A report card on the Biden administration

[Sandy Shanks]

Like a bad dream, Trump will not go away. The primary reason, the Republican Party keeps propping him up as the leader of the party.

Why is anyone's guess. The Republican Party lost the House, Senate, and the Presidency during the four years of the Trump administration.

Michael Flynn was Trump's National Security Advisor, but he got in trouble with law and he didn't last a month. A few years later, Trump pardoned him.

The Dallas Morning News reports, "A former national security adviser for Donald Trump told attendees at a weekend conference in Dallas linked to the QAnon conspiracy that what happened in Myanmar — where the military overthrew the government — “should happen” in the United States.

"Michael Flynn, a retired Army lieutenant general, was among the keynote speakers at the For God & Country Patriot Roundup, which took place Friday to Monday at the city-owned Omni Dallas Hotel and Eddie Deen’s Ranch.

"During a question-and-answer session that CNN reported took place Sunday, an audience member asked Flynn, while mispronouncing the Southeast Asian nation’s name: “I want to know why what happened in Myanmar can’t happen here?'"

“No reason,” Flynn responded as the crowd cheered. “I mean, it should happen here.”

More than 700 people have been killed by security forces since Myanmar's military grabbed power in a coup on 1 February, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (Burma).

 

[Sandy Shanks]

Senate Republicans were foolish to kill the bipartisan commission to investigate the Jan. 6 insurrection. They forced the Democrats to investigate this matter on their terms. It is logical to infer that Trump told the Senate Republican leadership to kill the commission. It pretty much smacks like his king of thinking. Consistently he has sacrificed the future for the present.

There will be no bipartisan committee to investigate Jan. 6. Great!

There will be a committee run by Pelosi to investigate Jan. 6. Uh-oh!

CNN reports, "House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is already making plans to find a new path to investigate the January 6 Capitol insurrection, after Republicans in the Senate blocked the legislation to form an independent bipartisan commission.

"In her first virtual meeting with her fellow members of the House Democratic Caucus since the Senate vote Friday, Pelosi prepared to initiate a House-led investigation despite the stiff GOP resistance, promising her colleagues she would keeping going until they find the truth.

"According to multiple sources on the call, Pelosi outlined possible options to investigate the insurrection. Those options included:

1. Giving the Senate a chance for another vote on the legislation to create an independent bipartisan commission.
2. Creating a new select committee in the House to do the investigation.
3. Allowing the standing committees to continue their existing probes into the January 6 riot.
4. Designating one preexisting committee, such as Homeland Security, to take charge of an investigation.

"House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is ruling out a presidential commission to study the Jan. 6 insurrection at the Capitol, telling House Democrats on Tuesday that having President Joe Biden appoint a panel is unworkable even after the Senate blocked an independent probe last week," the Associated Press.

 

[Sandy Shanks]

Senate Republicans were foolish to kill the bipartisan commission to investigate the Jan. 6 insurrection. They forced the Democrats to investigate this matter on their terms. It is logical to infer that Trump told the Senate Republican leadership to kill the commission. It pretty much smacks like his kind of thinking. Consistently he has sacrificed the future for the present.

By following Trump's marching orders -- Trump was never known for his political acumen -- Senate Republicans made a colossal mistake. From the standpoint of their best interests, as a consequence of their catastrophic error not only did they trade in a bipartisan investigation for an investigation on Pelosi's terms, but they caused the issue to drag out deep into an election year -- something they dearly wanted to prevent.

As can be seen from the post above, Pelosi hasn't even decided which of four options she intends to use. The bipartisan commission the Republicans killed in the Senate had an end date -- the end of the year. There are no such constraints on Pelosi.

Republicans are trying to avoid any mention of Trump, who incited the insurrection, and the Republican lawmakers who agreed the election was stolen and played a role in the insurrection.

This is what happens to a party that is led by Donald Trump.

What do forum Republicans think about all this? We will never know. They remain totally silent on the issue. Embarrassment and a lack of intellectual credentials may be contributing factors to the phenomenon of silence.

 

[Sandy Shanks]

It is beginning to look like Netanyahu is on his way out.

CNN reports, "A coalition of Israeli political parties announced Wednesday night they had agreed to a deal to form a new government, paving the way for the exit of Israel's longest serving prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu.

"Yair Lapid, leader of the centrist Yesh Atid party, notified Israeli President Reuven Rivlin that he had managed to cobble together a coalition just 38 minutes before the midnight deadline.

"Though Lapid holds the mandate to form the government under the agreement, it is Naftali Bennett -- leader of the small right-wing party Yamina and the kingmaker in coalition talks -- who is set to become prime minister for the first two years of a four-year term. Lapid will serve as foreign minister until the two men swap roles halfway through the term.

"In a statement, Lapid said the "government will work to serve all the citizens of Israel including those who aren't members of it, will respect those who oppose it, and do everything in its power to unite all parts of Israeli society."

"The deal is a seismic event in recent Israeli political history as it could spell the final days of Netanyahu's 12 years in office.

"The coalition agreement must now pass a vote of confidence in the Knesset, Israel's parliament, before a new government and prime minister are sworn in.

"Not much unites the parties other than their desire to oust Netanyahu, and the parties differ in their stances on some of the country's most pressing issues, especially relations with the Palestinians."

 

[Sandy Shanks]

The good news keeps coming.

NBC News reports, "The economy added 559,000 jobs last month, double April's disappointing total, and the unemployment rate ticked down to 5.8 percent from 6.1 percent, according to data released Friday by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

"It is further indication that the economy is grinding into high gear, as widespread vaccinations allow for the reopening of businesses across all sectors. Half of Americans are now fully vaccinated, and confirmed coronavirus cases in the United States have fallen to levels not seen since March 2020, according to an NBC News analysis.

"A slew of positive employment data this week pumped optimism into labor market observers after ADP reported Thursday that private payrolls rose by 978,000 last month, and the Department of Labor said initial unemployment claims fell to 385,000, their lowest level since the pandemic hit — though still double the pre-pandemic average.

The stock market did well today, closing at near record highs. The record highs occurred during Biden's watch a few weeks ago.

“No other major economy in the world is growing as fast as ours,” President Joe Biden said in a speech Friday. “None of this success is an accident. It isn’t luck.”

It is great to have a real President again.

 

[Sandy Shanks]

One has to write something really nasty to be banned from Facebook. Donald Trump managed that on January 6 when he praised the far right extremist thugs who invaded and ransacked our capitol.

Now try to imagine a major party in the U.S. being led by a man who was banned from Facebook.

You got it right. The man's name is Donald Trump and he is the current leader of the Republican Party.

You can't make this up.

U.S, News reports, "Facebook on Friday announced that former President Donald Trump will be suspended from the site for at least two years, ensuring that he will be silent on the massive social media platform through the crucial 2022 midterm elections.

"Trump will be barred from the platform until at least January 2023 – two years after his initial suspension – at which time the company will reevaluate his ban and only reinstate him "if conditions permit."

Of course, Trump blames others, not his traitorous speech that incited the insurrection and not his traitorous tweet glorifying the violent extremists he had encouraged.

In his first statement on the suspension, Trump said it was an “insult” to those who voted for him in “the rigged presidential election” and said: “They shouldn’t be allowed to get away with this censoring and silencing.”

The man belongs in a mental ward, not at the helm of a major party in America.

 

[Sandy Shanks]

The good news keeps coming.

The economy added 559,000 jobs last month, double April's disappointing total, and the unemployment rate ticked down to 5.8 percent from 6.1 percent, according to data released Friday by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

But not for the Republican Party. Trump is determined to bring the Republican Party down with him.

As the Republicans on this forum remain silent, the Post reports, "As Republicans gathered Saturday in two battleground Southern states to chart a course forward after losing the White House and both chambers of Congress, former president Donald Trump was partially fixated on the past as he aired grievances, repeated falsehoods and promoted culture war issues that have captured his imagination.

"Much of Trump’s focus at the state’s annual Republican convention here was on the 2020 election, his administration’s response to the coronavirus pandemic, his two impeachments and various investigations into him or his business as he sought to appeal to his most enthusiastic supporters, who showed up in force to see him speak.

“That election will go down as the crime of the century, and our country is being destroyed by people who perhaps have no right to destroy it,” he said, uttering a series of false statements about voter fraud in several states."

Then the Post made this observation. It is something I have been saying for months.

Trump’s appearance Saturday illustrates a continued conundrum for the Republican Party: While he remains overwhelmingly popular among the party’s faithful, he potentially poses a problem for the GOP as it looks to win over voters ahead of the 2022 midterms who are wary of his divisive style.

The Post was being nice. Many Republicans in private are making the claim that Trump is a fool. Unfortunately, as the Post pointed out, the foolish believe in him and their silence proves it.

 

[Sandy Shanks]

Stormy Daniels? Remember her? Well, the porn star wants to testify in a New York criminal probe as to the sexual behavior of one Donald J. Trump.

CNN reports, "Stormy Daniels said Monday that she has not yet testified in a New York criminal probe into the Trump Organization but that she would "love nothing more than" to be interviewed by prosecutors investigating former President Donald Trump's sprawling company."

"I have not been called to testify yet, but I've been very forthcoming since the beginning of all this that I would love nothing more than my day in court and to give a deposition and to provide whatever evidence that they need from me," Daniels, an adult-film star whose real name is Stephanie Clifford."

"I mean, I have all the original forms and emails and wire transcripts and all of that stuff, and I'm happy to turn it over to anybody who needs it, honestly," she added.

"Daniels, who claims she had an affair with Trump before he became president, said her attorney has been in contact with Manhattan and New York state investigators and that she has had meetings with them about other issues. She said if she were asked to talk to investigators or a grand jury she would "tell them everything I know." Trump has denied having an affair with Daniels."

 

[Sandy Shanks]

Biden's nemesis, Joe Manchin.

The Guardian reports, "Growing fissures in Democratic ranks were evident on Monday over West Virginia senator Joe Manchin’s public opposition to the For the People Act, a sweeping measure to protect voting rights that are under assault from Republicans in numerous states – and also his stance against scrapping the filibuster.

"The filibuster is the rule under which the Senate minority, currently the Republicans, has the power to thwart the majority’s will on most legislation.

"Manchin is a centrist Democrat, but one progressive congressman called him “the new Mitch McConnell”, for helping the Republican Senate leader in his quest to stop progress on the Democrats’ agenda at all costs.

"In a column for the Charleston Gazette-Mail on Sunday, Manchin said he opposed the For the People Act, or HR1, which currently has no Republican support in the Senate, because “partisan voting legislation will destroy the already weakening binds of our democracy”.

"He also reiterated his support of the filibuster, under which 60 votes are needed to pass most legislation. The Senate is split 50-50 between the two parties and controlled by Democrats only through Kamala Harris’s casting vote as vice-president."

Anger over Manchin’s stand was particularly fierce among African Americans, a key constituency in elections which gave Democrats control of the White House and Congress and subsequently a key target of Republican efforts to restrict ballot access in Florida, Georgia, Texas and elsewhere.

It is easier to understand Manchin when one learns Trump easily carried West Virginia by 38.9 points in 2020, down from 42.1 points in 2016. Manchin won his seat by 3 points.

 

[Sandy Shanks]

By following Trump's marching orders -- Trump was never known for his political acumen -- Senate Republicans made a colossal mistake. From the standpoint of their best interests, as a consequence of their catastrophic error not only did they trade in a bipartisan investigation for an investigation on Pelosi's terms, but they caused the issue to drag out deep into an election year -- something they dearly wanted to prevent.

This is why the House needs to investigate the Jan.6 insurrection, the invasion and ransacking of our capitol. Five were killed.

CNN reports, "(CNN)Two Senate committees on Tuesday released the most comprehensive government report on the security failures leading up to the US Capitol insurrection on January 6, revealing new details about unheeded warnings, critical miscommunications and intelligence shortcomings.

However, the Senate investigation was significantly watered down before it even started.

CNN continued. "The 95-page report is the first comprehensive offering from the long list of Senate and House committees that are investigating various matters related to the Capitol insurrection. It's by far one of the most thorough fact-finding efforts and was released Tuesday in a bipartisan fashion.

"But as comprehensive as it is, it only examined one piece of the bigger puzzle. It looked at the "security, planning and response failures" by law enforcement. But what about efforts by extremist groups to plan for violence in DC? What about former President Donald Trump and the Republican officials who fanned the flames? Congress isn't equipped to probe these issues."

Senate aides said investigators intentionally avoided the most politicized topics -- like Trump's culpability -- because they wanted to keep the probe bipartisan. Sources told CNN that to keep Republicans in the fold, the report avoided using the word "insurrection" to describe the attack.

When Senate Republicans killed the bipartisan Jan. 6 commission, they essentially turned the investigation over to Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Pelosi has not yet decided which option to use.

She is in no hurry. She wants the facts concerning the invasion of our capitol to come out during 2022, an election year.

Senate Republicans facilitated that, too. They were following Trump's orders.

 

[Sandy Shanks]

Growing fissures in Democratic ranks were evident on Monday over West Virginia senator Joe Manchin’s public opposition to the For the People Act, a sweeping measure to protect voting rights that are under assault from Republicans in numerous states – and also his stance against scrapping the filibuster.

Today Biden took another step towards going it alone, meaning getting key legislation passed without Republican help. The key legislation being the voting rights bill and infrastructure.

Reuters reports, "President Joe Biden on Tuesday broke off talks on an infrastructure bill with a key Republican, instead reaching out to a bipartisan group, after one-on-one talks with Senator Shelley Capito were described as hitting a "brick wall."

"Biden changed course after Capito, the leader of a group of six Senate Republicans handling the negotiations, offered $330 billion in new spending on infrastructure, far short of Biden's reduced $1.7 trillion offer."

"He informed Senator Capito today that the latest offer from her group did not, in his view, meet the essential needs of our country," White House press secretary Jen Psaki said in a statement.

The going it alone strategy is dependent upon Kyrsten Sinema and Joe Manchin who are not thrilled with abandoning the filibuster to achieve Biden's goals. Both come from very red states, Arizona and West Virginia.

Reuters adds, "A bipartisan group of senators was due to meet on Tuesday to discuss the next steps on infrastructure. Republicans including Bill Cassidy, Mitt Romney and Rob Portman, and Democrats, including key swing votes Kyrsten Sinema and Joe Manchin, were among those expected to attend."

 

[Sandy Shanks]

Miracles do happen!

CNBC reports, "The Senate on Tuesday passed one of the largest industrial bills in U.S. history in a bipartisan effort to ensure the U.S. remains competitive with China as one of the globe’s technological powerhouses.

"The bill, which passed the chamber 68-32, includes funding for scientific research, subsidies for chipmakers and robot makers, and an overhaul of the National Science Foundation.

"The scope of the bill, the final product of at least six Senate committees and almost all members of the chamber, reflects the myriad fronts in the U.S.-China rivalry. proof that U.S. lawmakers are broadly in favor of legislation that works to counter Beijing’s economic and military expansion."

 

[Sandy Shanks]

The Senate on Tuesday passed one of the largest industrial bills in U.S. history in a bipartisan effort to ensure the U.S. remains competitive with China as one of the globe’s technological powerhouses.

The economy added 559,000 jobs last month, double April's disappointing total, and the unemployment rate ticked down to 5.8 percent from 6.1 percent, according to data released Friday by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Developer pulls the plug on Keystone XL oil pipeline​

CNN reports, "The developer of the Keystone XL pipeline announced Wednesday it is pulling the plug on the controversial project after the Biden administration revoked its permit in January.

"TC Energy, the Canadian company behind the project, said it decided to terminate the project after a comprehensive review of its options and consulting with the government of Alberta, Canada. The company said it would coordinate with regulators, stakeholders and Indigenous groups to ensure a safe exit from the project.

"The cancellation ends more than a decade of controversy over the pipeline and marks a big win for environmentalists who argued the project threatened the environment and would only worsen the climate crisis.

"The project aimed to carry oil from the tar sands of Canada into the United States, and it has been a political football for years.

"On his first day in the White House, President Joe Biden revoked the permit his predecessor granted to Keystone XL, and also moved to re-enter the United States in the Paris climate agreement. TC Energy warned at the time that the decision by Biden would "directly lead to the layoff of thousands of union workers."

Tar sands! Biden was spot on again as he continues to undo the damage wrought by Trump. Now he is in Europe to undo the damage Trump caused there with his mindless "America first" policy and isolationism. He wants to strengthen the relationships with our traditional allies (NATO) before the summit with Vladimir Putin.

There will be no Helsinki this time.

 

[Sandy Shanks]

A review of slowed-down bodycam footage by The Times shows that 13 of the 14 gunshots — including the fatal one — were fired as Mr. Brown was driving away from officers, not at them. The footage was presented by the district attorney at a press conference and is from four officers’ cameras.

Reuters reports, "An autopsy report released on Thursday for Andrew Brown Jr., a Black man shot by [county sheriff deputies] as he resisted an arrest in April outside his North Carolina home, confirmed that he was killed by a fatal bullet wound in the back of his head.

"Brown, 42, was shot as he tried to flee by car during a morning raid in Elizabeth City, North Carolina, a riverfront community where just over half of the roughly 18,000 residents are Black.

"The autopsy report was dated June 7 and released on Thursday by the North Carolina Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, and described the death as a homicide caused by "penetrating gunshot wound of the head." The only other condition it listed as being significant in the cause of death was a gunshot wound to the right arm.

"The office also released a toxicology report that found a low level of methamphetamine in Brown's blood that likely did not play a role in his death.

"Pasquotank County District Attorney Andrew Womble said on May 18 that he would not prosecute the officers who fatally shot Brown, concluding that their use of deadly force was justified because they felt their lives were endangered when Brown drove his car toward them. Brown was wanted on suspicion of selling illegal drugs." {Please see quote]

Reuters added, "The killing captured national attention."

That statement is false.

Shot in the back by sheriff's deputies, the homicide has been largely ignored by the media and completely ignored by the state of North Carolina and the federal government. Brown's family and the protestors in Elizabeth City are more or less on their own.

The body cam footage can be seen here -- Andrew Brown Jr. Shooting: Videos Cast Doubt on Police Use of Force

 

[Sandy Shanks]

Judging from their posts, apparently a good many of Trump's followers are anarchists. What they got with Trump was more government intrusion, not less.

Trump considered the DOJ as his very own law firm consisting of lawyers who worked for him.

Those who voted for Trump thinking he would "drain the swamp" were disappointed. Trump lied. What they got with Trump was more government, not less.

CNN reports, "New revelations suggesting that the Trump administration abused Justice Department powers to target his political enemies underscore just how far the ex-President went to destroy cherished principles of American republican government.

"They show that the true extent of assaults on democracy by Donald Trump are still coming to light and are probably even now not fully known.

"But this is not just a drama about the alleged misbehavior of a former President. Taken together with the Republican Party's refusal to hold Trump accountable. Trump remains the GOP's dominant figure.

"In some of the most chilling exposés yet of Trump's autocratic tendencies, The New York Times late Thursday unveiled a secret scheme by prosecutors against members of Congress conducting presidential oversight.

"In pursuit of leaks of classified information about contacts between Trump associates and Russia, the Justice Department subpoenaed Apple for data from the accounts of Democrats on the House Intelligence Committee, their staff and even their families, including a minor. In a sinister twist to the story, prosecutors also secured a gag order against Apple, preventing it from informing customers their metadata had been seized."

The forum's Republicans along with Republicans in Congress will say nothing about this egregious act. They deal with reality by avoiding it.

 

[Sandy Shanks]

In some of the most chilling exposés yet of Trump's autocratic tendencies, The New York Times late Thursday unveiled a secret scheme by prosecutors against members of Congress conducting presidential oversight.

Trump used the DOJ to attack the free press. Will this concern Trump's followers? Hell, no. They avoid unpleasant realities such as this. They prefer ignorance. They don't know, and they don't want to know. Don't expect to hear from any of them.

NBC reports, "The Justice Department confirmed Friday that it sought the phone records of three Washington Post reporters for calls they made during three months in 2017 while reporting on Russia’s role in the 2016 presidential election.

"According to the Post, which was first to report the news, Post reporters Ellen Nakashima and Greg Miller, along with Adam Entous, who no longer works for the paper, were notified in letters dated May 3 that the government sought court orders to access information on calls between April 15, 2017, and July 31, 2017."

 

[Sandy Shanks]

June 12, authorities have arrested one person in connection with the mass shooting overnight in downtown Austin, Texas, that left 14 people injured. This was the ninth mass shooting in Texas this year.

On April 4, four people were injured in a Beaumont shooting during a parking lot disturbance.

In north Texas, six members of the same family were killed on April 5 in a murder-suicide plot, according to the Allen Police Department.

Four people were injured at a San Antonio apartment complex on March 28 in a shooting involving at least two teens and three different weapons.

In Houston, five people were shot at a nightclub on the North Freeway on March 20.

On the same night as the North Freeway shooting, seven people were shot at a Dallas bar,

In Austin, four people were shot by a pair of gunmen outside a barber shop on March 12.

The first mass shooting in Texas of the year happened in Houston on March 11, according to the Gun Violence Archive. Gunmen shot four people, killing three of them in a southwest Houston apartment complex parking lot.

Bryan shooting was 8th mass shooting in Texas so far this year

As another family grieves, another suspect is jailed and multiple people recover from their wounds, the violence is just the latest in an alarming trend.

abc13.com

In Texas, "lawmakers approved a bill that would allow people to carry handguns without a license, background check and training. Governor Greg Abbott has said he will sign it despite objections," The Guardian.

Republicans want Americans to enjoy all of their freedoms.

With the exception of the freedom to life.

 

[Sandy Shanks]

Netanyahu is gone.

USA Today reports, "Israel's parliament approved a new government on Sunday, ending the record 12-year tenure of Benjamin Netanyahu as prime minister and swearing in a fragile, diverse coalition that has promised to break the country's political gridlock.

"The change came by the slimmest of margins, with 60 votes in favor and 59 opposed in Israel's 120-member Knesset. One member abstained.

"Far-right politician Naftali Bennett, who once worked for Netanyahu, becomes Israel's new prime minister for two years in a coalition agreement that includes eight separate parties and is led by Bennett and centrist Yair Lapid.

"Lapid will serve as foreign minister and become prime minister after Bennett's two-year stint.

"President Joe Biden, who has known Netanyahu for decades, said he welcomed the new government and looked forward to working with Bennett. The two men spoke by phone after Sunday's results."

Axios added this concerning Netanyahu. "Shortly before the vote, Netanyahu was asked by reporters if he was committed to an orderly transfer of power and answered sarcastically: "No, there will be a revolution. What an idiotic question.

"Netanyahu has also promised to quickly bring down the government, which could be quite fragile given its narrow majority and deep ideological divisions."

Does that sound familiar?

 

[Sandy Shanks]

With Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell one has to read between the lines. Often what he doesn't say is more important than what he has said.

The Hill reports, "Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) warned on Monday that he and his allies are willing to step into Republican Senate primaries to try to prevent a candidate they view as unelectable in November 2022 from advancing.

McConnell, during an interview with conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt, was asked if he and the Senate Leadership Fund, an outside group closely aligned with the Kentucky Republican, would be willing to intervene in 2022 Republican primaries."

"If necessary," McConnell told Hewitt.

"There's no question that in order to win you have to appeal to the general election audience," McConnell added. "I'll be keeping an eye on that. Hopefully we won't have to intervene, but if we do, we will."

The Hill continued, "Republicans are hoping to take back the Senate majority in 2022, where they are defending 20 seats compared to 14 for Democrats.

"His new remarks come as the party is facing renewed primary headaches heading into 2022; they face crowded fields in states like Missouri, North Carolina and Pennsylvania, where loyalty to former President Trump remains a critical factor.

"Trump has also come out hard against some GOP incumbents, including vowing to challenge Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), who hasn't formally announced if she's going to run for reelection. He also previously heavily criticized Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.), McConnell's No. 2.

"Jack Pandol, a spokesman for the Senate Leadership Fund, told Axios earlier this month that the group reserved "the right to intervene in cases where a candidate is a clear threat to lose a seat in a general election" and to support GOP incumbents."

Is the GOP finally wakening up to the threat posed by Trump, its titular leader? Is the GOP finally abandoning the intelligence challenged members of Trump's cult?

 

[Sandy Shanks]

On the eve of Biden's sit down with Putin, there are a number of things to consider. First, we should give credit to our President for lining up the thirty nations that comprise NATO before meeting with the Russian dictator.

Second, we are reminded of the embarrassing moments of the past when our previous President met with Putin.

We know Putin helped Trump win the election in 2016. We know that from American intelligence and a Republican Senate committee report. The big question is, why did Putin favor Trump?

We know Trump rejected American intelligence and accepted Putin's word at Helsinki. "My people came to me. Dan Coats came to me, and some others," Trump said. "They said they think it's Russia. I have President Putin. He just said it's not Russia. I will say this: I don't see any reason why it would be."

American embarrassment was palpable.

Several Trump administration officials were unable to obtain a readout from his meeting with Putin in Helsinki.

We know Trump went to extraordinary lengths to keep details from his conversations with Putin secret – even from officials within his own administration the Washington Post reported.

After meeting with Putin at the 2017 Group of 20 summit in Hamburg, Germany, Trump took his interpreter's notes and told him not to discuss the meeting with anyone, including other U.S. officials, the Post reported.

We know that Trump is currently striking at the very basis of American democracy -- free and unfettered elections. Trump lost by over seven million votes. Without evidence, he claims the election was stolen from him. Then he struck at the heart of our Constitution and incited an insurrection on Jan. 6. Our capitol was invaded and ransacked. Five people were killed.

We know that documents were released Tuesday by the House Oversight Committee detailing then-President Trump’s repeated efforts to pressure the Department of Justice to pursue his unsubstantiated claims of election fraud in the 2020 presidential election and help overturn Joe Biden’s victory.

The emails illustrate the behind-the-scenes efforts Trump's White House took to pressure federal officials while he simultaneously pushed the same false claims on Twitter. The messages were sent from mid-December to early January, according to NBC News.

We can make an educated inference that this is exactly what Putin would want Trump to do.

Let us hope and pray that our current President can overcome these embarrassing moments from the past, and that he can dispel any disparaging thoughts Putin might have concerning American democracy. That Biden will instill the fact that American democracy is as strong as ever despite the efforts of Donald Trump.