It has been explained to me here that the reason Trump's fans are fine with what he did at the press conference with Putin is because they feel our intelligence apparatus is corrupt and treasonous.
Well, holy shit. At least we have an explanation for what Trump did.
It would actually make sense. Trump gets info on his "base" directly from Hannity, who (along with Levin and Limbaugh and the internet) plants this stuff in their heads. Since playing to his base is his top priority, Trump then acts accordingly. He knows his base is convinced that everyone is out to get them, so he says what he needs to say.
That's good to know. I guess.
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I think his base is good with the "Putin embrace" because traditionalists are .... aghast. And for the same reason, they're good with any relationship between Trump and Putin is fine by them, even if it includes cooperating in sharing illegally obtained information to help in Trump's election.
But I'm not sure that explains Trump's behavior. Trump is not crazy. I think even his "off the cuff" comments are considered.
The Putin comments don't make running as a republican for the House or Senate any easier. It's not just Rorbacher who is within the margin of error against his dem challenger. Josh Hawley faces one of the dems most vulnerable, McCaskill, and Hawley is running as "a vote for Trump." Hawley already has the "tariff issue" in an agriculture state.
People can say "Trump's not a normal politician." But I'd disagree. I think the only unusual thing about him is his policies and beliefs. But how he communicates is not unusual. Nor is having a small tightknit group of inner confidents that unusual. JFK thought both the military and cia had their own interests at heart, and he kept close counsel. Nobody knew what Nixon was doing. Reagan was outside the gop establishment in Washington