If Trump has a shadow presidency, Democrats must attack him for weakening the United States

It appears that former President Donald Trump is exploiting the old Republican shadow presidency to subvert the president-elect’s foreign policy charter.

This is an old Republican trick; they’ve been doing it since Nixon, and they get away with it because Democrats have historically been too timid and overwhelmed by the Machiavellian maneuverings of people who seem willing to prolong a war if it means a political advantage for them.

Here’s what’s happening:

Trump spoke privately with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the New York Times reported this week. About what? They don’t say it.

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On Thursday we learned that Jared Kushner secretly met with far-right Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu on December 21.

“Netanyahu’s diary, which became public due to a trial, reveals a meeting he had not previously reported: the Israeli prime minister hosted Jared Kushner in Tel Aviv on December 21.”

Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD) told Greg Sargent in The New Republic that the Trump-Saudi relationship “absolutely demands serious examination.”

Given that Raskin just revealed how Rep. James Comer (R-KY) is helping Russia attack America by laundering their disinformation through a U.S. House “investigation,” the situation is even more alarming.

It’s also pretty obvious. And it would be great if we could stop pretending we don’t see what’s happening before our eyes. We already know that Trump is using House Republicans to block the US president’s foreign policy towards Ukraine. We know that Trump is getting House Republicans to thwart the president’s border policies because Trump thinks that will help him win if the border is in chaos.

Voters do not get all the benefits of the president they elected. They are being robbed, once again, because Republicans don’t care what voters want. The will of the people is of no interest to Donald Trump and his Republican Party.

Based on Trump’s 2016 history, his efforts to get Ukraine to investigate his political opponent while he was president, and current facts, it is likely that Trump is purposely undermining the U.S. president’s foreign policy for financial gain. personal politician.

There is very little reason, if any, to suspect that this is not true. This is how Donald Trump operates, this is how the Republican Party has operated for decades, and we have several recent cases of meetings between foreign princes and Trump and his surrogates.

“Trump, in his unique and brazen way, likely participates in the corrupt Republican tradition of sabotaging U.S. foreign policy while opposing it for petty partisan gain. The Democratic tradition is to ignore it, with predictable consequences,” Brian Beutler wrote in Off Message.

How should President Biden handle the situation if it is actually happening?

If there is one area where Democrats can grow and expand in the Trump era and post-Roe landscape, it is their messages.

While not everyone can be John Fetterman (D-PA) and still win in their district, the Democratic base is hungry for backbone and a combative embrace of all given authority. They are tired of electing Democrats only to see them give in to the Republicans’ takeover of power.

For too long, Democrats have let the Beltway berate them for “working with Republicans,” which too often results in letting Republicans hold the country hostage, appropriate power not afforded to them, and stealing human rights fundamentals. Democrats have rightly worked with Republicans to save the country, but they must not succumb to Republican authoritarianism. There is no legitimate middle ground between democracy and autocracy.

The base needs to know that the power they work so hard to give their candidates will pay off; that their interests and rights will be vigorously defended – including their right to elect a president and that *that* person’s foreign policy is whatever they get.

Voters should know the foreign policy of the person they elected. Anyone who interferes with this is in contempt of the will of the Americans.

The current facts are: Donald Trump’s actions are undermining the United States. He constitutes a danger to the United States. He constitutes a danger to freedom. He constitutes a danger to democracy. He tried to steal the most basic rights of the majority of Americans. He stole confidential documents and left them in spaces accessible to his paying guests. He shared military secrets. He incited a deadly insurrection against the United States in an attempt to maintain power that voters did not give him. Recently he was found responsible for fraud and rape.

This is not a man known for his integrity, honesty or character. We have no reason to assume the best about this person.

Let’s not repeat 2016, when Democrats relied on knowledge of what Trump was doing with Russia. When running against a strongman, you need to be especially careful not to appear undermined by that person, so how this information, if it is actually happening, is shared with public affairs.

The message should be:

Donald Trump is weakening America for his own political gain and thinks American voters are too stupid to understand what he is doing.

What do you voters think? Are you going to let him get away with it again?

Donald Trump is a conniving backstabber. He cannot be trusted.

What do you voters think? Are you going to let him get away with it again?

Donald Trump thinks betraying his country will help him get elected.

What do you voters think? Are you going to let him get away with it again?

If Democrats want to succeed against encroaching authoritarianism, they must be bolder. They must convey a message of strength and power, while maintaining the egalitarian values ​​of the Democratic Party.

It’s time to take a *temporary* page from the Republican playbook.

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