Recently, former President Donald Trump pushed in an interview for Russian leader Vladimir Putin to release purportedly damaging information on the Biden family. Right in the middle of the devastating war in Ukraine, Trump is apparently fine with rhetorically cozying up with the murderous authoritarian behind the destruction. Unsurprisingly, the condemnation for Trump’s showcase of apparent affinity for some of the machinations of Vladimir Putin has been swift, and this week, Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.) joined those blasting Trump. Kinzinger said Trump should be disqualified from running for office once again because of the remarks. As the Congressman put it in a post from Wednesday:
‘No former President should ever ask an evil man like Putin for a favor… like Trump did just yesterday. This is absolutely undermining the national security of this country and should be disqualifying for any re-election. [House GOP leader Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.)] must address this, as must every Republican.’
In a later tweet, Kinzinger mockingly referred to Trump as “Benedict Donald” — pointing, of course, to Benedict Arnold, the American Revolution-era figure who betrayed the Americans fighting for freedom alongside him. It’s not the first time that someone prominent characterized Trump as a traitor in connection to these controversial remarks directed at Putin — ret. Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman did the same, remarking of Trump: “Tell me this traitor’s security clearance has been revoked. He openly conspires with the enemy, when the U.S. is attempting to steer clear of a war with Russia.”
Sen. Mitt Romney on Trump's new Putin request: "I don't think Vladimir Putin ought to be one of the people we go to for favors right now. He's one of the worst people on the planet, and America shouldn't be asking for favors." @NBCNews
— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) March 31, 2022
What Trump originally said which infuriated these and other observers went as follows: “As long as Putin now is not exactly a fan of our country, let him explain… why did the mayor of Moscow’s wife give the Bidens — both of ’em — three and a half million dollars?.. So now, I would think Putin would know the answer to that. I think he should release it.” What Trump claims about a financial transfer to the Biden family from the mayor of Moscow’s wife grossly misrepresents the facts — and previous versions of the claims from Trump didn’t directly implicate Joe, so he’s changing his own story. Trump’s allegations connect back to a report produced by Senate Republicans, which claimed that the now president’s son, Hunter, “received a $3.5 million wire transfer from Elena Baturina, the wife of the former mayor of Moscow.” At another point, the report identifies “Rosemont Seneca Thornton, an investment firm co-founded by Hunter Biden” as having received the transfer — suggesting Republicans misrepresented their own claims, since Hunter Biden receiving a (possibly perfectly legal) payment and a company he allegedly helped found getting it aren’t the same thing.
Chairman Schiff on Trump's new Putin request: "At least he's consistent — consistently immoral and unpatriotic to be appealing to Putin at a time when Russia is killing Ukrainians, once again, for dirt on his opponents." @NBCNews
— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) March 31, 2022
After Senate Republicans released that report, Senate Democrats including Gary Peters (Mich.) and Ron Wyden (Ore.) said that the “information in the documents cited by the Republicans has not been verified.” Hunter Biden’s lawyer George Mesires insisted that the current president’s son “had no interest in and was not a ‘co-founder’ of Rosemont Seneca Thornton, so the claim that he was paid $3.5 million is false.” These details come from a late 2020 fact-check of the matter. (Check out more here.)
I’ll give Trump credit for consistency.
Even now, he’s asking Putin for political help.
Despite being impeached for seeking foreign help in an election.
Despite the fact that Putin is killing Ukrainian civilians.
Trump is consistent.
Consistently selfish — and unpatriotic.
— Adam Schiff (@RepAdamSchiff) March 30, 2022
