A professor at the University of California Berkeley says President Trump is guilty of “textbook treason.”
M. Steven Fish, a professor of political science and longtime analyst of Russian politics, cited Mr. Trump’s press conference last week in Helsinki, Finland, with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“This is textbook treason,” Mr. Fish told the Berkeley News. “This is what treason looks like. The fact that it’s been so brazenly committed, and on an ongoing basis over a two-year period, is blinding. If this were a little bit less public and we dug what Trump is saying out of some secret documents we’d be exclaiming it: ’Oh wow, this is treason!’ But this is so brazen and it’s been so obvious for so long, that we have become accustomed to just keep shaking our heads and turning away, denying that this can be happening.”
At the press conference, Mr. Trump appeared to give credence to Mr. Putin’s denial that Russia interfered in the presidential race. He later walked back the comment, saying he accepted “our intelligence community’s conclusion that Russia’s meddling in the 2016 election took place.”
Several politicians and commentators said Mr. Trump’s performance at the press conference was tantamount to “treason.”
On Twitter, former CIA director John Brennan said the president’s conduct “rises to & exceeds the threshold of ’high crimes & misdemeanors.’”
House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer, Maryland Democrat, said he agreed with that assessment.
“I agree with John Brennan, who said that it was nothing short of treasonous,” Mr. Hoyer said.
• Bradford Richardson can be reached at brichardson@washingtontimes.com.
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