Trump Allies Argue That Obama's Sanctions on Russia Are Too Weak
By Eric Levitz
December 30, 2016
1:11 p.m.
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The Heritage Foundation which has played a central role in staffing Trumps White House argues that Obamas sanctions are too little, too late. Is this the conservative think tanks sly attempt to pressure Trump into adopting an even more hard-line stance against Russia?
Meanwhile, the man who was one mustache away from becoming Trumps deputy secretary of State offered similar talking points on Fox News.
I dont think they will have much impact at all, John Bolton said of the Obama administrations sanctions on Friday. The Russians have walked all over the Obama administration for eight years. Its really been a pathetic performance. So what this last burst of activity has to do is hard to say. I do think its intended to try and box the Trump administration in. I think it will fail. This is simply an executive order. If President Trump decides to reverse it, its easy enough to do.
Bolton went on to accuse the Obama administration of having politicized the process of intelligence gathering a claim thats belied by the presidents decision not to impose sanctions or release detailed intelligence reports until after Election Day. Nonetheless, Bolton suggested that Trump was correct to treat public intelligence reports with some skepticism.
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