The Subservience of President Trump to Putin: A Threat to US National Security
President Trump’s close relationship with Russian President Putin has raised concerns about US national security. During his campaign, President Elect Joe Biden criticized Trump for playing a subservient role to a Russian leader, stating that an American president had never done so before. Former FBI Director Robert Mueller also confirmed that Russia had blackmail leverage over Trump during the 2016 campaign.
US intelligence assessments have found that Russia interfered in both the 2016 and 2020 elections to help Trump win. It has been reported that Russia once again favors Trump as the preferred candidate. The US intelligence community continues to monitor Russia’s influence operations, particularly on social media, to sway specific groups of voters in battleground states.
Russia’s preference for Trump is largely based on their stance towards US aid to Ukraine and related issues. The Trump campaign has defended against accusations of Russian support by highlighting Biden’s perceived weaknesses on Russia. Moving forward, addressing Russian influence operations and securing US elections remains a critical concern for the US government.