Withdrawal

Amid the various new controversies and scandals swirling around Donald Trump this week, one very troubling item that escaped much attention was a piece in the New York Times (link here) about the likelihood of the President withdrawing from NATO if he's reelected or even before the election as a so-called "October surprise."

Such a move would weaken America's defenses and be a kick in the gut to some of our strongest allies in Western Europe. And it would be a major victory for Russia, America's adversary.

When he has spoken about the issue in the past, Trump always frames it in terms of money. Yet support for NATO is only a tiny fraction of the overall annual budget. If that is truly his motivation, he's being penny-wise and pound-foolish.

Or is it really because he wants to curry favor with Vladimir Putin? If so, why? The American people have a right to know. Is it because his business has in excess of $100 million in loans from Russian organized crime sources, as has been widely reported?

Releasing his tax returns to the public would be a way of answering that question. Years ago, Trump promised he would do so if he ran for President. He never did so and, in fact, as spent considerable Department of Justice resources now that he's President fighting to prevent that from happening.

We need a President who will put America's interests first, not personal business first. The election is in fifty-eight days. Vote-by-mail and early voting begin in some states later this month, while in some states, voter registration closes in less than a month. You can find out more about registering to vote and checking your status if you've already registered by clicking here.