Diplomacy dies on live TV as Trump and Vance gang up to bully Ukraine leader
Diplomacy dies on live TV as Trump and Vance gang up to bully Ukraine leader
US president said his horrific blow-up would make ‘great television’ – the White House has never seen anything like it
Summary
Trump just presided over one of the greatest diplomatic disasters in modern history, with flared tempers, raised voices, and shredded protocol.
Never before has a U.S. president bullied and berated an adversary, never mind an ally, in such a public way.
During a tense Oval Office meeting, Trump and JD Vance attacked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, demanding he accept a peace deal with Russia or lose U.S. support.
The conversation devolved into shouting, with Trump accusing Zelenskyy of being ungrateful and “gambling with World War III.”
The meeting ended in chaos, with no agreement reached.
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I’m glad we get to see this shameful display. I wouldn’t talk to a dog like that, much less the democratically elected leader of another sovereign nation that’s an ally. The US used to be a beacon of freedom and diplomacy, but clearly we shouldn’t expect that from the current regime.
Europe will keep supporting Ukraine regardless, but it really is in the US’ interests to stay involved in this conflict. It’s disconcerting that Trump can’t seem to grasp that basic fact.
It's also just so weak.
Not that macho'ism should be a major point or even desirable trait for a world leader IMO, but so many people like Trump because he's allegedly strong. Yet when I watch the above clip I just keep thinking "he's so weak and soft and overly sensitive to essentially everything." Like how can you want a tough leader, then watch that exchange and think "Trump is tough." What?
That's my main takeaway. If you want to appear stronk leedr, this isn't it. This just makes you seem desperate because your russian money givers are getting impatient.
Trump won't even say daddy's name half the time. You can watch him hold back. Amusing.
It also feels like it was all planned. From his time on TV Trump knows a lot about creating drama. First we have "he's a dictator", everyone expects Trump to be against Ukraine. Then in episode 2 there's a twist - France and Britain show up and Trump is very amenable to give people hope again, and finally it all blows up in a dramatic clash. Trump even tells us "that's why I let it go on so long... its going to make great television".
The whole thing was about telling the story that Trump is the strong peace seeking negotiator and it all fell through because zelensky won't be reasonable and is trying to take advantage of the US who he doesn't respect.
Yeah I actually listened through (almost) the entire 50 minute thing during breakfast - and all things considered the atmosphere was mostly okay up until the last moments. Things were starting to wrap up, journalists asking questions, and then Vance jumped in with an entirely different attitude - and after that Trump completely changed his tone also.
So tragic to see how Z was doing his utmost to be friendly or at least respectful even when T made clearly incorrect statements or when some of the journalists asked insulting questions. He literally thanked him (and the american people) multiple times during the press conference, and then V jumps in, runs him over and turns the entire thing upside down.
I hope that the rest of the world is taking notes and realizing that they cannot rely on the current US government to uphold its side of any prior agreements (or even the basic tenets of etiquette in civil discourse).
I hope that every country that does most of its trade with the US is quietly looking for new markets.
I hope that Republican isolationism actually comes to pass so that the entire population of the US can feel exactly how painful it will be to cut themselves off from the rest of the world. And then in two years, I hope enough people will get off their asses and vote against the people who let it happen.
The rest of the world certainly is watching.
There's been pretty much universal condemnation and acknowledgement that the US is no longer the leader of the free world.
Do you really think Dumpf and his puppeteers are going to allow free and fair elections? I don't even believe this last election was such.
Living in a red state I believe the election was fair... but the cult is all too real. So is gerrymeandering.
Insofar as any gerrymandered election has been "free and fair" in my lifetime, yes, I do.
(Sidebar: I'm pretty concerned about some of the proposed legislation requiring birth certificate matching for names because of the potential to disenfranchise both trans people and married women, but I hope there's enough pushback that it doesn't go anywhere.)
President Grandpa's puppeteers are only successful because they've manipulated a washed-up reality TV star with name recognition who is more concerned with ratings than with government. Without his inexplicable cachet with the electorate, they could never get their agenda pushed through, and they know it.
The man is not all-powerful. He's also old and out of shape. A lot of things could happen before the next election cycle that may end his party's political reign. There's no clear successor whom the masses of Trumpist cult members will follow. Vance? Don Jr.? I don't think either has the charisma or reputation to take the reins.