Trump's bud speaks Trump's mind
by digby
QOTW: Tom Barrack:
“Whatever happened in Saudi Arabia, the atrocities in America are equal or worse to the atrocities in Saudi Arabia. The atrocities in any autocratic country are dictated by the rule of law. So, for us to dictate what we think is the moral code there — when we have a young man [Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman] and a regime that’s trying to push themselves into 2030 — I think is a mistake.”
Barrack told this to the crowd at the Milken Institute’s MENA Summit, according to audio provided by Gulf News reporter Ed Clowes.
This is exactly how Trump thinks. Recall his comments about Putin:
O'Reilly pressed on, declaring to the president that “Putin is a killer.”
Unfazed, Trump didn't back away, but rather compared Putin's reputation for extrajudicial killings with the United States'.
“There are a lot of killers. We have a lot of killers,” Trump said. “Well, you think our country is so innocent?”
And this:
“He’s running his country and at least he’s a leader,” Trump said, leaving the hosts stunned.
“But again, he kills journalists that don’t agree with him,” Joe Scarborough pressed.
“I think our country does plenty of killing also, Joe,” Trump replied. “There’s a lot of stuff going on in the world right now, Joe. A lot of killing going on and a lot of stupidity and that’s the way it is.”
There is a lot of killing going on and the US is culpable for wars and all kinds of awful things in its history. No doubt about that.
But killing journalists who criticize leaders isn't something to which we've stooped. At least not yet.
Barrack apologized, FWIW. Whatever.
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