President Donald Trump during an event in the Oval Office at the White House. (REUTERS)
While typically supportive of President Donald Trump and his political agenda, on Wednesday, the conservative National Review published a scathing takedown of his recent capitulation to Russian President Vladimir Putin on Iran, tarring him as a "softie pushover."
In the weeks since the start of the U.S. and Israel's joint military operations, reports have emerged revealing that Russia is quietly providing aid to Iran behind the scenes. According to a new report from the Wall Street Journal, "Russia has been... providing satellite imagery and improved drone technology to aid Tehran’s targeting of U.S. forces in the region," all in the name of aiding one of its key Middle Eastern allies and prolonging a conflict that helps it "militarily and economically."
Fitting his long-held pattern of treating Putin favorably, Trump has been hesitant to condemn this conduct from Russia, despite the fact that it is endangering the lives of U.S. service members. In his piece for the National Review, conservative commentator Jim Geraghty highlighted Trump's response to the issue when pressed about it on Friday by Fox News's Brian Kilmeade.
"I think [Putin] might be helping [Iran] a little bit, yeah, I guess. And he probably thinks we’re helping Ukraine. Right?" Trump said. "And so, he says that. And China would say the same thing. You know? It’s like, uh, hey, they do it and we do it in all fairness. They do it and we do it."
"That is not exactly a forceful denunciation of Russian assistance to a country currently firing missiles and drones at the armed forces of the United States as well as civilians, nor was there any warning or message to the Russians to knock it off or face consequences," Geraghty wrote.
Geraghty further highlighted some of Trump's other recent reactions to other situations, much less severe than the conflict in Iran, in which the president's words were much harsher. In a Truth Social post from Sunday, he attacked "the absolutely terrible" Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, calling for him "to be investigated for the horrible job he does." In another post, he attacked reporter Maggie Haberman as a "SLEAZEBAG writer for The Failing New York Times, [who] insists on writing false stories about me," despite the fact that, as Geraghty noted, he continues to give her exclusive interviews.
"How much is President Trump willing to forgive Putin? He’s helping the Iranians attempt to kill Americans, and Trump doesn’t seem all that bothered by it. It’s not even worth some harsh words," Geraghty wrote further. "But no matter what Putin does, Trump never seems to get all that angry about him."