Code-red alert on Trump and Russia

From the summer of 2016 until today, I have repeatedly warned about the Russian attack against American democracy; the Russian attempt to elect Donald Trump and defeat Hillary Clinton in 2016; and the strange and disturbing views of Trump toward Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Several days ago, Thomas Friedman of the New York Times, who until recently has been far more tolerant of Trump’s behavior on Russia than I have, issued his own dire warning and call to action on the most important security issue facing the United States; better late than never. 

{mosads}When Friedman calls for a code-red alert and charges that whatever causes Trump’s behavior toward Russia is dangerous and disturbing, he is right.

Throughout official Washington, there have long been high-level conversations, including among prominent Republicans and Democrats, about what motivates Trump. Could Trump be the subject of blackmail by Russians?

Could Trump be so lacking in knowledge about Russia and national security that he does not understand the danger of Putin’s attack against America and refuses to lead a condemnation of it or organize a program to defeat it?

As Trump used to say about other matters, something is going on here, something wrong and troubling, something disturbing and dangerous to American security.

It is shameful and dangerous to American security that while Putin attacks America, Trump praises Putin.

It is dangerous to American security when our president moved from comparing the CIA to Nazi Germany as the CIA is battling Russian aggression to waging war against the FBI while that agency is batting against Russian espionage against America.

Trump still does not unequivocally acknowledge that Russia continues to wage its aggressive war against American democracy.

In a recent column that warned of Putin’s attack against the midterm elections, I implored Americans to imagine if Franklin Roosevelt had told citizens on Dec. 7, 1941, that the Pearl Harbor attack never happened and that the reports were fake news spread by media.

It should be scary for all Americans that days ago, the leaders of every intelligence agency warned the Senate Intelligence Committee and the nation that the Russian attack against America is real and now is taking aim at our midterm elections.

Think about it: The leaders of American intelligence told the nation that our president fails to organize an American program to counter the Russian aggression against us. This is one of the worst examples of dereliction of duty in the history of the American presidency. 

It is horrifying to witness our national security leaders issuing a virtual cry for help because our president refuses to listen or lead America’s defense against the foreign attack. Why, when Russia attacks America, does Trump attack the Americans who defend us?

Think also about how disturbing it is that when the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee launches an attack against the FBI, it is bannered around the world by Russian bots championing and megaphoning his attack.

Every day brings more reason for the code-red alert on Trump and Russia. Rumors are circulating that national security adviser Gen. H.R. McMaster will soon be removed from his post after he told a major security conference in Munich that the evidence is incontrovertible that the Russian attack against America happened and is ongoing.

The president insulted and ridiculed his national security adviser by name in response.

It is disturbing and dangerous to American security that Trump presides over one of the most extreme security clearance scandals in American history, with 30 to 40 officials still not approved for security clearance. 

No president in history has ever allowed so many individuals without a clearance to have access to information that would gravely damage our nation if it falls into enemy hands.

It would be fundamentally destructive to American stability and security if the president continues to:

• attack the FBI;
• reject sound intelligence advice from his intelligence leaders;
• fire leaders of investigations of the Russian attacks against America;
• seek to pardon those suspected or guilty of collusion with the Russians who attack us; or
• launch a wholesale attack against justice in America by moving to fire Robert Mueller as his investigation produces more indictments, plea bargains and evidence of Russian plots against us. 

It is indeed time to issue a code-red alert. Every patriotic American should demand that our president stop praising the Russian dictator who attacks us and start faithfully executing the laws of the land.

He must start protecting and defending our Constitution and security against any enemy who attacks us — especially Russia.

Brent Budowsky was an aide to former Sen. Lloyd Bentsen (D-Texas) and former Rep. Bill Alexander (D-Ark.), who was chief deputy majority whip of the U.S. House of Representatives. He holds an LLM in international financial law from the London School of Economics.