Journalist nails GOP's fake patriotism: They whine about "taking a knee" but excuse Russia

Veteran journalist and Christian pundit Roland Martin slammed the GOP’s fake patriotism Sunday morning, asking why they care more about an NFL player taking a knee than about Russia trying to undermine our democratic process.

Appearing on ABC’s This Week, Martin called out the hypocrisy of Republicans who spent months chanting “lock her up,” only to turn around and provide cover for a presidential administration that is currently under multiple federal investigations.

“This is the real test as to whether or not Republicans will actually put patriotism above partisanship,” Martin said, referring to special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russian interference, which is expected to yield its first indictment on Monday.

Not only are Republicans willing to line up behind Trump, Martin pointed out, but many seem ready to excuse Russia and move right along as if nothing ever happened. These are the same politicians who, just weeks ago, were railing against NFL players for supposedly disrespecting the country — but now, they’re not even willing to defend the United States against a hostile foreign nation.

“I love how people are complaining about players who take a knee…but then want to excuse what Russia has done,” Martin quipped.

He also called out Republicans for attempting to undermine Mueller’s work, reminding them: “What Mueller is doing, is what a prosecutor should do: Get to the truth.”

Here is what is laughable: We literally watched a campaign of folks chant ‘lock her up,’ that we can’t have a president under investigation, and we are here right now. This is the real test as to whether or not Republicans will actually put patriotism above partisanship. Will conservative media folks actually speak truth, or want to defend Trump at any and all costs? I love it how people are complaining about players who take a knee, and the flag, but then want to excuse what Russia has done. That is the real issue here, and what Mueller is doing is doing what a prosecutor should do: Get to the truth. Remember — Whitewater started with one thing and ended with another. This is what happens when you go through a federal investigation.

As the investigation heats up, many Republicans have joined in on Trump’s efforts to sabotage special counsel Mueller’s work, which is focused on uncovering the full extent of Russia’s attack on our democracy and finding out whether any Americans were involved in it.

Just this week, in an effort to divert attention away from the ongoing probe, Republicans announced an investigation targeting Hillary Clinton for the 2010 sale of uranium to a Russian company. Meanwhile, Trump and his allies revived a year-old story about the funding of the so-called “Steele Dossier” in a desperate attempt to sabotage an investigation that never relied on the dossier in the first place.

With the first indictments expected Monday, Republicans have reached the moment of truth. They can choose to put country over party, or they can continue to provide cover for Trump and aid his attempts to sabotage the Russia probe.

History will not look kindly on the false patriotism being continually displayed by the right, as they desperately try to cover for their corrupt president.