30 Comments
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Janet Frohnmayer's avatar

Trump says he has ended six wars. So wanted a member of the press to ask, so tell us which six. They didn’t. Do you know and can you separate fact from fiction on this?

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Kiwiwriter47's avatar

Who plays the Attorney General?

He was standing there when Garfield was shot.

He was also standing there, watching, when Abraham Lincoln died.

He was also standing there, watching, when McKinley was shot.

Because of this, the AG refused to run for president, believing he carried a curse: "There is a certain fatality about presidential functions when I am present," he said.

His name?

Robert Todd Lincoln. Abraham's son.

Fantastic column throughout. I have to get the DVD and watch the mini-series.

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David Hopper's avatar

I had forgotten that. Thanks for the reminder. A great bit of political trivia.

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Linda Shreck's avatar

What 6 wars has Trump stopped? Will he say he stopped 7 wars tomorrow?

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Donna N's avatar

I would love to know what 6 wars he is referring to.

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susanus's avatar

The best security guarantee for Ukraine is membership in NATO. Russia’s aggression has demonstrated that it is sorely needed. As for land, it’s up to Ukraine to decide whether to cede Crimea or not. And if I were in their shoes I would demand a very high price for that.

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Jackie Jo Fastenow's avatar

What are the 6 wars Trump is talking about???

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Michael Cunningham's avatar

You're not the only commentator who said something along the lines "while Russia allows the West to provide security guarantees to Ukraine" although some have replaced 'the West' with 'the U.S.' Why does the West or the U.S. have to be allowed to do anything they want. Doesn't this make the U.S. and the West sound weak? Or am I being naive?

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Vince's avatar

I think the idea is that Russia went to war partly to prevent Ukraine from moving toward the West, so it’s not so much that they’re “allowing” security guarantees as that they’re not making it a preventer of a ceasefire/peace - they won’t go to war to prevent it anymore.

If that’s what the agreement eventually looks like, which I rather doubt Putin will actually agree to

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Rosemary Ford's avatar

Another recommendation for Destiny of the Republic, better title might have been Tragedy for the Republic. The only security Z should accept is trip wire troops from all the countries who showed up yesterday, including the U.S..

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Finn Frock's avatar

Biden could have stopped the invasion, but he was a senile pussy. Last two presidents let Russia crawl out of their hole and here we are. Lots of blame. They are the fucking (Russia) enemy.

We have let trump control who sits in the executive briefings and journalists won't stand up and say, " that is a lie." Also, plenty of right-wing sycophants lobbing softball questions.

What are the 6 wars that trump stopped and what exactly did he do? (example).

I propose the Democratic Party set up the same venue indicating the lies and reveal the truth in their own President's Briefing. We need to prosecute these people in the press, every day. No one is refuting the lies, other than on this Substack venue and other non-mainstream press. Hell, use YouTube to tell the truth. Embarrass the right wing into failure. Shout out to Steve Schmidt, Tim, Bernstein and others.

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Barbara Fox's avatar

Love Steve Schmidt

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Barbara Fox's avatar

Watch Lawrence O.’ Donnell at night on MSNBC , you want hear great journalism dedicated to the truth

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Barbara Fox's avatar

I only disagree with you about Biden ….he relentlessly warned about the war coming and sent weapons much to the chagrin of the isolationists in congress. He was never going to send in our troops.

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Finn Frock's avatar

He held up delivery of missles.

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Barbara Fox's avatar

Not true.

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Finn Frock's avatar

The delay in delivering Stinger missiles to Ukraine under President Biden’s administration was influenced by several factors, and it unfolded over months rather than a single defined period.

🕰️ Timeline and Causes of Delay

• Internal U.S. Debates and Stockpile Concerns: In Biden’s final year in office, key weapons shipments—including Stingers—were delayed due to internal debates over escalation risks with Russia and concerns about the sufficiency of U.S. stockpiles A.

• Production Challenges: Raytheon, the manufacturer of Stinger missiles, had wound down production in recent years. When demand surged due to the war in Ukraine, the company faced hurdles ramping up production.

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Online Safety Zone's avatar

If Trump could actually broker an end to the war, a return of prisoners, and a return of seized land, with terms completely acceptable to Zelensky, I would actually not mind if Trump got the Nobel Peace Prize.

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Donna N's avatar

Almost exactly what Hillary Clinton said.

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Margaret Bryant's avatar

I’ve been reading about the high stakes diplomacy regarding Ukraine. The line that made me smile was when President Zelensky handed to Trump the letter from his wife to Melania, “This is not for you, it’s for your wife.” The man is a genius. Remember, he used to be a comedian.

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Donna N's avatar

I am very impressed you know your history so well.

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Barbara Houghton's avatar

Destiny of the Republic is also one of my all-time favs of presidential history. The story is filled with crises, coincidences, and scandal. It deserves a movie.

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menehune's avatar

ALOHA..... D.D. " When people refuse the cool cynicism of despair. Despair is peddled by the right to convince us that resistance is futile, and it is echoed by too many on the left who would rather sit back and say all is lost. Cynicism asks nothing of us; hope demands everything. When people choose to act rather than surrender, that is what keeps democracy alive " TRUMP'S .G.O.P. guardians of pedophilics...“Silence and fear is the tool of a tyrant, wielded to suppress independent thought. Instead of silence and fear, let this moment fuel the fire that already burns at the heart of this place. A fire of righteous indignation at abuses of power. WELA KA HAO.... GOP LAPUWALE....THEY GOT TO BE VOTED OUT....

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David Hopper's avatar

Thanks for another great newsletter. Had Trump really been involved in ending six wars? Somehow I doubt it.

Also, I have read “Destiny of the Republic” & thoroughly enjoyed it. It was part of a hobby to read at least one biography of each President, starting with Washington. I am currently reading a very detailed one on Gerald Ford. I’m looking forward to the miniseries on Garfield.

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Ray Pass's avatar

Never thought I would be disagreeing with you about anything, but I find that I must do so now. You wrote this about "Destiny of the Republic" by Candice Millard - "which is one of my all-time favorite books on presidential history." Had I written that sentence, I would have ended it after the word "books". I have lent it to various friends, always with the admonition to treat it well and to remember to return it upon completing it. I so look forward to the Netflix series.

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