July 01, 2020

Congresswoman & Military Mother to Trump: Inaction on Russian Bounties is a Betrayal

WASHINGTON, DC – Congresswoman Norma J. Torres (CA-35), who is the mother to an Air Force Veteran, today condemned President Trump for refusing to act on information that Russia was paying bounties for the lives of American service members in Afghanistan. Instead, Trump continued to curry favor with the autocrat as he paid blood money for American lives.

Congresswoman Torres released the following statement:

"The only word for a president who won't stand up to an autocrat is a coward," Rep. Torres said. "And the only word that describes a president currying favor from that autocrat while he kills our troops is betrayal.

"As the mother of a veteran, this is a punch in the heart. It is unimaginable that President Trump would host this evil man, and hold private meetings with him, all the while knowing his guest was paying bounties for American lives. Twenty American families received the worst news imaginable about their loved ones in Afghanistan in 2019. They are now left to wonder if it was their son, or daughter, or sibling, or parent whose death was purchased by Vladimir Putin while our president knew it was happening and did nothing to stop it.

"We can't kid ourselves into thinking this was just incompetence or an explainable failure. President Trump is complicit in the intentional killing of U.S. troops, and it's up to every decent and patriotic American to hold him accountable."

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