Question: Who helped Donald Trump get elected? Answer: Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin
Bashar Hafez al-Assad’s time as leader of Syria is, for all intents and purposes, finished. He kills his own people. Most of the world hates him. His own country hates him. Arguably, he can no longer effectively govern.
The scenario:
Trump rattles his sabers in Syria, appearing to defy Russian military opposition.
Assad is persuaded to “die” or disappear, to have a complete physical make over so that he looks like a different man - perhaps a good plastic surgeon can even make a handsome new man of him. He keeps his fortune and moves to a new life in NYC or the French Riviera, shedding all connections to his evil past.
Putin appears to “give in” to Trump over the Syrian issue by condemning Assad’s use of chemical agents and by seeming to retreat from confrontation with the US. This will actually serve Putin well by diffusing world-wide accusations against Putin himself for using chemical agents.
Trump proceeds to win big time as a gutsy peace-making world hero. This serves to raise Trump’s status with most Americans, dissolving his currently bad reputation, overshadowing the Mueller investigations, and effectively short circuiting the Dem’s aspirations in 2018.
After the Republican spin doctors finish with his “accomplishment” in Syria, Trump rides the popular wave and is re-elected in 2020.
Trump is given the Nobel Peace Prize!
Putin also wins big by showing that he is a “reasonable” and strong leader who stands up against the use of chemical warfare.
And Putin wins again by helping his symbiotic friend to be re-elected in 2020.
Win-win.