President Donald Trump has definitely not learned any kind of lesson from the years-long Russia probe covering that country’s efforts to interfere in U.S. elections. In an interview with George Stephanopoulos broadcast in recent days, he said he’d be fine with engaging with foreign governments offering dirt on an opponent, and this Thursday, he doubled down on Twitter, displaying his complete lack of a solid grasp on the basic issues at play, even while he’s serving as commander-in-chief and supposed to be the one leading U.S. responses to foreign threats.
He ranted on Twitter:
‘I meet and talk to “foreign governments” every day. I just met with the Queen of England (U.K.), the Prince of Wales, the P.M. of the United Kingdom, the P.M. of Ireland, the President of France and the President of Poland. We talked about “Everything!” Should I immediately call the FBI about these calls and meetings? How ridiculous! I would never be trusted again.’
To suggest that meeting, as president, with foreign leaders in a completely publicly known context that the FBI already knows about just like everybody else is on the same level as secretly cooperating with a foreign government offering help to tilt a campaign is outlandish. The things he’s comparing are not in the same context and do not comprise the same content as the secret campaign communications he’s so open to accepting — and you’d hope you wouldn’t have to explain this in response to the president of the United States.
It’s also important to note that — unsurprisingly — ABC says they did not edit the president’s comments, although it’s ironic to begin with that somehow, at the same time, he’s supposedly perfectly in the right and being misrepresented.
He’s not even alone in his team in recently saying that he’d be possibly open to foreign campaign help. During a recent appearance on Axios on HBO, his son-in-law and adviser Jared Kushner told journalist and host Jonathan Swan the same thing, saying that he would not necessarily alert authorities if he got an offer from a foreign government for help.
These assertions about an openness to foreign interference come after the Russia probe that Trump and his allies have spent so much time complaining about. They are openly saying they’re willing and ready to engage in the exact same kind of behavior that got it kickstarted in the first place. Do they have any self-awareness?
Trump went on this Thursday morning to compare his openness to foreign help to Democrats’ very occasional willingness to engage with Russian sources during their investigation of his ties to the country — which again, is not the same thing! Besides — on a recording of the call to a supposed Russian operative Trump is so concerned about Schiff taking — he says for all to hear that he’ll be in touch with the FBI!
Check out Twitter’s response…
Featured Image via screenshot
