Republican voters want the president to project strength on the world stage. It’s a big part of what they liked about Ronald Reagan and a big part of what they didn’t like about Barack Obama.
President Trump recognizes that, and has worked to cast himself as his predecessor’s opposite on foreign policy. But when it comes to projecting strength, it’s hard to see how Trump’s performance in Helsinki on Monday measures up to those expectations.
All the missed opportunities to stand up to Russian President Vladimir Putin don’t look good on a president who has styled himself as an exceptionally tough leader who takes no flak from other countries. As Trump supporter Lou Dobbs said, “It was not a very forceful presentation from President Trump, with Putin standing right next to him.”
It’s one thing for Trump to argue we should be focused on mending fences with Russia. It’s another to stand astride Putin and equivocate, failing to confront (or even accept) his attempted meddling in our elections.
To be clear, with a strong economy, popular tax reform bill, and another Supreme Court pick likely to be confirmed, Monday’s joint presser may matter little to the GOP voters who want to see Trump stand up for their country on the world stage. But this reminds everyone of Trump’s terrible instincts toward Putin, and it’s just the sort of thing that could start chipping away at the credibility of one of Trump’s most powerful pitches.
