@michelle.masonn: October 19, 2016. Hillary Clinton stood on a debate stage and warned Americans about Donald Trump’s approach to Vladimir Putin. When Trump argued that Putin did not respect her, Clinton answered that Putin would prefer a president he could manipulate. She challenged Trump over Russian interference and warned about the danger of accommodating Moscow at the expense of American alliances. Watching that exchange again, I believe her warning deserved far more attention. A foreign leader’s approval is a poor measure of an American president’s strength. The questions that matter are whether a president protects the country’s interests, supports its allies, and recognizes when another government is trying to exploit divisions. Clinton understood the stakes she was describing. Her argument was about judgment, influence, and the consequences of treating a dangerous relationship like a personal popularity contest. You did not have to agree with every position she held to take that warning seriously. Nearly a decade later, those words still give me chills. She identified a danger that Americans needed to confront. Who else hears that exchange differently now?

Michelle

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Saturday 17 October 2026 19:17:41 GMT