’s the money (and likely some evidence of his sordid, sick, ego driven behavior in the form of photos and video while pursuing the money) and always has been the money. That is as plain as his name is Drumpf.
Why do you think he refused to release his tax returns (which presumably Mueller has). Follow the money from the oligarchs to Deutsche Bank and its relationship with Drumpf. The son of Drumpf, equally incompetent, “unwittingly” gave Mueller all the confirmation he needed to head down that path (not that Mueller ever needed confirmation).
4
Where is the Daniel Ellsberg in the IRS who will leak Trump's tax returns?
3
Trump is starting to lose it, for real this time.
As head of the Trump Organization he could rage, manipulate and lie to his heart's content and no one would, or could, push back because he held the purse strings. He had his battery of lawyers who threatened and intimidated anyone dared to try to hold Trump to his word or speak the truth about him. When all else failed, he could avoid prison by paying huge fines, such as the $25 million for the fraudulent Trump "University," unlike the rest of us who would be rotting in prison for the same crimes.
Well, that stuff doesn't work anymore and his head is exploding. Good. The hubris of a man so monumentally unqualified and incompetent thinking he can be president is breathtaking. Our only hope is that he gets taken down before he takes us and the entire country down.
2
treason (noun)
1) the offense of acting to overthrow one's government or to harm or kill its sovereign.
2) a violation of allegiance to one's sovereign or to one's state.
3) the betrayal of a trust or confidence; breach of faith; treachery.
1
Call me crazy, but didn't Rachel Maddow--among others--connect all these dots at least a year ago with some rather compelling evidence? I'm finding it rather odd that Friedman is being lauded on Twitter for this no-holds-barred column when his conclusions are, at best, late to the party. So tell me, is this a case of mansplaining or one of "if the Times didn't report it, it didn't happen"? Either way, you guys are looking a little foolish.
3
It was no mistake that the Special Counsel used the term "information warfare" in the recent indictment of 13 Russians to infiltrate our elections. Anyone from this country who conspired with these hostile foreigners to attack our country may very well be charged with treason, including Donald Trump and his family.
2
https://www.law.cornell.edu/constitution/articleiii#section3
Treason against the United States, shall consist only in levying war against them, or in adhering to their enemies, giving them aid and comfort.
Trump's behavior on Twitter after the Florida school shootings & the indictment of 13 Russians by Mueller's team was absolutely disgusting & to be honest, rather frightening...
Could you imagine if FDR said on 12/8/41 that Emperor Hirohito was really not such a bad guy and the attack on Pearl Harbor was really the fault of Congressional Republicans......Or if Jimmy Carter would have gone on a profanity laced tirade about Spiro Agnew and Nelson Rockefeller after the failed rescue attempt of the hostages in Iran...
We are in uncharted waters now and its not a stretch to say only Robert Mueller III can save this country....
3
Brilliant piece, Mr. Friedman, thank you.
Editor’s note: This comment has been anonymized in accordance with applicable law(s).
1
Give him a chance people. Sources suggest he will pivot soon.
1
In an interview in The New York Times Book Review, Philip Roth, in his inimitable words, summed up Trump: "Trump, by comparison [to Charles Lindbergh], is a massive fraud, the evil sum of his deficiencies, devoid of everything but the hollow ideology of a megalomaniac." A savvy novelist found the precision to box Trump as tidy as an online fulfillment specialist.
4
Nothing scares Trump more than the idea of his finances being exposed. He knows he's a scam artist who relies on friends of low integrity like Manafort. His own son Don Jr. and son-in-law Kushner are not far behind on that low bar.
1
Trump has no time for the Russian farce Mueller concocted, because he's too busy waging rhetorical war against Mexicans sneaking around. And immigrants. And welfare queens robbing us blind. Get real, people, Putin is a very, very, very rich man! So impressive! So awesome!
And for the love of Putin, stop obsessing about Trump's tax returns. Russian Oligarchs have nothing to do with the very stable genius Trump Organization.
2
What is obvious to most of us seems to be of little regard to many of us. Those who support the president continue to ignore the truth. They are as much traitors as he is, willing to sell out a nation for the sake of a tax cut and their extremist ideology built on hate.
2
Thank you, Thomas Friedman. Could the Times please run this piece EVERY DAY throughout the Trump presidency? It says it all, and it bears repeating until the cowards in Congress get it.
3
Spot on.
Mr. Friedman, please tell your friends in the media to quit glibly stating that he is denying this and trying to undermine the investigation because it "hurts his ego." That is a smokescreen that his handlers give the media as though it's an insider scoop. It is NOT to be stated as though it's a fact. It should be clear to anyone with a brain at this point that he is doing all of this to hide something, something very big and very bad for himself.
2
Finally, a decisive-sounding article! Please, FBI, remove Trump's access to the nukes. We can't afford to underestimate what this self-centered coward will do to distract attention from, and save, himself.
2
One is left to wonder whether or not the Russians have visual proof that Trump committed a major crime, like murdering one of his prostitutes, during his frequent visits to Russia. We are often reminded about how he regards women, after all.
3
Whatever the reason is for our president abandoning us in our time of need , he is so compromised that he is unable and unwilling to carry out his duties of President of the United States of America.
He can not possibly keep our country safe while he is being held hostage to Putin .
Mitch McConnel must say “ You’re fired !”
3
It is now time for responsible members of Congress to call publicly on Trump and his entire admin, including Pence, to resign. He is a Russian fellow traveler, perhaps a traitor. He's must go.
4
Trump is SO clueless what he's gotten himself into.
The analysis by Taub and Fisher on the same page of today's NYT makes a strong case that the effect of Russian meddling was minor compared to what Americans had already been doing to (inadvertently) destroy the country from within.
Thus, I think Friedman should focus more on the Trump money trail than get exercised over Trump's lack of leadership to fight the Russian trolls.
Bottom line: The threat to America is its own citizens.
2
The only reasonable explanation: the tapes are real. One day they will be revealed. Trump along with the family name will then forever be known as the greatest American traitor ever.
2
Trumps incompetency, recklessness, vulgarity and sheer naivety about leading this country is beyond negligent or disgraceful. It is fully worthy of an impeachment and removal from office. He is so concerned about his image and whether he won the election that it takes priority over everything else. Last week the country experienced a horrific massacre of innocent children and brave teachers. Instead of making that his top priority, he tweeted about how he was vindicated of collusion as a result of indictments to 13 Russians. Is there not one moment in time that Trump can act civilized, never mind Presidential? Apparently not! The only thing important to our President (and I use the term loosely when it comes to Trump) is that his highest priority is covering his own rear end, at the expense of our democracy and potentially our freedom. He obviously regrets nothing he has done, said or acted upon. His paranoia is witnessed daily in his tweets. Somebody needs to take his cell phone away. The country would be far better off if we weren't subjected to his daily baseless accusations, belittlement of his own people, warped view of Russia and the world in general and vulgar language. All completely unfitting the office of President of the United States of America. How much more will he have to distort and destroy of our country before the congress acts to remove him. Just because we made a mistake in electing him does not mean we have to be burdened with him for 3 more years.
3
The only hope for the future that i have now is that this freak show of a Republican administration will not be repeated under a Democratic President. The reason I am somewhat confident about that is because the Republicans are nothing if they are not shameless hypocrites. They will surely forget all about their despicable enabling of this so-called "President", in favor of relentless investigations of their opponent in the White House. And, for all their shortcomings, the Democrats and their President would never push the boundaries like Trump and his lickspittle Speaker of the House.
If Trump finishes his first term, or if the Republicans retain full control of Congress, perhaps it's too late. We would be doomed. And, probably deserve it.
2
"either hiding something so threatening to himself, or he’s criminally incompetent to be commander in chief."
You just described every Republican Presidency of my lifetime.
Nixon either ordered the Watergate break in or was completely ignorant of what was done in his name.
Reagan and Bush Sr. had no idea people in their administration were either making promises to Iran before the election to keep the hostages held and after the election had no idea weapons were being sold to them illegally to fund the Contras in South America OR they were deeply involved in a criminal enterprise. (Hint - Bush Sr. was the former director of the CIA and had no idea what was going on under his own nose? Really?)
Bush Jr. was either complicit in allowing 9/11 to happen or he really did show zero interest in protecting the United States when presented with "Bin Laden Determined to attack."
I've lived through 9 Presedencies now. Each Republican has been tainted by criminality, stupidity or both. Why should Trump be any different? Why are we surprised by this?
2
How about the Democrats who lost to him and his party? A Democrat barely beats a man with multiple credible claims of being a child molester, and we congratulate ourselves for turning a seat. Focusing so much on Trump's failings, will neither improve him nor remove him. Focus on whipping the party into shape so that we have a chance of beating him.
2
I think the biggest bombshell will be the money laundering that Trump has done for Russia through Deutsche Bank. Mueller knows this by now, he has the bank records. Can't wait for that shoe to drop - it will be time to pop the popcorn!
1
Yes, all this is true. But is there an elephant in the room? If I arrange to put military weapons in the hands of people, knowing that some of them might be psychopaths or mentally unstable - and some do regularly slip through the net and murder multiple children, why should I escape indictment as a willful accessory to murder?
1
Yeah, it was those nasty Russians who somehow kep Hillary from waging a full-out campaign in the Mid-west. Had she pushed just a little in these states she would have won. Everything else is just noise, unless you assume as do many liberals, that Americans are just not that smart. As I said previously, any decent Democrat would have beaten the Donald hands down. Political dynasties are not for the people of this country. GW proved the point.
2
The big lie Americans have been asked to believe: what is good for Trump's businesses is good for America.
1
Sadly, what's going on is not a movie (but will be within a year!). It's real life and it's bad stuff. Where have you gone Joe DiMaggio our nation turns it's lonely eyes to you. Where have you gone...someone, anyone...who can do something now...not wait until investigations are complete...that may be too long. This country is in serious trouble...now. Do something you elected officials in Washington...do it now. Your own children and grandchildren's lives are at stake. Don't you care about them?
1
The GOP has become a group of obsequious sycophants. They represent the source of the disease infecting our republic.
To cure this illness threatening the fabric of our self governing society the electorate must vote them out of office.
Only a democratic congressional majority in both houses will hold the occupant of our peoples’ White House accountable.
Concernedly, I do not see the electorate motivated enough to switch the congressional majority to the Democratic Party.
Fox News, Breibart and other right wing media are doing a great job, as propagandists, promulgating lies and “fake news” for this administration and its obsequious sycophants.
2
'Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not to his own facts.” The words belong to Daniel Patrick Moynihan, and they have a haunting quality in our own age of poisoned public discourse.
1
As Scott Adams recently pointed out on Periscope, the anti-Trumpers are unable to explain how Trump is colluding with the Russians at the same time he allows taking out 100 Russian mercenaries in Syria. Also, he noted Ana Navarro's tweet today...
In the last weeks, America learned Trump had simultaneous affairs with a stripper and a Playboy Bunny. Nobody (other than possibly, Melania), seemed to bat an eyelash. If the Russians have something on him, it’s gotta be a lot more than “golden showers”.
2
This is the blunt unadulterated grown up talk that needed to be said. Even though what Tom Friedman has written is so obvious the Trump defenders -the GOP-have shamed us into thinking we are unfairly judging the President, that we are trying to punish a wayward child just because he’s different. So the press and Mueller are forced to go in the weeds and dig and dig to get at the truth to “prove”the obvious. Actually this is quite a feat Trump has pulled off but it’s code red. We have to be grown ups, pull the curtain back and do something. It’s code red.
6
So true. So sad. We were attacked by a a foreign adversary. Instead of dropping bombs on Pearl Harbor, Russia dropped the modern equivalent of bombs upon our election system and our digital infrastructure. Their spies crept upon U.S. soil to foment this attack and their digital tentacles cross our borders and violate our sovereignty on a daily basis still. Make no mistake: this is an attack, very likely an act of war. Yet, where is our "This day will live in infamy" speech? Where is our FDR? Our Churchill and our fire side chats? Our George Bush standing on rubble at ground zero? Who will man-up (or woman-up) and defend us? Who will stand up and speak up about our common enemy and assure us that he or she is working diligently every day to protect us and preserve our democracy from the attacks of foreign adversaries? Where is our leader? Hiding out with cronies, thumbing idiotic tweets, nursing his wounded pride and stoking his private grievances in Florida? Great.
3
Thank you again for your brilliant and incisive insights about our treasonous President. His Republican cronies in Congress need to be held to a higher standard, by their constituents, since they seem incapable of remembering their oaths of office in favor of pandering to their President to curry his favor.
3
Oh, come on, Tom. Everybody remembers FDRs famous speech on December eighth, 1941."Anybody could have sunk those ships in Pearl Harbor. It could have been Norway or Lindbergh or a skinny little German. Hoover's fault." Then he went for a sail on his yacht with some Broadway showgirls. No different than the Donnie.
1
The code red is that our Congress of so called patriot Republicans are selling out Americans. They are the biggest threat to our democracy if they continue to remain complicit.
4
"Illegitimately-elected Donald" has got to go. Not in January of 20221, not following impeachment in 2019...he has to be removed now. If we take to the streets and don't leave them he will resign.
Occupy Wall Street must now become Occupy Pennsylvania Avenue. Get your tents ready. It's time for an encampment.
3
"The only cure for ignorance is time and consequences." There are many things in Mr. Trumps character, morals, and leadership that call into question his fitness for the presidency, other than being an American, over the age of 35, with a pulse.
Who could have dreamed a narcissistic sociopath, flim-flam business man, bankrupt casino-owner would have conned his way to the White House. On RealityTV the contestants are paid to be publicly embarrassed or even humiliated by Trump Inc.
Let me tell you clearly; the people of the USA have suffered, and will continue to suffer, a "crisis of confidence" throughout the world while Mr. Trump remains in office.
The character of the leader shapes the government, whether it be by or for the people. The character of the man presently POTUS, who has nothing but praise for his Russian counterpart who orchestrated an existential attack on democracy, must be questioned for fitness given such appeasement to a enemy of freedom. The truth does not come easily to Donald Trump; ask any of his wives, bankers, or defrauded students and merchants. Does Putin know the truth?
Elections indeed have consequences, and only time will tell what becomes of America and the world with such a character, with the power to destroy, even by sheer ignorance, the world.
2
Finally, it's being said out loud. What is painfully obvious to anyone paying attention is that Trump is either a traitor, derelict in his duty, or both, and represents a mortal danger to the country, worsening by the day. This is indeed code red. Sens. Flake, Collins, McCain-- two of you need to become independents and caucus with the Dems for the purpose of moving investigations forward and putting some teeth into them. Mueller must be protected and his findings must be allowed to come to light. Republicans, it is time to decide if you are Americans or to your everlasting shame, sycophants to Trump.
5
Friedman is right. Trump crossed the line on Saturday with that tweet, linking the Parkland shootings to his desire to smear the FBI further. No rational leader writes this, thinks this, responds in this way. He is unraveling.
I wrote the Whitehouse online Sunday morning. I am piping mad, and demanded he resign as I have done several other times.
Code red is right, Friedman sir. It is critical to make this change now, or we are all headed for deep trouble. civil war, nuclear war, a global Depression, chaos..
Our fragile democracy is critically threatened by this madman Trump, and his inaction on Russian interference, his daily incompetence on display
Like a giant Fascist iceberg, with its unbelievably tiny Trumpian tip, this ship of Democracy is about to hit..code red. code red.
3
when your enemy makes a little bit of a fool of you - and that's all that has happened here with russian "meddling," you don't have a melt down. You ignore it.
When a boxer takes a bad hit. He doesn't telegraph the pain. He hides it. He smiles.
Thomas. You were not raised in a rough neighborhood, by my estimation of your reasoning.
1
Let's assume now that the special prosecutor in the end finds nothing he can indict Trump with.
Right now, the Congress should censor him for dereliction of duty re Russia attacking us electronically and if he doesn't listen impeach him.
If Mueller indicts Trump for anything re Russia, he should be tried for treason.
2
tom, thank you. that's all I need to say. keep up the heat
3
He is not loyal to the United States of America. He figures he can always run just about anywhere in the world that doesn't extradite and start over. No problems.
2
Mr. Trump is the closest we've ever had to a true "Manchurian Candidate" in the white house, finger on the red button. Let the shoes continue to drop, quickly please...
2
Trump has met the enemy, himself. He' desperate. His con job is unraveling. He's close to a meltdown because Mueller is on the threshold of calling out Trump. It's no secret that Trump is hiding his nefarious dealings with Russian banks and mafia. He's no longer the Godfather
4
Thank you. These are my sentiments exactly. I greatly appreciate your putting them to paper. I've worked with federal law enforcement staff throughout my career, and the agents I know well all say this guy is acting guilty (he plays the old game: deny, demand proof, counter allege). But hsi behavior all says something is wrong. Of what he is guilty of, beyond his sexual proclivities, we do not know. At least, not yet. But give it time, and note that he is starting to behave like a cornered rat, but a meaner one than Nixon ever was. And that is dangerous to all of us.
11
Or... Trump is so narcissistic that he is incapable of accepting anything that could be construed as de-legitimizing his victory, even though most commentators aren't asserting that Russia changed the outcome. His narcissism requires him to abandon his obligation to defend the country if doing so is at cross-purposes to his self-aggrandizement.
7
Imagine if during the Cuban Missile Crisis Kennedy behaved the way Trump is behaving now. "Well, Khrushchev says there are no Russian missiles in Cuba, he says he's innocent, and, besides, those photos of the missile sites taken by our U2 spy planes are fake news!" My God. By not defending the United States, Trump is committing the most impeachable of offenses. This sick charade of his must end immediately. Enough is enough.
10
As Mueller reveals more and more players and their criminal activities over time, he will - hopefully - eventually trigger a "rats jumping a sinking ship" effect with republicans in both houses of congress. Does McCain, one of the precious few republican senators with a shred of integrity and decency, want to leave this world having as his last act (more accurately non-act) and legacy as a man who did NOTHING to protect and defend the Constitution?
3
"President Trump is either totally compromised by the Russians or is a towering fool, or both."
BOTH. clearly.
The evidence is overwhelming... and the high school students in Florida and across the country know it.
5
Perfectly laid out, Mr. Friedman! Thank you. And thanks to all the credible journalists who doggedly keep going in these terrible times. We truly have no president and few in Congress who have the intellect to lead us out of this morass.
3
Some comment sections are worse than Fox news watchers and MSNBC news watchers. They just feed ib themselves. Trump won't be impeached, and won't leave office. Mueller's investigation will leave enough wiggle room, the GOP congress will let Trump go free. We are stuck with the clown for all 4 years. Stop the foolishness of hoping he resigns or is impeached. Embrace the horror!
1
Agreed. Time for all to speak out.
2
Sure attack the FBI, Mr. Trump, an agency whose director actually faced the nation and admitted a mistake, one that didn't lead to the mass shooting. Would more surveillance have prevented the shooting. Probably not. This wasn't a kid who fell through a crack. When have you, Mr. Trump, ever admitted a mistake. That's right, you never make mistakes. Somebody else is always to blame. Most intelligent people are tired of hearing your voice at this point, the incessant lies, insults, misinformation, exaggerations, deflections, and ignorance.
4
So what are our next steps? March on Washington DC March 24th?
1
Pretty much sums it up, I think.
I agree with Mr. Friedman - I think what Trump is hiding has something to do with money. Dirty money.
3
Doesn't it seem odd that the president of the United States has resorted to Twitter to give orders to the FBI? If he doesn't approve of their priorities or practices, then he ought to fire top management and hire new. He has done it once so it should be relatively easy to do it again.
Venting on Twitter seems pretty lame. Cowardly and insincere also come to mind. In days gone by, people would have told him either to put up or shut up. Of course doing so would have required him to have a plan in place. And if there is one thing we know about this president, plans are nonexistent.
So, Mr. President, please just shut up. Stop tweeting and do something. Staying in Mar-A-Lago permanently would be a good start.
2
Am most concerned about what Trump would or would not do if push really came to shove in a potential nuclear conflict. His wife is Russian and his loyalties to our great country are questionable at best. If he had to choose between launching a return strike that might involve her fatherland would he?
I hope people of America will render him a lame duck president in the upcoming elections and replace him and his loyalists just as soon as possible.
1
In response to Trump's twitter fit this weekend in FL:
Please republish the list of all the current politicians who have accepted funds from the NRA and also highlight who is up for reelection in November. In addition, please investigate the Russian ties to the NRA. #No More Guns
2
Trump is unprincipled, unpatriotic, unread, unbelievable.
Our nation has good reason to be unnerved, unhappy, unified.
3
This is why we need free education in this country. Look what happens when ignorance is prevalent in the American population. How could anyone, even with just a grammar school education, doubt the corruption of Trump in his business dealings, his tax evasion, his collusion with the Russians, and his obstruction of justice? It couldn't be any clearer, yet we have 35 percent of the American population in some kind of ignorant stupor. The GOP won't do anything to stop this. Their corruption has steadily grown for decades and they now have a rubber stamp in the presidency to make all their dreams come true. It's time for the remaining 65 percent of us to rise up and end this cancer in our government before it becomes fatal.
3
There's another explanation -- more pathetic and ego-driven: Trump doesn't want Russia to get the credit for his election win.
2
In every way imaginable, Trump sickens me. Thank you for flushing out this sentiment of mine in a more thoughtful way, because it just gets so tiring having to state the obviousness of his colossal incompetence, insensitivity and outright disregard for our democracy.
5
This “presidency” is a fraud being perpetrated on the American people.
2
Trump knows Russia's meddling in the election helped him and he thinks as long as he doesn't retaliate they might help in again. He's not self-aware or smart enough to realize he's become exactly the U.S President Putin only dreamed of, the ultimate incompetent spineless divider who may now represent the biggest threat to US democracy and viability on the world stage, not to mention the health and welfare of the American people. He's surrounded by sycophants and fearful, self-interested Republicans who strain to prop him up with preposterous flattery that he apparently actually believes while they ridicule him behind his back. Yes, it would take a Shakespeare to begin to capture in language the absurd tragicomedy we are witnessing.
2
Trump is aiding & abetting Russia's effort to sabotage our democracy. Republican leaders in Congress are willing co-conspirators. Theirs is the ultimate exercise in cynicism.
Trump cares about nothing but money. He is such an inept businessman that banks refuse to loan him any money. The only way he avoided bankruptcy is relying upon funding from Russian organized crime figures, who appreciate Trump's eagerness to engage in the most elaborate money laundering scheme in history. Without this infusion of dirty Russian cash (which his son freely admits), the Trump Organization would crash faster than a house of cards in a hurricane.
McConnell, Ryan, the GOP leadership, and the media outlets they control (e.g. Fox Propaganda Network) care only about pleasing their megadonors, enriching the already wealthy at the expense of the middle class, & disregard any collateral damage they inflict long the way. Trump is the perfect stooge to help them in their redistribution of America's wealth. Trump cares little about actual governance, and knows even less, but as long as he can sign legislation the GOP wants (e.g., a tax bill which explodes the deficit), issue executive orders to erode our civil rights, and appoint a bunch of unqualified extremists to Federal courts, the GOP is more than willing to condone the most dangerous attack on our democracy in modern history.
The only remedy for this tragedy is to deliver a crushing defeat at the polls to the GOP in both 2018 & 2020.
2
The ones to blame here are the cowardly, subservient Republicans in Congress who do not stand up to Trump. If they did confront him, it would be not long until we reached the only solution to this problem: the impeachment and removal of this dangerous threat to our democracy.
3
Oh, don't hold back Tom! Given his history, my guess is that you're right on all counts - he's hiding both money & sexual scandals, and he's incredibly enamored of Putin & Russian Oligarchs (which is why the first two are likely as well).
2
Thank you, Mr. Friedman. Keep shouting it from the rooftops. "Wake up, America! You've been had!"
Our so-called "President" is in Putin's pocket, not to mention that he is the most UNPRESIDENTIAL person ever to hold that office. His election was the most ridiculous political mistake in U.S. history.
Now, if only Congress would do ITS job, we could get rid of him!
1
To all those who voted for Trump and to all those who continue to support him, please now understand that the 'fake news' concocted by Russia is what you bought into when you turned your fury on Clinton. Isn't it way past time that you seriously rethink?
1
At this point, I am not sure that I care whether Trump is grossly incompetent or whether he is a true Russian puppet. The bottom line is that he is harming this country on a daily basis through both overt acts and lack of doing anything at all until someone prompts him to do so.
He uses every tragic event to enhance himself rather than to lead the country, something he seems incapable of doing. At the same time, most Republicans are willing to allow Trump to keep a stranglehold on legislation for everything from budgets and immigration to guns. Have they no shame?
Yes, Trump is a danger to our national security, whether Mr. Mueller finds conclusive evidence of conspiracy or not. What are we going to do about it?
2
Trump is the punishment we Americans deserve for taking our precious democracy for granted. Franklin told US the Founders have given a republic, adding a cautionary "if we can keep it". Well, folks, that takes some doing. For far too long we Americans have become fat and lazy and apathetic. That is a deadly combo for any republic to survive. Half of all eligible voters do not even bother voting for the president.
This is how a deranged demagogue gets elected. We find ourselves in a quagmire, with an incompetent Chief Executive and a compliant Congress controlled by Republicans who are more afraid of insulting Trump then harming the American people. Until that other half of the population who sit on their hands come election day wake up to what they are losing, get up off their duffs, and exercise their rights as citizens this nation will continue to produce so-called "leaders" like Trump, Ryan and McConnell. Am I bugging you enough, yet?
DD
Manhattan
2
If you were to give me a choice between banning guns or moving against Trump in such a way that it removes him from the possibility of serving any future time in public office, I would choose the latter without a moment's hesitation. Guns are capable of maiming and killing. Trump destroys the American future.
2
Yes! I couldn't agree with Thomas Friedman more on his well written opinion. Now we need to open the eyes of all of Trump's accomplices in Congress who are also aiding him in leading our country down the drain. This president is not only a deliberate liar, but he is also a fraud who acts like a petulant child. The longer he is in office the worse off we all are.
1
What a great example this editorial is of Morton's Fork. The logical fallacies throughout it are appalling.
The McConnell/Ryan/McCarthy Axis of Enablers fiddles while their Fake President goes about his reckless, dangerous business of undermining the country's cherished and precious democratic institutions. Clearly these miscreants have chosen "party over country". One hopes that come this November they and their shameless adherents feel the full electoral fury of an angry, disgusted citizenry at the polls. The presently functioning Republican Party is fast becoming an even greater threat to America in its continuing refusal to reject Trump.
1
The often repeated statement' Just follow the money" cannot be overused when it comes to Trump and his cronies. This is the guy with bankrupt businesses, this is the guy who failed to pay various construction firms and this is the guy who defrauded trump university students. This is the guy who still refuses to release his tax returns. This guy is dirty. lock him up.
3
What about this tweet?" Mc Master forgot to say that the results of the 2016 election were not impacted or changed by the Russians and that the only Collusion was between Russia and Crooked H, the DNC and the Dems.”
The president of the US, with the best intelligence available to him, is claiming that his rival Hillary Clinton colluded with the Russians? That has absolutely no basis in fact.
This is our president publically proclaiming ridiculous lies. i know we are getting used to it, but we shouldnt be.
2
The good news is that to the extent Putin controls Trump, the less we have to worry about a war with N Korea. However, Putin's control has limits. Trump is, in fact, President of the United States and Commander in Chief of the most powerful armed forces in the world. If Putin the intelligent master yanks too hard on the leash to his ignorant dog Trump, the dog may turn around and bite him. That would be bad for everyone. The master must be careful how he exercises control and maybe we should be careful in seeking to sever that control.
Putin is an autocratic thug who seeks to weaken western democracies. He's also a rational man who recognizes reality. If we get through the next three years without a US initiated war, it may be thanks to Vladimir Putin.