Deborah Daniels: Speaker, Trump are playing dangerous political game

Normally, political pandering is relatively harmless. But in today’s world, it poses a clear and present danger to the United States and the larger world.

Our borders are overrun with both asylum-seekers and criminals, leading to increased crime and humanitarian crises. The situation has deteriorated to the point that even Democrats have recognized the need for improved security.

A recent bipartisan agreement, in the words of conservative Republican senators who participated, provides the best border deal for Republicans in decades—a better deal than they would get if their candidate for president were elected. The bill passed on a bipartisan vote in the Senate but, as of late February, sat in the House awaiting a decision by the speaker to bring it up for a vote.

In the meantime, Ukraine just reached the two-year anniversary of its invasion by Russia. The Russians have been gratuitously cruel, massacring thousands of Ukrainians and kidnapping thousands of children who are now being brought up in Russia as Russians. The scale of Russian atrocities is profound.

Legislation to send war material to Ukraine has been hung up in Congress, also awaiting action by the speaker.

The common denominator is Donald Trump. He has made it clear to House Republicans that he does not want the border problem solved—despite the fact that the perfect opportunity to do so is sitting in the House’s lap—so he can use the resulting chaos at the border as a political cudgel against President Biden in the coming campaign.

Similarly, Trump—who has a one-sided bromance with multiple dictators but in particular Vladimir Putin—has made it clear he does not want additional aid going to Ukraine. Again, the legislation to provide it has been stuck in the House as the speaker has sat on it.

The effect of this refusal to help Ukraine evokes the position of Great Britain from 1933-1939, as Hitler solidified his power over Germany and began to redraw the map of Europe.

The British were understandably reluctant to get into a second world war, and there was strong pro-appeasement sentiment in the country. Meanwhile, Germany annexed Austria, then focused on Czechoslovakia. Great Britain agreed to Hitler’s annexation of a portion of that country, in the hope of avoiding war. Hitler thanked Britain by attacking it.

Strong sentiment in the United States opposed helping the beleaguered Brits with much-needed war material. Finally, President Roosevelt developed the lend-lease concept, persuading Congress to “loan” needed equipment to Britain so it could defend itself. In the meantime, as Hitler invaded multiple countries, a majority in Congress figured that was none of our business—the aggressors were far away and no threat to the United States. What did it matter to us if Germany took over a few countries over there with the claim that it was their historic right?

Now here we are again. Many in the public and in Congress just figure Ukraine is not our problem. Trump actually says we should negotiate a “deal” with Putin, which would certainly include the latter’s annexation of at least a portion of Ukraine. Sound familiar?

The reaction of the House speaker has been to do absolutely nothing on either front. And why is the party of law and order, and peace through strength abroad, doing this? It is pandering to Trump at the expense of world stability.

It is devastating to those steeped in historic Republican values to see statesmanship sacrificed on the altar of extreme partisanship. We can only pray that cooler heads will prevail.•

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Daniels is a retired partner of Krieg DeVault LLP, a former U.S. Attorney and assistant U.S. attorney general and former president of the Sagamore Institute. Send comments to ibjedit@ibj.com.

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