Trump Declines and Divides
- john raymond
- 4 days ago
- 2 min read
Every opportunity he's had to stand against Putin, he has declined. Every opportunity to divide America or fracture its alliances, he has seized.
This is not exaggeration. It is the structural truth of Donald Trump's political arc. From the earliest days of his candidacy through both presidencies, Trump has consistently met forks in the road—moments when a leader of a free republic might reasonably stand against the ambitions of an authoritarian rival—and each time, he has chosen the path of capitulation, sabotage, or silence.
To understand this, we must outline the full pattern:
In 2016, Trump publicly invited Russian intelligence to hack Hillary Clinton’s emails, which was followed by cyberattacks traced to Russian actors.
During the campaign, he sought to build a Trump Tower in Moscow, a deal that continued in secret even as he denied any business interests in Russia.
He hired Paul Manafort, who had worked directly with pro-Russian forces in Ukraine and passed internal polling data to a Russian operative.
After being briefed that Russia had interfered in the election on his behalf, Trump called it a hoax and attacked U.S. intelligence agencies.
At the 2018 Helsinki summit, Trump publicly sided with Putin over U.S. intelligence, saying he saw "no reason why it would be" Russia who interfered.
He delayed military aid to Ukraine in 2019, demanding a political favor in exchange, undermining a country at war with Russia.
He repeatedly criticized and undermined NATO, calling it obsolete and threatening to leave it altogether.
He failed to respond meaningfully to the poisoning of dissidents by Russian agents in Europe.
He downplayed or ignored evidence of Russian bounties on U.S. troops in Afghanistan.
He opposed sanctions on the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, a major Russian geopolitical project.
He minimized or ignored every major act of Russian aggression, from the annexation of Crimea to atrocities committed in Ukraine.
In his second term, he has delayed new sanctions against Russia, claiming he doesn’t want to disrupt a potential deal.
He frames Putin as a misunderstood player while blaming Ukrainian leadership for prolonging the war.
He maintains alliances with Russia-aligned figures such as Elon Musk and RFK Jr., offering them legitimacy and amplification.
On Truth Social and in public appearances, he deploys mixed messages—denouncing Putin vaguely while targeting U.S. allies and institutions more directly.
Domestically, he has seeded division with precision:
Undermining the legitimacy of elections, both before and after they occur.
Amplifying conspiracy theories about voting machines and ballot fraud.
Encouraging political violence through rhetoric and passive approval.
Dismantling trust in scientific institutions, the justice system, and the free press.
Promoting culture war issues to pit Americans against each other.
Elevating state-level defiance to federal authority as a virtue.
Internationally, Trump has weakened the West’s unity:
Undercutting the EU by endorsing Brexit and aligning with far-right nationalist movements in Europe.
Mocking global cooperative efforts like climate accords and human rights conventions.
Replacing seasoned diplomats with loyalists, creating gaps in foreign policy continuity.
Every chance to check Putin, Trump retreats. Every lever to divide the West, he pulls. Not by mistake. Not by impulse.
By pattern. And by purpose.
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