Tag: Foreign Policy

Senate Holds Hearing On Russia Hacks As Trump Defends Putin (Bring The Mother Russia Trumpus)

American Bridge President Jessica Mackler issued the following statement on the Senate Armed Services hearing on the Russian hacks:

“Donald Trump’s relentless support for and defense of Vladimir Putin and Russia’s work to hijack America’s democratic process is dangerous for America and very clearly aimed at protecting Trump’s own self-interest.

“Whether Trump’s pandering to Putin is a result of Trump’s potential ties to Russian investors, impending business deals, or simply gratitude for Russia’s hacking on his behalf  — it’s clear that Trump for some reason feels beholden to Putin. It’s a disgrace that Republicans are capitulating to Trump and standing by Trump’s attacks on the U.S. intelligence community and defense of Putin.”

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It’s no surprise Donald Trump is on a daily basis siding with Vladimir Putin over the U.S. intelligence community. Trump praised Putin throughout the presidential primary and general election. And his Putin admiration stretches back even further: remember when […]

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WATCH: Trump/Putin 2016: From Russia With Love

“Will [Putin] become my new best friend?” — Donald Trump

Not exactly. It’s worse than that.

Russian dictator Vladimir Putin has had his eye on Donald Trump for quite sometime now — but for something much more nefarious than friendship: he’s been “cultivating” Trump in order to use the GOP nominee for Russia’s benefit.  Trump’s ties to Russia run much deeper than his campaign would like voters to believe.

The latest news — that the Russian government has been working to assist Trump for 5 years; FBI is investigating former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort’s ties to Russian oligarchs; that more and more Trump has been using pro-Kremlin talking points in his speeches —  shows Trump’s connections are a danger to our national security.

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Trump: «Я не русский шпион»

or… “I am not a Russian spy.”

Was Donald Trump in long-term direct communication with a Russian bank using a secret server? Trump’s campaign denies it — but remember that time Donald Trump, Jr. said, “Russians make up a pretty disproportionate cross-section of a lot of our assets.” And there’s that other time when Trump asked, with evident enthusiasm, “[W]ill [Putin] become my new best friend?” Also that time Donald Trump and Mike Pence both said that Vladimir Putin is a stronger leader than the sitting President of the United States.

Needless to say, questions remain. All the more so, given former Trump campaign chair Paul Manafort — who helped arrange anti-Nato protests for a pro-Putin Ukrainian political party — is under FBI investigation over his ties to Russian interests. The concerns raised by the FBI investigation are intensified by a new Read more after the jump.

Trump’s Dangerous Nuclear “Unpredictability”

“To me nuclear is just, the power, the devastation is very important to me.” 

–Donald Trump, 12/15/15

Donald Trump’s campaign has been a series of escalating temper tantrums and dangerous rhetoric that has alienated military leaders and our allies — proving once and for all just how unfit he is to be commander in chief.

Trump’s foreign policy is as simple as “I want to be unpredictable.” It’s his answer for nearly everything, either because he doesn’t know what he’s talking about or it actually encapsulates his dangerous temperament.

He’s argued “you want to be unpredictable” on nuclear policy. He’s bragged that his business record demonstrates he is “so unpredictable.” He’s reverted to being unpredictable when asked about bombing a hypothetical Iranian nuclear site, and again when asked if he would use nuclear weapons against ISIS.

And when Trump isn’t threatening to be unpredictable with our nuclear arsenal, he’s encouraged allies like  Read more after the jump.

Reminder: Trump’s NATO Policy Puts Poland, U.S. Allies At Risk

Today, Donald Trump spoke at the Polish American Congress in Chicago. During the event, Trump praised Brexit — which is highly unpopular in Poland — and attempted to downgrade the effects his NATO policies would have on Poland. In reality though, the risk Trump poses to Poland and U.S. allies is too great to ignore.

We already know that Trump is temperamentally unfit to hold the nuclear codes, and that his vague “secret” plan to fight ISIS is likely nonexistent. That alone is enough to keep him out of the Oval Office. Then there’s Trump’s outlandish and dangerous opinion of NATO.

Trump has repeatedly called NATO “obsolete,” said we should “get rid of” it,  and made criticisms of key allies for “ripping off the United States.” Added to that already terrifyingly uninformed foreign policy is Trump’s admiration for Russian dictator Vladimir Putin.

Norweigian Prime Minister Erna Solberg was right when she […]

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Congrats Senator Rubio!

You’re finally making it to a hearing on North Korea! The last one, in January 2016, was a little close if you recall. After getting universally skewered for choosing a fundraiser over a classified briefing, Rubio changed his schedule at the last minute and still missed 80 percent of the briefing.

Doesn’t say much that Rubio is only deciding to go to committee hearings now that he’s in a tough reelection campaign — especially after missing 68 percent of committee hearings since 2011 and missing 60 percent of Foreign Relations hearings.

From CNN:

The Florida Republican was scheduled to be at a fundraiser in his home state Monday at 6 p.m. after campaigning there in the afternoon, which would have prevented him from going to Washington.

Monday afternoon, after publication of this story and others highlighting the schedule conflict, a spokesman for Rubio’s Senate office said he would be at the hearing after […]

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Confessed con artist, foreign policy amateur, all-around ignoramus

When Trump wasn’t being racist or sexist at last night’s debate, he found time to betray his foreign policy ignorance, anti-science views, and con artist mentality.

1.) Trump said China should invade North Korea

“You look at North Korea, we’re doing nothing there. China should solve that problem for us. China should go into North Korea.”
2.) Trump defended cheering on the housing crisis

“That’s called business.”
3.) Trump lied about calling climate change “a hoax.” (He did.)

“I did not.”

4.) Trump admitted to not paying federal income taxes

“That makes me smart.”

5.) Trump admitted to stiffing small business owners

“Maybe he didn’t do a good job and I was unsatisfied with his work.”

6.) And claimed that a federal agency endorsed him. (Wrong again!)

“I was just endorsed by ICE; they’ve never endorsed anybody before.”

Donald Trump: Con artist, foreign policy amateur, all-around ignoramus. 

Unfit to be commander in chief.

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Trump’s Terrifying Approach To North Korea

Last night, news broke that North Korea has likely conducted a successful nuclear test — this would be the fifth test by the country and the second one in just 8 months.

That’s concerning enough on it’s own. Now, add to it that the GOP presidential nominee has said “you’ve got to give [Kim Jong Un] credit” and believes our policy on North Korea should be to tell China,“you solve the problem,” and it’s down right terrifying. Just like he’s praised Vladimir Putin, Trump has admired dictators Kim Jong-il and Kim Jong Un.

Today on CBS This Morning, Trump’s campaign manager Kellyanne Conway refused to explain how he would handle the situation because “he’s not going to reveal all of his plans.” But the few foreign policy “plans” Trump has revealed — such as saying Japan and South Korea should have their own nuclear weapons — show a complete lack […]

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Trump Pushing More Kremlin Talking Points On DNC Hack?

Three months after Donald Trump openly asked Russia to conduct cyberespionage on a political opponent and meddle in the U.S. election, Trump’s pleading ignorance to the whole ordeal.

At the time Trump also specifically cited Russia as having potentially hacked emails.

But appearing today on Russia’s state-owned RT — a week after Vladimir Putin praised the hack but claimed no involvement — Trump pled ignorance on the hack and as to who was responsible:

“I don’t have any opinion on it. I don’t know anything about it. I don’t know who hacked; I’m not sure who. I mean, you tell me who hacked. Who did the hacking?”

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No Wizard Behind The Curtain, Just Dangerous, Dictator-Loving Trump

Last night gave America a preview of what to expect in the upcoming presidential debates from Donald Trump — spoiler alert: it’s more of the same. For months, Trump has repeatedly insulted U.S. military leaders, lavished compliments on dictators like former KGB officer Vladimir Putin, and displayed a total ignorance of foreign affairs.

Trump’s ego reared its ugly head several times, especially when he was asked about our military leaders. “The generals have been reduced to rubble,” he said. From the Khans to his past comments on Vietnam, it’s obvious that Trump doesn’t understand sacrifice. Last night, he showed America he doesn’t understand respect either.

The GOP nominee didn’t back down from previous comments on military sexual assaut. Trump stood by a 2013 tweet where he insinuated that women shouldn’t be allowed to serve in the armed forces and offered no substantial plan on how to address the issue.

On foreign […]

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