So the party that was once defined by its strong anti-Russian stance is caught between a Trump and a hard place: the more traditional anti-Putin hawks (who, post-Trump, have somehow found their sea legs again) vs. the still-practicing Trumpist isolationists (with some fanaticism thrown in).
Sad to say, the GOP created this distasteful stew, and now the party is stuck with it. So what to do?
“The Republicans I work with are barely even commenting on this stuff. They ignore them,” says a Senate Democrat involved in foreign policy. “The folks who spent the last four years in the thrall of Trump are struggling how to reset as a party,” he adds. ‘Those who are unwilling are in full isolationist mode.”
For those who choose to remain in Trump’s thrall, it’s easy. Stick with it and see where it gets you. Just take the policy-free route and complain about Biden’s weakness. It’s probably going to work in GOP primaries: A recent ABC News/Ipsos poll found that just 6% of Republicans trust Biden to negotiate with Putin. Three-quarters of Democrats had faith in his abilities.
Others, including Trump, no doubt will blame Biden for not being tough enough.
How about this idea? “Republicans ought to stand to protect Ukraine from Putin,” says GOP pollster Neil Newhouse. “Encourage Biden to take strong action.”
Voters, Newhouse adds, “want to know if the President has stood up to Putin and shown a stiff spine.”
Post-Trump, maybe it’s hard for some Republicans to get back to basics on foreign policy. Democratic Sen. Chris Coons of Delaware, a close Biden ally, told me he can see this internal GOP friction playing out: those Republicans “struggling to determine what’s the best path forward at a moment when Russian aggression is further strengthening NATO vs. those whose isolationism and leanings towards Russia are distracting” those more aligned with the traditions of the GOP.
No doubt Putin — and American allies — are wondering who will win the tug of war. And the whole world is watching.
Read More:Republicans take sides for a Trump-fueled tug of war over Russia
2022-01-28 16:31:00