The New York Daily News front page on the day Trump met with Vladimir Putin in Finland and trashed the United States references his 2016 Iowa campaign remark that he could: “[…] stand in the middle of 5th Avenue and shoot somebody and I wouldn’t lose voters,”

And his GOP enablers? Well, the New York Times reported some Republican leaders (mostly it seems those headed out the door for retirement) are expressing qualified outrage.

Yet as of today: “[…] no Republican in Congress pledged any particular action to punish Mr. Trump, such as holding up his nominees or delaying legislation, nor did any Republican promise hearings or increased oversight.”

More pointedly  Robert Reich, former Secretary of Labor in the Clinton administration tweeted:

In rare show of GOP courage one southwest Ohio state official resigned from the party as “a matter of conscience, and my sense of duty.” Here in Vermont?  Well, crickets so far — no press releases or remarks from Governor Scott that I know of or from anyone in the  VTGOP remotely  critical of Trump’s performance with Putin.

It was in Helsinki and not on Fifth Ave but for now it looks like Trump — as he predicted — may just be allowed by default to get away with this “shooting.”

And the GOP across the nation and in Vermont will be sure to stand at attention for the playing of “Taps” over the grave of our Democracy, while offering their ubiquitous and ineffective “prayers and thoughts” to the family and friends, as they do after every mass shooting that could have — should have — been prevented.