OPINION: Trump’s Trying to Make Putin Great Again

Imagine a world where the U.S. and President Joe Biden did not support Ukraine. 

Where we stayed on the sidelines as Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the invasion of a country and appears to have committed war crimes against a nation that upholds the same democratic beliefs as the U.S. 

And to take it a step further, instead of rallying our NATO allies, we pulled out of the treaty that has kept the peace in Europe since the end of World War II.

That is what a second term of Donald Trump would have brought, as told by his former  aides and the man himself.

Let’s be perfectly clear: Trump’s foreign policy was based on two things—backing leaders he saw as strong no matter the atrocities they were committing and having the U.S. withdraw from its role as a leader on the world stage.

Do not take us at our words, take Donald Trump and his actions at his. 

President Trump’s first impeachment conviction was him holding up aid to Ukraine for his own personal political gain, military aid that would eventually be approved and used when Russia attacked.

Trump is the one that said Putin was a “genius” and “very savvy” when he announced his invasion plans for the Ukraine. 

Trump praised Putin’s Ukraine policy, telling attendees to a Mar-a-Lago fundraiser, “I mean, he’s taking over a country for $2 worth of sanctions. I’d say that’s pretty smart.”

On March 26, he said at one of his stolen election rallies continued with his praise of Putin, calling him “smart” and that his aggression toward Ukraine “looked like a great negotiation.”

Finally, we bring you the words of John Bolton. One of the National Security Advisors during Trump time in the White House, Bolton told Newsmax that his former boss was not tough on Russia and complained about any sanctions on Russian oligarchs in the United States. 

“In a second Trump term, I think he may well have withdrawn from NATO,” said Bolton. “And I think Putin was waiting for that.”

But the foreign policy that Trump espouses is not just him on an island—it has support of the extreme right elected officials.

Sen. Brian Schatz (D-HI) in a floor speech last week exposed how Republicans are trying to have it both ways. Schatz dismantled Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO)—the fist pumper from the Jan. 6 failed insurrection attempt—who has vowed to block all civilian nominees to the departments of Defense and State until their respective secretaries, Lloyd Austin and Antony Blinken, resigned.

“This comes from a guy who just about a month ago voted against Ukraine aid! (Now) he’s saying it’s going too slow,” Schatz continued. “He voted ‘no’ on Ukraine aid and now he has the gall to say it’s going too slow!”

Schatz finished that Hawley should “spare me the new solidarity with the Ukrainians and with the free world (as his record) is exactly the opposite.” 

The presidency of Donald Trump destroyed many norms that we may not be able to put back together for a long time. Politics stopping at our water’s edge appears to be one of them. 

There isn’t an issue of questioning foreign policy. This is about being on the right side or wrong side of history. The words and actions of Trump and his followers show clearly which side they are on. And that should be disqualifying when it comes to the ballot box.