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By: Jack Siegel
Although the Soviet Union was disbanded in 1991, its land redistributed, and the spirit of communism broken, Russia held onto some bad habits. Over the past decades, Vladamir Putin and his government have been hard at work restoring the former glory of the Russian state, mostly by subversive tactics and political interference. The West has broadly condemned this trend, removing Russia from the G8 after their annexation of Crimea and strengthening NATO with new members and more funding.
However, in 2016, Putin had a stroke of luck when the Russia-friendly Donald Trump was elected President. Since then, Russian global influence has taken a more violent trend, culminating in United States intelligence that Russia has paid hundreds of thousands of dollars for the deaths of American soldiers via the Taliban since 2018. Although the Washington Post reports that this intelligence reached White House officials as early as 2019 and reached the President’s desk in February of this year, neither the President nor Congress has made any official actions in retaliation. This inaction, combined with the continued threat of American deaths at Russian hands, begs that we answer the question:
How have partisan responses on this information differed?
The simple answer would be that the main difference between Republican and Democratic responses is that while Democrats have treated this as an act of aggression worthy of at least economic sanctions, Republicans seem to not really agree on if a response is even warranted (in other words, Trump doesn’t think so).
However, it’s a bit more complex than that. As the Wall Street Journal explains, there is still disagreement among the American intelligence community, specifically between the NSA and the CIA, on whether the bounty allegation is credible. This means that the President and his party may have plausible deniability for not confronting Russia. But the disagreement hasn’t stopped many Republicans within the Trump cabinet from calling Russia out, whether publicly or privately. A Politico report on August 13th showed that both Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and General Frank McKenzie of U.S. Central Command had made statements condemning Russia, with the former saying there will be “an enormous price to pay” if the allegations are true. Despite significant media coverage of the Russian bounty system, no one in the Trump administration has fully acknowledged that the idea is 100% true, possibly because of President Donald Trump’s friendly stance to Russia and his declaration of the bounty scandal as a “hoax.”
Meanwhile, Democrats in Congress and in candidacy for office have vehemently criticized the lack of response from the Trump Administration, continuing to accuse Trump of being soft on Russia. Democratic nominee Joe Biden called Trump’s inaction a “dereliction of duty” while Sen. Tammy Duckworth of Illinois continues to keep a tally of days Trump has yet to act. In the House of Representatives, Speaker Nancy Pelosi called for a complete restoration of economic sanctions on Russia. The reason for this sudden hawkishness on Russia from Democrats is manifold: as it is an election year, Democrats have every reason to criticize Trump on his foreign policy. Moreover, Russia has been a political nuisance to the Democratic party since 2016, when they interfered significantly in the election that was dismissed and covered up by the President-Elect.
So what does this mean for democracy in America and worldwide?
To say the least, nothing good. In exchange for political capital, President Trump has given Russia a lot of influence in areas where America used to prevent them from acting. This includes the Middle East, where Trump endangered our allies the Kurds at Putin’s behest, and in Europe, where he continues to advocate for Russia’s readmission into the G8. Because of Trump’s softness on Russia, GOP support for Russia as an ally, which was usually shunned by both parties, has increased dramatically. The Hill reported in August of 2018 that the number of Republicans who consider Russia an ally to the US had grown almost twenty percent since 2014, indicating that the President’s rhetoric about the country had possibly increased popular support for a country normally villainized in American politics. Overall, Russia has gained a dangerous amount of influence in the world as a political manipulator, which Trump has allowed by sacrificing American power in crucial areas and not contesting seemingly black-and-white issues like the killing of American soldiers.
Certainly, President Trump’s position on Russia has turned normal political discourse about the country upside-down. Not only has this forced Democrats to take hawkish positions that they normally oppose, but it has also forced Republicans to weigh their words about Russia or face the wrath of their own party. Meanwhile, Russia kills American soldiers, interferes in American elections, and steals America’s global influence. When we ask the question, “How have Republican and Democratic responses to the uncovering of Russian bounties on US troops differed?,” we not only realize that partisan roles in America have shifted as a result of presidential inaction, but also that as long as Trump neglects Russia for political gain, America suffers.
Discussion Questions:
How should Congress address Russian bounties on US Troops?
Should Congress impose sanctions on Russia for its bounties on US Troops?
How has President Trump’s stance on Russia affected America?
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