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Trevor from Scranton, Pennsylvania, writes:

Please help me understand.

To boost his dismal poll numbers and avoid a full-blown shellacking in November, Trump has apparently struck a deal with the devil: the U.S. will buy diesel from Russia. From everything I’ve read, the deal is flawed from the start.

The amount of fuel involved wouldn’t meaningfully ease shortages at home, so voters won’t see any short-term relief. Analysts even question whether Russia, which is facing its own fuel crunch, can deliver what it claims.

Beyond the logistics, this appears to be a direct betrayal of Ukraine at a moment when most Americans still support Ukraine’s defense. So, the political upside is hard to see. Add to that the fact that Russia is actively supporting Iran against the United States, and this deal seems to hand Putin a financial lifeline just as the U.S. is trying to constrain his influence.

And didn’t the Lindsey Graham Act sanction Russian energy? If so, this move appears to run straight into a law that Trump’s own party championed and he signed.

I genuinely don’t understand what benefit he thinks he’s getting out of this. To me, it looks like yet another self‑inflicted wound for Republicans heading into an already bleak midterm landscape.

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