Mr. Kushner, it was leaked to The Washington Post, is not a target of the Russia investigation but is "under scrutiny." Let's face it, if you're "under scrutiny" by the FBI then you're being investigated. And no matter the outcome, this is going to hang over the administration and this presidency until its resolved, nothing will get done. Senator Bob Corker (R-TN) explained that no everything on the slate - health care, tax reform, a budget, debt ceiling - will get done. With the exception of preventing the United States from defaulting on its debt payments, it's difficult to see anything getting done. It was reassuring to hear Senator Corker say that the sanctions on Russia would continue as they should, but they should actually be harsher as a consequence of interfering with the past election.
The problem with completing any of the aforementioned policy agenda items is that Republicans who control all of Congress are fractured on how to proceed. The House passed a healthcare that will be completely rewritten in the Senate and be unacceptable to the hard right. Compromise within the Republican party itself seems difficult. Not to mention that any of the few times policy is discussed, there is never any mention of Democratic participation. And according to Senator John McCain (R-AZ), there is no plan in place for getting anything done.
The Wall Street Journal's Kimberley Strassel cited an example of Barack Obama representatives setting up a back channel is similar to what Jared Kushner was doing, and feels that all this is essentially much to do about nothing. However, when former Director of National Security James Clapper says that his "dashboard light was on" (without confirming anything) about the Trump transition team contacts that's troubling. There seems to be more there than just the meetings between Mr. Kushner and Russian Ambassador Kislyak.
Summer is upon us and the heat gets to people; it can be a crazy time. Most of the problems the Trump Administration have faced are self-inflicted, but what happens if there is a real crisis? That would surely knock the administration and by extension the Congress further off its already shaky moorings.
Whatever the outcome all these Russia investigations, the damage the Trump Administration is already thoroughly done, with only itself to blame.
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Memorial Day Comment
First and foremost, on this particular holiday this column would like to give a grateful shout-out to the soldiers and vets at the Intrepid Spirit Center at Ft. Belvoir in Virginia. Thank you for being the people you are.
One thing to know about this column is its strong sense of what America should be and how it should act and lead in the world. Because of that, our soldiers' sacrifices are never taken lightly and respect is seriously paid.
With that said, it's also important to keep in mind the allies/friends that help us when we put troops in harm's way. Since the establishment of NATO in 1948, every president - Harry S. Truman, Dwight D. Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy, Lindon B. Johnson, Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama - has confirmed the NATO commitment to Article 5, which states that if one member is attacked, we're all attacked. It has been invoked once by us, The United States, after 9/11.
President Donald Trump did not make this commitment; did not state this confirmation at the meeting of NATO nations in Brussels earlier this week. What does that say about our leadership in the world? It was a conspicuous decision by President Trump not to say so, and it was disgraceful.
Panel: Joy-Ann Reid, NBC News; Kimberley Strassell, The Wall Street Journal; Charlie Sykes, NBC News; Amy Walter, Cook Political Report
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