CLEVELAND — If there is anything positive to be gleaned from Russian President Vladimir Putin’s aggression toward Ukraine that exploded Thursday into a full-blown invasion, it is this:
It might have marked an end to any possibility that Donald Trump could be the Republican candidate for president in 2024.
That does not diminish in any way the unspeakable tragedy that is unfolding in eastern Europe. But it could have a long-range — and positive — impact on the political future of this country.
It has been observed here and elsewhere that there is only one thing that can prevent the rescue of Congress from the current wafer-thin Democratic majority this November and the retaking of the White House in 2024. That is the invidious shadow of the unelectable former president, and his incomprehensible hold on a significant number of potential conservative voters.
Thus, we can only hope that Trump’s reckless and ill-considered comments last week regarding the Russian invasion will, in all but the minds of his most ardent supporters, disqualify him from ever holding a leadership role again.
If they don’t … then we will solidify a government the bulk of us do not want — a continuation of the progressive policies and tentative international strategy that has marked the first 13 months of the Joe Biden administration.
On Tuesday, with Russian troops poised for a full-on attack on their Ukrainian neighbors, Trump went on a radio show hosted by conservative talkers Clay Travis and Buck Sexton, the inept heirs to the late conservative icon Rush Limbaugh, and delivered as injudicious a commentary as has ever been heard from a former president:
“I went in yesterday and there was a television screen, and I said, ‘This is genius’,” said Trump after the hosts asked him what President Biden had done wrong with regard to the burgeoning calamity.
“Putin declares a big portion of the Ukraine — of Ukraine. Putin declares it as independent,” Trump continued. “Oh, that’s wonderful. So, Putin is now saying, ‘It’s independent,’ a large section of Ukraine. I said, ‘How smart is that?’ And he’s gonna go in and be a peacekeeper. That’s the strongest peace force … We could use that on our southern border. That’s the strongest peace force I’ve ever seen. There were more army tanks than I’ve ever seen. They’re gonna keep the peace, all right. No, but think of it. Here’s a guy who’s very savvy. I know him very well. Very, very well.”
Look past, if you can, Trump’s usual rambling speech patterns, and it’s clear that his undisciplined stream-of-consciousness prattle is still capable of shocking us.
As usual, the generally biased national media overplayed its hand when it comes to all things Trump, characterizing his remarks as praising, gushing, and “cozying up.” It seemed obvious that he was not speaking in favor of Putin’s actions, but rather comparing Biden’s strategy and actions unfavorably with Putin’s, to make the point that Biden was outfoxed and that Trump would have handled the conflagration better.
“By the way, this never would have happened with us,” he emphasized. “Had I been in office, not even thinkable … here’s a guy that says, you know, ‘I’m gonna declare a big portion of Ukraine independent’ and ‘we’re gonna go in and we’re gonna help keep peace.’ You gotta say that’s pretty savvy. And you know what the response was from Biden? There was no response. They didn’t have one for that. No, it’s very sad. Very sad.”
What Putin would have done if Trump were still in charge is unknowable, although Putin didn’t appear to be intimidated by then-President Trump the last time the two were together.
But even putting the most tolerant cast on Trump’s intent, what he said was bad enough, as he again redefined what had been a previously unthinkable reaction from someone who once was, and wants to be again, the leader of this country. Does it even need to be said that you don’t say anything that could be interpreted as praise for an international thug who is, even as we speak, raining down death and destruction on one of our allies?
And that’s not even mentioning the idea that Trump seemed to be suggesting it would be good to deploy military forces on our southern border and do who-knows-what with them. Or, of course, repeating the nonsense that the 2020 election was stolen from him.
The worrisome thing about Trump’s presence in the political conversation has been not even so much that he might win the 2024 GOP nomination, but that when he loses, he will work against the eventual nominee, and take millions of his sycophants with him. That would guarantee four more years of Democrat rule.
There are other, better, options.
Here’s a challenge: If you have ever had even the most fleeting thought that Trump might be the answer in 2024, and that he ought to be considered for another run at president, do yourself a favor:
Sit down and listen to, or read, the full transcript of Trump’s interview with Travis/Sexton, in all its tangled glory (you can find it at www.tinyurl.com/pdtrump). And consider, no matter what you think of his policies, whether this is the man you want to line up behind as the standard-bearer for your party. Or, for your country.
If that doesn’t convince you, then I can’t help you.
And God help us all.
(Ted Diadiun is a member of the editorial board of The Plain Dealer of Cleveland.)
