Historians on Trump: We've never seen anything like this

[babylonsister]

https://www.cnn.com/2019/10/02/opinions/trump-impeachment-unprecedented-cobbs-longley-osgood-suri/index.html?fbclid=IwAR3D2NExKE17hKW7An6SXOkt0QUT21U6FjEQqMrp91B5BJ9ZlCsarCkML8I

Historians on Trump: We've never seen anything like this
Opinion by Elizabeth A. Cobbs, Kyle Longley, Kenneth Osgood and Jeremi Suri
Updated 4:28 PM ET, Wed October 2, 2019

"Editor's note: Elizabeth A. Cobbs is the Melbern Glasscock Chair in American history at Texas A&M University and a senior fellow at Stanford University's Hoover Institution. Kyle Longley is the Snell Family Dean's distinguished professor of history and political science at Arizona State University. Kenneth Osgood is a professor of History at the Colorado School of Mines. Jeremi Suri holds the Mack Brown Distinguished Chair for Leadership in Global Affairs at the University of Texas at Austin. The views expressed here are theirs. Read more opinion on CNN."

snip//

It is rare to get such a real-time look at presidential conversations with foreign leaders. As historians of US foreign relations, collectively we have read many thousands of similar documents from past presidents. We have also listened to audio tapes of conversations between presidents and their international counterparts. In our numerous books on presidents from George Washington to Barack Obama, we have examined how American leaders conduct US foreign policy — the good, bad, and ugly. Nothing really surprises us anymore.
Until now.

Trump's documentary record differs dramatically from his predecessors. A worrisome thread runs through each conversation. Trump appears laser-focused on his own fortunes to the exclusion of the national security of the United States. Unfortunately, this is part of a larger and startling pattern of Trump promoting his personal agenda ahead of the nation's interests.

Many examples exist. When speaking with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky in July, Trump concentrated on soliciting help to discredit a political opponent, former Vice President Joe Biden. Missing was any discussion of US national interests. Trump never mentioned the shared US-Ukrainian goal of containing Russia's ambitions, a cornerstone of the relationship. Instead, he pushed a personal agenda — and Zelensky responded by bragging about staying at a Trump property, to the financial benefit of America's president.

snip//

No one knows if Congress will decide that these actions rise to level of impeachable "high crimes and misdemeanors." We do know history will judge them harshly, because Donald Trump is not fulfilling the most solemn duty of every president: to protect the nation's security.

[uponit7771]

1. K&R, Trump has effectively called off the 2020 election

Without Trump's removal they will be no 2020 election that is free and fair

Trump has in the past solicited and welcome foreign health and intervention in America's elections he has admitted he will use foreign help and cheat in the 2020 election and he has proceeded in attempting to cheat for the 2020 election

Trump needs to be removed if there's going to be free and fair elections

[lark]

3. Trump and Pence have got to go.

Pence is way involved with Russia, their tool -Manafort - is the one that insisted on him for VP. He's involved in this Ukraine mess and needs to be impeached along with drumpf, and toady.

[uponit7771]

5. +1, It looks like Red Don officially tossed Pence under the bus yesterday

[lark]

6. That's the 2nd time he's done that about Ukraine.

He definitely feels Pence measuring the drapes and will get more aggressive about pulling him under the bus with him. He doesn't want a pardon, he wants to steal the US and turn it into a total dictatorship vs. the quasi model in place with him in office so far.

[uponit7771]

7. Whoa, 2nd time ?! I've only seen once ... has Pence replied yet? tia

[lark]

8. Pence is smart enough to keep his mouth shut on this.

He's a rw Russian Repug taliban christian, but even he can see the pitfall opening up under his feet - dug by none other than his master.

[bluestarone]

17. HA HA they talk about giuliani staying away from TV?

Red Don is ALSO the one they need to STAY AWAY from tv. What a dumb fuck!

[PatrickforO]

15. Yeah, did you see Pelosi this morning?

She said that electing Trump in 2020 would do irreparable damage to our democracy. Bluntly. She actually said it like that.

[pangaia]

19. " Without Trump's removal they will be no 2020 election that is free and fair.."

I have believed this for a couple years, at least.


"Trump needs to be removed if there's going to be free and fair elections"

Even then,....... there will not be a fair election.. but it's a start..

[kentuck]

2. It does seem unprecedented.

Nixon was similar but it didn't involve national security issues the way this one does.

[Hekate]

23. The old Commie-fighter had a feeling for America's place in the world that Red Don utterly lacks

... And Nixon never put on a public performance like this.

[katmondoo]

4. If Trump doesn't meet the standards of high crimes and misdemeaners than no one ever will.

[Mike 03]

9. Reassuring analysis from experts: It's not our imagination

We have to remove this dangerous nut; it's no longer an option.

[pangaia]

21. Although good to see, I/WE don;t need analysis from experts to see

what is right in front of our faces...

[LisaL]

10. Tell me something I didn't already know.

[pangaia]

22. Right.. they think LisaL and Pangaia didn't see this years ago???

jesus, anybody with a functioning brain knows it...

[dalton99a]

11. Kick

In the history of American foreign relations, we are unaware of any prior case — in 230 years — of a president asking a foreign leader to intervene in American domestic politics.

In 2017, he asked Mexican president Enrique Peña Nieto to help get him out of a "political bind." Mexico's continued refusal to pay for a border wall contradicted a core campaign promise. Trump told Peña Nieto that little mattered to him other than saving face. He admitted that Mexico's silence on the wall was not "important" for national security, but "politically this might be the most important."

That same year, Trump's narcissism dominated a telephone call with Australian Prime Minister, Malcolm Turnbull. The conversation turned to a review of 1,250 migrants fleeing war zones. Since Australia had a standing policy of not accepting anyone who arrived unauthorized by boat, the United States under President Obama had previously agreed to consider a swap of Central Americans seeking refugee status in the US with those seeking refugee status in Australia. Trump explained his intent to negate his predecessor's promise because "it is embarrassing to me." The US president framed it not as a policy choice, but as something that would make him "look so foolish," "like a dope," and "kill me" politically. A joint foreign policy challenge with a close ally became an ego trip for the president.

When Turnbull tried to turn the conversation to urgent matters of grave concern, namely the war in Syria and the nuclear ambitions of North Korea, Trump was not interested. He squeezed in one last complaint about how the refugee deal was "an embarrassment to me." Then he hung up.

[Martin Eden]

25. With Trump, everything is about Trump

Totally self centered malignant narcissist pathological liar.

[Farmer-Rick]

12. I disagree protecting the security of the US is not in the oath of office

It is Not the most solemn duty of every president. Protecting the Constitution is. Traitor Trump doesn't even know what is in the Constitution so he continual fails to up hold it and totally ignores it.

[RainCaster]

13. One word never used is "innovative"

Nothing more needs to be said

[gordianot]

14. Trump claims a "coup" while he dismantles the American Republic.

What does he have to lose.

[N_E_1 for Tennis]

16. Taken in this context...

The transcripts of the Putin conversations would be more than interesting.

[pangaia]

18. DUH ! No shit Sherlock !

(Not you babylonsister... )

[struggle4progress]

20. "Philosophers have solved the world --- but the task is to change it"

[Hekate]

24. Now the insane monster has publicly told China to take down the Bidens...

What is it going to take, GOP?

Generations of future historians will analyze how we got here and how far we fell.

[underpants]

26. 👀

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