Why exactly does President Donald Trump always seem to side with Russia and Russian President Vladimir Putin? What leverage do the Russians have over Trump that makes him so fawning and servile to a country that clearly wishes to weaken and divide the United States?
Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA), the incoming chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, says he thinks Trump’s subservience to Putin and the Russians is all about money and money laundering.
In an op-ed he wrote for USA Today, Schiff notes:
“There have long been credible allegations that Russian money was laundered through the Trump Organization. If Russia could show that Trump, his business or his immediate family had benefited from tainted money or broken the law — or if Trump believed they could — it would mean that Russia could exert pressure on Trump to influence U.S. foreign policy.
“The president’s behavior has done nothing to allay these concerns, including his inexplicable conduct in Helsinki, when he sided with Putin over his own intelligence agencies and appeared to accept Russia’s mendacious denial of involvement in the 2016 election.”
We know that for many years, due to the worldwide recession which began in 2007 and Trump’s past failure to repay millions in loans made by American banks, that the Trump Organization was unable to borrow money from most reputable lenders. Desperate for capital, Trump and his company turned to Russia. We know this because Eric Trump bragged that Russian investment was crucial for the building of golf courses that carry the Trump name.
After Trump had laundered money to finance his building projects in the U.S., the Russians then had all of the leverage they needed to control him, probably warning that if they blew the whistle on him, he would lose his company and possibly go to prison.
Schiff also goes on to warn that it appears Saudi Arabia has a similar control over Trump, which would explain why the president was so eager to whitewash the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi by assassins hired by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman:
“Following the murder of U.S. resident and Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi by Saudi Arabia, Trump has sought to excuse Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Is the president’s deference to Saudi Arabia based on geopolitical or security concerns, or is it based on his own financial interests? Although the president now denies having any financial ties to the Saudis, just a short time ago he was bragging about the many tens of millions of dollars the Saudis were spending on his apartments and how much he favored them as a result.”
The good news is that with Democrats in control of the House when the new Congress convenes in January, we may finally be able to get some answers regarding exactly who does own and control Trump. Those answers are essential if we want to be able to make an informed decision regarding whether or not Donald Trump is fit to continue as head of state.
Featured Image Via ABC News
