The United States was cyber-attacked by Russia in a deliberate attempt to interfere in our democratic election process according to multiple intelligence agency public statements. Trump and Trump supporters prefer to label any discussion of this as sore loser-ism, liberal conspiracy, media lies, blah, blah. What we are witnessing is the exact same incuriosity exhibited by George W. Bush on that infamous day. Trump has not bothered to read, let alone study or discuss, what the intelligence agencies have prepared. He is blowing them off. On cable news, when he spokespeople are asked exactly what information is using as the basis of expressed belief that “nothing is known” that links Russia to any attacks they all change the subject and deflect. But this much has been confirmed: Trump has expressed zero interest in knowing what the intelligence agencies have learned.
Trump does not rely on information to make his judgments. He doesn’t need it- he has his gut. And his gut is telling him the less he says about Russians the better. But then there’s this: crooksandliars.com/...
Well, it's absolutely stunning, stunning, that Donald Trump is going to wait a week to be briefed by the US Intelligence community. He could demand a brief at any time, 24/7, 365, but to put this off a week shows he doesn't want to handle it. And it also shows, if we're physically attacked, is Donald Trump going to wait a week before he talks to intelligence? He needs to understand and perhaps he doesn't even comprehend what cyberwarfare is. And some of his past statements have shown that he really doesn't understand what's going on here.
But another part of it is, he doesn't seem to think that this is a great thing that, you know, has happened, you know, to American democracy. He seems to dismiss it, out of hand. This is a fundamental attack on America's natural processes, which has never been done in the history of this nation. And for those people who are dismissing this as a leak or a rumor, then you don't understand that America has never had an enemy put their hand or their thumb on the scale of the American electoral process and it could just as easily happen to Donald Trump.
Who remembers what they did after learning that the World Trade Center had been attacked? Everyone who found a TV that day, or turned on the radio, or called someone after hearing about the attack did more than our President, George W. Bush. Our nation’s Commander-in-Chief, Bush was told about the first plane hitting the Trade Center on his way to an elementary school in Florida. Bush continued his trip. Bush was in a classroom listening to the children read “My Pet Goat”, when Andy Card walked over to him and spoke into his ear telling him that a second plane had hit the other tower and that our nation was definitely under attack. Incomprehensibly, Bush continued to sit on his ass in that classroom while the kids continued reading. For an eternity. (H/T to Michael Moore’s Fahrenheit 9/11 for anyone who has not seen what actually took place.)
So it is today with Donald Trump. The United States was cyber-attacked by Russia. Trump’s response is a combination of “nobody knows that”, or that “it’s behind us”, and in general has publicly derided the statements made by members of our intelligence services.
The Trump camp cannot even concede the cyber-attack occurred because of the Russian’s intended goal: to help elect Trump. It is bad enough that Trump lost the popular vote by almost 3 million votes, and his electoral margin is among the lower fifth of all elections in percentage terms. And in an election with such a slim Electoral College margin any number of factors can be to blame. Acknowledging, in any way, that the Russian cyber-attack could have played any role is simply off the table with Trump and his supporters.
Like a child with fingers in their ears shouting “nah-nah-nah can’t hear you” Trump has displayed that he has absolutely no interest in what the Russians may have done. He does not want to hear or talk about; he only wants to move forward. He is only concerned about himself.
What Trump’s statements and actions reveal about the man fall into one of two categories:
First, this is Trump’s “My Pet Goat” moment. Bush had had the intelligence briefings and had blown off their warnings: “ok, you’ve covered your ass”, and ignored them. Bush knew he was in deep shit and much it was because of him. But Bush could not even rise to the occasion that day to be the Commander-in-Chief. He sat on his ass and stayed there. In Trump’s case he publicly asked for the Russians to hack Hillary’s email, and Trump knows that if it is true it’s bad for him in so many ways. Trump’s ignoring the matter is version of being on the stool, and it is going on for a very long time.
Second, is that Trump is really clueless about what cyber-warfare is and its bearing on our nation’s National Security. Trump does not take the intelligence briefings seriously, because he’s a smart guy, and he is not going to be told what to think by some low paid civil servant, and so Trump’s combination of ego, belligerence, and ignorance will be a threat to our nation’s security.
Neither case is acceptable. Not that Trump cares. So long as it can’t be proved he himself was aware of the Russian efforts Trump gets to be President.
What the “My Pet Goat” incident should have made obvious to the country was that Bush was not up to the task of being Commander-in-Chief. The Russian cyber-attack should be doing the same thing to Trump.
In Bush’s case the media and the right wing noise machine went straight to the big lie of Bush being this “bold leader”, and even those of us who knew better stayed quite knowing he wasn’t, but hoping for the best. But by remaining quite, by the country not focusing on the true character of the man, the lie took hold among the many.
In Trump’s case it is clear that his camp, his supporters, and the right wing media have organized to delegitimize the intelligence agencies in order to protect Trump. This is stunning. They have organized to collectively downplay cyber-warfare by Russians intended to alter our election. They have chosen to place their power and their Party ahead of the security of this nation, and they have done so because they truly believe their hold on power is more important.
Unlike Bush’s 7 minutes on a stool, Trump’s weeks of denials and disinterest should not be so easy to erase from the national conversation.
Russian’s cyber-warfare may have led to them choosing our next President, and if that is what occurred, it is a huge f-ing deal, and as such deserves the utmost investigation at every level of our government.
If Trump’s actions and statements confirm he is not big enough of a man to put the good of the country ahead of his ego then he has no business being President. And we should all say so.