If there were any doubts about whether Donald Trump’s airstrikes in Syria were at least somewhat designed to distract the public, a new Wall Street Journal report should clear them up.
According to the new report, the commander-in-chief was advised by – wait for it – his Russia lawyers before deciding to launch the airstrikes.
More from The Wall Street Journal:
Mr. Trump faced distractions throughout the week. He was infuriated by an FBI raid Monday of his personal lawyer’s files. He also bristled over a new tell-all book by former Federal Bureau of Investigation Director James Comey, casting him as a “slime ball†in a tweet sent Friday morning.
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Still, aides said Mr. Trump stayed focused on Syria, asking for briefing materials and quizzing staff about how he should respond. He even sought advice on Syria from the lawyers defending him in the ongoing Russia investigation.
The Syrian attack was the culmination of a week that ‘infuriated’ Trump
As the report noted, the strike in Syria was the culmination of a week in which Trump was “infuriated” by a flurry of scandal revelations that hit the press – from the FBI raids of Michael Cohen’s offices to the explosive James Comey book.
If there was ever a time this president needed a major distraction from of all his scandals, including the ongoing Russia investigation, now was it – and the Syrian bombings gave him the perfect opportunity.
It’s unknown why Trump would bring in his Russia legal defense team to advise him on the Syrian operation, but this president has given us no reason to believe he wouldn’t use military action to divert attention from his smoldering dumpster fire of a presidency.
But as Jason Easley wrote on Friday night, just after America launched the strikes, “Trump can’t distract from Russia with some illegal air strikes. The Russia scandal will continue to roll on, and Trump can’t wrap himself around the flag to save his presidency.”
Sean Colarossi currently resides in Cleveland, Ohio. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and was an organizing fellow for both of President Obama’s presidential campaigns. He also worked with Planned Parenthood as an Affordable Care Act Outreach Organizer in 2014, helping northeast Ohio residents obtain health insurance coverage.
