Patton: Will Russia Select Our Next President?

What next? Donald Trump has encouraged Russia to spy on the United States.

"Donald Trump pleaded with the Russian government on Wednesday to meddle in the U.S. presidential election by finding and releasing tens of thousands of private emails from his Democratic opponent Hillary Clinton - an extraordinary and perhaps unprecedented maneuver in American politics.

'Russia, if you're listening, I hope you're able to find the 30,000 emails that are missing," Trump said at a news conference at one of his South Florida resorts. He added later, 'They probably have them. I'd like to have them released.'" (Philip Rucker and Robert Costa, Washington Post as reported in New Jersey Star-Ledger, 7/28/2016).

Why is Trump so enthusiastic about the release of the missing emails? Because he believes they will aid his campaign for the presidency and looks to the Russians to help him. Trump seems to regard them as partners in his efforts to become president.

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What could have created this strange alliance? There's something in it for Trump to be helped by the Russians and apparently something in it for the Russians to have a beholden and cooperative Donald Trump occupying the U.S. presidency .

"The potential benefits Mr. Trump offers to Mr. Putin have been clearly and repeatedly spelled out by the candidate himself. Russia's most cherished goal is to weaken or destroy NATO; Mr. Trump has called the alliance obsolete. Mr. Putin dreams of reestablishing dominion over the pieces of the Soviet Union. Mr. Trump has said that he might not defend former Soviet republics Latvia, Estonia, and Lithuania if Russia invaded, despite their NATO membership. Mr. Putin wants the United States to treat Russia as an equal superpower with its own acknowledged sphere of influence; Mr. Trump has repeatedly praised Mr. Putin and promised to work with him . . .

"One of the few changes in the GOP platform pushed by the Trump campaign was the weakening of language calling for support for Ukraine's current democratic government . . . which Mr. Putin is attempting to destroy. " (Editorial, Washington Post, 7/26/2016).

So, the Russians have much to gain from a Trump presidency. What favors have the Russians done for Trump to make him so helpful?

"In a 2008 speech, Trump's son, Donald, Jr. made it clear that the Trumps want to do business in Russia, but were finding it difficult.

"'Russians make up a pretty disproportionate cross-section of a lot of our assets,' Trump's son told a real estate conference in 2008, according to an account posted on the website of eturboNews, a trade publication. 'we see a lot of money pouring in from Russia . . .'

"Without access to Trump's tax returns - which he has refused to disclose - it may be impossible to tell whether he currently has Russian assets." (Glenn Kessler, Washington Post, 7/28/2016) That may be precisely one of many reasons why Trump has adamantly refused to release his tax returns - to avoid embarrassment and resulting damage to his presidential campaign.

Michael Wolff writing in USA Today (8/1/2016) suggests an even more serious possible explanation of the Russian-Trump alliance. Trump may be in debt to the Russians, and that fact would make him beholden to them and, as president, compromise his ability to vigorously defend the interests of the United States against Russian incursions.

"In a mind-boggling exhumation, Franklin Foer in Slate - with a follow-up by political blogger Josh Marshall - unearthed Trump's political connection to Russian interests and reliance on Russia, the background to Trump's heretofore seemingly inexplicable praise of Vladimir Putin. Bad enough if it were just one strongman to another, but it is in fact, in Foer's analysis, debtor to lender. It's the Russians who have been propping up a bankrupt Trump. It's a never-before-even-imagined issue in U.S. foreign policy; What if the president's personal business interests depend on the good will of a foreign power?

Traditionally, out of respect, one nation steers clear of the domestic elections taking place in another. Not only has Russia violated this tradition, but Donald Trump has paved the way for the Russians to become involved in an election by which we select the occupant of the highest office in the land.

Gary Patton is the author of two books, Selling Mt. Washington, a political satire, and Outtastatahs: Newcomers' Adventures in New Hampshire, a work of regional humor.