British reporter Kier Simmons joined Nicolle Wallace today to express the U.K.'s concern about Donald Trump's anemic response to Theresa May's evidence that Russia used a deadly nerve agent in the United Kingdom, putting citizens at risk to poison a Russian spy.
"These are not the harsh words he had for gang members, these are not the harsh words he had for Jeff Sessions when he's mad at him...these are not the harsh words he has for his now-deposed Secretary of State when he gave his talks of being a diplomat in dealing with North Korea," Wallace said after reading an excerpt from the White House readout of Trump's conversation with May.
She also played a clip of Nikki Haley speaking before the National Security Council at the U.N. calling for unified action in accordance with the stated purpose of the United Nations.
Reporter Kier Simmons was visibly emotional when given a chance to speak.
"That comment from Nikki Haley? I want to just say, 'Finally!'", Simmons said. Finally we heard a message like that from the United States."
"What the British are saying here is that this is a Russian attack on the United Kingdom because it put U.K. citizens -- not just a former Russian spy -- in danger with a nerve agent that is banned in war because it is so dangerous," he stressed.
"If the Russians are behind this attack, it is an attack by proxy, if you like, on the United States," Simmons continued. "The only response that makes any sense from the U.S. is condemnation, the kind of condemnation that we heard from Nikki Haley."
After explaining that the Russians either thought they wouldn't get caught or didn't care if they got caught, Simmons warned, "If America and the U.K. don’t take tough enough action, then the question is, ‘what do the Russians do next?’ It’s a pretty frightening one.”
Yes, indeed, it really is. Putin would absolutely love to break the relationship between the United Kingdom and the United States. Trump's anemic response is not helping, particularly as Brits navigate through the Brexit process.
"They are divided from Europe through [Brexit] and they are looking at the White House and worrying — deeply worrying — about what is happening to their ally at a time when they need their closest ally the most," he said.
As I see it, we have two problems here. The first is that our "President" may in fact be compromised and subject to blackmail by hostile foreign actors, including Russia. The second is that our "President" is a reactionary isolationist who is quite comfortable with breaking every single promise he makes to anyone, but particularly foreign governments.
Brits have every reason to be "deeply worried." Many of us are, too.
(h/t Raw Story)
