On today’s “To the Contrary” Podcast, I’m joined by Lawfare’s Ben Wittes, to talk about (1) our betrayal of Ukraine, (2) Europe’s new burden, and (3) the fate of the Department of Justice.
From the transcript:
BEN WITTES: At another level, I was trying to think of the last time the U.S. had, essentially sided with the bad guys. We've betrayed allies before. You know, you leave people behind in Afghanistan. The world is an unpleasant place, and we've done a lot of unpleasant things. And I don't want to sugarcoat that.
But I cannot think of a time when we looked at an authoritarian, totalitarian society waging an unprovoked war against what had been an ally up until the other day and said, not just blame the victim, but adopt the narrative of the aggressor.
But I can't think of a time that we've done that.
Trust me when I say that I’ve done a lot of these pods… and this is one of the smartest conversations I’ve had. It’s very much worth your time.
Happy Thursday.
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America Changes Sides
Tom Nichols: “I never thought I would see the leader of the American nation siding with the Kremlin in a war of aggression.”
Yes. It’s that bad:
This is how the Drudge Report looked Wednesday afternoon:
And this is what we got from the man who no longer wants to be the leader of the Free World:
I shouldn’t have to say this, but almost every word drips with falsehoods, distortions, and Kremlin-fabricated bullshit. The NYT takes a swing at Trump’s merde storm: “Trump Falsely Suggests Ukraine Is to Blame for the War: What to Know.”
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And look who else is weighing in…
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And the polls say…
“Many of Trump’s early actions are unpopular, Post-Ipsos poll finds” - The Washington Post. Some perspective: These would be shitty honeymoon numbers for any president not named Trump.
BONUS: Smart take here from Chris Cillizza (written before today’s Wapo poll): “SHOCKER: Donald Trump is NOT as Popular as You Think 🚨”
Some highlights of my conversation with Ben Wittes:
The unfolding betrayal of Ukraine.
Trump embraces Putin’s narrative.
The importance of Norway in the new Europe. Hint: it’s rich.
The importance of “norms” in the justice system.
And now a word from our readers:
Thursday dog
Eli is very much a couch dog. And I don’t mind a bit.
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