In the latest episode for The Daily, Julian Barnes, who covers national security reporting for the NYT, says diplomacy often by its nature involves discussions of what each country can do for each other to increase national security.
He went on to compare it to mistaken claims that conflate Biden urging the removal of a corrupt prosecutor with Trump asking a foreign power to help him win reelection.
The difference here, as I understand his argument, is that doing something for the sake of national interests–even if done sincerely–are separate from the actions you take to secure national interests.
Soliticing foreign interference in an election, for example, is a clearly criminal act, even if Trump was doing it with sincere national security interests. He has shown over and over that he believes sincere intent trumps any strategy you use to achieve those interests, even if your strategy is illegal.
Briefly, the argument for conflation reads to me as: Hold on, Biden gets to ask for stuff!!! Why can’t Trump ask for stuff, too?!
In addition, Barnes says that even if the act itself would not otherwise be illegal, it’s fundamentally different to solicit foreign help to further your personal interests over national interests.
That doesn’t hold as much weight for me in discourse with those arguing for Trump, because it’s so easy to at least create the appearance that Biden did have a personal interest.
Even here, the difference is that while Biden might have had a personal interest, it’s easy to show that this was ancillary to his national interests, whereas Trump has struggled mightily to show that he cared about anything other than what actions would personally benefit him.
