Much like he did in 2016, the Russian president supports Trump’s re-election, and he is doing so personally.
The
Times reports, "President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia is most likely continuing to approve and direct
interference operations aimed at raising President Trump’s re-election chances, a recent C.I.A. analysis concluded, a signal that intelligence agencies continue to back their assessment of Russian activities despite the president’s attacks.
"The assessment was disseminated
in support of sanctions imposed this month on Andriy Derkach, a pro-Russian Ukrainian lawmaker who has spread information critical of Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. It is consistent with
intelligence officials’ warning to lawmakers in January that Russia was interfering on Mr. Trump’s behalf, a briefing that outraged Republicans and eventually helped oust Joseph Maguire from his post as acting director of national intelligence."
The
Times was being kind.
Put a different way, Trump fired him."
Trump doesn't like bad news, particularly if it involves Russia.
Or Putin.
Despite repeated warnings from intelligence officials and his
own FBI director that Russia is carrying out a blatant attack on American democracy, Trump summed up his views at a rally yesterday in very simple terms, "I like Putin, he likes me."
Trump wasn't through with his adulation of the Russian dictator. "I like Putin. He likes me. We get along. Wouldn't you say it's smart to get along? OK? It's smart," he told supporters in Ohio.
Again, this might be a question of intelligence.
Considering the fact that Putin is no friend of the United States, considering the fact that Putin will do whatever he can to weaken our country, considering the fact that is why Putin approved of Trump in the first place, isn't that akin to President Roosevelt saying, "I like Adolf Hitler."