Crossing the Pain Threshold

On Tuesday, July 17, Donald Trump had a very simple explanation for the excitement of the previous day. Twenty-four hours after the joint press conference with Vladimir Putin wrought havoc in his home country, the president clarified: He had simply misspoken — he had figured that out for himself after looking again at a recording of the passage in question. He mistakenly said that he saw no reason why Russia would interfere in the elections. What he actually wanted to say was that he saw no reason why the country would “not” interfere. It was all because of the double negative. Of course, he also had “great confidence” in the intelligence services. However, he added that it may have been others who interfered in the election. For the president, that was the end of the matter.

But outside the Oval Office, the excitement is not over. After the meeting in Helsinki, where, according to many commentators, the U.S. president and his Russian counterpart seemed too united on the issue of Russian interference in the presidential election and where Trump weighed the results of his own intelligence services against Putin’s assurances, many conservatives in Washington were alarmed — even those who up to now preferred to keep quiet about Trump’s previous controversies. For many in the party, the president’s friendly visit crossed a pain threshold; ever since the Cold War, mistrust of Moscow runs deep.

Even Mitch McConnell, Senate majority leader and well-known for his ability to avoid political pitfalls, felt compelled to express his full support of the U.S. intelligence services and his mistrust of Russia in front of running cameras. Trey Gowdy, who attacked Federal Bureau of Investigation employee Peter Strzok at a hearing a week ago and accused him of political motives — the same Strzok who was first involved in the investigation of Hillary Clinton’s e-mail server and later in the Russian investigation — also tried to awkwardly distance himself from Trump’s remarks. He is confident that Trump’s team can explain to the president that it is possible to acknowledge Russia’s intervention in the election, “without delegitimizing his electoral success.”

Governor Cuomo Brings “Treason” into Play

In view of the broad criticism of Trump’s appearance, many already sense a turnaround that could permanently change the dynamics in Washington. “The dam is finally breaking,” Bob Corker, outgoing senator from Tennessee and one of the Republicans’ loudest critics, summed up the mood. Democrats warned their conservative colleagues that statements and tweets were no longer enough. Republicans had to overcome their “dependence on Trump,” they declared in a hastily called press conference on Tuesday. “No political career is more important than the core values of our country.”*

Nancy Pelosi, the most senior Democrat in the House of Representatives, had some suggestions: Congress had to publicly condemn the president’s statements and confirm the results of the intelligence services. At the same time, each state had to receive more funding to defend themselves against future attacks on their electoral systems. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo went even further on Twitter. Congress was to decide whether the president’s comments and actions were treason and were therefore impeachable.

Pressure on Republicans Is Growing

Until now, many Republicans have been too afraid of political consequences to engage in an open conflict with the president beyond minor legislative corrections. For valid reasons: Trump now enjoys higher poll ratings in the party and at the grassroots level than any of his conservative predecessors, with the exception of George W. Bush in the months following the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, when the country gathered around its president. The Republicans in Congress are afraid of breaking with Trump, especially since many will still have to face the voters in November. At the same time, the party fears that petty debates about the president’s behavior could unnecessarily distract from the actual goals such as the tax reform or the appointment to the Supreme Court.

But now there is growing pressure to take a stand. “This is the moment of truth for Republicans,” wrote The Atlantic magazine. The 51 Republican senators and 236 Republican representatives are the only ones who can put the president in his place. “[They] have the power to hold hearings, issue subpoenas, pass resolutions of censure,” the magazine wrote. “[Only they can] guarantee the integrity of Robert Mueller’s investigation, condemn the past Russian election interference, shore up protections against the next assault.” With every hour that goes by without the Republicans doing anything, “the more deeply they are stained by this dark moment in American leadership.”

Ryan for New Sanctions against Russia

Just a few weeks ago, Mitch McConnell refused to let the Senate vote on a law that would make it impossible for Trump to single-handedly dismiss special investigator Mueller. But after the public alliance with Putin, there were some first signs of a willingness to act among conservatives. House Speaker Paul Ryan announced new sanctions against Russia on Tuesday. The U.S. had to put an end to Russia’s “vile” attacks on democracy. “We could find common ground to turn the screws on Russia,” Texas Senator John Cornyn agreed.

Not everyone thinks the statements are signs of a change of heart, though. The Helsinki summit will not permanently change the dynamics of the past 18 months, believes political scientist and election expert Steffen Schmidt of Iowa State University. “The Republicans will hope the situation returns to normal as soon as possible.”

The Freedom Caucus, the conservative wing of the party in the House of Representatives, rushed to the president’s aid on Tuesday. Not only did the members praise him for meeting with Putin, they also had found someone to blame for the chaos. According to Andy Biggs, member of the U.S. House of Representatives, the questions asked by journalists in Helsinki were “really odd.” “If there’s anything treasonous that’s gone on, it’s that active operation right now to sow distrust among our own nation in our duly elected president of the United States.”

*Editor’s note: Although correctly translated, this quote could not be verified.