Well, that certainly was not The Art of the Deal. And that was not the tough guy from Queens we so enthusiastically elected.
President Trump is the most courageous, imaginative, and dynamic American political leader in more than a quarter-century. He is willing to tackle huge problems and fiercely pursue bold and inventive courses in search of solutions to problems that cowardly politicians have ignored for decades.
None of that was on display Monday in Helsinki.
He equivocated between Russian President Vladimir Putin and American intelligence officials on whether Russia tried interfering with the 2016 election. (Of course, they did. They always do. And Mr. Putin is a murderous thug who’d belong in prison in a country that had the rule of law … Spoiler: Russia doesn’t.)
Instead of seeing the big picture of a hostile adversary attacking our country, President Trump was focused on defending himself from these absurd accusations he “colluded” with Russia. When he was not doing that, he used the global stage to defend the legitimacy of his 2016 victory.
No serious person cares about any of this nonsense. Nobody but the worst partisan hacks think Mr. Trump “colluded” with Russia. Nor do any serious people think his victory was somehow not legitimate.
For a guy who normally does majestic whale breaches in the open water, these were guppy flips in a tiny fishbowl. It was embarrassing and totally unworthy of the Donald Trump we know and love.
Mr. Trump is at his very best when he is standing toe-to-toe telling friends and foes alike the hard truths they don’t want to hear. That is the Art of the Deal that Americans love and that is what got him legitimately elected president.
Mr. Trump’s fearlessness in standing up to all of the worst, most weaselly politicians in both parties — kicking their teeth in when necessary — is what we love about Mr. Trump.
Still, as bad as Mr. Trump’s performance in Helsinki was, it is not nearly as bad as the performance of the entire political machine over the past decade.
For instance, it was not nearly as bad as allowing Russia to invade Ukraine.
It was not nearly as bad as, say, reneging on U.S. assurances to protect Eastern European allies with anti-missile systems.
It was not anywhere in the same galaxy as ignoring your own “red line” laid down in Syria after Syrian butcher and Putin-puppet Bashar Assad gassed his own people.
And, finally, it was nowhere near as bad as whispering to Russia that you will have more “flexibility” after re-election to surrender everything to Russian power.
And let’s not forget the whole treasonous deal with Iran where the U.S. government worked feverishly to lift sanctions against one of our most virulent enemies and state sponsors of terrorism. In the process, the U.S. also gave the militant theocracy billions of dollars, including hundreds of millions in pallets of cash, and set them on a pathway to a nuclear bomb.
Those are just a handful of diplomatic atrocities perpetrated by President Obama and his weak, dishonest henchmen, such as former CIA Director John Brennan.
Mr. Brennan, a known liar who once got caught spying on U.S. Congress, took to Twitter on Monday to demand that Mr. Trump’s entire administration resign in protest of the president’s weak performance in Helsinki.
Really, Mr. Brennan? And what should be the punishment for allowing Russia to invade Ukraine? Or for abandoning Eastern Europe allies to the whims of Russia?
And pray tell, Mr. Brennan, what should be the punishment for ignoring the gassed children of Syria?
Actually, no need to answer. Because you probably would just be lying again.
So, Mr. Trump had a bad day. That is just one bad day, versus years and years and years of bad days for you, Mr. Brennan, and the rest of your dishonest, anti-American treasonous cowards.
• Charles Hurt can be reached at churt@washingtontimes.com; follow him on Twitter via @charleshurt.