With Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan expected to visit the White House next week, President Trump has expressed opposition to recent Congressional resolutions, one calling for sanctions against Turkey for invading Syria, and one recognizing and condemning the Armenian genocide.
Erdogan has said he considers the genocide resolution the “biggest insult toward our nation,” and Trump’s opposition is almost certainly an attempt to keep Erdogan from making a spectacle during the visit.
At the same time, White House officials say they are unclear if Trump intends to attempt to veto either resolution. It’s unlikely, especially with the Armenian genocide bill, as overwhelming support means Trump would be setting himself up for an embarrassing override.
The simpler path for the White House would be to ignore the sanctions bill by issuing waivers, and condemning the recognition of the Armenian genocide is likely to anger Armenian-American groups, but there is no real weight behind the resolution, and the White House disavowing it publicly will likely be enough for Turkey.
Uh, wasn’t Trump threatening “economic devastation” or some such phrase against Turkey just a couple weeks ago? And now he’s flip-flopped again?
How can anyone take anything Trump does or says seriously? He’s obviously just flailing around repeatedly changing his mind in order to keep everyone confused and thus try to buy more time to stay President. He’s just kicking the can down the road because he has no idea what to do – other than his desires to wage a trade war with China and punish immigrants and support Israel (which includes trying to decide whether to start a war with Iran) because he thinks that is what his idiot supporters want. Every other issue is just random with him.
That is NOT what supporters want. Try sampling comments on Infowars — and you will find out.
The problem is — the power struggle on all fronts, so just blind reacting remains.
Does anyone believe that somebody cares for Armenian genocide? It is always brought out to throw a monkey wrench into some works. Last time France did it — just as Erdogan cut a deal with Armenia to establish a joint commission of historians to look into the period. But the goal was to immediately open borders for trade. What France accomplished was simple — it riled up public against deal with Armenia.
This one is aimed at putting Russia into trouble. With good relations with Turkey, and a flaky leader in Armenia — I expect clamoring for Russia’s support.
The Democrats and their globalist brigades hurting from Trump’s chaos, they are still trying to punish Turkey for Eastern orientation. Democrats and globalists are VERY predictable. Trump — not at all.
But Democrats coming back to power will overreach. Being stymied by Trump for so long — their judgment may not be sound. But our internal problems may rise and get put of hand. In fact, George Soros predicted in Davos few years ago violence on streets. It did not happen because Trump took the oxygen out of the dissatisfaction in industrial wastelands. Temporarily.
But the reality will sink in — as nothing is being done to change the course. China was a big hope for Trump base, but it turned out — it would have bern better not touching that hornets nest. More problems came out — and deprived US of buying some time in telecom technology. To get agricultural exports , US had to climb down on all fronts. But it is still better with a deal.
Trump got some bad advice on China negotiations, and his strategy of bullying backfired. This late in election cycle, Trump cannot show much in foreign policy in terms of getting troops home from Middle East. And would be lucky to stay out of a new war or a muddy regime change.
Trump does not have big money on his side. Large technology corporations, financial corporations, large media corporations — all against Trump. Energy probably with him. Military-industrials, mixed bag. And if his support wobbles in former blue states that voted Trump — his powers of persuasion may not be enough.
“That is NOT what supporters want. Try sampling comments on Infowars — and you will find out.”
Or try sampling them on some article on Yahoo. They ALL count, not just those at Infowars.
This really makes joint U.S.-Turkey patrols in north Syria a little more tricky to negotiate, fortunately.
With American Thanksgiving coming up, one can’t help wondering if there’s a November Surprise awaiting Erdogan.