Trump believes he is personal friends with most of the World's greatest dictators. He is not. He is simply a useful idiot and easily manipulated. After his presidency, he kept back-channel private communications with our greatest enemies for business deals and to illegally help his campaign.
Benjamin Netanyahu is dragging out his war to help Trump.
Saudi Arabia and Oil Ceos have been caught colluding to raise gas prices to help Trump.
Putin is threatening nukes to help Trump.
Viktor Orban is constantly threatening UN aid to Ukraine.
I wouldn't be surprised if Trump had something to do with the suicide bombing in Afghanistan.
There is a massive group of dictator countries coming together to challenge the USA, NATO, and the EU.
Countries Supporting Putin/Russia in their conquest war against Ukraine:
The Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO)
CSTO is an intergovernmental military alliance in Eurasia consisting of 6 post-Soviet states:
Russia - Putin $145 billion defense budget (25% increase)
Belarus 904 million defense budget
Armenia $1.7 billion defense budget (20% increase)
Kazakhstan $3.8 billion defense budget
Kyrgyzstan $4.8 billion defense budget
Tajikistan $446 million defense budget
Supplying Weapons to Russia
China $236.1 billion defense budget
Iran: Ali Khamenei $16.7 billion defense budget
North Korea 1.47 billion defense budget
Other Russian Allies
Hungary 5.23 billion defense budget
Turkey $40 billion defense budget (150% increase)
Venezuela 4.6 million defense budget
Nicaragua 94 million defense budget
Syria $3.1 billion defense budget
Myanmar $2.7 billion defense budget
Maldives 5.52 million defense budget
Eritrea 640 million defense budget
Cuba 115 million defense budget
India $74.3 billion defense budget (Buying Russian Oil/Coal & Sending Ukraine Weapons)
BRICS
An intergovernmental organization comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia, and the United Arab Emirates.
Who is funding Russia?
March 2024 TRUMP’S OBSESSION WITH DICTATORS AND STRONGMEN UNDERMINES AMERICAN NATIONAL SECURITY
The United States has always stood for freedom and democracy, and past presidents of both parties have upheld these core values. But Donald Trump has not only expressed admiration for dictators and strongmen around the world and cozied up to them, but he is increasingly making clear that he wants to copy their anti-democratic behavior if elected to a second term as President.
Here’s how Trump’s infatuation with autocrats and strongmen has made Americans less safe and threats American democracy:
Trump is outsmarted by our adversaries.
Trump only admires those leaders he considers “strong.” But Trump doesn’t understand that dictators are playing him: they don’t care about his friendship – and they are only using him to benefit themselves or harm America.
By pursuing a close personal relationship with President Xi of China, Trump continues to undermine U.S. security and economic interests. Instead of standing firm against Chinese policies that harm our interests – such as stealing billions of dollars’ worth of intellectual property, expanding military bases and spying on U.S. citizens and military installations – Trump said recently: I want China to do great [.…] And I like President Xi a lot, he was a very good friend of mine during my term.” In fact, he admires Xi so much that his administration’s economic policies actually benefited China, while harming longtime U.S. allies. During his presidency, he placed more tariffs on European allies than he did on Chinese goods.
Trump’s obsession with Vladimir Putin is no secret – but few people realize just how much his sycophantic relationship with the Russian leader has undermined America’s national security and relationships with our closest allies. Even after Putin’s illegal invasion of Ukraine, Trump has continued to praise the dictator, describing his seizure of Ukrainian territory as “genius” and “wonderful.” His obsession with Putin has also undermined NATO, the military alliance that has kept Europe and the United States out of major conflicts for more than seventy years. During his first NATO summit, he refused to commit to defending our NATO allies. More recently, he has doubled down – saying that he would actually encourage Russia to attack other European countries if he were president.
Describing his relationship with the brutal North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un, Trump said “Kim wrote me beautiful letters and they’re great letters. We fell in love.” In one of the letters, Trump says that meeting with Kim would be something out of a “fantasy film,” and describes “every minute” of his 2019 meeting with him as “a moment of glory that remains a precious memory.” He also states that he has “unwavering respect” for Kim. In spite of those kind words, Kim has done nothing to reward Trump’s friendship. North Korea’s nuclear program has only grown larger and more dangerous; and Kim has sent millions of artillery rounds to support Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Donald Trump deeply admires Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, despite the Saudi ruler’s responsibility for the brutal killing and dismemberment of U.S. permanent resident Jamal Khashoggi. Trump described Salman as “a strong person, he has very good control. […] He’s seen as a person who can keep things under check. I mean that in a positive way.” Trump’s kindness didn’t pay off for hardworking families, who faced rising energy prices as a result of Saudi production cuts. But it certainly worked out for the Trump family, who received a $2 billion investment from the Saudi sovereign wealth fund after Trump left the White House.
Like the autocrats and strongmen he admires so much, Trump values personal loyalty above all else – including above loyalty to the Constitution.
Instead of protecting the rights and freedoms enshrined in the U.S. Constitution, Trump expresses admiration for the illegal and harmful tactics his “friends” use to oppress their citizens and political enemies, and has pledged to be a dictator on day one of a second administration.
Freedom of the press in the United States is a protected right under the First Amendment. But Trump prefers the lack of press freedom in Russia, where journalists are routinely jailed for doing their jobs. “Get rid of [journalists]. Fake news is a great term, isn’t it? You don’t have this problem in Russia but we do.”
Trump went so far as to suggest the execution of former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley, whose sole “crime” was following the law and the Constitution of the United States.
Shockingly, Trump has expressed admiration for Hitler, noting that he “did some good things.” He also lamented that he did not have the “loyalty” that Hitler maintained of his staff.
If re-elected, Trump is planning to remove any obstacles that could prevent him from enacting his agenda. That includes a legally dubious proposal to replace thousands of public servants with loyalists who will enact his agenda and support his self-described “retribution” agenda against those he feels have wronged him.
Trump doesn’t want his advisors to give him the truth. He prefers to surround himself with yes-men who will tell him what he wants to hear, citing Kim Jong Un’s staff – who fear for their lives if they displease their boss – as a model for running the White House.
Trump wants to be a dictator, too.
If Trump wins in 2024, he has made clear that he would use every political, military, and legal tool at his disposal – whether it is constitutional or not – to amass power and exact retribution on those who oppose him. His own Chief of Staff recently concluded that the reason Trump likes dictators so much is because “that’s who he is.”
He has said that on “day one” of his next presidential term, he would become fully authoritarian and exact retribution against his political enemies.
Trump indicated at a November 2023 rally that he would not hesitate to deploy U.S. troops to American cities to target American citizens if he felt like it.
As president, Trump praised Xi Jinping’s rejection of free and fair elections, saying, "He's now president for life. President for life. No, he's great...And look, he was able to do that. I think it's great. Maybe we'll have to give that a shot some day.” On the campaign trail in 2024, he doubled down on this sentiment, saying: “Xi Jinping controls 1.4 billion people with an Iron first. I’d say he’s smart.”
Former staffers in the Trump White House, who know him well, and who have been in the room while he has made decisions that have immense consequences for U.S. national security, are now sounding the alarm, saying that Trump is obsessed with the power that dictators have and was “shocked” in his first term that he did not have the same powers.
Trump has argued that he should be immune from prosecution, regardless of the legality of his actions in the Oval Office. In fact, they even suggested that he should face no consequences if he were to direct Seal Team Six to summarily execute his political opponents.
Trump, The "Useful Idiot"
Asked if Russia is blackmailing Trump, Vindman says: ‘They may or may not have dirt on him, but they don’t have to use it’
Authoritarians such as Putin benefit from American instability, and Trump proved in this week's debate that he's the chaos candidate.
American Horror Show describes the last weeks of the 2016 election, Trump’s victory, his transition and construction of a scandal-ridden cabinet and administration, to his inaugural speech and the first 30 days of his presidency.
The text uses a multidimensional analysis to explain Trump’s victory, including his mobilization of an authoritarian populist movement, the use of fake news to attack Hillary Clinton, the intervention of FBI Director James Comey 11 days before the election, claiming that another investigation of Clinton’s emails was underway, and the intervention of Russian hacking of Democratic Party email and the use of this email against Clinton.
So Easy To Manipulate Trump
Outgoing British Ambassador Kim Darroch’s leaked diplomatic cable is full of inside dope on how to bend the president to your will.
HR McMaster’s new memoir promises ‘readers insight into what a second Trump term would look like’
Former US national security adviser HR McMaster claims Russian president had a hold over Trump in new memoir
The Soviet Union — and Russia by extension — was humiliated by the U.S. after the collapse of the communism. Decades later, Putin is getting his revenge.
Trump’s ability to ‘destroy alliances, rip-up treaties’ has made him ‘very dangerous’, she says
For Viktor Orbán, Vladimir Putin, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Ilham Aliyev, and others, a second Trump term provides strategic openings and a dismantling of a liberal order that troubles their ties with the West.
Hitler
Vice-presidential pick has said he would have blocked certification of 2020 results in key states won by Biden
Donald Trump’s former chief of staff, John Kelly, says the former president used to praise lots of things about Hitler.
Even after backlash, Trump again echoed his words at a campaign rally.
Trump social media account shares video mentioning "unified reich;" Biden blasts "Hitler's language"
The former President insisted that German WWII generals were “totally loyal” to Hitler, which a new tell-all says he was seeking
The comments drew a pointed rebuke from the Biden-Harris administration, which said that Trump would "lock up millions of people" in detention camps if elected for another term
Comparisons between the ex-president and the 20th-century Nazi leader are controversial but a new book says they resemble each other as political performance artists
Mussolini
Ex-president’s second chief of staff tried to convince him fascist dictator was ‘great guy in comparison’, John Kelly tells Jim Sciutto
The former president’s promise to pardon January 6 insurrectionists recalls the fascist’s strongman tactics.
'No room for humorous media coverage. This is deadly serious. This is Mussolini'
Il Duce undermined democracy for years before appointing himself dictator; the parallels are ... uncomfortable
Muammar Gaddafi (Libya)
The deposed Libyan colonel, who was captured and killed by rebel fighters in 2011, was known for using brutal tactics.
What Trump has said about him:
Trump said during the CNN-Telemundo Republican candidates' debate in February that while Gaddafi was "really bad," his tactics were effective.
"We would be so much better off if Gaddafi were in charge right now. If these politicians went to the beach and didn't do a thing and we had Saddam Hussein and if we had Gadhafi in charge, instead of having terrorism all over the place, we'd be — at least they killed terrorists, all right? And I'm not saying they were good, because they were bad, they were really bad, but we don't know what we're getting," he said.
Having withdrawn America from the Iran nuclear deal with such capriciousness, the US president has demonstrated that – like the late Libyan leader – he is totally divorced from reality
Saddam Hussein (Iraq)
That's because back in the early 1990s, Trump blamed the Iraqi leader for his business woes.
The GOP presidential nominee isn’t shy about expressing his affection for the former Iraqi strongman.
Trump's stance on chemical weapons use appears to have shifted.
What Trump has said about him:
During a rally in North Carolina on Tuesday, Trump admitted that the former Iraqi dictator was not a good man but said that his work, which some considered genocide, was effective.
"We shouldn't have been there. We shouldn't have destabilized Saddam Hussein, right. He was a bad guy, really bad guy. But you know what he did well? He killed terrorists," Trump said.
"He did that so good. They didn't read them the rights. They didn't talk. They were terrorists. Over. Today, Iraq is Harvard for terrorism. You want to be a terrorist, you go to Iraq. It's like Harvard, OK? So sad, so sad."
It was far from Trump's first mention of Saddam on the campaign trail.
Kim Jong Un
What he's accused of: Human Rights Watch notes: "A 2014 UN Commission of Inquiry found that abuses in North Korea were without parallel in the contemporary world. They include extermination, murder, enslavement, torture, imprisonment, rape, forced abortions, and other sexual violence. North Korea operates secretive prison camps where perceived opponents of the government are sent to face torture and abuse, starvation rations, and forced labor. Fear of collective punishment is used to silence dissent. There is no independent media, functioning civil society, or religious freedom." ...
It is ranked at the bottom of the World Press Freedom Index. ... Kim has worked with China to crack down on border crossings to prevent escapees. In some cases, North Korea has tracked down citizens and returned them to the country. China is complicit as well, labeling those who escape as illegal and returning them. People returned to the country are sent to forced-labor prison camps, known as "kwanliso," which literally means management centers. ... Kim does not allow unauthorized outside movies, news, etc., into the country. ... There is no religious freedom or allowed political opposition. ... The country has a "songbun" class system in which people are grouped into three categories ranking their loyalty — 1. Loyal, 2. Wavering, 3. Hostile.
Quotable: "If the American imperialists provoke us a bit, we will not hesitate to slap them with a pre-emptive nuclear strike. The United States must choose! It's up to you whether the nation called the United States exists on this planet or not."
World Peace? Trump's Military Conflict Lies & Foreign Policy Disasters: 317 Terrorist Attacks, 45 Combat Deaths, 109 Brain Injuries, 217 Armed World Conflicts, Nukes & Record: Bomb Dropped/Arms Sold
What Trump has said about him: "At a very young age, he was able to assume power. A lot of people, I'm sure, tried to take that power away, whether it was his uncle or anybody else. And he was able to do it. So obviously, he's a pretty smart cookie." (April 30, CBS)
If it would be appropriate for me to meet with him, I would absolutely, I would be honored to do it. If it's under the, again, under the right circumstances. But I would do that. ... Most political people would never say that, but I'm telling you under the right circumstances I would meet with him. We have breaking news." (May 1, Bloomberg)
“Well, first of all, let me say that I think that Kim Jong Un, or Chairman Kim, as some people say, is looking to create a nation that has great strength economically. I think he’s very much – I talk to him a lot about it, and he’s very much into the fact that – he believes, like I do, that North Korea has tremendous economic potential like perhaps few other developing nations anywhere in the world.” (May 27, 2019)
“Kim Jong Un has been, really, somebody that I’ve gotten to know very well and respect, and hopefully – and I really believe that, over a period of time, a lot of tremendous things will happen.” (April 11, 2019)
[Kim] wrote me beautiful letters and they’re great letters. We fell in love.” (September 29, 2018)
“Chairman Kim has been really very open and terrific, frankly. And I think he wants to see something happen. So we have done – I think, mutually, we’ve done very well with respect to North Korea.” (September 24, 2018)
"You gotta give him credit," Trump said.
"How many young guys — he was, like, 26 or 25 when his father died — take over these tough generals, and all of a sudden ... he goes in, he takes over, and he's the boss," Trump said. "It's incredible. He wiped out the uncle, he wiped out this one, that one. I mean, this guy doesn't play games. And we can't play games with him."
Vladimir Putin
What he's accused of: Invaded a sovereign country (Ukraine) and annexed part of it (Crimea). ... Aiding Syrian President Bashar Assad militarily. Assad is accused by the West of using chemical weapons against his own people. ... Meddled in elections, including in the U.S. ... Allowed hackings of Western bank accounts without prosecution ... Some 100 men suspected of being gay have been swept up in Chechnya, including three who were killed last month. ... People with disabilities face discrimination, including not studying in mainstream schools ...
Cracked down on freedom of information, including shutting down websites ... Persecuted critics, political opponents and journalists who have been jailed and killed. (It's the seventh-most dangerous country for journalists to work in.) ... Some human-rights NGOs have been labeled "foreign agents" and "undesirable foreign organizations." They've been banned and a new law means they could face up to six years in prison. ... Russian Olympians have been accused of doping through a government program. ... Russia won the rights to host the 2018 soccer World Cup, but there are questions as to how. Former FIFA head Sepp Blatter was ousted in 2015 and banned for eight years after soccer's world governing body was found to be rife with corruption and kickbacks. Still, Putin said Blatter "deserves a Nobel Peace Prize."
What Trump has said about him: "If he says great things about me, I'm going to say great things about him. I've already said, he is really very much of a leader. I mean, you can say, oh, isn't that a terrible thing — the man has very strong control over a country. Now, it's a very different system, and I don't happen to like the system. But certainly, in that system, he's been a leader, far more than our president has been a leader. ... he does have an 82 percent approval rating, according to the different pollsters...." (Sept. 7, 2016, NBC Commander-in-Chief Forum)
Trump's Russian Collusion & the Pardons For His Henchmen, Found Guilty. How AG Bill Barr Successfully Obstructed & Covered -Up the Mueller Investigation/Report to Win in the Court of Public Opinion
Trump's Public Collusion with Russia and Putin
Trump defends Putin from claims of election interference
Russia Hacks Hillary and DNC for Trump
2021 Kremlin papers: Putin’s plot to put Trump in White House
2021 Kremlin papers appear to show Putin’s plot to put Trump in White House. Exclusive: Documents suggest Russia launched secret multi-agency effort to interfere in US democracy
Trump's 5 secret Putin meetings
7 Private Illegal calls with Putin after leaving office
Trump had as many as 7 private calls with Putin since leaving office, Bob Woodward writes in new book
Secretly sent Putin COVID-19 tests during pandemic shortage
New Woodward book: Trump secretly gave Putin COVID supplies — repeatedly called him since leaving WH
A closer look at Trump's years of criticizing NATO, particularly on defense spending. Detractors argue his rhetoric sends a troubling signal about the U.S. alliance
September 5, 2024 Trump Makes Shocking Promise After Ex-Adviser Charged in Russia Scheme, Promises to Lift Sanctions on Russia
* “Had a long and very good conversation with President Putin of Russia. As I have always said, long before the Witch Hunt started, getting along with Russia, China, and everyone is a good thing, not a bad thing….” (May 3, 2019)
* “So many people at the higher ends of intelligence loved my press conference performance in Helsinki. Putin and I discussed many important subjects at our earlier meeting. We got along well which truly bothered many haters who wanted to see a boxing match. Big results will come!” (July 18, 2018)
* “I called President Putin of Russia to congratulate him on his election victory (in past, Obama called him also). The Fake News Media is crazed because they wanted me to excoriate him. They are wrong! Getting along with Russia (and others) is a good thing, not a bad thing…” (March 21, 2018)
* “The man has very strong control over a country,” he said. “Now, it’s a very different system and I don’t happen to like the system, but certainly in that system, he’s been a leader. Far more than our president has been a leader.” (September 7, 2016)
* “Great move on delay (by V. Putin) - I always knew he was very smart!” (December 20, 2016)
Potential Trump conflict: Trump put on the Miss Universe pageant in Moscow and has tried for a long time to gain a foothold in the Russian market. In 2008, Donald Trump Jr. said: "Russians make up a pretty disproportionate cross-section of a lot of our assets. We see a lot of money pouring in from Russia." (The Washington Post and Time have more on Trump's Russia connections.)
In its ardent pursuit of retro-mindedness, MAGA America would indeed be close to Russia – which is the true reason why America’s far right admires Putin.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
Case 4000 involves the communication conglomerate Bezeq. The investigation focused on allegations that Netanyahu had promised regulatory changes that would be favorable to the business interests of Shaul Elovitch, the owner of Bezeq, in exchange for positive coverage of Netanyahu and his family by Elovitch's news website, Walla!. Netanyahu was charged with fraud, breach of trust, and bribery in this case. Elovitch was also charged with bribery.[17] The charges against Netanyahu include receiving bribes and acting in a conflict of interest as Minister of Communications. The Israeli police recommended bribery charges against Netanyahu in December 2018. On 21 November 2019, Israeli Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit officially brought charges against Netanyahu and Elovitch.
During the 2023 Israeli judicial reform protests, Netanyahu removed Defense Minister Yoav Galant from his post on 26 March 2023. After this, Boaz Ben Zur, Netanyahu's lawyer in Case 4000, told Netanyahu he would quit if Netanyahu did not stop the proposed legislation.
Vladimir Putin and Benjamin Netanyahu both want Donald Trump to win so they can prolong and intensify their brutal wars.
That paragraph came to mind this week when I saw this report from The New Republic.
Trump has allegedly been talking with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to avert a cease-fire deal, fearing that doing so could help Vice President Kamala Harris win in November, according to PBS. “The reporting is that former President Trump is on the phone with the Prime Minister of Israel, urging him not to cut a deal right now, because it’s believed that would help the Harris campaign,” said PBS’s Judy Woodruff Monday night.
Donald Trump is reportedly advising Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, which would be a violation of the Logan Act.
Netanyahu the Dictator
Here comes the new regime in Israel: Benjamin Netanyahu’s ‘democratic dictatorship’
The prime minister has unleashed his justice minister to neutralize the High Court, the only effective brake on government excess, and secure him unbridled power
Hours later, former president accuses Kamala Harris of ‘always demanding ceasefire’; warns Hamas it better release hostages ‘before I assume office,’ says most hostages are dead
Former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is on trial, and it has thrown Israeli politics into chaos. Americans should pay attention.
The Israeli prime minister's efforts to rally sympathy through fear echo Trump's warning to his followers that "they're coming for you."
Affidavit quotes Trump confidant Roger Stone being told by a Jerusalem contact: ‘He is going to be defeated unless we intervene. We have critical intell. The key is in your hands!’
Michael Flynn's guilty plea includes an admission of collusion with Israel to undermine Obama's position on illegal settlements.
Mohammed bin Salman (Saudi Arabia)
Trump's Middle East Collusions & Billion Dollar Pay-Offs for International Crimes: Nuclear Secrets, Illegal Arms Dealing, Fake Peace Deals, LIV Golf Scheme, Murder Cover-Up, Money Laundering & more
The 2022 Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi 7+ Billion Public Pay-Offs to Trump 4+ Billion, Jared Kushner 2+ Billion, & Steven Mnuchin 1 Billion
Why the Saudis Publicly Paid-Off Trump, Kushner, & Mnuchin Over 7+ Billion: Selling Nuclear Technology & Nuclear Secrets, Record Criminal Arms Dealing, a Murder Cover-Up, and More
Collusion with the Taliban: Senior official Abdul Ghani Baradar and commander Mawlavi Talib (Afghanistan)
• The U.S. envoy chosen by President Donald Trump, Zalmay Khalilzad, has publicly confirmed that he requested and secured the release of senior Taliban official Abdul Ghani Baradar from prison in Pakistan ahead of negotiations to end the war in Afghanistan.
• Trump’s secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, was among the U.S. officials who met with Baradar during negotiating sessions.
How President Trump Sold Out Afghanistan: Excluded Afghan Gov From Negotiations, Conspired With the Taliban (Released Their Leaders & Helped Build Their Army), and Sabotaged the Withdrawal
Viktor Orban (Hungary)
Among all of Russia’s useful idiots, few have sought to make themselves more useful than the Hungarian prime minister.
Hungary's Autocratic Anti-Democracy "Strongman" Prime Minister Viktor Orban: Best Friends With Putin, Trump, & Matt Schlapp, a Celebrated CPAC Speaker & Influential Mentor For American Republicans
Jair Messias Bolsonaro (Ex President of Brazil)
Trump's Collusion with Fellow Criminal Jair Messias Bolsonaro (Ex President of Brazil), Helping to Plan His Attempted Coup, 2023 Capitol Insurrection, & His Escape to Florida
Xi Jinping (China)
What he's accused of: Extra-judicial detention, where detainees are tortured and mistreated, including as a tactic against political opponents and activists ... Leading the world in executions ... "Enforced disappearance of critics" ... Using strong-arm tactics to maintain Communist Party power. For example, launching an "anti-corruption campaign" against political opponents and shutting down groups seen as a threat – even ones as seemingly benign as advocating for women's legal counsel against domestic abuse. ...
Identified as "the world's worst jailer of journalists" in 2014 and 2015. China was holding 49 journalists in 2015; that number was down to 38 last year and eclipsed only by Turkey (81), as Erdogan moved to consolidate power and repress opposition. China is ranked near the bottom (176 out of 180) in the World Press Freedom Index, beat out only by Syria, Turkmenistan, Eritrea and North Korea. ... Clamping down on access to the Internet and censoring it. Google left the country last year despite the huge potential market because of it ... Lack of religious freedom. Uighur Muslims, for example, are labeled extremists and terrorists; families of Tibetan self-immolators have been punished; 1,500 crosses have been torn down from church steeples; a small Chinese Jewish community has been harassed and prevented from worshiping together. China only has five "licensed" religions: Buddhism, Catholicism, Islam, Protestantism and Taoism.
Trump Projects Kamala as Communist To Cover-Up His 100s of Chinese Conflicts of Interest: 5.7M Pay-Offs, 200m+ Debt, Criminal Business Deals, Collusion W Fugitive Spies: Guo Wengui, Gal Luft, Tao Liu
The Trumps: Made in China, Their Chinese Outsourcing Addiction, 41 Trademarks, Boundless Hypocrisy, Blatant Disregard For The Emoluments Clause, & Don's Fantasy To Be Like Xi Jinping When He Grows Up!
The former national security adviser portrays the president as erratic and ill-informed and as putting his own interests above all else.
Trump's Massive Man-Crush on Xi Jinping
Trump has spent several years shamelessly fawning over, groveling, and boot-licking XI.
Trump Praises ‘Smart, Brilliant, Everything Perfect’ Xi Jinping: ‘Runs 1.4 Billion People With an Iron Fist’
Donald Trump called Chinese leader Xi Jinping a 'brilliant man' and said there is no one in Hollywood with the good looks or brains to play him in a movie
"He certainly doesn't want to see turmoil and death. He doesn't want to see it. He is a good man. He is a very good man and I got to know him very well." (April 28, Reuters interview)
* “And I like President Xi a lot. I consider him a friend, and – but I like him a lot. I’ve gotten to know him very well. He’s a strong gentleman, right? Anybody that – he’s a strong guy, tough guy.” (June 30, 2019)
* “President Xi, who is a strong man, I call him King, he said, ‘But I am not King, I am president.’ I said, ‘No, you’re president for life and therefore, you’re King.’ He said, ‘Huh. Huh.’ He liked that.” (April 2, 2019)
* “I had President Xi, who’s a friend of mine, who’s a very, very good man.” (April 12, 2018)
Recep Tayyip Erdogan (Turkey)
What he's accused of: Attempting to consolidate power in the face of political opposition. A referendum last month "gives him the green light to create a muscular presidency, with powers to personally appoint or dismiss ministers, select judges and rule by decree if he deems it necessary," BBC notes. ... He has jailed opponents and critics, including a 16-year-old, who insulted him and a Miss Turkey who shared a poem criticizing him. ... More than 50,000 people have been detained since a thwarted coup. ...
Accused protesters of being "arm in arm" with terrorists ... Turkey has the most jailed journalists of any country in the world. Fourteen were imprisoned in 2015, but that number jumped to 81 in 2016, more than double the number of journalists behind bars in China (No. 2 on the list). ... Some 120,000 public servants have been fired. ... Repressing religious freedom and women's rights. ... Attempted to criminalize adultery and create "alcohol-free zones."
Quotable: "You cannot put women and men on an equal footing. It is against nature. They were created differently. Their nature is different. ... Our religion has defined a position for women: motherhood. ... Some people can understand this, while others can't. You cannot explain this to feminists, because they don't accept the concept of motherhood."
TRUMP PRAISES ERDOGAN, WHOSE BODYGUARDS THEN ASSAULT PROTESTERS IN WASHINGTON. After his warm reception at the White House, the Turkish president's bodyguards were caught on video punching and kicking protesters in Washington
"I have to say that, to me, President Erdoğan was very good," Trump told pastor Andrew Brunson, who was held hostage in Turkey for two years
The former US president has personal reasons to celebrate this particular strongman.
What Trump has said about him (emphasis ours): The White House issued a readout of Trump calling Erdogan after he won a referendum that expanded his power:
"President Donald J. Trump spoke today with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey to congratulate him on his recent referendum victory and to discuss the United States' action in response to the Syrian regime's use of chemical weapons on April 4th. President Trump thanked President Erdogan for supporting this action by the United States, and the leaders agreed on the importance of holding Syrian President Bashar al-Assad accountable. President Trump and President Erdogan also discussed the counter-ISIS campaign and the need to cooperate against all groups that use terrorism to achieve their ends."
“President Erdogan. He’s tough, but I get along with him. And maybe that’s a bad thing, but I think it’s a really good thing.” (June 29, 2019)
“Well, thank you very much. It’s my honor to be with a friend of mine, somebody I’ve become very close to, in many respects, and he’s doing a very good job: the President of Turkey.” (June 29, 2019)
“Thank you very much. It’s a great honor and privilege – because he’s become a friend of mine – to introduce President Erdogan of Turkey. He’s running a very difficult part of the world. He’s involved very, very strongly and, frankly, he’s getting very high marks.” (September 21, 2017)
Potential Trump conflict: Trump licenses his name to two buildings in Istanbul. He got $5 million from the licenses in 2016, according to his financial disclosure. Trump's former national security adviser Michael Flynn worked as a foreign agent for Turkey in the fall, while a campaign adviser to Trump, pulling in $500,000. It was something he only reported in March. He resigned his White House post three weeks earlier.
Bashar al-Assad (Syria)
According to various human rights organizations and the United Nations, human rights violations have been committed by both the government and the rebels, with the "vast majority of the abuses having been committed by the Syrian government". The U.N. commission investigating human rights abuses in Syria confirms at least nine intentional mass killings in the period 2012 to mid-July 2013, identifying the perpetrator as the Syrian government and its supporters in eight cases, and the opposition in one. The United Nations conducted several further studies. The Assad government used chemical weapons (chlorine gas) against civilians and conducted torture and extrajudicial killings. Assad carried out "indiscriminate and disproportionate aerial bombardment and shelling" which "led to mass civilian casualties and spread terror." Brutal repression, human rights abuses, war crimes and crimes against humanity perpetrated by the Assad government throughout the course of the conflict led to international condemnation and widespread calls to convict Bashar al-Assad in the International Criminal Court (ICC).
Trump praises Assad
Three others also subject to warrants over use of sarin gas in two attacks in Syria in August 2013 that killed more than 1,000 people
Although President Barack Obama and other world leaders have been calling for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to step down, Trump said he deserves top marks.
"I think in terms of leadership, he's getting an A and our president is not doing so well," Trump said of al-Assad during an interview with Fox News in September.
Later that week, in an interview with ABC's "This Week," Trump tampered his praise for al-Assad but said the U.S. shouldn't trust some of the groups rebelling against the regime.
"Assad's a bad guy, but they're all bad guys. We're supporting rebels. You know they talk about the Syria Free Rebels. We're supporting rebels. We don't even know who they are," Trump said.
Rodrigo Duterte (Philippines)
Nickname: "The Punisher" a.k.a. "Duterte Harry"
What he's accused of: More than 7,000 Filipinos killed under his rule in his anti-drug crusade. In a warped comparison, he praised Hitler this way: "Hitler massacred three million Jews. Now, there is three million drug addicts. I'd be happy to slaughter them." He added that he wants to "finish the problem of my country and save the next generation." (Fact check: it was six million European Jews who were killed in the Holocaust.) ... He has undermined the judiciary ... Called experts "stupid" ... Threatened to "whack" mayors who stood in the way of his tactics ... Upset about traffic, he called the Pope a "son of a whore" ... "Joked" about a woman who was raped. ...
Justified the killing of journalists. "Just because you're a journalist," he said, "you are not exempted from assassination, if you're a son of a bitch." The Philippines is one of the most dangerous countries in the world for journalists to work — 78 journalists have been killed there since 1992, the third most of any country behind Iraq and Syria. (Somalia is behind the Philippines at No. 4.) Though Duterte's praised Trump, he's also said: "He is a bigot and I am not."
Quotable: "Forget the laws on human rights. If I make it to the presidential palace, I will do just what I did as mayor. You drug pushers, hold-up men and do-nothings, you better go out. Because I'd kill you. I'll dump all of you into Manila Bay, and fatten all the fish there."
US president offers no public rebuke of Rodrigo Duterte’s brutal drugs crackdown as he nears end of 12-day Asia tour
What Trump has said about him (emphasis ours): The White House issued a readout of their phone call from April 29:
"It was a very friendly conversation, in which the two leaders discussed the concerns of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) regarding regional security, including the threat posed by North Korea. They also discussed the fact that the Philippine government is fighting very hard to rid its country of drugs, a scourge that affects many countries throughout the world. President Trump enjoyed the conversation and said that he is looking forward to visiting the Philippines in November to participate in the East Asia Summit and the U.S.-ASEAN Summit. President Trump also invited President Duterte to the White House to discuss the importance of the United States-Philippines alliance, which is now heading in a very positive direction."
Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi (Egypt)
Nickname: "The Quiet General" a.k.a. "The Pimp"
What he's accused of: A long-time general in the country's military, he rose to power in a bloody coup. Some 800 protesters were killed in a single day ... Public criticism of the government is squashed ... Anti-government protests are banned ... Scores of people have been arrested ... Privacy rights are routinely violated ... Some independent human-rights organizations have been banned; NGO workers could face up to 25 years in prison if they are believed to be working against Egypt's national interest ... Charges were brought against the country's top anti-corruption official ... Forced disappearances ... Detainees tortured ... Thousands of trials with flimsy evidence ... Overcrowding in prisons that have seen forced feedings and isolation ... Freedom of speech is repressed — the head of the Press Syndicate was charged with "publishing false news, which threatens public peace." ...
Religious freedom is almost nonexistent — Christians are routinely discriminated against; churches are limited and speaking out against Islam, even ISIS, can land you in prison. Four Christian children, in fact, were sentenced to five years in prison for putting up a video that mocked ISIS. ... The government has undertaken some perfunctory steps to curb violence against women, but Human Rights Watch says, "Sexual harassment and violence against women remained endemic." The new Interior Minister, a woman, has put the onus on women, telling them to avoid speaking loudly and to be cautious about how they dress. Women are also routinely discriminated against in family law cases. ...
Sexually repressive society that criminalizes sex outside marriage ... Tracks down and prosecutes alleged gays, who are often sodomized by police. ... Egypt is one of the worst countries for journalists, ranked 161 of 180 countries in the World Press Freedom Index. Ten journalists have been killed since 2011; some have faced years in detention without charges, others have seen long prison terms, as the Sissi government undergoes a "Sisification" of the media.
Quotable: "Please, don't listen to anyone but me. I am dead serious. Be careful, no one should abuse my patience and good manners to bring down the state. I swear by God that anyone who comes near it, I will remove him from the face of the Earth. I am telling you this as the whole of Egypt is listening. What do you think you're doing? Who are you?"
What Trump has said about him (emphasis ours): "I will tell you, President al-Sisi has been somebody that's been very close to me from the first time I met him. I met during the campaign, and at that point there were two of us, and we both met. And hopefully you like me a lot more. But it was very long. It was supposed to be just a quick brief meeting, and we were with each other for a long period of time. We agreed on so many things. I just want to let everybody know, in case there was any doubt, that we are very much behind President al-Sisi. He's done a fantastic job in a very difficult situation. We are very much behind Egypt and the people of Egypt. And the United States has, believe me, backing, and we have strong backing. ... And I just want to say to you, Mr. President, that you have a great friend and ally in the United States and in me." (Bilateral meeting with Egypt's president, April 3)
Potential Trump conflict: Trump lists two companies in Egpyt on his financial disclosure — Trump Marks Egypt and Trump Marks Egypt LLC. There is not a lot of information about the companies. They do not appear in the American Chamber of Commerce in Egypt's database. Both are, however, registered in Delaware. They are both registered with "National Registered Agents, Inc." out of Dover, Del. and were formed in 2007. (Many companies incorporate in Delaware, because there is no state income tax.)
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Ilham Aliyev (Azerbaijan)
The notoriously corrupt and repressive country boasts about its leader’s “conversation” with Trump.
A stone’s throw away from Turkey, Azerbaijan’s Ilham Aliyev has been snubbing the Biden administration’s efforts to broker a peace treaty with neighboring Armenia, seemingly waiting for an opening to embark on his third military incursion against his neighbor. Having inherited power from his father, Aliyev has been keen to establish his own legitimacy by building a powerful military and reconquering Azeri territory that had been under Armenian control for decades. The 44-day war in September 2020 between the two states resulted in the deaths of several thousand Azeris and Armenians and resulted in Azerbaijan’s decisive victory, without so much as raising eyebrows from the Trump administration. U.S. officials now worry that Aliyev’s maximalist narrative might signal another offensive, this time cutting across Armenian territory to build a land bridge Baku wants.
Giorgia Meloni (Italy)
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