For whatever reason, in the month since the story broke, the American news media has seen fit not to pose a question to President Trump regarding Russia paying bounties to the Taliban to kill American soldiers in Afghanistan.
That is until Jonathan Swan of Axios on HBO questioned him about it in an interview that will air in full on August 3rd.
Trump revealed to Swan that he has never discussed Russian bounties with Vladimir Putin in his July 23rd call with the Russian President adding his conversation concerned other things (namely nuclear proliferation). The President went to his old standby and claimed the Russian bounty story was "fake news" and claimed "many people" had also told him it was fake news though he would not identify whom other than to say some former Bush Administration officials.
When Swan persisted in this line of questioning, Trump complained "nobody brings up China." For all of China's excesses it does not stand accused of paying bounties to kill American soldiers. One would think that when a country pays bounties to kill American soldiers that an American President would raise holy hell about it. But Trump doesn't act like an American President, but rather like a Russian troll.
Trump further claimed the report of Russian bounties "never reached my desk" and that if it had he would have something about it. All evidence suggests it was part of his Presidential Daily Briefing back in February which it doesn't appears he reads despite claims that he reads "a lot." Let's suppose for a moment, however, that it did not reach his desk as he claims. The fact is that this matter has been in the public domain for nearly a month and is therefore aware of the matter. Yet he has not seen fit to discuss the matter with Putin.
Of further interest was when Swan stated that Russia has been giving arms to the Taliban, Trump replied that the United States did as well. Swan replied that was another era. I would have gone much further. The Taliban didn't exist until five years after the Russia-Afghanistan War. So, no, the United States did not arm the Taliban nor did it pay bounties to kill its own soldiers. Trump also made more Russian talking points by claiming, "Russia doesn't want anything to do with Afghanistan." This would be like saying Donald Trump doesn't want anything to do with real estate.
I wish the mainstream press had questioned Trump more vigorously about this matter. But now it's back front and center at least for a week or so. Hopefully that will be enough time to convince Americans that President Trump is a troll for Putin instead of Commander in Chief of our armed forces.
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