By Stephen Lendman, 2-6-17
Interviewed by Fox News host Bill O’Reilly, aired on Sunday after pre-taping, Trump said he “respect(s) Putin. He “respect(s) a lot of people, but that doesn’t mean I’ll get along with them.”
Putin “is the leader of his country. I say it’s better to get along with Russia than not, and if Russia helps us in the fight against ISIS - which is a major fight - and the Islamic terrorism all over the world, that’s a good thing.”
“Will I get along with him? I have no idea,” he added. Responding to O’Reilly disgracefully calling Putin “a killer,” Trump didn’t responsibly dispute him, instead said “(t)here are a lot of killers. We’ve got a lot of killers. What, do you think our country is so innocent?”
Amazing remarks by a US president, refreshing to hear, though it didn’t go down well with with US media scoundrels or on Capitol Hill.
The New York Times blasted his straight talk. It turned truth on its head, claiming Putin “brutally suppressed dissent by eliminating political enemies.”
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnel (R. KY) disgracefully called Putin “a thug,” adding “I don’t think there’s any equivalency between the way that the Russians conduct themselves and the way the United States does.”
“I do think America is exceptional. America is different. We don’t operate in any way the way the Russians do. I think there’s a clear distinction here that all Americans understand.”
Fact: Clear hard facts speak for themselves. Putin is a world-class leader. Russia supports world peace and stability, at war with no other nation. America is polar opposite, waging war on humanity at home and abroad.
Speaker Paul Ryan’s spokeswoman AshLee Strong said he “has consistently and frequently spoken out on Russia and Putin and made his opinions well-known, including the need for continued sanctions.”
Last month, Ryan called Russia a “global menace.” Putin “does not share our interests. He frustrates our interests. Let me put it this way, the Russians are up to no good, we all know that.”
Fact: Ryan, like most others in Washington, facilitate U.S. high crimes. Russia is consistently on the right side of major geopolitical issues.
Appearing on CBS’ Face the Nation, Vice President Pence tried softening Trump’s remarks aired Sunday on Fox News, saying I simply don’t accept that there was any moral equivalency in the president’s comments.”
“There was no moral equivalency. What you heard there was a determination to attempt to deal with the world as it is - to start afresh with Putin and to start afresh with Russia,” adding “American ideals are superior to countries all across the world” - a disgraceful perversion of truth.
Asked on ABC’s This Week if Trump plans putting Russia on notice, regarding the situation in Donbass, he said “(w)e’re watching and very troubled by the increased hostilities over the past week in eastern Ukraine,” - leaving White House policy open-ended so far.
Most Americans are so uninformed, they likely agree with outrageous criticism of Trump’s comments on Putin, including what he said while campaigning.
If Washington and Russia can get along during his tenure, it could save humanity from possible nuclear war - provided hostility toward China and Iran is curbed.
Lots of flashpoints threaten world peace. Will Trump preserve it or be as belligerent as his predecessors? It’ll take a while to find out.
Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago. He can be reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net. His new book as editor and contributor is titled "Flashpoint in Ukraine: How the US Drive for Hegemony Risks WW III." http://www.claritypress.com/LendmanIII.html Visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com.
