I am always amazed at the tortured logic of die-hard Republican supporters of Donald Trump.

The latest supporter, a Mr. Gregory Anderson (Daily Bee, Aug. 5) first spent hundreds of words arguing that the Soviet Union and its stepchild, Russia, has long meddled in American politics. Except for inserting an almost obligatory sprinkle of fake facts and an astonishing support of the discredited Joseph McCarthy (and Richard Nixon) who ruined so many people’s lives in the 1950’s for political gain ferreting out “communists,” he is correct: Russia has never been our friend.

“Au Contraire,” Donald Trump has of course said Russia IS our friend and that we have been stupid about our relations with Russia, and in particular, the authoritarian and former KGB operative, Vladimir Putin, who murders dissidents, invades countries and steals money from his own country. And, oh yeah, he ordered the recent hacking of Democratic computers and gave that information perhaps directly but certainly indirectly to Trump to help him win our 2016 presidential campaign. You either believe ALL our intelligence agencies as well as the intelligence agencies of our European friends, or you believe Donald Trump who has said he believes Putin when he says “He didn’t do it.”

Mr. Anderson says that the “statesman” Trump was right to table the “meddling issue” until “he had proof.” For cryin’ out loud, OUR intelligence agencies informed Trump personally of Putin’s “meddling” or attack on our country in January of 2017 when Trump took office. Mr. Anderson then devolves further in typical right-wing tortured logic, saying that what would you have him do—launch missiles against Russia? That’s the false logic of the “slippery slope.”

If Russia is the enemy you say it is, Mr. Anderson, and your “My Turn” history demonstrates Russia’s continuous attempts to sabotage American democracy, then how can you squint your eyes when Trump stands on the stage with Putin in Helsinki and say that it is an idea “worth considering” to hand over our former ambassador to Putin for questioning about why Russia was sanctioned by Obama and the American Congress. Most of the world was appalled, but not you? Even the obsequious and cowardly Republicans on the Hill were chilled by that offer. And, then, to top it off Trump still suggests Putin may be right that Russia didn’t interfere in our election and won’t do so this November. (They have already started.) Is it because our enemy Russia favored Trump and helped him and hated Hillary Clinton that you twist logic? The end justifies any means? What is the logic of your Republican cohort that now wear t-shirts to Trump rallies that say, “I would rather be Russian than a Democrat?”

Trump needed, and still needs, to support our country against further Russian attacks and to defend the Constitution, the oath he took. And, not the oligarch Putin. ALL Republican presidents preceding Trump would find Trump’s capitulation to the Russian “czar” pathetic and dangerous.

STEPHEN DRINKARD

Sandpoint