Donald Trump coddled a dictator again last night, on national TV, and on the stage with American victims of that very dictator:
One of the Trump administration’s few genuine foreign policy accomplishments is its record on US hostages abroad. The president and his team have struck deals to free a number of Americans held by authoritarian states, and they deserve credit for it.
During the convention, Trump assembled six of these freed Americans and spoke with them in a panel format. It seemed like a good way to highlight a real bright spot — but then Trump turned to Pastor Andrew Brunson, an American who had been detained by Turkish President Recep Erdogan’s government, and praised his captor:
TRUMP: 28 years, right? They had you scheduled for a long time, Andrew. We had to get you back. I have to say that, to me, President Erdogan was very good. You are a very innocent person. And he ultimately, after we had a few conversations, he agreed. So we appreciate that. And we appreciate the people of Turkey. And you still appreciate the people of Turkey, I understand, right?
BRUNSON: I love the Turkish people.
TRUMP: That’s good. It’s great to have you back, Andrew.
Erdogan, Turkey’s strongman leader, personally accused Brunson of having “dark ties to terror group” in order to justify his detention. And here’s Trump, on national television, talking to Brunson about how great he was to Trump personally [Zack Beauchamp, in “5 Winners and 2 Losers from the RNC’s First Night,” Vox, 2020.08.24].
It’s as if Ronald Reagan had spent his Inauguration Day in 1981 talking about how the Ayatollah Khomeini was a “very good guy.”
That’s the insensitive dolt for whom Republicans are chanting for “12 more years!” So are Erdogan and the other dictators of the world who revel in America’s surrender of any pretense to moral high ground.
This administration’s just an endless limbo dance: “How low can you go?” Answer? Always lower.
drumpf is upset with Erdogan as he has been talking with Hamas, likely about the illegal bombings and raids carried out by Israel in Gaza.
“There is no center to Republicanism these days, just capriciousness, histrionics and lies.” John Tsitrian
Couldn’t be stated any better. The party of trump. No platform as they watch him praise dictators.
…Tom Daschle lobbied for Erdogan in 2017.
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/draining-the-swamp-of-turkish-influence_b_59bf17dbe4b0390a1564def5
As long as retired congressvarmints follow the requisite waiting period after leaving congress and register as lobbyists then they are going to be going after anybody/everybody’s millions.
drumpf’s followers apparently don’t bother to register as foreign lobbyists until after they get caught.
chris, it’s all about the views from the twin towers of Istanbul https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/trump-impeachment-inquiry/donald-trump-s-longtime-business-connections-turkey-back-spotlight-n1064011
@jerry- You made my point. Dictators are good clients.
@jerry- Or better yet, “good” clients. They pay their bills.
trump is dependent upon Erdogan’s good wishes for millions in revenue for his hotel there in Turkey. Erdogan is no fool, and plays both the EU and trump like a fiddle…to keep his economy afloat. You have to admit that the Turk knows the real art of the deal. https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/prominent-lobbyists-and-consultants-represent-interests-of-turkish-government-in-washington
As far as Daschle goes, Tom has to make a buck, just like the rest of the “retired” congressmen and women, along with retired military and other former government officials and goons They know what doors to knock on and who to talk to. If you have ever wondered about applying for a substantial grant, then you go to a specialized grant writer, no different, they know how, what and where to get the job done. Capitalism 101.
ProPublica Retweeted
Anna Massoglia
@annalecta
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12h
Ric Grenell’s RNC 2020 speech says Trump puts the American people in charge, “not lobbyists or special interests.”
@propublica
‘s
@iarnsdorf
found
@RichardGrenell
failed to disclose involvement a sanctioned fugitive oligarch’s foreign lobbying
Chris-see how this works?
Your boy Trump services Putin. And you are nursing your ‘Hate Daschle?’
The Guardian
@guardian
2h
Belarus protests: Putin ready to send Lukashenko military support.
@leslie
I am not a Trump voter or supporter.
I scratched my head over which chris you are here, at the time. True you may be about a general statement about lobbyists, like many other professions’ clients. Wondering about the deeper point in this cultural fight with Republicans who are enabling this unnecessary crisis. The silver lining may be finally doing something about all the ugliness in our constitution, separation of powers, norms of a democracy ahead of us. Do we tear ourselves down before the election and lose, as wiser Democrats than me have said, many times; we are capable of beating ourselves. I occasionally say things that make my fellows wonder about me.