Leverage

A deal makers dream.

Donald Trump, the presumptive republican nominee for president, is a self-proclaimed deal maker. He said, “Lincoln could have negotiated away slavery thereby avoiding the Civil War.” The Russian invasion of Ukraine will be settled one week after he is elected. Gaza never would have invaded Israel if he remained in office.

For any of these “statements” to come true, the man uses leverage.

He is criminally indicted for not returning classified documents because leverage is more important than jail.

He has leverage on the Supreme Court which is quid pro quo for judges’ appointments. He assumes leverage on the courts will keep him out of jail or will delay anything criminal until after the election.

Ask Vladimir Zelensky. As President, Trump tried to leverage aid to Ukraine in exchange for damaging information on the Biden Family.

Zelensky didn’t cave and now he and all of Ukraine is suffering the retribution for refusing Trump. I posit that retribution is the reason for not funding Ukraine. All other funding issues, including border security, are collateral damage to avenging Zelensky’s refusal to succumb to leverage.

The most heinous part of leverage, above all the others, is fear.

Fear is leverage. Fear for the safety of self and loved ones is real.

Originally published at https://jamesfritzen.substack.com.