Of Russians & Refugees: Donald Trump's 'The Emperor Has No Clothes' Moment

THE WASHINGTON POST

As revealing moments go, Donald Trump's comments about Vladimir Putin and Russian interference in elections past and future at the ass end of the NATO meeting in Brussels on Thursday was not surprising if nevertheless surreal.  And a reminder -- as if we need one -- of how utterly fucked America and our once sacred values are if we don't fight back. 

Hard. 

Asked how he would respond if Putin again denied Russia’s beyond-a-shadow-of-a-doubt interference in the 2016 presidential election and the likelihood it will meddle in the midterms when they meet one-on-one in Helsinki on July 16, Trump waved the question away as he metamorphosed from the schoolyard bully who only moments before had been tongue-lashing his putative NATO friends to the schoolyard coward who gives his lunch money to the bully without so much as a whimper of protest.

"I mean, look, he may [yet again deny election interference]," Trump replied of Putin. "You know, what am I going to do if -- he may deny it.  I mean, it's one of those things.  So all I can do is say, 'Did you?' and 'Don’t do it again.' " 

Through the magic of the blogosphere, let's overlay Trump's weasel words into a different but no less important context. 

Asked how he would respond if confronted by a family of Latin American refugees at the Mexican border who previously had been apprehended trying to enter the U.S., Trump waved the question away.  

"I mean, look, they may [yet again try to escape poverty and gang violence at home and cross the border to the U.S.]," Trump replied of the barefooted father, mother and three small children standing before him in rags.  "You know, what am I going to do if --  they may deny it.  I mean, it's one of those things.  So all I can do is say, 'Did you?' and 'Don’t do it again.' " 

Russia kidnapped an election.  The Trump administration kidnapped migrant children.
And while Trump will never hold Putin responsible — after all, he owes his job to him — only voters can hold Trump responsible. 

Do it.