| Donald Trump will let Russia’s dictator Vladimir Putin do whatever he wants. In one of the most reckless statements ever made by a major party’s candidate for president, Trump said he would encourage Russia to “do whatever the hell they want” to any of our NATO Allies, which would jeopardize our security, undermine America’s credibility, and make the world less safe. As President, Trump abused his power by withholding congressionally approved aid to Ukraine to fight Russia. Now, Trump’s team is proposing a new plan to withhold military aid for Ukraine if he is elected. Trump has praised Putin as “smart” and “genius” for launching the war on Ukraine. Trump said he believed he could make “a deal” where Putin could “take over” at least the “Russian-speaking areas” of Ukraine, and now behind closed doors he is supporting a policy of pushing Ukraine to surrender its sovereign territory to Putin, which would embolden dictators everywhere and make the world a more dangerous place. As president, Trump considered recognizing Putin’s claim over Crimea, sided with Putin over the U.S. intelligence community, and tried to bring Russia back into the G7. Trump ordered multiple troop withdrawals that were seen as major wins for Russia, and he withdrew from international treaties aimed at keeping Russia in check. President Biden is defending democracy around the world and has revitalized and strengthened our alliances at a critical moment. Fox: “Experts agree on Biden’s ability to stabilize traditional alliances” AP: “Biden proclaims NATO alliance ‘more united than ever’ in contrast to predecessor Trump” CNN: “Biden just secured a big win from his Europe trip” Washington Post: “Biden successfully pushed for NATO to welcome Finland, which shares an 800-mile border with Russia. It joined in April. Both Helsinki and Stockholm abandoned long-standing policies of neutrality and sought membership after Russia expanded its war in Ukraine in February 2022.” Politico: “Biden officials applaud Sweden’s NATO ascension, promise Ukraine a path ‘eventually’” Military and foreign policy advisors who served under Trump criticized his leadership. Former Secretary of the Navy: “The president [Trump] has very little understanding of what it means to be in the military, to fight ethically or to be governed by a uniform set of rules and practices.” Former U.S. Marine Corps General: “A person who admires autocrats and murderous dictators. A person that has nothing but contempt for our democratic institutions, our Constitution, and the rule of law.” Former Trump National Security Advisor: “I mean, if Trump is elected, there will be celebrations in the Kremlin, there’s no doubt about it, because Putin thinks that he is an easy mark.” Former Trump Defense Secretary: Trump is not “fit for office because he puts himself first and I think anybody running for office should put the country first.” Another Former Secretary of Defense: “Donald Trump is the first president in my lifetime who does not try to unite the American people — does not even pretend to try. Instead he tries to divide us.” |
