MSNBC’s Mike Barnicle: Russia Is ‘Still Declaring War on America’ and Republicans Are Doing Nothing

MSNBC’s Mike Barnicle spoke in stark terms on Friday about Russia’s actions toward U.S. troops in Afghanistan. Speaking on Morning Joe, Barnicle compared placing bounties on American troops’ heads to war and blasted Republicans for their inaction.

He discussed the matter with host Joe Scarborough.

“Joe, you know, we’re on the eve of the Fourth of July, the birthday of the United States of America,” Barnicle said. “Normally a great and wondrous holiday. People have a lot of fun. Picnics. Fireworks. The whole deal. It’s muted this year, as it has been for the past couple of years.”

“Because the truth is, the fact is, we are living through a tragic accident of history called the Trump presidency,” he said.

“Everything that he has touched and everything that he has affected, he’s done it in a negative way. The economy was booming and building prior to his election. So let’s set that aside. But what he has done with his lack of character and his lack of ability in doing the job is truly, truly tragic. We’ve been talking now for most of the morning, most of the week, most of the past six months, maybe the past three years about the link between Donald Trump and Russia.”

“At some point history will open this door for us. History will give us an insight into exactly what the link is. Russia declared war on the United States of America nearly four years ago when they decided to attack our electoral system. They are still declaring war on America except this time they are paying hundreds of thousands of dollars to the Taliban in Afghanistan, our enemy, to kill our Marines, our soldiers, our people, our young men. That’s going on in front of us.”

“As you just alluded to, practically the entire Republican membership of the United States Senate has pushed the mute button on this outrage, the mute button on the number of people in this country dead because of a virus that we’ve seen has been leaderless from the Oval Office.”

“He has not shown up to lead. He has not stood up in front of the cameras and addressed the United States of America, all of us, and what the plan is for the future.”

Watch the video above, via MSNBC.