CAL THOMAS COMMENTARY JULY 18, 2018
WAS THE HELSINKI MEETING AND SUBSEQUENT NEWS CONFERENCE BY PRESIDENT TRUMP AND RUSSIA’S PUTIN A DISASTER, OR A STRATEGIC MOVE BY THE PRESIDENT?
MANY, INCLUDING MANY REPUBLICANS, ARE CALLING IT A DISASTER AND A MISSED OPPORTUNITY TO STANDUP TO A MAN WITH BLOOD ON HIS HANDS AND A HISTORY OF DUPLICITY.
NO ONE KNOWS EXCEPT THE PARTICIPANTS WHAT WAS SAID IN THEIR TWO-HOUR PRIVATE MEETING. THERE WERE NO AIDES OR NOTE-TAKERS, ONLY TRANSLATORS PRESENT. THE PRESIDENT APPARENTLY IGNORED A 100 PAGE DOCUMENT PREPARED BY HIS TOP AIDES ABOUT WHAT TO SAY TO PUTIN.
THE PRESIDENT BELIEVES GOOD PERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS CAN LEAD TO GOOD DIPLOMACY. THAT WAS THE VIEW OF GEORGE H.W. BUSH WHO HAD RELATIONSHIPS WITH NUMEROUS WORLD LEADERS THAT BENEFITTED THE UNITED STATES.
RELATIONSHIPS, ESPECIALLY THOSE OF AUTOCRATS, TAKE TIME TO DEVELOP. THEY CAN’T BE ESTABLISHED OVER ONE OR TWO MEETINGS. DONALD TRUMP IS NEW AT THIS AND WHETHER HE SUCCEEDS IS YET TO BE DETERMINED. HE CAN DECLASSIFY DOCUMENTS THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT HAS REFUSED TO GIVE CINGRESS AND THAT WOULD HELP DIFFUSE MUCH OF THE CONTROVERSY SURROUNDING RUSSIA, COLLUSION AND HACKING. I’M CAL THOMAS.
