Chuck Schumer rips into Donald Trump over his “baffling” meeting with Vladimir Putin

Attention Palmer Report readers: sign up for our free mailing list here
-----
Note from Bill Palmer: if each of you reading this can kick in $10 or $25, it'll help keep Palmer Report firing on all cylinders at this crucial time in our nation's history: Donate now


Donald Trump is heading into his first official meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, at a time when Trump is increasingly seen as having colluded with Putin to rig his own election. Adding to the suspicion, Trump’s own administration now admits that Trump has no particular agenda planned for his Putin meeting – suggesting he’s just there to take marching orders. Senator Chuck Schumer is calling out Trump in detailed and striking fashion.

Schumer posted the following to Twitter today: “It’s baffling that POTUS doesn’t have a specific agenda for the Putin meeting. Here are the first few things that come to my mind: Putin’s interference in our elections last yr. Attack on our democracy. House needs to pass Senate sanctions bill. Putin’s interference in the elections of our European allies & partners. We stand with our friends in Europe. Putin’s occupation and annexation of Crimea. Putin’s support to Russian-led separatists in the Donbas & failure to comply w Minsk Agreemts. We stand w/ our Ukrainian brothers & sisters.” But Schumer kept going.

Senator Schumer continued his list: “In Syria, Putin’s support to and cooperation with Assad regime, Iran, and Hezbollah. We stand with the Syrian people. Putin’s suppression of political dissent in Russia. Putin’s energy manipulation and coercion of our European partners and allies. Putin’s threatening of NATO allies, including deployment of Iskander missiles in Kaliningrad. Urge Putin to work to mitigate the threat posed by North Korea’s nuclear weapons program. Putin’s ongoing violations of INF treaty. Putin and his oligarch’s corruption and fleecing of Russia and its people.”

In other words, Chuck Schumer has an infinitely better grasp of USA-Russia relations than Donald Trump ever will. Of course Trump will be unwilling to raise any of these issues with Vladimir Putin, just as he’s never been willing to criticize Putin for any of these issues. Donald, you’re the puppet. If you’re a regular reader, feel free to support Palmer Report

Attention Palmer Report readers: sign up for our free mailing list here
-----
Note from Bill Palmer: if each of you reading this can kick in $10 or $25, it'll help keep Palmer Report firing on all cylinders at this crucial time in our nation's history: Donate now