National Security or Politics?

Here’s a fun way to look at the current crisis surrounding the White House. Put it in the perspective of one of your favorite espionage novels. Is Trump a Russian spy? Or is he simply a Russian stooge?

We don’t know of course, but it sure looks like the Kremlin has him on a tight leash. He never says anything critical of Putin despite the latter’s obvious thuggishness and anti-democratic attitude. He keeps quiet on the current turmoil the Russians are instigating in the Ukraine. He avoids eye contact every time anyone raises his apparent infatuation with the strong man tactics that Putin deploys to suppress his opposition. And he makes all sorts of disruptive comments about both the EU and NATO both of which act as bulwarks against Russian influence in Europe.

To sum up: Trump, contrary to decades of prior policy, looks, sounds, and acts like a big buddy of the Russians.

Why?

Is he worried about his business interests in Russia?

Is his borrowing from Deutsche Bank underwritten by dark loans from Russian banks?

Is that infamous MI6 file accurate?

Did he collude with the well-known Russian attempts to interfere in the American election?

What, exactly, is the nature of his relationship with the Russians? Is it innocent? Or is it nefarious?

Why did he keep General Flynn in his office as the most senior US intelligence officer despite being told by the Justice Department that they were concerned Flynn was a possible blackmail target?

This is a long list. The circumstantial evidence is accumulating fast. The intelligence agencies are concerned enough that they consider Trump himself a possible security risk.

We are beset with floods of speculation and very little fact — the only facts are those surrounding Flynn, and the existence of very large and odd looking loans from Deutsche Bank. The MI6 file has a respectable source, but has not been fully verified — as far as we know.

Under the American system we need Congress to exert its right to oversee and investigate Trump’s relationship with Russia, but if they delve too deeply it will take up time and divert resources from their policy agenda. The dilemma is already unnerving many Republicans in Congress. Rand Paul, the libertarian Senator, blurted out that it makes no sense for “Republicans to investigate Republicans” which nicely sums up the problem. Whilst it represents an astonishing abandon of their constitutional responsibilities it fits neatly with their political goals.

So which is it? National security or politics?

That’s not an easy one to answer if you are a radical Republican bent on undoing the Obama era before you have to endure the midterm elections in 2018. This year is crucial to the Republicans, if Trump’s ineptitude is compounded by scandal and investigation their 2016 triumph will have been pyrrhic at best.

So which is it? National security or politics?