Trump’s meeting with Putin

President Donald Trump’s recent traitorous fiasco in Helsinki [“Trump Takes Putin’s Word,” News, July 17] is an excellent example of what happens when a very inept, inexperienced, egotistical, junior varsity player tries to compete on the world stage with a very well-prepared, experienced, sophisticated and cunning senior varsity player. What deep, dark secret does Russian President Vladimir Putin hold over Trump? He cannot be that dumb and disingenuous and in denial without a reason.

Howard Mandell, East Northport

Perhaps all those red hats should have read, “Make Russia Great Again!”

Eileen Toomey, Huntington Station

There should be a welcoming committee to greet President Donald Trump the second he sets foot on U.S. soil.

With all the pomp and circumstance befitting his arrival. Marching bands, balloons, cheering crowds, and of course. . . . custom made golden “Trump” shackles to wear while he serves out his sentence.

What is the punishment for treason again?

Robert LaRosa, Whitestone

If you think the act of a football player who quietly and respectfully “takes the knee” to protest treatment of African-Americans in the United States is possibly treasonous, then what do you think of a president who travels to Europe and shows rampant disrespect in both words and actions to our trusted allies? Then he coddles up to the former KGB agent and now dictator of Russia.

The people the voters have elected to lead the legislative branch of government to act as a constitutional check on the executive branch are still playing “duck and hide.”

Our nation is disappearing under our stationary feet and subdued voices. President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence, when we look at actual evidence that is coming to light, may have appropriated the executive office illegally, with foreign help.

We don’t know the “why” of it, but the president appears much more concerned with befriending Putin than following the rule of law and the treaty arrangements that have kept the world relatively safe for democracy.

Is it bribery? Is it Trump’s business? Is it lust for power? Whatever it is, we must stop the movement of our nation from going any further down this path.

Trump shouldn’t be allowed to meet with foreign dignitaries, issue executive orders, appoint Supreme Court justices, or do anything else that further erodes who we are and what the United States has always aspired to be until the special counsel investigation gives him a clean slate or forces him to leave office in disgrace.

Laura Lee Lustbader, Huntington Station

The discussions about President Donald Trump and Russian leader Vladimir Putin’s attempted influence in the 2016 U.S. presidential elections are nothing new. It reminds me of Captain Renault from “Casablanca” who said “I’m shocked . . . shocked to find that gambling is going on in here.”

Only Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) was honest enough to tell the truth. Our CIA, Russian intelligence and many other nations for many years have attempted to interfere behind the scenes in the elections of others. Some have gone even further to support military coups against democratically elected governments.

He who lives in glass houses should not throw stones at others. Hillary Clinton spent more than $1 billion, which was twice as much as Trump. Clinton lost to the millions of those she called “deplorables” and not to Russian interference.

Larry Penner, Great Neck