A vote for Trump is a vote for Putin and the world is at risk

We vastly underestimate the threat that Donald Trump and the MAGA movement pose to the security of the United States, Europe, and the world.

Beyond the political spin provided by Republican propagandists and internet trolls, Trump and the MAGA movement are today an active asset to Vladimir Putin and the Kremlin, and an important asset to Russia’s future global ambitions, including Russia’s own military. It’s time to recognize that it’s just as essential.

It is time to remove commonly used terms from the analytical lexicon to minimize the risks associated with the Trump-MAGA-Putin alliance. After more than eight years of amassing evidence that Russia’s efforts to co-opt American interests are perhaps the most successful intelligence operation of modern times, we’re keyboard warriors who still scream “hoax” every time new information comes out. We must reject their transparent vocabulary. Irrefutable evidence of Republican-Russian ties was presented.

In the past two weeks alone, there has been evidence that the core of the Republican Party’s sham impeachment effort against President Biden was based on the testimony of a man with ties to Russian intelligence. President Trump invites President Putin to do “whatever he wants” with Europe. The decision of the MAGA right to further postpone even considering aid to Ukraine. Tucker Carlson traveled to Moscow to amplify lies about the Kremlin itself. Trump’s refusal to condemn the killing of Alexei Navalny in a Russian prison. And yet another American was arrested without probable cause in Russia.

It’s time to reject terminology that obscures or undermines what’s going on. President Trump and House Speaker Mike Johnson are not “defending Russia.” They are not “Putin apologists.” They actively attack the interests of the United States and our allies, putting America and our friends at grave risk. They are not “stupid” or “naive.” They know exactly the consequences of their actions. They reiterated that their efforts to delay aid to Ukraine could lead to the defeat of Kiev, the death of thousands of innocent Ukrainians, and the possibility of further Russian aggression in Europe. They’ve been told — and through their actions, their response is, “Yes. That’s what we want.”

This is not just another political battle between Democrats and Republicans, as President Trump’s friends and mainstream media have been reporting since he first sought help from Russia in the 2016 election. Too much damage has already been done to America’s position. Too many lives are already at risk. At this point, it is time to face the reality that pro-Putin candidates have an almost 50-50 chance of winning the November elections.

Our allies are scared. They understand the risks. A Trump victory would not only certainly mean some form of Russian victory in Ukraine, but also (according to a former member of Trump’s own cabinet) a possible withdrawal of the United States from NATO. This would in turn set the stage for further Russian aggression in Europe. And it would very likely lead to a war across Europe. It could be worse. A Russian attack on Poland or the Baltic states is very likely to eventually lead to World War III.

We know from the evidence at hand that this is neither hysterical nor theoretical. As we mark the second anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, we have witnessed not one, but two stunning reversals. First, despite predictions that Ukraine would collapse under the Russian onslaught, thanks to the extraordinary courage of the Ukrainian people and the determination and leadership of President Biden and others, Ukraine not only held on, but also It inflicted extraordinary damage on a proud military. . Perhaps 125,000 Russian soldiers were killed and twice that many wounded. Half of Russia’s combat capabilities were destroyed. The United States and others have weakened one of their most dangerous enemies by spending 1 cent on every dollar spent on defense.

But over the past four months, we have watched the war enter a new phase as President Trump and Prime Minister Johnson block the Biden administration’s request for more aid to Ukraine. Russia is reactivated. Russia has made gains on multiple fronts. America’s allies are beginning to question whether the United States as a nation has the political will to lead and participate in collective defense.

President Putin is now looking ahead to the victory in Ukraine, the vindication of his policy of brutality and aggression, and the threat of a new era of Russian domination in Eastern and Central Europe that President Trump won in November. I feel it.

Even after Mr. Navalny’s murder and the destruction of even more Ukrainian cities like Avdiivka, the US House of Representatives Republicans are refusing to provide aid that is vital to our interests, knowing perfectly clearly that President Putin is a monster. continues to be prevented. -In fact, most of that aid will go to American cities, creating American jobs and producing weapons and ammunition for Ukraine.

Another threat, a government shutdown, is looming and could further distract Johnson and his minions from the actions their patriotism demands. So may threats from MAGA extremists like Marjorie Taylor Greene that she would seek Johnson’s removal from office if he even allowed the full House to consider aid to Ukraine.

Putin, frightened by Ukrainian resistance, realized he had made his biggest breakthrough when MAGA storm troops captured the Capitol (the last time he tried to do so on behalf of Trump on January 6) was an even greater success)^th). But as the Smirnov incident reminds us, Russia’s gains within and for the Republican Party were diverse and significant. They include the co-optation of members of Congress who have accepted Russia-related aid (like Johnson), Trump’s plans to leave NATO, his active support for other Putin allies like Viktor Orbán, and the weakening of U.S. institutions. ization, support for Putin’s ethno-nationalist ideology, and Russian infiltration of the NRA. , a pilgrimage by Trump and Republican leaders to pay their respects to Putin, and even a Russia-linked operative working at the top of the FBI’s counterintelligence division.

Evidence of this effort was documented by a bipartisan analysis by the intelligence community during the Senate Mueller investigation and even the Trump-orchestrated Durham investigation, which found “troubling contacts” between the Trump campaign and Russia. In fact, even without the evidence of our own eyes, this could and should have been an open case against MAGA and its Kremlin puppet masters a long time ago.

Surprisingly, many of us still don’t understand it. Political movements within the United States have actively collaborated with President Vladimir Putin’s Russia to bring the world closer to world war for the first time in nearly 80 years, and the great sacrifices the United States and its allies have made to build and sustain trying to destroy the international order. Shockingly, despite the terrible sacrifices of the last world war and the heroism of those who ultimately won, fascism is on the march again, this time against the United States by Donald Trump and his members. He has a chance to succeed thanks to his continuous betrayal. About his MAGA movement.

Imagine that political parties in the United States were active in supporting the Nazis and the Axis powers during World War II. Without exaggeration, without a doubt, that is exactly where we are today. If President Trump somehow thinks that Putin will go easy on him because he was his “friend,” he doesn’t understand Putin. Putin hates weakness and takes advantage of it. Use what you can and dispose of it when you’re done. And that is precisely why surrendering to him now is as dangerous as surrendering to Hitler in the 1930s. Today’s MAGA efforts to “avoid” further conflict with Russia are very likely to cost many American lives in the not too distant future.

This is not an exaggeration. This is a prelude to war that mirrors the conditions that gave rise to the last two world conflicts.

Joe Biden is doing his best to resist that. The sanctions against Russia announced this week continue to demonstrate his resolve. But there are few sanctions he could impose that would outweigh the MAGA gift to Putin of further delaying aid to Ukraine. Biden can and should do more, including seizing Russian assets and using them to help defend and rebuild Ukraine, and giving Ukrainians more long-range weapons and freedom to use them.

But if the past provides any insight, Trump and MAGA will resist such measures.

As a result, make no mistake: world peace, the future of Europe and our security will be on the line in November. The final word on the future of Ukraine, the future of NATO, and the future of Putin will come from American voters. The choice is clear. A MAGA victory would signal the end of the American century, American leadership and relative global stability. The stakes are high. The decision is yours.