An October surprise is quite common before a November election as candidates try last minute tactics to sway voters.
Don’t be surprised if the following transpires: Donald Trump will shortly declare that as a result of his diplomacy with Russia, Vladimir Putin has agreed to suspend attacks on Ukraine’s civilian population plus its power and heat networks. In exchange, Ukraine would stop strikes against targets inside Russia.
A triumph of Trumpian statesmanship, Fox News and his media and political champions will proclaim. A first step towards a complete cease fire and peace agreement. Perhaps it will sway sufficient undecided voters to return Republican control of the House and Senate.
But what I suspect will happen after the votes are tallied is that Putin will reignite his inhumane assault after a false-flag attack on a Russian power plant that he attributes to Ukraine. Putin’s ultimate goal is the annihilation of an independent Ukraine.
Trump will feign surprise but he will have been in on the ruse Putin, his puppet master, was going to perpetrate. True to form, Trump will blame Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy for sabotaging the truce.
Far-fetched? Perhaps. But Trump cozies up to autocrats while assailing democratic leaders of all nations.
I hope I am wrong. But Trump has not earned my trust through his actions or rhetoric. So I am left to my imagination to prepare for his next assault on decency. And now, so are you.
