Category: Foreign Policy

Trump’s Alarming Phone Call with Netanyahu: A Threat to U.S. Foreign Policy

Donald Trump’s recent phone call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has raised serious concerns about his conduct and intentions, particularly regarding U.S. foreign policy. Trump boasted about discussing military strategies in the Middle East, including Netanyahu’s decision to ignore President Biden’s warnings about troop movements in Gaza, which led to significant casualties, including the death of a Hamas leader. Such actions not only demonstrate a blatant disregard for diplomatic norms but may also amount to a violation of the Logan Act, which prohibits unauthorized communication between private citizens and foreign governments.

This incident is troubling not only because it highlights Trump’s reckless approach to international relations but also because it suggests he may be positioning himself to undermine current U.S. foreign policy if he were to regain power. By advising Netanyahu to act independently of Biden’s administration, Trump appears to be attempting to disrupt ongoing negotiations aimed at achieving peace in the region. Critics argue that this kind of interference jeopardizes U.S. interests and undermines the authority of the sitting president.

Historically, such interference has had dire consequences, as evidenced by Richard Nixon’s actions during the Vietnam War, where he reportedly urged South Vietnam to delay peace talks to benefit his electoral chances. Trump’s behavior echoes this troubling precedent, raising fears that he may prioritize personal political gain over national security. The implications of such actions could lead to prolonged conflict and instability, not just for the Middle East but for U.S. foreign relations as a whole.

Furthermore, Trump’s repeated dismissals of credible intelligence reports, including those regarding Israeli espionage, indicate a dangerous pattern of behavior that could further alienate U.S. allies. By aligning himself so closely with Netanyahu, Trump risks alienating the broader international community and compromising America’s standing on the world stage. This raises questions about his commitment to U.S. interests and the rule of law.

In summary, Trump’s phone call with Netanyahu is alarming and indicative of a broader pattern of reckless diplomacy that could have significant repercussions for U.S. foreign policy and national security. The potential for criminal conduct, combined with a willingness to undermine the current administration, highlights the need for scrutiny and accountability in Trump’s actions and intentions.

(h/t: https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2024/10/us-israel-trump-phone-call-netanyahu-gaza-cease-fire-2024-election.html)

Trump Struggles with Economic Policy in Challenging Bloomberg Interview

In a recent interview with Bloomberg News, former President Donald Trump faced intense questioning regarding his economic policies, revealing a significant lack of understanding of basic economic principles. During the discussion, Bloomberg Editor-in-Chief John Micklethwait challenged Trump on his plans involving widespread tariffs on imported goods, which have been criticized by economists for potentially raising costs for American consumers. Trump maintained that other countries would bear the brunt of these tariffs, demonstrating a disconnect from the realities of international trade.

As the conversation progressed, Trump became increasingly defensive, dismissing critiques from Micklethwait and attacking the credibility of the Wall Street Journal when confronted with estimates that his economic proposals could inflate the national debt by $7 trillion. Despite Micklethwait’s attempts to keep the discussion focused, Trump often veered off-topic, notably failing to provide coherent answers about how his policies would aid small businesses that rely on imports.

Trump’s frustrations were palpable as he deflected questions regarding the impact of his immigration policies on the labor market. Instead of addressing economic implications, he resorted to discussing crime rates among undocumented immigrants, making unfounded claims about the dangers they pose. Micklethwait attempted to redirect the conversation to economic outcomes, but Trump continued to emphasize crime, undermining the economic discourse.

In a particularly notable moment, when asked about how he would cut government spending, Trump pointed to the remodeling of Air Force One as an example, which did little to elucidate his fiscal strategy. This response further exemplified his inability to articulate a clear economic vision, relying instead on vague anecdotes and deflections.

The interview concluded with Trump attempting to justify his disjointed speaking style, referring to it as a ‘weave’ of thoughts. However, this approach did not resonate well, as many observers noted that it reflected a troubling lack of clarity and focus on pressing economic issues that will impact voters in the upcoming election.

(h/t: https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/trump-crumbles-pressed-economic-policy-bloomberg-interview-1235134459/)

Trump Sent COVID Tests to Putin During 2020 Shortage, New Book Reveals

A new book by Bob Woodward, titled “War,” reveals that during the COVID-19 testing shortage in 2020, then-President Donald Trump secretly sent COVID-19 tests to Russian President Vladimir Putin for his personal use. Amidst a global pandemic, Putin, who was concerned about the virus, accepted the tests but requested that Trump keep the operation confidential to avoid political backlash in the U.S.

According to the book, Putin cautioned Trump, saying, “I don’t want you to tell anybody because people will get mad at you, not me.” This incident highlights the ongoing relationship between Trump and Putin, which has persisted even as Trump campaigns for the presidency in 2024 while Putin continues his aggressive actions in Ukraine.

Woodward’s account indicates that Trump has maintained contact with Putin since leaving office, with reported conversations occurring as many as seven times. The book paints Trump as potentially more reckless than Nixon, suggesting that his actions pose significant risks to U.S. interests and international stability.

In response to the revelations, a Trump campaign spokesman dismissed Woodward’s claims as fabricated, criticizing the author and questioning the credibility of the book. Despite these denials, the narrative presented in “War” depicts Trump as unfit for presidential office, contrasting him with President Joe Biden, who is portrayed as exhibiting steady leadership amidst ongoing international conflicts.

Woodward’s book is set to be released on October 15, 2023, and explores the ramifications of Trump’s foreign policy decisions while he was in office, particularly regarding relations with Putin and the implications for U.S. national security. It also delves into Biden’s handling of foreign crises, including the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, providing insights into the complexities and challenges faced by the current administration.

 

Trump Hints at Iran Link to His 2 Assassination Attempts, Despite the Available Evidence

Former President Donald J. Trump hinted at a potential link between Iran and the two assassination attempts against him, despite officials stating no evidence supports this claim. Intelligence agencies had been monitoring a possible Iranian plot before a gunman targeted Trump at a rally in Pennsylvania and another man attempted to shoot him at a Florida golf course. However, investigations have not found any connection to Iran in these incidents.

During a speech in North Carolina, Trump criticized the FBI for allegedly slow progress in investigating the assassination attempts and suggested Iranian involvement. He also accused the FBI of being too focused on him and individuals arrested for the Capitol attack on January 6, 2021, which he referred to as ‘J6 hostages.’

Despite frequently accusing President Biden of warmongering, Trump claimed he would have threatened military action against Iran if they had made such threats. He stated that as president, he would warn Iran that any harm caused to him would result in severe consequences for the country.

Trump Campaign Legal Adviser Appears on Kremlin-Backed TV

A top Trump campaign adviser recently appeared on the Russian-government funded TV network RT, which U.S. intelligence agencies have said plays a role in the Kremlin’s plans to undermine American democracy.

Trump campaign senior legal adviser Jenna Ellis’ appearance on RT’s The Alex Salmond Show aired on July 9. She appears to be the first Trump campaign official to go on the Russian-funded network since the 2016 election. 

During her interview, Ellis defended Trump’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic and bashed the American media as “propagandist activist media.” Ellis also accused Fox News—the cable news network most friendly to the president—of having an anti-Trump bias.

“Even on Fox News, the president has been very outspoken on Twitter that there are some anchors there and there are some particular shows that aren’t really fair in terms of their editorializing some of those stories,” Ellis said. At one point, she told Salmond that he, a former First Minister of Scotland, knew “as a journalist” how proper reporting works and that American media wasn’t doing it. 

Ellis and the Trump campaign didn’t respond to a request for comment. 

Ellis isn’t the first Trump ally to appear on RT. Ret. Gen. Michael Flynn appeared several times on the network ahead of Trump’s election, and was paid $34,000 by RT for delivering a speech. Trump himself appeared in an RT America interview in September 2016, which was conducted by Larry King, the longtime CNN host who has found a late-career gig at the network.

RT, which was formerly known as Russia Today, has been routinely criticized as a propaganda outlet for Kremlin interests. Its programming is often hyper critical of U.S. policy and in 2016 its editorial content seemed designed for two major purposes: to foster social unrest in the United States and (perhaps relatedly) boost Trump’s candidacy. 

The Office of the Director of National Intelligence eventually released a report that said the network, whose videos receive millions of views online, produced content “aimed at undermining viewers’ trust of US democratic procedures.” The assessment, released in 2017, added that RT was a key part of the Russian efforts to meddle in that presidential election as part of a “Kremlin directed campaign to undermine faith in the US Government and fuel political protest.” 

[The Daily Beast]

Media

Trump says the U.S. will cut ties with World Health Organization

President Donald Trump announced Friday that the United States will cut ties with the World Health Organization.

“China has total control over the World Health Organization despite only paying $40 million per year compared to what the United States has been paying, which is approximately $450 million a year,” Trump said during a news conference in the White House Rose Garden.

“The world needs answers from China on the virus. We must have transparency. Why is it that China shut off infected people from Wuhan to all other parts of China?” he added. “It didn’t go to Beijing, it went nowhere else, but they allowed them to freely travel throughout the world, including Europe and the United States.”

Trump has repeatedly criticized the WHO’s response to the coronavirus, which has hit the U.S. worse than any other country, amid scrutiny of his own administration’s response to the pandemic. He has claimed the WHO is “China-centric” and blames the agency for advising against China travel bans early in the outbreak. 

“Fortunately, I was not convinced and suspended travel from China saving untold numbers of lives,” Trump said April 14. 

The agency has defended its initial response to the coronavirus pandemic, saying it gave world leaders enough time to intervene early in the outbreak.

The agency declared Covid-19 a global health emergency on Jan. 30 when there were only 82 cases outside of China and zero deaths, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said during a press conference on May 1. “Meaning, the world had enough time to intervene.”

The WHO has also defended China, saying as far back as February that the country’s response to the virus was an improvement from past outbreaks such as SARS.

Earlier this month, Trump threatened to permanently cut off U.S. funding of the WHO. In a letter, he said that if the WHO “does not commit to major substantive improvements within the next 30 days, I will make my temporary freeze of United States funding to the World Health Organization permanent and reconsider our membership in the organization.”

On Friday, Trump said the WHO “failed to make the requested greatly needed reform” and the U.S. “will be today terminating our relationship with the World Health Organization and redirecting those funds to other worldwide and deserving urgent global public health needs.”

The WHO’s funding runs in two-year budget cycles. For the 2018 and 2019 funding cycle, the U.S. paid a $237 million required assessment as well as $656 million in voluntary contributions, averaging $446 million a year and representing about 14.67% of its total budget, according to WHO spokesman Tarik Jasarevic. 

It’s unclear exactly what mechanism Trump intends to use to terminate WHO funding, much of which is appropriated by Congress. The president typically does not have the authority to unilaterally redirect congressional funding.

Lawrence Gostin, a professor and faculty director of the O’Neill Institute for National and Global Health Law at Georgetown University, said in a tweet Friday that Trump’s move is “unlawful” because pulling funding requires Congress, which has already authorized funding.

It’s also “dangerous” because “we’re in the middle of a pandemic,” he said.

On May 20, WHO officials said they worried the agency’s emergency programs would suffer if the president permanently pulled U.S. funding from the international agency.

Most funding from the United States goes directly out to the program that helps countries in “all sorts of fragile and difficult settings,” Dr. Mike Ryan, executive director of WHO’s health emergencies program, said at the time. 

“We’ll obviously have to work with other partners to ensure those funds can still flow,” Ryan said. “This is going to be a major implication for delivering essential health services to some of the most vulnerable people in the world, and we trust developed donors will, if necessary, step in to fill that gap.”

The WHO started sounding the alarm on the outbreak in China in mid-January. On March 11, WHO officials declared the outbreak a pandemic, when there were just 121,000 global cases. The virus has now infected more than 5.8 million people worldwide, including more than 1.73 million in the U.S., according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. 

[NBC News]

Trump administration discussed conducting first U.S. nuclear test in decades

The Trump administration has discussed whether to conduct the first U.S. nuclear test explosion since 1992 in a move that would have far-reaching consequences for relations with other nuclear powers and reverse a decades-long moratorium on such actions, said a senior administration official and two former officials familiar with the deliberations.

The matter came up at a meeting of senior officials representing the top national security agencies May 15, following accusations from administration officials that Russia and China are conducting low-yield nuclear tests — an assertion that has not been substantiated by publicly available evidence and that both countries have denied.

A senior administration official, who like others spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe the sensitive nuclear discussions, said that demonstrating to Moscow and Beijing that the United States could “rapid test” could prove useful from a negotiating standpoint as Washington seeks a trilateral deal to regulate the arsenals of the biggest nuclear powers.

The meeting did not conclude with any agreement to conduct a test, but a senior administration official said the proposal is “very much an ongoing conversation.” Another person familiar with the meeting, however, said a decision was ultimately made to take other measures in response to threats posed by Russia and China and avoid a resumption of testing.

The National Security Council declined to comment.

During the meeting, serious disagreements emerged over the idea, in particular from the National Nuclear Security Administration, according to two people familiar with the discussions. The NNSA, an agency that ensures the safety of the nation’s stockpile of nuclear weapons, didn’t respond to a request for comment.

The United States has not conducted a nuclear test explosion since September 1992, and nuclear nonproliferation advocates warned that doing so now could have destabilizing consequences.

“It would be an invitation for other nuclear-armed countries to follow suit,” said Daryl Kimball, executive director of the Arms Control Association. “It would be the starting gun to an unprecedented nuclear arms race. You would also disrupt the negotiations with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, who may no longer feel compelled to honor his moratorium on nuclear testing.”

The United States remains the only country to have deployed a nuclear weapon during wartime, but since 1945 at least eight countries have collectively conducted about 2,000 nuclear tests, of which more than 1,000 were carried out by the United States.

The environmental and health-related consequences of nuclear testing moved the process underground, eventually leading to a near-global moratorium on testing in this century with the exception of North Korea. Concerns about the dangers of testing prompted more than 184 nations to sign the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty, an agreement that will not enter into force until ratified by eight key states, including the United States.

President Barack Obama supported the ratification of the CTBT in 2009 but never realized his goal. The Trump administration said it would not seek ratification in its 2018 Nuclear Posture Review.

Still, the major nuclear powers abide by its core prohibition on testing. But the United States in recent months has alleged that Russia and China have violated the “zero yield” standard with extremely low-yield or underground tests, not the type of many-kiloton yield tests with mushroom clouds associated with the Cold War. Russia and China deny the allegation.

Since establishing a moratorium on testing in the early 1990s, the United States has ensured that its nuclear weapons are ready to be deployed by conducting what are known as subcritical tests — blasts that do not produce a nuclear chain reaction but can test components of a weapon.

[The Washington Post]


Trump defends use of the term ‘China virus’

President Donald Trump defended his use of the term “China virus” to describe Covid-19 on Tuesday, saying he uses the term because China tried to blame its spread on the American military.”I didn’t appreciate the fact that China was saying that our military gave it to them. Our military did not give it to anybody,” Trump said during a White House press briefing.”China was putting out information, which was false, that our military gave this to them. That was false. And rather than having an argument, I said I had to call it where it came from. It did come from China. So, I think it’s a very accurate term,” he said.

The President also pushed back at suggestions that using the term creates a stigma.

“I don’t think so. I think saying that our military gave it to them creates a stigma,” Trump said.CNN previously reported that a prominent Chinese official has promoted a conspiracy theory that the US military could have brought the novel coronavirus to China — and it did not originate in the Chinese city of Wuhan.Parts of Chinese social media, and even the country’s government, appear to have launched a concerted campaign to question the origin of the novel coronavirus, which has infected more than 170,000 people globally as of Tuesday midday, according to CNN’s case tracker.The first reported cases of the virus were in Wuhan, and scenes from the city in lockdown shocked the world. The lockdown gave an early indication for how seriously global authorities would need to combat the fast-spreading virus.

[CNN]

Reality

Some Chinese news outlets and officials have pushed the unfounded claim the American military gave China the coronavirus, but this is beyond petty to reciprocate.

Media

Trump tweets about coronavirus using term ‘Chinese Virus’

President Donald Trump drew backlash Monday night after posting a tweet using the phrase “Chinese Virus.”

After giving an address Monday afternoon in which he said the country may be headed toward recession and urged social distancing, he later tweeted his confidence in and support for various sectors while including the offensive remark.

“The United States will be powerfully supporting those industries, like Airlines and others, that are particularly affected by the Chinese Virus. We will be stronger than ever before!” he wrote.

Many officials, including the head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, have criticized the phrase as inaccurate and potentially harmful in promoting racist associations between the virus and those from China.

The comments prompted massive backlash from many social media users, including New York Mayor Bill de Blasio, who said the tweet was misplacing blame and could put more Asian Americans in danger.

Chinese officials condemned Trump’s comments, saying his tweet smeared China.

“The U.S. should first take care of its own matters,” said Geng Shuang, a spokesman for China’s Foreign Ministry.

Trump has previously referred to COVID-19 as a “foreign virus,” and he has also retweeted a supporter who used the term “China Virus.” His newest reference comes days after CDC Director Robert Redfield agreed at a House hearing that it was “absolutely wrong and inappropriate” to use labels like “Chinese coronavirus,” as the virus had expanded beyond China to other parts of the world. There were roughly 3,500 confirmed cases of the illness in the U.S. as of Monday night.

Many others have condemned the practice of identifying the illness by location or ethnicity, including the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, which called on its fellow legislators to “help us prevent hysteria, ignorant attacks, and racist assaults that have been fueled by misinformation pertaining to the 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19)” by sharing only confirmed and verifiable information.

While some, including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., publicly condemned the racism tied to the pandemic, others, such as House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., have continued to use the offensive language, pointing to outlets that have used similar wording.

The Asian American Journalists Association released guidelines for responsible reporting in February to curb “fueling xenophobia and racism that have already emerged since the outbreak.”

Rep. Grace Meng, D-N.Y., previously told NBC News that it’s possible that several GOP legislators have continued to use the rhetoric to distract from Trump’s handling of the pandemic. She said it’s likely that officials are using China or Asian Americans as scapegoats “versus actually dealing with the problem at hand.”

Along with the virus’ spread, there has been an increase in racist incidents and discrimination targeting Asian Americans. Two Hmong guests endured harassment and were later barred from staying at first a Super 8 and then a Days Inn in Indiana. In California, an Asian teen was bullied, assaulted and sent to the emergency room over fears surrounding the pandemic.

De Blasio held a media roundtable Wednesday to condemn coronavirus-related discrimination against Asian communities in New York.

“Right now, we’ve seen particularly troubling instances of discrimination directed at Asian communities, particularly in Chinese communities,” he said. “This is unacceptable.”

CORRECTION (March 16, 2020, 11:05 p.m. ET): An earlier version of this article misidentified the U.S.’s primary health protection agency. It is the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, not the Center for Disease Control and Protection.

[NBC News]

Trump Offered ‘Large Sum’ to German Company for Exclusive Access to Coronavirus Vaccine Research

The Trump administration attempted to persuade a German firm developing a possible vaccine for coronavirus to move its research work to the United States, German officials said, raising fears in Berlin that President Trump was trying to assure that any inoculation would be available first, and perhaps exclusively, in the United States.

The offer arose from a March 2 meeting at the White House that included the chief executive of the German firm CureVac, Daniel Menichella. President Trump briefly attended the meeting and Vice President Mike Pence, who heads the White House coronavirus task force, was also there.

“We are very confident that we will be able to develop a potent vaccine candidate within a few months,” Mr. Menichella said in a statement on the day of the meeting.

But four days ago, CureVac announced that Mr. Menichella, an American, was leaving the biotechnology company, which he had headed for two years.

The announcement gave no reason for his sudden departure and said one of the firm’s founders, Ingmar Hoerr, would succeed him. It thanked Mr. Menichella for a variety of accomplishments, including “the recent start of our coronavirus vaccine program.”

On Sunday, the company issued a statement in Germany describing its vaccine work. “CureVac refrains from commenting on current media speculations and clearly rejects claims about the sale of the company or its technology,” it said.

White House officials did not immediately respond to requests for comment. But two senior American officials said that some of the German news accounts first reporting the story were overblown, particularly with regard to any effort by the United States to secure exclusive access to a vaccine.

The Trump administration has spoken with more than 25 companies that say they can help with a vaccine, one of the American officials said, and is open to speaking with others. Any solution, he said, would be shared with the world.

Nevertheless, Germany’s interior minister, Horst Seehofer, said that Chancellor Angela Merkel, who has a famously testy relationship with Mr. Trump, will lead a crisis meeting with ministers on Monday that will include discussion of a German defense strategy for the firm.

The coronavirus is no longer merely a health crisis, but “a question of national security,” Mr. Seehofer said Sunday. It is up to the government, he said, to ensure not only security of its borders and its food supply, but also “our medical products and our medicines.”

Asked by a reporter to confirm that the U.S. administration had tried to take over a German company researching vaccines, Mr. Seehofer responded that he had heard about the effort “from several members of the government and it will be discussed tomorrow in the crisis team.”

Another official, who asked not to be identified because he is not authorized to speak to the media, said the company was offered a “large sum” of money.

The privately held biotechnology firm has its headquarters in the southwestern city of Tübingen, Germany. It also has an office in Boston, where many of the nation’s leading biotech firms have operations around the Harvard and Massachusetts Institute of Technology campuses.

According to the German newspaper Die Welt am Sonntag, which first reported the story on Sunday, Mr. Trump offered CureVac roughly $1 billion in exchange for exclusive access to the vaccine. The newspaper quoted an unnamed German government source who said Mr. Trump wanted the resulting vaccine “only for the United States.”

But another German official, reached by The New York Times, said it was unclear whether the administration simply wanted the research work, and for any resulting production to be on American soil.

Mr. Menichella was one of several industry executives invited by the White House to meet Mr. Pence, members of the coronavirus task force and pharmaceutical executives and discuss strategies to quickly develop a vaccine, the company said on its website.

CureVac started research on a number of different vaccines and is now picking the two best prospects for clinical trials, the firm’s website indicates. The company hopes that by June or July it will have an experimental vaccine that could go into trials. Many other companies are also working on vaccines.

The Trump administration has been unusually aggressive in attempting to get American control of companies that deal in technology Mr. Trump views as central to American security.

In February, Attorney General William P. Barr suggested in a speech that the United States should find a way to take over two European telecommunications makers, Ericsson and Nokia, which are the main competitors of Huawei, the Chinese telecommunications giant that is wiring up nations around the world for 5G, or fifth generation, networks.

Mr. Pence later played down that suggestion. But the idea that the Trump administration was seeking to take control of a major European technological asset sent unsettling ripples across Europe.

And the move to secure the intellectual property of CureVac, whether for exclusive or general use, is bound to inflame that debate.

Die Welt reported that the German government was making counterbids to the company to persuade it to stay. German lawmakers began to issue statements on Sunday.

“The exclusive sale of a possible vaccine to the USA must be prevented by all means,” Karl Lauterbach, a German lawmaker who is also a professor of epidemiology, said on Twitter. “Capitalism has limits.”

Adding to the dismay in Germany was the fact that CureVac works closely with a taxpayer-funded government research organization, the Paul Ehrlich Institute for vaccines and biomedicines.

Peter Altmaier, Germany’s economy minister, praised the company for not being tempted by any American offer. “It was a great decision,” he said in a television talk show on Sunday night. “Germany is not for sale.”

Mr. Altmaier said the government would “make sure that the necessary help is available” to the company in developing the vaccine. And he warned that if any hostile offer was attempted, Germany would step in.

“When it’s about important infrastructure and national and European interest,” he said, “we will also act if we have to.”

CureVac’s main investor ruled out giving exclusive access to a future vaccine to one country.

“We want to develop a vaccine for the whole world, and not for individual states,” Christof Hettich, chief executive of Dievini Hopp Biotech Holding, told the newspaper Mannheimer Morgen.

German officials sounded unsure about the reassurances that the United States would share a vaccine if it were developed.

A spokesman for the German health ministry said that German government officials were in regular contact with CureVac, confirming a quote in the original Die Welt article.

“The federal government is very interested in vaccines and antiviral agents against the novel coronavirus being developed in Germany and Europe,” the spokesman was quoted as saying in the original article. “In this regard the government is in an intensive exchange with the company CureVac.”

[The New York Times]

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