Where are the Charlestown 1906?

How can they explain their support for an agent of Russia?

By Will Collette

On November 8, 2016, almost two thousand (1,906) of our Charlestown neighbors cast their ballots for Donald J. Trump. 

They comprised 42% of those who voted for a Presidential candidate and roughly 30% of the total number of registered Charlestown voters.

I challenged those 1906 Charlestown voters to speak up, to explain why they supported Trump in the first place and to defend, if they could, Trump’s first year in office (The Charlestown 1906, November 7, 2017). 

I asked them to send Progressive Charlestown e-mails, which we would then publish.

No one answered, not even Trump’s only public supporter, Jim Mageau.

Now we are at the three-year mark. Trump is on the way toward impeachment articles in the House and trial in the Senate to determine whether he should be removed.

Two weeks of impeachment hearings have shown how Trump, acting on a "false narrative" that Ukraine, not Russia, interfered with the 2016 election, tried to bribe and extort Ukraine to help him win the 2020 election. That false narrative was planted in Trump's head by Vladimir Putin.

As Putin himself said a couple of days ago, "Thank God no one is accusing us of interfering in the U.S. elections anymore; now they’re accusing Ukraine."

Trump’s actions on Ukraine make manifest his well-established, servile relationship with Russian dictator Vladimir Putin. CNN has compiled a list of 25 specific ways Trump has acted to Make Russia First. I’d love to hear comments from the Charlestown 1906 about how they feel about the choice they made in November 2016.

Here’s CNN’s list:

• Trump has repeatedly praised Putin. Indeed, Putin may be one of the only prominent people Trump has never attacked.

• Trump hired now-imprisoned Paul Manafort to run his campaign despite his long history of working for corrupt politicians and oligarchs in the former Soviet Union.

• Trump suggested Russia can keep Crimea after it took the territory by force from Ukraine.

• Trump's team softened the GOP platform on Ukraine

• Trump made light of Russian hacking

• Trump denied that Russia interfered in 2016

• Trump transition undermined Russian sanctions

• Trump was open to lifting Russian sanctions

• Trump refused to say Putin is a killer

• Trump mulled giving spy compounds to Russia

• Trump gave Russia classified intelligence

• Trump was reluctant to sign Russian sanctions

• Trump thanked Putin for expelling US diplomats

• Trump criticized and alienated NATO allies

• Trump eased sanctions on Putin pal and corrupt oligarch Oleg Deripaska

• Trump congratulated Putin on his sham 2018 election

• Trump defended USSR invasion of Afghanistan

• Trump praised pro-Russian leaders in Europe

• Trump didn't publicly condemn Russian attack

• Trump wanted to let Russia back in the G7

• Trump's Syria withdrawal gave Putin a boost

• Trump repeated Kremlin talking points on ISIS

• Trump spread Russian myths about Ukraine

• Trump temporarily froze US aid for Ukraine

• Trump considered visiting Putin on Russian soil

I was surprised Trump's numerous secret encounters with Putin miss inclusion on the list. Among them, the numerous phone calls and private meetings Trump has had with Putin where no one else was present and no record was made (at least not by us, but certainly by the Russians).

Nonetheless, this is a long and troubling list for any American to read. 1906 people here in Charlestown voted for this guy.

I’d really like to know how they feel about his list.

If that works out, then we can perhaps discuss Trump’s mental health problems, corruption and nepotism, compulsive lying, racism, misogyny, crimes against humanity, tax fraud, and his ignorance. Etc.

E-mail us at progressprogressivecharlestown@gmail.com.