OPINION:
While Democrats, the American media and many Republicans admonish President Trump for not publicly shaming Vladimir Putin Monday in Helsinki over his nation’s hacking of political computer systems during the 2016 election, it’s helpful to remember what Trump’s predecessor did and said about this very issue.
In his final press briefing in 2017, President Barack Obama was asked about whether he could have done or said more about the Russian hacking that happened on his watch. Obama said:
“It’s not like Putin’s going around the world publicly saying ’look what we did wasn’t that clever.’ He denies it. So the idea somehow that public shaming is gonna be effective I think doesn’t read the thought process in Russia very well.”
Obama: Public shaming over hacking unlikely to phase Russia from CNBC.
It’s a good point. He was right. The notion that all Trump had to do Monday was turn at the podium and wag his finger at Putin accusing him of robbing Hillary Clinton of her 2016 victory and everything would have been great is childish, naive and, not worthy of serious discussion.
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