OPINION:
President Donald Trump certainly did a 180 on his normal course of tough talk, matched by tough walk, when he met with Vladimir Putin.
And what a disappointment.
Here’s a guy — Trump — who doesn’t hesitate to call out the charlatans in America’s own government, the far leftist news hounds in America’s own media racket, the liars and perjurers of Deep State deceptions. But when standing before a former KGBer whose shady past has certainly carried into his current political world?
“Trump caved spectacularly to Putin,” CNN wrote. And really, that’s putting it pretty truthfully.
This wasn’t the Trump of the Make America Great Again mold who appeared in Helsinki.
This was a version of Trump that would keep Republican voters home in November.
It’s one thing to want diplomatic ties with foreign leaders. It’s another entirely to seemingly side with foreign leaders in questions of improprieties and illegalities — and on the issue of Russia’s intervention in U.S. elections, that’s exactly what Trump did.
“President Putin says it’s not Russia,” Trump said, at a news conference during the summit when he was asked if he believed Putin or America’s intel on the matter of election-time meddling, the BBC reported. “I don’t see any reason why it would be.”
That’s an unfortunate reply, given Dan Coats, the director of national intelligence, along with the recent indictment of 12 Russian officials for election interference, seem to say otherwise.
But it’s an unfortunate reply for the millions of supporters who’ve stood staunchly by Trump through the months and months of campaign battles, and months and months of White House wars.
Trump’s supporters love Trump through thick and thin for one main reason — that he doesn’t take any bull.
His Helsinki appearance, and his meeting with Putin, show even he — even this MAGA-touting, America First shouting brash and bold leader of the conservative party — even Trump has his limits. Even Donald Trump can disappoint once in a while.
Now his supporters must decide how deep this mistake will cut.
• Cheryl Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com or on Twitter, @ckchumley.
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