Shortly after taking office, in a 2017 Fox News interview with Bill O’Reilly, Donald Trump was asked about Vladimir Putin’s use of assassination and imprisonment to suppress dissent and eliminate political opposition. Trump responded with
“Do you think our country is so innocent?”
This remark was interpreted by many, Republicans and Democrats alike, as implying a moral equivalency between the actions of the Putin regime and the US Government. It also underscored Trump’s apparent admiration for, and reluctance to offend, Russia’s authoritarian leader.
Had these words been spoken by a left-leaning politician, the far right would have immediately seized upon them as undeniable proof of an ‘America-hating, Blame America First’ mindset.
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