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Last Thursday morning, I made a bold statement—bold even for me!—live on CNN. Click below to watch the clip on the Fox News (gasp!) site…
Donald Trump is a Russian asset.
Let me say that again…
The President of the United States is a Russian asset.
I stand by that statement without hesitation. Trump is a fickle guy when it comes to almost everyone and everything. But the one thing he has been 100% consistent on over the past decade is his lock-step support for his buddy Vladimir Putin. For years, we’ve watched as Trump has cozied up to his Russian mentor and other dictators around the globe, while undermining the interests of Ukraine [ [link removed] ], NATO [ [link removed] ], and the free world. It ain’t 4D chess, my friends.
Let’s cut through the bullshit. This isn’t strategic diplomacy or a policy shift based on changing geopolitical interests. And it isn’t about decreasing our aid to Ukraine in its hellish three-year battle to defend its sovereignty just to save a buck. It’s something much darker and more dangerous: actively thwarting the global order that defends democracy. Put in simple terms, that makes us the bad guys.
Let’s be absolutely clear about Trump. Calling him a Russian asset isn’t expressing an opinion or gut feeling; it’s stating a fact, one based on irrefutable evidence in the public record. These aren’t conspiracy theories. They are part of the documented history [ [link removed] ] of Trump’s ties to Russia [ [link removed] ] and Putin [ [link removed] ]. No matter how many times Trump and his defenders, past [ [link removed] ] and present, try to spin these events, the reality is that his dealings with Russia are not coincidental. They are part of a larger pattern of behavior that shows an undeniable connection [ [link removed] ] to Russian interests.
Let’s also be clear about the Republican Party. I spent nearly my entire adult life within the GOP, and it baffles and infuriates me to watch it sanction this utter travesty. The party that once stood for limited government, individual freedoms, and the rule of law has become an embarrassing cult of personality, devoted entirely to Trump. The right-wing media, the conservative elites, and the GOP establishment have all fallen in line, abandoning their principles in favor of fealty to Trump. This is no political movement—it’s an authoritarian embrace of a man who puts his personal interests above the security and well-being of the country.
Saying out loud that the sitting President of the United States is a Russian asset isn’t easy, especially when you’re a former Republican congressman with a higher profile than the average American. I wrestled with the decision, to be quite honest with you. But the truth—and our country—matter more than political calculations. I didn’t make this statement to be provocative; I made it because it was necessary, and it’s the truth. And I will live with the consequences.
Seven years ago, I could have kept quiet, hopped in line with the rest of the right-wing media machine, and maintained my position in the lucrative, cushy world of Conservative, Inc. But I couldn’t. I refused to lie about Trump, even if it meant sacrificing my career. Now, here I am trying to make ends meet by begging you good people for paid subscriptions on Substack (which I hate, by the way). But it’s worth it. At the end of the day, I can look at myself in the mirror and know that I spoke the truth.
We are Americans. We have the right to speak our minds, especially when it comes to issues as serious as this. The First Amendment guarantees that right, and I won’t let anyone terrorize me into silence. If Trump doesn’t like what I’m saying, he can shove his intimidation tactics where the sun doesn’t shine. We gotta be brave.
But let’s not kid ourselves about the environment we’re in. This is personally risky. The stakes are high. That’s why I’m asking for your opinion. Do you think I was right to say loudly and publicly that Trump is a Russian asset? I want to hear your thoughts. This is a conversation we need to have—not just as a country, but as people who care about the future of our nation.
More good sources on this topic:
The Hidden History of Trump’s First Trip to Moscow [ [link removed] ] —POLITICO Magazine
‘The perfect target’: Russia cultivated Trump as asset for 40 years, says ex-KGB spy [ [link removed] ] —The Guardian
All of Donald Trump’s Ties to Russia and Putin, in 7 Charts [ [link removed] ] —POLITICO Magazine
Was Donald Trump a Russian spy in 1987? Bizarre allegations by ex-KGB officer will surprise you [ [link removed] ] —The Economic Times
Russian elite invested nearly $100 million in Trump buildings [ [link removed] ] —Reuters
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IMAGINE IF OBAMA DID THIS... The big, tough current occupant of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, who’s totally not a weak pansy and who totally believes in the First Amendment, wants to hand-pick the reporters [ [link removed] ] in the White House press pool. Maybe because independent thinking and scary questions make him piss himself?
THIS JUST IN…ELON STILL SUCKS. Twenty-one federal employees who were part of the former United States Digital Service and grandfathered into Elon Musk’s “DOGE” cabal have resigned [ [link removed] ] rather than use their technical expertise to “dismantle critical public services.” In a joint resignation letter, they wrote: “We swore to serve the American people and uphold our oath to the Constitution across presidential administrations. However, it has become clear that we can no longer honor those commitments.” The brain drain continues as the Constitution gets shredded.
NO MORE SECRETS. When Elon’s GenZ hacking squad got into the government’s payments system, they gained access [ [link removed] ] to highly classified CIA payments, too. I don’t care what you think of the CIA as an organization; exposure of this information impacts the personal safety of agents, making them targets, but also means the intel well is gonna run dry, because the risks of working with the U.S. just got exponentially higher. This is objectively bad.
THE END OF THE RULES-BASED ORDER. Say goodbye to the world we’ve known for probably all of our lives (except for our readers over 80 who have actual memories of the world before, in which case, God bless!). We’re moving on—or back—to a “might equals right” paradigm. Other countries [ [link removed] ] will plan accordingly.
‘YOUR VOICE IS MEANINGLESS.’ Hell no, it isn’t. But that’s what the Kootenai County Republican Central Committee told Teresa Borrenpohl [ [link removed] ], an attendee at a “town hall” in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. Teresa was also zip-tied and dragged out of the event by unmarked security guards, as she was taunted by the MC as a “little girl” suffering the “consequences” because she “spoke up.” These guys can fuck all the way off.
So what can you do?
Did you catch my podcast this morning? If not, tune in here [ [link removed] ]. Our topic today was What Should Democrats Do? Run to the Left or Run to the Center? The Democrats are all we have right now to help us out of this mess. How are they doing so far? What else should they be doing? What does their future look like? Check it out.
Then log in to Substack on Wednesday night at 8 p.m. ET. We’re going to talk about that and a bunch of other topics that matter right now via live video and chat. See you then!
Join the growing #NOKINGS community! Let’s build a community right now of Americans who rally around and identify with that basic truth: we don’t have kings in America. We’ll figure out where to go beyond that down the road. I’ve changed all my profile pictures to #NOKINGS, and you can too. Grab the #NOKINGS graphic below and go to www.oneflaginitiative.org [ [link removed] ] for instructions on how to change your profile pics.
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