Huffington Post: Memes About Congratulations to Putin from Trump, and recent news about US Foreign Policy.

Confusing Dire Straits of Recent American Foreign Policy Dilemmas: Russia, UK, North Korea, and Syria 
Transcription Summary of MSNBC coverage by Rachel Maddow, with additional reporting by Olga Dvornikova


MSNBC reports that Cambridge Analytica congratulated President elect Donald Trump on his win with Mike Pence stating “We are thrilled that our revolutionary approach to data-driven communications played such an integral part in President-elect Donal Trump’s extraordinary win, “said Alexander Nix, CEO of Cambridge Analytica.


Since then, the company has removed him as CEO amid scandal and began an investigation. This occurred after Britain revealed compromising footage of Nix discuss the company’s dirty tricks and undercover secrets on Channel 4. He admitted meeting Trump and that they ran all his research, data, digital campaign, and all the strategy of the Trump campaign. Federal Trade Commission has begun an investigation into the Cambridge Analyticas involvement in the US election. A whistleblower at the company revealed that 50 million Facebook profiles were breached by the company during the election period. Part of the activity falls on Alexander Kagan, a Cambridge University academic who orchestrated the harvesting of the Facebook data and previously unreported ties to a Russian university, including a teaching position and research grants into the social media network.


Same whistleblower at Cambridge Analytica reported that Energy firm Lukeoil, which is now on the US sanctions list and has been used as a vehicle of the government influence, saw a presentation on the firm’s work in 2014. The company was interested in how to influence American people on social media.


President is trying to find new lawyers to join their team. Our closest over-seas ally, Great Britain is also under a difficult situation. In a press interview, Teresa May stated that “Britain will not tolerate a threat to British citizens and others on British soil.” Two people were poisoned by supposed Russian government with a new nerve agent. Boris Johnson, UK Foreign Secretary states that “Our quarrel is with Putin’s Kremlin, and with his decision, and that it was highly likely that it was his decision to direct the use of the nerve agent. May expelled twenty-three diplomats from UK and today they left for Moscow, Russia. The diplomats are undeclared intelligence officers and had one week to leave. Today, March 21, 2018 they left for Moscow from the London Stansted airport. They were expelled as punishment for poisoning of double agents, Sergei Skripal and his daughter Julia in Salsbury, UK. An attack that Britain and European Union agree was carried out by the Russian government, Novachuks. People are unaware what the nerve agent actually does to people therefore the fear level is extremely high at this point. Sergei and Julia were taken to the hospital and are still alive. (2)


A scientist from The Bell discussed working on the nerve agent “Novichok” where 20 grams to several kilos were applied to victims. He said there is no anti-dote to the poison. He said if Sergei and Julia are taken off life support they will die. They remain in critical condition.


Nikolai Glushkov’s death is also being investigated as a possible murder. His death occurred only 8 days after the Skripal attack.


Also only 5 days ago the US Government treasury finally sanctioned Russian Cyber actions for interference with the 2016 U.S. Elections and Malicious Cyber Attacks. Also five days ago, the US Cert Homeland Security and FBI reported that provided information that Russian government may be hacking into the U.S. Government as well as organizations in the energy, nuclear, communal facilities, water, aviation, and critical manufacturing sectors. Therefore, US should be in alarm mode that hacking is occurring on American organizations. Our president is trying to maintain communication with the Russian president, Putin, as he was the one who won the election in Russia. He stated repeatedly that he will meet with Putin in "Not too distant future." They are in diplomatic discussion about Russian and American relationship and political situations in North Korea and Syria. 


President Trump advisers were trying to advise him not to congratulate the Russian president. Yet, the President "went rogue" and congratulated Putin. Simply because the election is deemed undemocratic and a sham. Trump also did not confront him about the nerve agent. He simply congratulated him for the election win. As states during the presidential bid for president, Hillary Clinton said Trump will not be able to stand up to Putin and will almost always back down. Therefore, she was somewhat accurate that the president will not confront the Russian or Chinese world leaders. However, from his campaign "Make America Great Again" (MAGA), President Trump repeatedly said he believes in American democracy and is working really hard to provide a better future for the American families who were left behind during the Obama presidency, such as the rural coal-towns, and all those areas where businesses had closed. Trump won the election on his stronger economic agenda to bring business back to USA and provide work for the middle class Americans and also the veterans who have had a difficulties transitioning back to civilian lives upon their return. However, recent information from Channel 4 reports about Cambridge Analytica's role in the US election, may undermine the President's original election's success.  (1) 


The president chose not to heed talking points from his aides and advisors instructing him to condemn Putin about the recent poisoning of a former Russian spy in the United Kingdom with a powerful nerve agent. Trump perhaps has to develop a firmer stance about the attack on British soil, that the British had confirmed was carried out by Russia. The question on everyone's mind is "why is Trump ignoring his staff? Why does he believe his own actions are correct instead of those of his advisors?" 


Carol Leonnig, a reported from Washinton Post spoke about Trump's actions with Rachel Maddow. He ignored the aides warnings because he disagreed with his staff. The president chose to disregard some of the warnings such as choosing not to condemn about the nerve agent. And discussed Syria and North Korea. There is a perception that it would not be very good to bring up the Nerve agent because of the current investigation of his campaign. The staffers tried to raise the alarm for him to address our ally's concerns. After the call occurred with the Russian president, the White House Staff experienced, "quite a curfaffle, an omg moment, what are we going to say about the call?" The Russians posted first and said that Trump congratulated their leader.   


Ed Mazza of Huffingoton Post reported that John McCain @SenJohnMcCain stated on March 20th, 2018. “An American president does not lead the Free World by congratulating dictators on winning sham elections. And by doing so with Vladimir Putin, President Trump insulted every Russian citizen who was denied the right to vote in a free and fair election. Since Russia has not had a democratic process and US government believes we should not interfere in the foreign country’s electoral process." There is nothing that American people can dictate to the Russian people to do, said Trump’s press secretary to the press earlier this week.       


Reference 1: Ed Mazza. Donald Trump’s ‘DO NOT CONGRATULATE’ Putin Blunder Is Already a Savage New Meme.Huffington Post.
Retreived March 21, 2018. https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/trump-do-not-congratulate-twitter_us_5ab1feb2e4b0decad0453c58?ncid=engmodushpmg00000004


Reference 2: Further reading by Nina Khrushcheva: Donald Trump's not quite Joseph Stalin. But his 'Fake News Awards' should scare us. 
https://www.nbcnews.com/think/opinion/donald-trump-s-not-quite-joseph-stalin-his-fake-news-ncna838456 


Reference 3: About the nerve agent: http://theconversation.com/novichok-the-deadly-story-behind-the-nerve-agent-in-sergei-skripal-spy-attack-93562scare us.