Trump's Black Friday Sale: Oil, Guns and Morals - By Thomas L. Friedman
The president will sacrifice Americas moral standing for a grotesque blood-for-money transaction.
By Thomas L. Friedman
Opinion Columnist
Nov. 20, 2018
I really wrestle with this question: What is the worst thing about President Trumps approach to foreign policy? Is it that he is utterly amoral or that he is such a chump? Because the combination is terrible a president who is an amoral chump is the worst thing of all. He sells out American values awful enough but then gets nothing of value in return.
Trump presents himself as a tough, savvy deal maker, and then he lets all these leaders play him for a sucker. The word is out on the street: Hey, guys, get in line! Trump is giving away free stuff! Just tell him youre fighting Iran or the Muslim Brotherhood or that youre a friend of Sheldon Adelsons, and you get free stuff!
Last May, Hanukkah came early for Israel when Trump moved the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem a dream of every Israeli prime minister for free! Trump could have gone to Bibi Netanyahu and said: Bibi, here is the deal. I am going to make your dream come true and move the embassy. But in return youre going to freeze all Israeli settlements in the heart of the West Bank. Then Trump could have told the Palestinians: Youre not going to like this. Im moving the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem. But I am getting you something no American president ever got you a freeze on Israeli settlements beyond the settlement blocks.
Instead, Trump gave the embassy move away for free. Well, I shouldnt say that. He got millions of dollars in donations for the G.O.P. from right-wing Jewish megadonor Sheldon Adelson who lobbied for the move and warm applause from evangelicals. So Trump got something, but America got nothing.
more
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/20/opinion/trump-mohammed-bin-salman-khashoggi.html