Trump's 'mind control superpower' is stopping angry Republicans speaking out over Helsinki summit, says top DC pundit
The failure of Republicans to publicly criticise Donald Trump over his performance alongside Vladimir Putin in Helsinki â something many are said to be furious about â has been described as an example of the presidentâs âmind control superpowerâ over his party.
Democrats and Republicans alike in Congress were deeply angered by Mr Trumpâs refusal to press Mr Putin on Russiaâs alleged meddling in the 2016 US election and by their presidentâs undermining of his intelligence services. Yet, with the exception of critics such as senators John McCain, who has cancer, and Jeff Flake, who is leaving Capitol Hill, few spoke out.
A report by the Axios website said the Republicansâ collective silence was the result of the realisation they need Mr Trumpâs backing, and the votes of his supporters, if they are to avoid primary challenges and win re-election in November.
Iâm furious Râs are cowardly about Trump. But here is what they say in private: 1.) Trump is a disgrace. 2.) I give fiery press conf tmmrw saying that. 3.) Nothing changes, Trump remains nuts and remains POTUS. 4.) A nut beats me in next primary. So how does my pol suicide help? https://t.co/ZitCfRogHd
â Mike Murphy (@murphymike) July 17, 2018
âYes, almost every elected Republican we talk to privately thinks President Trumpâs warm embrace of Vladimir Putin was unexplainable, unacceptable and un-American,â wrote Michael Allen, the websiteâs executive editor.
âYes they wish they could say this publicly. No they wonât â not now, and probably never.â
He added: âThe cold, hard reason: They see no upside in speaking out â and fear political suicide if they do.â
While Mr Trump has a national approval rating of 43 per cent â with 52 per cent disapproving of him, according to the most recent data by Gallup â the same polls found that among Republicans, his approval rating was 90 per cent. Among registered independents, it was 38 per cent and among Democrats it was just 8 per cent.
This division was underscored by another poll, by Reuters, which found 55 per cent of registered voters disapproved of Mr Trumpâs handling of Mondayâs summit in Helsinki with 37 per cent approving. However among Republicans, the approval rating jumped to 71 per cent.
Another poll, also by Reuters, reported only 32 per cent of Republicans believe Russia meddled in the US election.
Cheri Jacobus, a DC-based political strategist, said she believed many Republicans were like âdeer caught in the headlightsâ, as special counsel Robert Mueller continued his probe into alleged interference by Russia and possible collusion with the Trump campaign.
âI donât think they will pivot away from Trump until they fear Robert Mueller more than they fear Trump,â she told The Independent. âThe Republicans in congress do not care about right or wrong.â
Mr Trump returned from Helsinki to learn many senior Republicans were privately aghast at what he has said about his nationâs intelligence services, and his apparent willingness to accept Mr Putinâs denial of election meddling.
On Tuesday, he sought to smooth over the matter, telling reporters ahead of a cabinet meeting he had âmisspokeâ in Helsinki, a claim that raised eyebrows among commentators.
âIn a key sentence in my remarks I said the word âwouldâ instead of âwouldnâtâ,â the president said. âThe sentence should have been: âI donât see any reason why it wouldnât be Russiaâ. Sort of a double negative.â
Embellishing his written notes, Mr Trump added: âI accept our intelligence communityâs conclusion that Russiaâs meddling in the 2016 election took place. It could be other people also. A lot of people out there.â
Christy Setzer, a progressive communications expert who works in the capital, said she had expected to see Mr Trump return to the White House and fire somebody in his inner circle âbecause those are the childish actions weâve come to expect when our toddler-president is angryâ.
Asked how the president should try and repair any damage done in Finland, she said: âMeeting with every member of his national security team about anticipated fallout on the international stage. Reassuring global allies of his commitment to NATO, to the G7, to international law. Working with the Defence Department and Homeland Security to ensure measures are taken to protect our November elections from Russian interference.â
She added: âBut come on, give me a break â he wonât do any of that.â