Trump's Russia Problem Is Now America's Problem — and It's Not Going Away

The Trump era has only just begun, but already this week's resignation of Michael Flynn as national security adviser is a watershed moment for Washington. President Donald Trump's credibility, certainly, is very much at stake. But so too is the credibility of America itself, which stands accused of extending a welcoming hand to Russia, despite its many provocations, because of our new president's personal, business or political ties to Vladimir Putin.It is beyond imperative that President Trump affirmatively dispel those questions. Until he does, questions about the very legitimacy of his presidency will deepen. These doubts will soon spread, if they haven't already, beyond the confines of liberal circles where obstructionism has dominated since Jan. 20. This newspaper has urged Americans to accept the fact that Trump was elected our president, and to support him whenever he is right. So this expansion of doubts about his legitimacy is especially disappointing. Also in question is the credibility of the top Republican leaders in Congress, who have shown an unexpected shyness about fully investigating the links between Russia and Trump. They must drop that tentativeness and join full strength behind sharp demands already made by Sen. John McCain and Lindsay Graham, both Republicans, and the entire Democratic leadership. The time for putting the Republican Party, or even the longed-for conservative policy advances the November election made possible, has passed. Instead, leaders - including Texas Sens. John Cornyn and Ted Cruz, the chamber's No. 2 Republican leader and the former presidential candidate, respectively - must speak forcefully about the need for a robust, ruthlessly independent investigation into the ties between Russia and Trump and his associates. For his part, the president would do well to stop attacking the press in effort to distract attention from these serious issues and instead take the concerns seriously.   Continue reading...