The Republican party understand that its leaders and members or not — are in danger of becoming an ally of Putin in the United States. There is reason seriously to say that at the moment it strongly resembles the supported Putin in the European movement. At this point the presidency of Donald trump, more sympathetic to Moscow of the Republican electoral base and the disinterest of the Republican leaders in the house of representatives in investigating and preventing Russian intervention.
Russian influence and an increasingly sophisticated Russian cyber operations threaten the right of Americans to choose their own leaders. This is no exaggeration. The seriousness of this problem cannot be overemphasized. However, the President trump continues to doubt, interfered with Moscow in a presidential election year. Trump completely ignores this issue, hinting so that it doesn’t matter much.
Our commander in chief seems more interested in the fact that to defend Moscow and not to prevent new bumps from her side. The Washington Post reported that the administration is considering to allow the Russian authorities to reopen two of the spy object, which President Barack Obama closed in late December in response to Russian intervention in the American elections. According to some reports, the White house also plans to actively oppose the adoption of a new bill on sanctions against Russia, which the Senate approved this month by an overwhelming majority of senators from both parties.
We are talking about a bill that strengthens financial penalties and bans trump the abolition of restrictive measures — including the return of the spy objects without the consent of Congress. Even worse, the position of the trump, apparently, partly supported by the Republican leaders in the House of representatives. Speaker Paul Ryan (Paul D. Ryan), the Republican Congressman from Wisconsin and the majority leader Kevin McCarthy (Kevin McCarthy), the Republican Congressman from California, has suspended consideration of the bill, citing the constitutional requirement that such initiatives should come from the house of representatives.
This is a common trick. Nothing prevents them to include the text of the Senate bill in your own and send it to the Senate for final approval. It most likely would have passed under the simplified scheme. However, Ryan and McCarthy seem eager to slow down the passage of the bill and weaken it.
Their careless attitude to the problem of Russian intervention is associated with change in the position of Republican voters, the mood of which is intimidating manner is becoming more Pro-Russian. According to a survey conducted in may by research company Morning Consult in conjunction with the publication Politico, 49% of voters supporting Republicans consider Russia as either an ally or friendly country. Only 12% consider it an enemy. In 2015, Russian President Vladimir Putin, according to Gallup, a positive attitude only 12% of Republicans. By February, their share rose to 32%.
These dangerous trends that undermine the will of the nation to self-defence, is fully generated by the inability of the leaders of the Republican party to confront Trump. Of Republican voters for a long time is different from a healthy distrust of Putin, but the sympathy of the President of trump to Moscow and the silence of other party leaders contributed to the change in their attitude. As a result, the leaders of the party becomes politically difficult to protect the country from foreign enemy.
Since they control both the legislative and Executive branches of government, their duty — to prevent new attacks on American democracy, even if these attacks electorally beneficial for the party. Deterrence is a key part of the equation. While it would be impossible, if not to punish Moscow for her admitted violation of our sovereignty and threaten her with even more severe reaction in the case of new antics.
Supporting the bill on sanctions against Russia, Senate Republicans demonstrated that they understand it. Now Republican leaders in the house of representatives should work together with their Senate colleagues to take a powerful package of laws on sanctions, which will require approval by the Congress of any changes, made by the President in sanctions against Russia. We just don’t have the right to Trump trust in this and expect that it alone will protect American democracy.
The leaders of the Republicans and the entire Republican party are now at a crossroads. They will have to choose either freedom in an independent America, or the distant service of the foreign owner who wants to increase their own wealth and power to the detriment of a free society in the world. If the leaders of the party will choose the latter, most Americans will be forced to bring them to justice as enemies of freedom.
Evan McMullin, a former CIA officer who participated in the presidential elections of 2016 as an independent candidate. Co-founder of the nonprofit organization Stand Up Republic.
