On Friday, special counsel Robert Mueller, through the Justice Department, indicted 13 Russian nationals for meddling in the 2016 election, bringing our government’s handling of Russia back into the spotlight.
Over the President’s Day weekend, President Trump rightly noted that the Russians are “laughing their asses off” at the whole charade.
If it was the GOAL of Russia to create discord, disruption and chaos within the U.S. then, with all of the Committee Hearings, Investigations and Party hatred, they have succeeded beyond their wildest dreams. They are laughing their asses off in Moscow. Get smart America!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 18, 2018
He also defended his previous comments during the 2016 election by indicating that he never said that Russia didn’t meddle, but that his campaign never colluded with them.
I never said Russia did not meddle in the election, I said “it may be Russia, or China or another country or group, or it may be a 400 pound genius sitting in bed and playing with his computer.” The Russian “hoax” was that the Trump campaign colluded with Russia – it never did!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 18, 2018
Arguably the biggest criticism levied at President Trump and his administration is that he’s not tough on Russia for their involvement in the 2016 presidential election, whether it be through their alleged hacking of emails from the Democratic National Committee or Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta and getting them onto hostile websites such as Wikileaks.
On Tuesday, President Trump tried to clear the air, saying that he’s much tougher on Russia than former President Barack Obama.
I have been much tougher on Russia than Obama, just look at the facts. Total Fake News!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 20, 2018
But in January, President Trump decided to forgo imposing additional sanctions on Russia designed to punish them for meddling in the 2016 election, despite Congress voting overwhelmingly in favor of such sanctions. The sanctions bill the House and Senate voted on also included imposing sanctions on Iran (which were waived temporarily) and North Korea (which were imposed). President Obama, however, slapped sanctions on Russia three times in 2014 following the annexation of Crimea in an attempt to retaliate against Russian President Vladimir Putin over his goals of expanding Russian influence in eastern Europe.
Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., disagreed with President Trump over implementing sanctions on Russia by voting for the bill that Trump opposed in July 2017. However, in an interview with the Washington Examiner, Cassidy has gotten a better glimpse into what the Trump administration has been doing with Russia, even likening him to German Chancellor Otto von Bismarck.
“When you’re playing chess, you don’t want to take 16 of your squares off the 64-square board,” Cassidy, quoting Bismarck, told the Examiner.
Cassidy continued to say that he has no concern over how President Trump is dealing with Russia, saying that pulling back on sanctions “gave him a certain suppleness that some people call a lack of principle, but he certainly was capable of getting things done.”
“We are signaling to Russia that the U.S. Congress is concerned with Russia’s behavior and we’re ready to slap sanctions,” Cassidy said. “The president will pull back, but he could tell the Russians, ‘Look at those crazy people in Congress. If I don’t pull back, we’re going to let those sanctions into place.'”
In the eyes of the U.S. senator from Louisiana, sanctions are the cards you threaten to play if Russia doesn’t change their behavior, and it’s worked.
“Since this president took office, arguably their behavior is better. Now, that’s really our goal, right? How do we modify behavior? I think I know we’re now supplying weapons to the Ukrainians. We’re obviously doing different things. Sixty-four squares, we’re playing all 64 squares now. The Russians are modifying their behavior. That’s our goal.”
While it’s still early, Trump is making a strong case that he’s done a better job in changing the behavior of one of our greatest adversaries in Russia in one year than Obama did in eight. He has at least one Senate Republican convinced.
Siraj Hashmi is a commentary video editor and writer for the Washington Examiner.
