On February 27, 2020, the Presidential Daily Brief (PDB), the overnight intelligence report that aggregates the most important data received by our intelligence agencies over the past 24 hours, included information that the Russians were strongly suspected of putting bounties on the heads of American GIs fighting in Afghanistan. Taliban fighters were receiving payoffs from Vladimir Putin for killing our troops.
Now we are told that President Trump did not read that particular PDB. During his presidency, the PDB has become a caricature of its former self. Now it rarely exceeds a single page and, instead of text, largely consists of images.
While it is appalling that the president is uninterested in keeping up with intelligence that directly affects our national security, what is equally troubling is his inaction whenever Putin crops up. Instead of warning Putin off and imposing some pain through sanctions or other measures on Russia, Trump gets on the phone with him and supplicating as he always does, invites him to return to the G-7 fold.
Coincident with his latest Putin pandering, Trump announced that he wants to reduce America’s troop presence in Germany by one-third, yet another concession that his bosom Kremlin buddy can celebrate.
Even if Trump did not find out about the Russian bounties on our troops until the New York Times broke the story months later, he knows now. And he has done nothing. Even his normally servile Secretary of Defense, Mark Esper, says this is a real threat to American troops, not the “hoax” that Trump claims.
Incentivizing the Taliban to kill American soldiers is a clear and present danger to the 8,600 troops currently deployed in Afghanistan. That this is going on as the U.S. engages in peace talks with the Taliban makes this even worse since clashes between the combatants have generally subsided during negotiations.
The president’s failure to protect our troops is a low point even for Trump. This is the worst abdication of the duties and responsibilities of a commander-in-chief in our long history. It amounts to a failing that fits within the Constitution’s Article 3, Section 3 definition of treason: “Treason against the United States, shall consist only in levying War against them, or in adhering to their Enemies, giving them Aid and Comfort.”
This latest Trump betrayal has quickly disappeared from the headlines, superseded by other outrages daily spewing forth from the White House:
When Americans vote this November, we must remember that the president of the United States has not only failed to take action to minimize deaths from the virus, but also failed to protect our soldiers. For shame!
Dick Hermann
July 17, 2020
Now we are told that President Trump did not read that particular PDB. During his presidency, the PDB has become a caricature of its former self. Now it rarely exceeds a single page and, instead of text, largely consists of images.
While it is appalling that the president is uninterested in keeping up with intelligence that directly affects our national security, what is equally troubling is his inaction whenever Putin crops up. Instead of warning Putin off and imposing some pain through sanctions or other measures on Russia, Trump gets on the phone with him and supplicating as he always does, invites him to return to the G-7 fold.
Coincident with his latest Putin pandering, Trump announced that he wants to reduce America’s troop presence in Germany by one-third, yet another concession that his bosom Kremlin buddy can celebrate.
Even if Trump did not find out about the Russian bounties on our troops until the New York Times broke the story months later, he knows now. And he has done nothing. Even his normally servile Secretary of Defense, Mark Esper, says this is a real threat to American troops, not the “hoax” that Trump claims.
Incentivizing the Taliban to kill American soldiers is a clear and present danger to the 8,600 troops currently deployed in Afghanistan. That this is going on as the U.S. engages in peace talks with the Taliban makes this even worse since clashes between the combatants have generally subsided during negotiations.
The president’s failure to protect our troops is a low point even for Trump. This is the worst abdication of the duties and responsibilities of a commander-in-chief in our long history. It amounts to a failing that fits within the Constitution’s Article 3, Section 3 definition of treason: “Treason against the United States, shall consist only in levying War against them, or in adhering to their Enemies, giving them Aid and Comfort.”
This latest Trump betrayal has quickly disappeared from the headlines, superseded by other outrages daily spewing forth from the White House:
- Stone Cold Reamery. Pardoning Roger Stone, a quid pro quo for his not rolling on Donald Trump during his trial, where an impartial jury convicted him of seven felonies, is one of the most criminally corrupt deed in U.S. presidential history.
- Threatening schools with a federal funds cut-off if they don’t reopen in the fall despite their valid concerns about spreading the virus.
- A proposed rule to make it more difficult to bring discrimination claims under the Fair Housing Act at the same time Americans are demanding racial justice.
- Rolling back 100 environmental regulations that keep Americans safe and healthy.
- Denying new Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program applications despite the recent Supreme Court ruling reinstating DACA.
- Trashing Dr. Anthony Fauci because he speaks truth to the public and to power.
- Continuing the happy talk and outright lies about the coronavirus crisis, where due to Trump’s woeful ineptitude, denial and erratic behavior, America leads the world in the number of cases and deaths by a country mile.
When Americans vote this November, we must remember that the president of the United States has not only failed to take action to minimize deaths from the virus, but also failed to protect our soldiers. For shame!
Dick Hermann
July 17, 2020
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