Trump and Russia
Back in 2016, when Donald Trump was elected President, there was much hype in Russian political circles. For some reason, plenty of politicians in Russia decided that ‘Trump – nash!’ or ‘Trump is ours!’ meaning that he would be acting in the interest of Russia, not the United States.
Many of them truly believed that it was Russia that helped elect him, which is complete BS and has no ground, no fact, and nothing behind it.
I thought that it was an illusion and the time proved I was right. Trump was pretty tough on Putin, and I can give you a couple of examples.
As soon as Trump came to power, he changed the rules of engagement for the US Army and US Navy. The direct result of it was an immediate ending of the Russian jets’ fly-overs. Before that, Russian military jets often flew over the US ships in the Black or Baltic seas, provoking the Americans. The US Navy couldn’t prevent or retaliate because in such situations they had no authority to open fire. The Pentagon, under Trump’s instructions, just let the commanders on the site decide what to do and fire at will if needed. The next day there were no flyovers anymore. Not a single one.
Another example: The US bombing of Deir ez-Zor in Syria in February 2018. Back then, the US Air Force bombed the Wagner mercenaries group of Russia into dust – now notoriously known for their fighting in Ukraine – when this private army was trying to storm the allied Kurds and American positions there. Reportedly, the number of Wagner casualties, according to various sources, was around 200 to 300, maybe even more. Putin didn’t say a word. The Russian MoD said: “These guys are not ours, they belong to a private company with no connection to the Russian army in Syria.”
Trump sold Javelins to Ukraine, though Moscow was insisting that it crossed a red line. When he did it, Putin didn’t say a word.
Under Trump, there was no threat to Ukraine from Russia because, as rumours say, he reportedly told Putin on the phone: “Vlad, I will bomb Russia if you invade Ukraine. Putin was afraid of Trump because the guy was even more reckless than himself. Or seemed to be such. Trump was the only one who could out-Putin Putin.
I want him back because if he stayed President in 2020, no war in Ukraine would have broken out in 2022. Or ever.
The United States and Trump
Donald Trump will not be the Republican Nominee for President in the US. He knows it. How can I possibly be sure? Because the most powerful politician in the world, Rupert Murdock, has decided that Ron DeSantis will be the nominee of the conservative party in the US. Of course, you call bullshit! Well, maybe you would like to read a bit more about Mr. Murdock. It appears he has told his Editors to let Trump go quietly into the night. Trump’s none too happy about it but there’s nothing he can do. The boss’s decision is final.
There is still a sliver of a path for Trump: last time there were 16 people running, so the winner only needed 20 or 25 per cent of his own party to win. The other midgets split the vote. This time it looks like there may only be four others running, with all the Murdock properties backing another candidate. So, Trump would actually need to win an election to win, something he has never done.
There are other headwinds too, like serious legal problems. Trump’s record in the court system is nothing short of abysmal. He only seems to win when he’s got Judge Cannon in Florida, then she gets overturned as soon as anything gets appealed.
I keep telling Roger (his article is on this page) that there’s maybe a 50/50 chance Trump will be in jail by the time the next election rolls around in the US. As of late yesterday, he still didn’t believe me.
It’s not that anybody will throw him in jail; he’s going to do it to himself. If at all possible, within sentencing guidelines, any Judge will give him home confinement IF he is guilty of a crime. I’m not sure how being confined to your opulent residence in a Mansion is jail, but I assume that’s what any ex-President would get.
But any American, regardless of political affiliation, already knows that will be really harsh. Trump will not be able to stay in his apartment and eat lobster. He will go downstairs at the Golf Club and appear to applause in the main dining room or go crash a wedding then play a round of golf. I don’t think he can help himself, he needs the camera the way I need air.
Any honest Judge (this lets Cannon out) will have no choice in the matter: Trump made a deal and broke it. He’ll scream political witch-hunt and cry about how unfair it all is but he’ll have to go into an actual cell. Now to be clear, the US Government maintains a Country-Club for millionaires to do jail time in Virginia; Google Martha Stewart for details, and that’s where Trump will go. But he will be confined to an actual, really nice room. No fence, no exercise yard, but a prison none the less. He will put himself there… write it down.
Britain and Trump
My gut instinct was that almost all Brits despised the appalling, unbearable and repulsive Trump, but on studying the latest opinion polls, it seems my Kingdom is not as United as I thought.
He does remain unpopular with my fellow countrymen, but only 70 per cent dislike him. 13 per cent think he’s the bee’s knees, mostly the younger generation, though how 17 per cent find him neither favourable or unfavourable is totally beyond me. (Trump is like Marmite or brussel sprouts. Surely you are either with him or against him….)
But the most salient result following my research back to the last Biden/Trump election was that not one single constituency in Britain would have backed Trump, if voters faced the choice presented to the American people in 2020. Not one, out of 650.
You can put that down to U.S. culture wars not translating neatly when they are imported into the U.K. As we know, Trump trends to attract those who feel disenfranchised, but most of the British public feels totally uncomfortable with the endless rhetoric.
Normally, we hold a very strong respect for the office of the U.S. president, but Trump’s racism, misogyny, his mocking of the disabled, and his sheer ignorance and incompetence has persuaded most of us that he is completely ill-equipped for the job.
We end up just wondering how the hell Trump’s intention to stand for President in 2024 is still a possibility, (despite what Dean may say!)