Trump Called A ‘Traitor’ Over Some Of His Latest Comments Invoking Vladimir Putin

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Former federal prosecutor and current legal analyst Joyce White Vance condemned former President Donald Trump this week for what she characterized as a “sickening” turn of events.

Trump again rehashed the claim that U.S. journalist Evan Gershkovich, who is currently detained in Russia, would be released if Trump wins the presidential election happening this year. Trump has claimed with such confidence that Gershkovich would be released that some wondered whether there was some covert deal with the Russians to hold onto the journalist pending the outcome of this year’s election.

Trump’s latest reference to Gershkovich drew more ire. “This is sickening. It suggests that Evan, a journalist, is being held as a political bargaining chip for Trump’s campaign & that Trump is ok with that. Sickening,” Vance posted to X (Twitter).

Republicans against Trump, an account on the same platform, pointed out an apparent hole in Trump’s stance on the journalist. “Notice that convicted felon Trump doesn’t demand Putin release Gershkovich immediately. Traitor!” the group posted.

Trump is already known for sometimes seeming to fawn over authoritarians like Russian leader Vladimir Putin, characterizing such figures as strong or impressive even if sometimes distancing himself morally from the substance of what they’re doing. But even the idea that, say, Putin is “strong” feeds into a partially positive and possibly extremely deceptive perspective. In reality, the Russian military has faced monumental losses in both personnel and equipment in connection with its invasion of Ukraine, which has left substantial portions of that Eastern European country destroyed or under threat.

Trump has also suggested that, as president, he wouldn’t necessarily fulfill the U.S.’ defense responsibilities under the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in the event that Russia attacked a member, potentially offering Putin a lifeline and opportunity to advance militarily.