President Obama aims to cripple Putin and Russia in a way Donald Trump can’t undo
President Barack Obama has no Constitutional ability to stop Donald Trump from taking office, even though intelligence agencies have confirmed that Russian President Vladimir Putin rigged the election in Trump’s favor. But that isn’t stopping Obama from taking actions before he leaves office which will be aimed at crippling Putin in a manner which Trump can’t subsequently undo. And those actions are now so imminent that Obama officials have begun leaking pieces of it in advance.
Officials have shared with the Washington Post that they plan to cripple Putin by using Executive Orders and notifying Congress of the actions so that it would be “difficult to simply walk back.” These actions may include everything from sanctions against Russia, whose economy is smaller and weaker than that of the United States, to freezing the assets of Putin and his inner circle. The Obama administration is also considering the possibility of criminal indictments of the Russians involved.
While Donald Trump would surely try to reverse any punitive actions President Obama takes against Vladimir Putin or Russia, the Obama administration appears to believe it can use legal maneuvering to outsmart the Trump administration in that regard. Moreover, as Palmer Report reported earlier today, multiple Republican Senate leaders appear intent on making sure Russia is punished going forward for its election rigging. Apart from Mitch McConnell, Trump may find no allies in his own party when it comes to Russia.
