Trump Welcomes Russian Interference In 2020; McConnell Could Make It Happen

MARK CARWARDINE / GETTY IMAGES / NEW YORK MAGAZINE

Just when you thought things couldn't get any worse in Washington, they just did with the force of a neutron bomb. 

Donald Trump has declared that he'd gladly accept help from Russia or another foreign power if it wants to sabotage the 2020 election and Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has virtually assured that such an effort would succeed by doubling down on refusing to allow the Senate to proceed on election security bills.  Such legislation might mitigate the impact of the very kind of meddling that in 2016 improbably propelled a profoundly incompetent crook to the presidency, reinforcing the reality that these so-called men would do anything -- anything, America -- to assure Trump is re-elected. 

In an interview with George Stephanopoulos of ABC News on Wednesday, Trump yet again telegraphed his inherent vileness when asked how he'd greet another interference effort like the cyberattacks on Hillary Clinton mounted by Vladimir Putin's hackers with the help of his own campaign. 

"Let's put yourself in a position -- you're a congressman," Trump replied in his best mobsterish tone of voice.  "Somebody comes up and says, 'Hey, I have information on your opponent.'  Do you call the FBI?  I'll tell you what, I've seen a lot of things over my life.  I don't think in my whole life I've ever called the FBI.  In my whole life.  You don’t call the FBI. You throw somebody out of your office, you do whatever you do.  Oh, give me a break – life doesn't work that way." 

When Stephanopoulos pointed out that Trump's own FBI director, Christopher Wray, has called for exactly that, Trump said: "The FBI director is wrong."  As surely was Special Counsel Robert Mueller, whose report on the Russia scandal was a clarion call to be on guard against the future foreign influence Trump endorses.   

Defending his latest outrage on Thursday in the face of widespread shock and condemnation, including a rebuke from presidential poodle Lindsey Graham, an unrepentant Trump indignantly conflated his willingness to accept campaign help from America's arch enemy or other foreign governments with the diplomatic meetings he holds with the most friendly of world leaders as the nation's chief executive.  

"I meet and talk to 'foreign governments' every day," he tweeted.  "I just met with the Queen of England (U.K.), the Prince of Whales, the P.M. of the United Kingdom, the P.M. of Ireland, the President of France and the President of Poland.  We talked about 'Everything!'" he added, later correcting the title of Prince Charles, the Prince of Wales.

There are multiple bills pending with bipartisan support that would begin to address election interference by a foreign power.  

These bills include a Democratic measure that would send more than $1 billion to state and local governments to tighten election security, but would also demand a national strategy to protect American democratic institutions against cyberattacks and require that states spend federal funds only on federally certified election infrastructure vendors.  

A bipartisan measure in both Senate and House would require internet companies like Facebook to disclose the purchasers of political ads, while a bipartisan Senate measure would codify cyberinformation-sharing initiatives between federal intelligence services and state election officials, speed up the granting of security clearances to state officials and provide federal incentives for states to adopt paper ballots.  

But all of these measures, even with some Republican support, are effectively dead on arrival.   

This is because of McConnell, comfortable in his yellow traitor's coat, has less than no interest in Trump defending America and plenty of interest in him continuing to undermine it.  No interest in defending one of America's most sacred institutions, but all out for defending that southern border against hordes of political refugees seeking a better life in a once great country.   

I would argue that McConnell, by virtue of flagrant violation of an oath of office he has taken six times and perpetual exploitation of his leadership role for power and profit, has done more to undermine our norms than even Trump.  But who's keeping score at this point?  

In September 2016, McConnell, Paul Ryan, Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi were invited to the Oval Office where Barack Obama pleaded with them to forge a bipartisan alliance to fight back against ongoing Russian election interference and work with state and local election officials to thwart Election Day threats.  McConnell refused, telling the president that he was trying to politicize the matter and, if he went public with the interference, he would use it as a political hammer on Hillary Clinton, whose campaign at that very moment was being sabotaged by his Kremlin pals.  

Trump's endorsement of foreign sabotage, McConnell's smirking approval and their joint betrayal of American values is extraordinary. 

But these two men and their Republican helpmates have so debased the notion of what is extraordinary when those values have come under such regular and relentless attack that Democrats' efforts to push back -- indeed even the question of whether to impeach a president who deserves that and much worse -- verge on the comical because they are further empowering him.  

Representative Brenda Lawrence was one Democrat who got it right. 

"It is past sad," she said.  "It is past frustration.  This is criminal.  It is criminal.  And we need to hold this president accountable." 

Tell that to Nancy Pelosi, who believes impeachment would be "divisive."  Compared to what?  Allowing Trump to steal another election because the only way he can win is with Russia's help? 

Click HERE for a comprehensive timeline of the Russia scandal

and delated developments.