Big Balz

Dan Balz is an opinion writer for the Washington Post. He is known not as a partisan, but as an old hand who has seen it all, and often comes down right in the middle of the political spectrum. He bends over backwards to give each side the benefit of the doubt.

That's why this morning's column should be seen as scathing. Here's a small sample. The first and last paragraphs of his piece...

When the history of Donald Trump’s presidency is ultimately written, July 16, 2018, will have a special entry. On a day when the setting called for a show of strength and resolve from an American president, Trump instead offered deference, defensiveness, equivocation and weakness.

All of which raises the obvious question: If the president’s comments in Helsinki reflect his true thinking, if he sees the United States as being as responsible for poor relations with Russia as the Russians are, if he is not willing to stand behind the intelligence agencies sworn to protect this country, what exactly does “America First” really mean?