Here are the questions for Republicans and Democrats running for office that I would like to have answered. Try these in a debate or candidate forum.
1. Is it OK to accept information about your opponent from Russian intelligence, or the intelligence services of other nations? What would you do if Russian nationals approached you to meet with them about doing this?
2. Is it OK for Russian Intelligence or the intelligence services of other nations to hack American political parties emails and leak them online through services like Wikileaks?
3. Is it OK for your campaign staff and advisors to receive payments from foreign governments for advocating for those countries in the United States?
4. Have you personally asked Russian or other foreign intelligence services to hack your opponents emails and make them public, even as a joke? Should this be legal campaign assistance? Have you asked your own supporters to hack your political opponents and release their information to the internet or the press or to help you win election?
5. Is it OK for Russians or other foreign states to buy Facebook or other ads to support your campaign for office or your opponents? Is it OK for foreign citizens to pretend to be American citizens and serve as troll farms? What should be done about this behavior when it occurs?
6. Is it OK to investigate candidates who have done these things or who are accused of doing such things? Is it OK to fire those who conduct such investigations after asking them to stop investigating these allegations?
I could go on, of course, but this is a way to get these candidates to recognize that calling this OK will be a political issue for them going forward in 2019 and 2020. Accepting Trump’s behavior and owning it will make them uncomfortable, but Trump will attack them if they don’t stand up for him.