President Trump denied today that he has ever "worked for Russia" and said it is a "disgrace" that he should be asked if he ever did.
Trump is right. It's a disgrace that our president would ever even be suspected of working for America's arch enemy, to the point that a legitimate news reporter would feel obliged to ask such a question.
But that's the situation in America today and Donald Trump has no-one to blame but himself.
It was Trump, not "crooked Hillary" or anyone else, whose actions in the firing of former FBI Director James Comey were so suspicious that the agency launched an investigation to determine if the President of the United States was colluding with or being influenced by the enemy.
That investigation, which Trump has ridiculed and derided, was continued by Special Counsel Robert Mueller III, whose work is widely viewed to be nearing a conclusion with a report expected to be presented to the Justice Department perhaps as early as next month.
It was Trump, not "crooked Hillary" or anyone else, who met with Vladimir Putin, kicked his aides out of the room and demanded the transcript from the interpreter, swearing that individual to secrecy. Today, Trump said that meeting was "no big deal," that he meets one-on-one with world leaders "all the time."
Does he demand the transcripts of those meetings? Is any record kept of what is said?
So what are we to make of those facts? Why would Trump excuse other U.S. officials and his aides from the meeting so he could talk with Putin privately, and then demand the transcript so it could not be leaked? What does he have to hide?
Yes, Mr. President, it is a disgrace, indeed, that our country has a leader who is so untrustworthy that millions of our citizens are convinced that you have betrayed America for whatever reason, whether it's your unending and insatiable greed, your desire to be a strongman leader like Putin, your ego, blackmail -- or maybe a combination of all of those things.
So now, with this ridiculous fight over your wall, which you promised your anti-immigrant supporters, you have shut down a big chunk of our government with ever-growing consequences. People are missing their paychecks. Farmers are missing their government support checks so they can't plant their fields. SNAP recipients are in danger of being unable to purchase food. Airport security personnel, Coast Guard personnel, even border security personnel are not being paid. Contractors, many of them small companies, are getting stuck and not being paid. Food isn't being inspected. The list goes on and on and on.
Why? Is it really about your pledge to "keep America safe?" Or is it about your need to divert attention away from all of these investigations and revelations regarding Russia?
You are right, Mr. President. It is a disgrace. But the disgrace is you.