Congress Must Investigate Trump’s Aid and Comfort to Putin
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
Congress Must Investigate Trump’s Aid and Comfort to Putin
By Andrew C. McCarthy
T here’s serious competition, but the Soviet Union could claim the title of modern history’s most monstrous regime. It killed tens of millions and enslaved hundreds of millions more. In the post–World War II era, it emerged as the mortal enemy of the United States in the Twilight Struggle that lasted four decades — during which nuclear war was barely averted in 1962 and the Kremlin sponsored proxy wars against our nation and our allies, killing thousands of Americans. As President Ronald Reagan declaimed, the Soviets were “the evil empire.” His Cold War solution was simple — “We win, they lose” — because peaceful coexistence with an enemy committed to our destruction was too precarious a prospect.
Vladimir Putin, the former KGB agent, is a born and bred devotee of the Soviet system. He solidified his despotic status by orchestrating a series of bombings inside Russia as a pretext to crushing Chechnya. We’re now well into his third decade as Russia’s murderous dictator. He openly regards the 1991 fall of the USSR — America’s foe in modernity’s greatest triumph for liberty — as “the greatest geopolitical catastrophe of the [twentieth] century.” Putin’s war of aggression and hoped-for conquest against Ukraine, like his war of aggression and conquest in Georgia (swaths of which he has occupied for nearly two decades), is part of his quest to reconstitute America’s Soviet enemy.
And President Donald Trump is giving him aid and comfort.
Congress has become a laggard even when it is in session. Now, it’s the political season, so it is inconceivable that midterm campaigns will be suspended to do the nation’s vital national security work. Yet in a properly functioning republic, there would be immediate hearings about this week’s shocking escalation of the Trump–Putin alliance.
Since the start of Trump’s second term, it has been excruciating to watch America’s president blame the victim, our ally Ukraine, for Putin’s war of aggression. Reagan and Poland this is not. As Ukraine fights for its survival against Moscow’s would-be hegemon, today’s president of the United States hectors it to surrender territory that Putin has been unable to take on the battlefield after four years of barbarism.
Notwithstanding the slew of war crimes through which Russia’s dictator persists in bombing civilian infrastructure, calculating that the prospect of Ukrainians freezing in the harsh winter will bludgeon President Volodymyr Zelensky into conceding defeat, Ukraine has staunchly resisted, despite glaring deficits in manpower and resources. Its astonishing military ingenuity has shredded Putin’s forces, leaving a staggering 1.5 million Russian casualties, including half a million killed in action. Kyiv’s innovative drone warfare has stopped Putin cold on the front lines, nullified Russia’s Black Sea fleet, and now markedly degraded its vaunted energy production platforms.
Russia is a pillar of an anti-American axis led by China and joined by Iran and North Korea — the trio providing Putin with the economic backstop, materiel, and manpower he desperately needs. In 2022, Putin and China’s Xi Jinping issued a joint statement of cooperation that bluntly challenged the United States and NATO. The Russian regime is actively abetting Iran’s military operations against the United States , providing intelligence for targeted attacks on U.S. personnel, as well as drone weaponry (which Iran initially designed but Russia can produce at scale). That is to say: While Trump embraces Putin, Putin aids and abets the “Death to America” regime.
Moreover, the Kremlin is actively provoking our NATO allies with what the Institute for the Study of War describes as a “coordinated series of kinetic campaigns,” including drone incursions. And just a month ago, the Justice Department announced criminal charges against named members of Putin’s intelligence services for conspiring to finance terrorism and carry out murders in our country.
Americans should thus be gratified by the Ukrainian war effort. Most who are paying attention probably are. Trump claims to want peace, but his fine print consistently spells out Russia’s terms . Regardless of the president’s personal interest, the vital American interest stems from Russia’s being America’s enemy , quite apart from being Ukraine’s enemy. Mindful of all our defense obligations, we should vigorously support Ukraine’s war effort for as long as Ukraine is willing to fight. For what is a relative bargain — about $127 billion in direct aid over four years (Trump’s claim that the U.S. has provided $350 billion is absurd) — Ukraine is hollowing out the armed forces and diminishing the war machine of our incorrigible geopolitical adversary.
Instead, President Trump has sided with the totalitarian aggressor over the allied European democracy upon which it preys.
This week, in lunatic public statements (see, e.g., here and here ), the president again blamed Ukraine for the war and gratuitously insulted Zelensky (in stark contrast to Trump’s unconcealed admiration for Putin). Trump’s emissaries revived their pressure on Ukraine to settle the conflict by surrendering Ukrainian territory, and threatened that the administration would withhold crucial intelligence that Ukraine needs for its self-defense against Russian aerial attacks unless Ukraine halted its attacks on Russian oil refineries.
Simultaneously, as I detailed earlier this week , the president proclaimed his reprehensible diesel deal with Putin — stunning Kyiv by announcing that, with no concessions from Putin on Ukraine, the Trump administration will waive sanctions against Russia (in likely violation of federal law) in exchange for a relatively trivial amount of Russian diesel fuel that would have negligible impact on sky-high diesel prices (which have surged due to Trump’s decision to start a war with Iran, not, as he claims, Ukraine’s decision to keep fighting for its survival). And even this negligible price impact hinges on Russia’s capacity to deliver, which is doubtful, to put it mildly. (Putin’s invasion and Ukraine’s responsive attacks have so diminished Russian export capacity that it had to import diesel from South Korea during the summer.)
Subsequently, in a display of cynicism impressive even by Trump standards, the president tried to induce Ukrainian capitulation by decreeing that the parties had agreed to an “ energy ceasefire ” when they had not.
Not only was this agreement non-existent; it was patently rigged against Ukraine. For three days Zelensky heeded Trump’s warning to cease attacks on Russian refineries, but Russia continued pounding Ukraine’s electrical grid and other energy infrastructure. When Zelensky cried foul, the Trump administration countered that the “energy ceasefire” only applied to oil refineries . As Trump officials knew, Ukraine has no operational oil refineries, Russia having bombed the last one four years ago; by contrast, Russia has dozens of refineries . That is, the “energy ceasefire” was insidiously designed to prevent Ukraine from conducting the kind of strikes that most deter Russian aggression, yet enable Putin’s continued obliteration of the energy infrastructure Ukrainians need to survive the imminent cold season.
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When Andrew McCarthy turns against Trump it must really be bad.
Follow the money folks. Trump is selling out his country, and Europe, for money.
And President Donald Trump is giving him aid and comfort.
And how is that a crime? Did Congress declare war on Russia? Is there something in the Constitution that requires Trump to support Ukraine and not Russia? It was not illegal or a crime for Obama to decide it wasn't in America's best interests to offer Ukraine military support when Russia invaded. Nor was progressives mocking Romney for calling Russia a threat treason.
The President is free to weigh what he believes is in the best interests of America as he chooses, absent a declaration of war. He seems to believe not supporting the bombing of a country with a massive nuclear stockpile is a good idea. There's nothing illegal about that.
Wow........
Explain it then.
Here's a hint. Just because you disagree with a policy, it's not illegal.
I think Trump's wrong on this. Do I think that makes it illegal? No, because I'm capable of understanding the powers of the Presidency.
Interesting that so many think disagreement with policy also proves trump is not fit to be president
There are many reasons Trump is not fit to be president. Its a pretty endless list.
Here's a bigger hint: Show me where I said it was illegal. If you claim I did, that would be a lie.
Congrats!
You realize that my response was 1 single word right??? And yet you are managing to show that you do not understanding even that 1 single 3 lettered word. So, once again, show me where I said it was illegal.
Yet you are not capable of understanding a 3 lettered word? Technically it is only 2 letters with 1 of them being repeated......
No one give a sh-t about the illegality of this at this juncture, the principle (liberty, freedom, and right) by which we SAY we live is being invoked. That is, if we are not standing firm about this (Russia vs Ukraine) - imperialism versus self-determination) any longer than we should take down the 'symbols' - ". . . by which we stand! Because we damn sure are acting like an AMORAL coupling of policy-setters that are on the 'take'!
So the Wow was an expression of amazement about how correct the post you were responding to is, since you can't dispute anything I wrote.
Got it.
No you didn't "got it". The "WOW" was an expression of amazement about how you completely mis-read, mis-understood, or purposely mis-implied that the claim that Trump giving aid and comfort to Putin was illegal.
Let's face it, there are some even here in America who love Putin and fascism and don't see anything wrong with Christian white nationalist dictatorships just doing whatever they want with no rules, assassinating political opponents, bombing innocent civilians, dumping radioactive dust in dissenters' underwear, manipulating American elections, none of it makes Putin a bad guy in their eyes. They see giving comfort and aid to such a criminal "strong man" as nothing more than supporting their ideals of white Christian superiority fascism, which is what they're really in love with, not America. They couldn't care less about America and patriotic Americans who fight to protect the rights of minorities, atheists, Muslims and all the other people they hate and fear.
Patriotic Americans know that Putin's Russia is an enemy of the United States, plain and simple. Putin does not wish us well and he never has, he works tirelessly to defeat us so anyone who is suggesting we cozy up with him is a fucking traitor and every well-informed patriotic American knows it. Those who defend Putin and Trump's relationship with him are either woefully uninformed of reality or are knowingly committing treason.
I don't think it's a lot of people... I can guarantee most of them would be crying under a Putin like state. Russia has a very small middle class.
I've watched a few You Tube videos since the diesel deal with Russia was announced, The Putin/Trump/Russia apologists are coming out of the woodwork. Think of "Pizzagate" Jack Posobiec, that is the level of mentality we have with this.
There are people that would stick with Trump if he bombed a shipwrecked boat filled with orphans.
They were asking for it..../S
They were probably running drugs.../s
They were an invading army of welfare moochers.../s
I swear to God, trmp could rape and murder a 10 year old boy on live TV and you would defend it
[✘]
'Plastic' people - what a drain on life!
You’d probably pretzel up a defense that the boy had it coming. Your contributions here are a disappointment to humanity.
Donald Trump doesnt care about the best interests of America. We've been telling you that for 10 years.
Trump is completely changing the East Potomac golf course to make it into a "championship" course.
I havent golfed in many years but I remember paying 25 dollars on a public course in the late 80's. 28 dollars is a real good price these days , and I'm sure there are a lot of not so high income people who take advantage of East Potomac. Does Trump care that this is a place for lower income people to be able to golf? Hell no. He wants to be the creator of a "championship" course in the shadow , so to speak, of the White House. The 28 dollars will become 75, or more. Maybe a lot more. Does Trump care? Of course not. Wake up.
I get that's what you believe. It may even be true. That doesn't make not giving Ukrainians the support you want "illegal".
I'll be happy to take any democrat seriously who was calling Obama a traitor and for his impeachment .. for his response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine on his watch. But of course, progressives sure were mighty quiet about Ukraine when Obama was denying them arms.
I dont remember saying his backing Putin is illegal, let the legal minds in government figure that out. No other American president since WW2 has supported Russia like Trump has, and he's not doing it for a good reason. How do we know that? Because we know Trump.
This guy is irredeemable , and if the GOP retains power due to loyalty to Trump it will be one of the saddest days in American history, and we've already had enough of those.
Look, talking sh-t for sh-t sake is one thing, making a comment about 'aid and comfort" to the 'sworn' enemy/s of this country is another. It is NOT ACCEPTABLE! Whomsoever can defend Trump's handicapping Ukraine (after all the investment in it for so many years of literal war) for the sake of a mid-term mirage that the war will end. . . ignores what the experience of dealing with Russia has been by the intelligence and former leadership of this country.
Ignore my remark if MAGA supporters want: I won't accept what we know in our hearts is the wrong approach to Russia-Ukraine (guilty vs innocent) for any amount of 'fortune' for the people who already have more money than they can spend in a lifetime.
Russia has not done one damn thing that is not in its vested interest (and minutely in ours), indeed, Russia (it is reported) is actually staring right into the face and psyche of the American electorate and telling 'us' to join in in some form of communist "collective voice" with China in November. What kind of sh-t can come out of that?! The United States collaborating (group-thinking) with sworn enemies of 'the West' for glory?!
The mere notion that our president would think it is no big deal to trade away liberty, principle, and another representative democracy for some 'visual' display of oil (serviceable for only a 'few' days) is a stunt - and it clearly is one if not the only "October surprise" Trump mentioned upcoming!
Republicans dead in their graves, along with ever other soldier that has fought and died for the sake of freedom should curse the republican party for its 'madness'!
On this one thing it is NON-NEGOITIABLE!
If you believe Russia is not working fervently to undermine and weaken the United States you either don't know what the words fervently and undermine mean, or you're a[✘]
I'm going with Russian bot that didn't get blown up at one of the data centers
tucker carlson?
Putin's deep hatred of and efforts to inflict crippling damage on America are well-documented. Trump has made his support for Putin perfectly clear in multiple ways. Anyone trying to pretend Trump isn't a traitor may be fooling themselves, but they are not fooling the rest of us.
Trump shit on Congress by doing an end-a-round the Lindsey O Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026 with an EO that does nothing to help Americans.