The Russia/Flynn/Freedom Caucus vortex of questions and tension at the White House
As another frenzied Washington week closes, the White House seems to be losing control of the quickening intrigue over Russia's meddling in the election, and allegations of links between the Trump campaign and Kremlin associates.
Characteristically, President Donald Trump's team is often escalating confrontations rather than dampening them. It's a strategy that may be making the challenges more intractable by the hour.
Trump gave fresh life to the Russia controversy with a stunning Twitter burst about the legal position of his sacked national security adviser Michael Flynn. And he's simultaneously waging war with the conservative House Freedom Caucus which helped deal him a stinging defeat over the repeal of Obamacare -- setting up a fateful test of presidential authority.
Abroad, meanwhile, the tepid international mood that has prevailed since Trump's inauguration is showing signs of heating up. Relations with Moscow are deteriorating. And Trump is warning that his summit next week with the leader of another great power, Xi Jinping of China, could turn into a rocky affair.
"The meeting next week with China will be a very difficult one in that we can no longer have massive trade deficits..." Trump tweeted Thursday.
The tweet signaled the President is not just ready to target the House Freedom Caucus as a group but is equally ready to single out individual members, raising questions about whether he will support primary challenges against individual members ahead of the midterm elections in 2018.
But the campaign also represents a risk for the President, who with approval ratings at less than 40% in many polls does not have the political weight that he might have if he was more popular.
In many safe conservative districts, House Freedom Caucus members ran ahead of Trump's numbers in their re-election races last year, raising doubts about the extent of the President's leverage.
A prominent member of the House Freedom Caucus warned Trump to be careful.
"I hope the President will bear in mind that the freedom caucus is going to provide the bulwark of the support the President needs on things like border security, trade agreements and making sure that the Trans-Pacific Partnership does not resurface in a different shape or fashion," Alabama Rep. Mo Brooks told CNN.
"Our support is going to be necessary for tax cuts and for the protection of free enterprise. So we're not always going to agree, but there are some major issues going forward where the President will need our support and I hope he will bear that in mind," Brooks said.
Foreign policy
While Trump has plenty of troubles at home, threats are also stirring abroad.
Given the outcry of claims of administration cooperation with Russia, it's now clear Trump now lacks political room to effect a detente with Moscow. And relations seemed to be getting worse quickly.
Both Defense Secretary James Mattis and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson criticized Russian involvement in Ukraine on Friday during trips overseas.
Mattis also called out the Putin regime for "mucking around" in other people's elections.
Exemplifying the worsening atmosphere of Russia-US ties, Alexey Pushkov, a senior Russian lawmaker, tweeted: "New US administration sounds just like the old one — Mattis is indistinguishable from (former Defense Secretary Ash) Carter, Tillerson is talking about 'Russian aggression.' (Barack) Obama and (Hillary) Clinton must be happy."
News Courtesy: www.cnn.com
