If you thought Paul Manafort’s ouster from the Trump campaign signaled a pivot away from Trump’s outreach to Putin, think again. Robby Mook has a message for you. Manafort’s Russian/Ukranian ties were just a bump in the Trump road to the Kremlin.
Statement from Robby Mook on Manafort’s Resignation
Friday, Hillary For American Campaign Manager Robby Mook issued the following statement on the resignation of Trump’s Campaign Chairman Paul Manafort:
“Paul Manafort’s resignation is a clear admission that the disturbing connections between Donald Trump’s team and pro-Kremlin elements in Russia and Ukraine are untenable. But this is not the end of the story. It’s just the beginning. You can get rid of Manafort, but that doesn’t end the odd bromance Trump has with Putin. Trump still has to answer serious questions hovering over his campaign given his propensity to parrot Putin’s talking points, the roster of advisers like Carter Page and Mike Flynn with deep ties to Russia, the recent Russian government hacking and disclosure of Democratic Party records, and reports that Breitbart published articles advocating pro-Kremlin positions on Ukraine. It’s also time for Donald Trump to come clean on his own business dealings with Russian interests, given recent news reports about his web of deep financial connections to business groups with Kremlin ties.”
HFA also released a new video on Donald Trump’s tendency to echo Vladimir Putin’s talking points:
Also, if you think Trump is the only one conducting a purge, check this out.
Russia
Putin shakes things up in the Kremlin
On the 25th anniversary of the 1991 coup, Fiona Clark takes a look at what might be prompting Russian President Vladimir Putin’s shuffling of positions within the Kremlin walls.
Over the past few months Putin has been shaking things up a bit inside the Kremlin walls. But the question is, why? The most recent and high profile movement is the demotion of his long-time friend and ally, Sergei Ivanov, from his position as chief of Putin’s administration.
Ivanov has been at the president’s side since their days in the KGB in the 1970’s. When Putin was running the KGB’s successor, the FSB, Ivanov was his deputy and he took over from Putin when he moved into politics. He soon followed his leader to the Kremlin when Putin appointed him as defense minister and later deputy prime minister, and just over four years ago he stepped in to head up the administration. In terms of Kremlin hierarchy, he was said to be number 3. Now, as he moves to take up the role of “special presidential representative for environmental protection, ecology and transport” you’d be lucky to find a ticket with enough numbers on it to describe where he sits in the power pyramid.
This demotion may well an act of kindness by the president: Giving a man bereft with grief over the death of his son in 2014 a bit of space in a less high-profile position to recover. After all he has kept his position on the country’s Security Council. But it can equally be seen as one more demotion, firing, removal or sideways push as the president restructures departments and shuffles the deck chairs around.
Heads may roll
Birds of a feather. Trump is Putin’s foot in the door of this election. No matter what the UK and Irish bookies are saying about the U.S. election, Putin’s rubles are on Trump. How this can possibly sit well with the “America First” crowd defies logic and patriotism.
Still4Hill 