I haven’t been paying much attention to Russia and Vladimir Putin the past few years. After all, once President Obama laughed off the notion that Russia was a threat to the U.S. during the 2012 debate, I figured, no need to worry about it. When he assured us there was no way for Russia or anybody else to affect the 2016 election, I assumed all was well.

I also figured, if Obama and Hillary are cool with giving the guy 20% of our uranium and control of Kazakhstan’s vast supply, all while he’s still helping build Iran’s nuclear program, gosh-darn-golly, that’s good enough for me! 

After all, Obama was so confident, so assured, in his dismissal of Putin as a shirtless poser, I put Russia in the back of my mental closet. If Russia’s Reset, No Need to Fret, as Johnny Cochran might have said. 

So imagine my surprise to hear President Trump called “treasonous” for not slapping Putin around in public at today’s press conference. The horror. You’d think he’s told the world press, “I looked Putin in the eye, I found him to be very straightforward and trustworthy” or had gushed how “I am aware of the extraordinary work that you [Putin] have done on behalf of the Russian people.” Or promised Putin he’d have “more flexibility” to help him out after the election.  

I mean, what president would do that?  (Answer: George W. Bush, Barack Obama, and Barack Obama.)

Oh, No! President Trump Doesn’t Trust the Intelligence Community!

What was the big beef today? President Trump, to hear it told, defended Russia against the U.S. Intelligence Community and Robert Mueller assessment that Russia tried messing with the U.S. elections. Traitor!!! How dare he side with Putin against our noble IC? 

But is that even what Trump did? Not quite. When it came to the interference, he said you had the IC assessment on one hand and Putin’s “extremely strong and powerful” denial on the other hand. Note the absence of the word “believable.” Daniel Day-Lewis won an Oscar for his “extremely strong and powerful” portrayal of Abe Lincoln. Doesn’t mean we’re putting Day-Lewis on our newest pennies.

Trump also went off on the FBI not getting the DNC server, the willingness of Democrats to ignore the Awan Brothers raiding the computers of Congress and other seemingly unrelated topics.

For those who still can’t understand Trump, let’s translate what Trump really said.

I’m not going to stand here and bash Putin in public. I know you people. The minute I do that, you will run headlines shouting “Trump Admits Putin Helped Him Win Election.” I gain nothing. Showboating against Putin does nothing. He’s a fighter. I know what punches he threw. He knows what punches he threw. But publicly, I’d rather say he didn’t lay a glove on us. 

Here’s the thing: I don’t trust Putin. But what reason do I have to trust the U.S. intelligence community either?

Why Would He Trust the Intelligence Community?

Why would Trump trust the intelligence community? Sure, his Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats is a straight shooter, but how much of the stench of the past still remains? 

The former CIA director and the former Director of National Intelligence, John Brennan and James Clapper are both admitted liars, passionate Trump haters, and are both implicated in efforts to sabotage both his campaign and presidency. (You want to talk treason, Brennan?) Both are now paid to attack Trump. 

Who was leaking Trump’s private conversations with world leaders? Who was teaming with foreign countries to gain dirt on Trump? Who was teaming with the media to spread false stories about Trump? Who was unmasking Trump admin officials day and night after the election? Who, for that matter, ordered Susan Rice to tell our cyber-guys who wanted to retaliate against Russia to “stand down”?

Toss in the FBI counter-intelligence guy Strzok and his allies. He is ground zero for much of the Trump Russia investigation.

Who Was Spying?

Who was spying on Trump’s campaign? Why do you think Trump abandoned Trump Tower as a base for his transition a day after being paid a visit by then-NSA head Mike Rogers? A visit that Obama and Clapper did not approve and which sent them into a frenzied fit. 

And unless you want to throw James Comey in prison for perjury (and former DHS head Jeh Johnson), government agents did not examine the DNC’s computers. They relied on data from a private company. And not just any private company, but CrowdStrike, which has assorted anti-Trump ties.

And who brought in CrowdStrike? The law firm Perkins Coie, which not only did Hillary use to pay for the Steele dossier, but also got millions from Obama’s campaign organization in 2016. (If you recall, Obama was not on the ballot. So what’s he paying them millions for?)

So, why in the world would Trump be so eager to publicly condemn Putin based on what the IC and Robert Mueller’s pitbulls have to say? Besides, now that people have been charged, you also have that whole presumption of innocence thing. Of course, since the #Resistance has shown zero regard for any other rights if it means bashing Trump, who needs that?

As Teddy Roosevelt Said … As Don Corleone Said 

Trump is also getting hammered for appearing to be nicer to Putin than he is to allies like Angela Merkle or Theresa May. Trump didn’t learn his politics in the posh lounges of academia. He learned them on the hard streets of New York. Let Obama quote U Thant. Trump will quote Don Corleone: “Keep your friends close and your enemies closer.” 

There is also another saying that used to have some meaning in our culture. “Actions speak louder than words.”

Think for a second: What is the goal? Convince Putin we’re not to be messed with. That this time, it’s not like it was with Obama. If the U.S. says don’t do something, don’t do it — or you’ll pay dearly.

Last March, a bunch of Russian mercenaries in Syria started advancing on a U.S. position. The U.S. warned the Russians several times to back off. They didn’t. And they were destroyed. Our military killed 200 to 300 Russians. 

So, a serious question for those hyperventilating this afternoon: If you are Vladimir Putin, what message have you already received? What informs your decisions more? A few nice words at a press conference or the bodies of your comrades? 

It’s okay to speak softly when you’ve already hit someone with a big stick.

A Final Word from a 16-Year-Old Conservative

Finally, we leave the last word on today’s events to 16-year-old CJ Pearson. He wins today’s All-Star Home Run Derby. CJ saw all the pitched fits of “treason” and “traitor” hurled by John Brennan and other #Resistance radicals, and hit ’em clear out of the park. 

sorta hard to call @realDonaldTrump treasonous when you give him hell everyday for putting #AmericaFirst.

— CJ Pearson (@thecjpearson) July 16, 2018

 

Al Perrotta is the Managing Editor of The Stream and the co-author of the new book The Politically Incorrect Guide to Immigration.