Paranoid Trump fears an election bomb will reveal his Putin secret

As the nation limps toward what many anticipate to be a blue wave of historic proportions, the well-founded belief that Democrats may soon firmly control both houses of Congress leads to an almost paralyzing problem should it come to pass: "Where to even begin?"

Large swaths of voters can reasonably disagree on priorities, but it seems readily apparent that Independents and Democrats are going nowhere without a thorough spring-cleaning, soaping the corruptive grease coating every administration utensil, particularly aimed at Trump's biggest fear and likely biggest weakness: a formal committee tasked with nothing less than the "Corruption and De-Putinification" of the federal government.

The reality is that the United States cannot take a step forward, with or without Trump in office, either domestically or internationally, without addressing the corruption that surely underlies so many "puzzling" policies put forth by this administration — policies that in turn also need to be addressed.

Yet another reality: Congressional Dems will get absolutely nothing real accomplished until they have Trump's arms twisted so far behind him that the only significant relief might come from compromises on policy impacting Americans, healthcare, education, tax reform, et. al.

Thus, "where to begin" actually requires one strong initial push investigating where we stand, how deep it goes, and how we got here. It requires the bipartisan joint committee of House and Senate members, with some Republicans in an increasingly cold relationship with a Hoover-like president who won't be running again.

A recent New York Timesstory piqued some interest with an odd detail. The article noted that John Solomon, a former journalist who is now a special government employee of the White House, put together a "briefing" in which he, very selectively, presented evidence regarding past investigations into Trump, particularly the classified documents investigation.

But it also noted that in 2022, "Mr. Trump named [Solomon] as his representative to the National Archives so [Solomon] could gain access to records related to the investigation into the 2016 Trump campaign’s ties to Russia."

Odd. Why is Trump still so obsessed with the 2016 Russian collusion investigation that he wanted a very loyal guy watching over a particular set of files in the Federal government's possession, even after he was cleared (at least officially), for something that would otherwise be irrelevant at this point. The work continues to today, even though Solomon, just a far-right-wing hack journalist, doesn't have a security clearance? Yes, yes, Trump always wants to use stuff to inflict pain on those who offend him, namely Brennan and Comey. But even that doesn't explain why Trump wanted Solomon in place in 2022 when he was well out of power.

It is like Trump wants an unquestioned loyalist as a minder for those particular files. It is like Trump remains Putin-paranoid.

Tie that fact to another example, in the longest line of examples, from "Russia, if you're listening... " to last week's announcement that we will allow Russia to skirt sanctions and provide them with desperately needed cold cash for a day's worth of diesel that Russia may or may not have. Trump announced the policy and, in so doing, uttered his most naked Russian support since the war in Ukraine began:

“Zelenskyy could have settled this war many times. Many, many times. And he chose — he chooses not to. I suggest they get a new leader who can make a deal... I think it's time for Ukraine to get a new president.”

Ukraine voted Zelensky into office on April 21, 2019, winning the runoff election with approximately 73.2% of the vote. He has been in office for seven years (as opposed to five) because Ukrainian law prevents elections during a state of martial law, which is what a president invokes when invaded by a quasi-superpower. Putin was elected by 53% of Russians in 2000, making him de facto or de jure President of Russia for 27 years. Oh, and he alone invaded Ukraine. Who needs to end the war? Who needs a new president to end this war? According to Trump, it's not Russia. It is like the declaration came from the Kremlin.

Like any long-term victim of domestic abuse, Americans now simply shrug off such obviously mystifying statements as simply normal, nothing to which we even really need to listen, never mind act on; the dry-drunk narcissistic and bullying dad does what he does.

But stand back and take in the entirety. Russia most certainly, it is not even debatable, helped elect Trump in 2016 and almost surely helped Trump in 2020 and 2024. And we know Trump pays particularly close attention to those 2016 files, perhaps containing the roots of the original sin. It is not crazy to say that almost all the beguiling international actions — including infuriating the rest of the West by inviting Vladimir Putin himself to the upcoming December 14–15 G-20 summit at Trump's Doral resort in Miami — eventually bend to the benefit of Russia.

And right there, we have an almost apocalyptic nuclear fusion of all-things-Trump: The G-20 banned the vicious warmongering fascist, and yet Putin all but invited himself to a big-time meeting taking place at Trump's privately owned resort that's sure to enjoy being "spruced up" a bit, paid for by the American government. "All but invited himself" because Trump and the United States invited him with no effort paid toward justifying why Putin should be there.

Putin wants to be there. Trump obliged. That's why.

Trump would never have gotten away with such an act in 2017. No, it took the abuse cycle this long for Americans to simply roll their eyes, "It's just Trump being Trump," taking what might have been an impeachable offense to almost being mundane, with Putin muckin' up the middle.

Indeed, if one imagines Putin as President of Russia but also with full control over the United States and asks "What Would Putin Do?" you could explain a terrifying amount of Trumpian policy. You might get at the roots of tariffs tearing apart alliances, special deals for Russia, special animosity toward Canada; you might run the United States like Putin runs Russia, break it all, sell the scrap to billionaires; you'd certainly have the U.S. supporting Russia in Ukraine, making Zelensky the bad guy; you'd accept 747s. You'd question the integrity of the American vote and thus democracy, manipulate the market, fire much of the FBI and State Department, make friends like Putin himself, MBS, Xi, Kim Jung Un, and you'd have the U.S. government "not care" that Russia is helping Iran while we wage war against the same nation.

The point is there is no "moving on" without rooting out the corruption, and there's no rooting out anything without finding the roots to Russia and Putin, perhaps in those 2016 files.

Why would such an investigation succeed now, having never stopped Trump before?

It would be difficult to understate how newly weak Trump will be as a truly lame duck after a bomb of an election, a heavily Democratic Congress, a struggling economy, billionaire bro buds, and an unwinnable war, all in a nation-victim that perhaps just screamed "no more!" and this time, feeling emboldened. Think about the days after Jan. 6th.

Additionally, and one really hesitates to even add this, but to the extent there exists a means to actually pass and sign new policy into law, it can only come about through the cooperation of a man fighting for his life, perhaps informally "given some room to breathe" as investigations move on during the presidency (but no breathing room after) as Trump tries anything to endear himself to the American people, raising his approval ratings, working to some degree with Democrats on some things.

*In no way does that mean the investigations shouldn't be pushed and impeachments ring over what might be found. On the other hand, if one is in a position to pass Medicare For All with a president almost having to sign it, perhaps some deals get made. Jump off that bridge when we get to it.

Post-World War II Germany found itself rubbled and troubled, wondering how it could move forward and build any trust and respectability, "where to even begin?" They found it critical to announce an unflinching "de-Nazification" campaign, and they meant it, then did it. The U.S. could learn a lesson. After all, "it could never happen here" has become "it has definitely started to happen here" — and we have not seen nor heard much about all the real stories from inside the immigration concentration camps.

Yes, you could call it "de-MAGAfication," but that invites some voters' personal pushback when entirely unnecessary. Even MAGAs understand the corruption and peculiar Putin issue. Make them feel better by not naming them as complicit — the goal is the real goal, and the push has to be the strongest possible, even in name.

Given the reality, all of this might seem obvious. Democrats have promised investigations. But not at this level, not a joint committee (inherently more powerful), not bipartisan (find some of the willing), not one focused on Putin-first; flow from there. Certainly not one that connotes Nazi Germany as appropriate to address the seriousness of what's happened here. The world would take note.

Trump retains a very special obsession with whatever roots lie deep concerning Russia and all that went with it. He certainly wouldn't get away with all he's doing right now had he tried it in his first term. Without a doubt, he believes he's unlimited in power — he says such, then threatens much. How very Putin.

"Where do we even begin"? How about the beginning? What would Putin do? It looks like literally everything flows from there. Finally, we may find out why.

After all, it's noteworthy that he couldn't do all this in his first term; maybe some new mistakes have been made along the way.

Jason Miciak is a Raw Story Columnist, past editor at Occupy Democrats, author, consultant, attorney, and single parent girldad. Please follow on Bluesky and he can be reached at jasonmiciak@gmail.com