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As the brutal war in Ukraine continues, much of the international community has made appeals to Russia and Vladimir Putin. The messages are impassioned and unambiguous: End the war, stop committing war crimes, and agree to a diplomatic solution.
Donald Trump also has a message for Russia’s authoritarian leader, though as NBC News’ report made clear, it in no way resembles what the international community wants Putin to hear.
Amid widespread criticism of his praise for Russian President Vladimir Putin, former President Donald Trump publicly called on Putin on Tuesday to release any dirt he might have on Hunter Biden, the [American] president’s son.
If you haven’t seen the video excerpt, it’s worth your time. The Republican, speaking to a conservative outlet called Just The News, brought up the idea of Putin intervening in U.S. politics unprompted.
“While I’m on your show, as long as Putin now is not exactly a fan of our country, let him explain, where did — because Chris Wallace wouldn’t let me ask the question — why did the mayor of Moscow’s wife give the Bidens, both of them, $3.5 million?”
The former president added, “I would think Putin would know the answer to that. I think he should release it.... You won’t get the answer from Ukraine.... I think Putin now would be willing to probably give that answer.”
There’s no shortage of relevant angles to this, but let’s focus on three key points.
First, Trump’s claims are as dubious as they are ironic. The Republican who’s relied on Moscow as a benefactor wants the public to believe that somehow the Bidens are beholden to Russia, but the idea that Joe and Hunter Biden, “both of them,” received $3.5 million from the spouse of a Russian mayor is disconnected from reality.
Second, the pattern of misconduct is extraordinary. Trump first solicited foreign election interference in July 2016, when the then-candidate publicly called on his Russian allies to expose emails from Hillary Clinton’s server. “Russia, if you’re listening, I hope you’re able to find the 30,000 emails that are missing,” the Republican said. “I think you will probably be rewarded mightily by our press.”
In other words, Trump wanted Putin’s espionage services to intervene in the election in order to put him in the White House. It was a step without precedent in the American tradition. Dr. Eliot A. Cohen, a veteran of the Bush/Cheney State Department, told Greg Sargent the comments were “appalling.” William Inboden, who served on George W. Bush’s National Security Council, told Politico that Trump had launched “an assault on the Constitution.”
Four years later, the Republican again welcomed foreign intervention in a U.S. election when he launched an illegal extortion campaign against our Ukrainian allies: Ukraine wanted military aid, which Trump was willing to provide if officials in Kiev helped him cheat in his race against Biden.
After he was impeached, Republican Sen. Susan Collins said, “I believe that the president has learned from this case. The president has been impeached. That’s a pretty big lesson.”
Except, there he was yesterday, once again urging a foreign government to intervene in our political system.
But at its core, what makes this truly extraordinary is the degree to which Trump has failed a test of patriotism. Putin is waging a brutal and unprovoked war. The United States and our allies have condemned the conflict and Putin’s responsibility for causing such widespread suffering.
It’s against this backdrop that Trump sees an opportunity: So long as Putin is angry with the United States, the former American president believes the Russian autocrat can exact some revenge on our country by releasing disinformation that might help undermine the current American president.
Sure, Putin is killing civilians and destroying Ukrainian communities indiscriminately, but Trump sure would appreciate it if, when the Russian leader has some free time, Putin could also help Trump’s political interests.
Basic patriotism and decency should prevent such behavior. And yet, here we are.