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| Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump |
The survey was conducted on behalf of political analyst and New York Times bestselling author Joel C. Rosenberg by McLaughlin & Associates, which has done polling on behalf of a number of U.S. and foreign clients. McLaughlin & Associates polled 1,000 likely U.S. voters regarding three specific questions related to Russia, Putin and President Trump.
"Putin's recent State of the Union address was his most belligerent in 18 years," Rosenberg said. "He bragged about Russia's nuclear arsenal and complained that no one was listening to his claims of achieving nuclear superiority. He even showed a video of Russian missiles pointed toward Florida.
Congress overwhelmingly passed a sanctions bill last year, but thus far President Trump hasn't taken action," Rosenberg continued. "It is time to impose sanctions on Russia for their increasingly aggressive behavior, including unsuccessful efforts to subvert US elections."
Only 34.5 percent of Americans said they were convinced the president truly understands Russia and is doing enough to counter the threat. On the other hand, 51.9 percent said they were not convinced and want Trump to do "much more," while 13 percent weren't sure.
When broken down by political affiliation, the survey showed 77.5 percent of liberals, 26 percent of conservatives and 61 percent of moderates said they were not convinced Trump understands the threat.
Given Russia's history of invasions, aggression and interferences, 72.5 percent agreed that Putin and the government of Russia pose a clear and present danger to the national security of the United States, our NATO allies in Europe and our Mideast allies, such as Israel.
"Most officials in Washington are focused on the threats posed by North Korea, Iran, ISIS and al Qaeda," Rosenberg said. "But as serious as those threats are, leaders must not ignore how grave a threat Putin poses to the U.S. and our NATO and Middle Eastern allies."
A full 60.5 percent worry Putin could be planning other military attacks – perhaps the invasion of a small NATO country, or a Middle Eastern country – because he thinks the international community is not really willing to stop him.
"The national security team President Trump has put into place – from Vice President Mike Pence to Defense Secretary James Mattis to CIA Director Mike Pompeo, among others – are first-rate professionals. They clearly understand the threat and the stakes," Rosenberg said. "But President Trump and Congressional leaders in both parties must urgently work together to develop and lay out for the American people a comprehensive strategy to counter the Russian threat and dramatically strengthen the NATO alliance, lest today's fictional premise become tomorrow's nightmare scenario."
The poll results reinforce the theme of Rosenberg's newest political thriller, The Kremlin Conspiracy, specifically that the threat of evil should not be underestimated. The book tells the story of a fictional leader in Moscow who fashions himself a 21st century Czar, all while the American President and his team are distracted by domestic political troubles and rising tensions in North Korea and Iran.
The plot of The Kremlin Conspiracy could be described as "ripped from tomorrow's headlines." In the novel, the fictional President of the Russian Federation is plotting a lightning-fast military attack to re-conquer the three Baltic States — Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania — once enslaved by Moscow during the Soviet era. Given that all three countries have been NATO members since 2004, the move risks triggering a nuclear war with the U.S. and NATO alliance.
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| The Kremlin Conspiracy - cover |
This week, foreign ministers of all three Baltic nations are in Washington, laying the groundwork for an April 3 summit between President Trump and the presidents of the Baltic States to discuss the Russian threat and urge the U.S. to pre-position more troops and equipment in the region to create a credible deterrence to Putin.
"To misunderstand the nature and threat of evil is to risk being blindsided by it," Rosenberg said. "What if our leaders in Washington are so focused on the threats emanating from North Korea, Iran, ISIS, and China—true threats, all—that they are blindsided by a Russian tyrant plotting the collapse of NATO? I pray this is only the stuff of a high-octane political thriller. But with every day that passes, I fear it may be more fact than fiction."
⏩ For full results of the poll and more information about The Kremlin Conspiracy, visit JoelRosenberg.com.
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| Joel C. Rosenberg |
Joel C. Rosenberg is a New York Times bestselling author of 13 novels and five nonfiction books, with nearly 5 million copies sold.
He has been interviewed by, or written articles for, hundreds of media outlets and has been profiled by The New York Times, The Washington Times and The Jerusalem Post.
SOURCE: Joel C. Rosenberg
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