This afternoon I violated one of my key rules: Never podcast angry.
But Adam Kinzinger and I recorded this emergency pod just minutes after a moment of national shame — a stunning episode in which Donald Trump berated and insulted Ukraine’s Volodymir Zelensky; and affirmed his fealty to Vladimir Putin.
A quick note: This is the first of a two-part pod with Adam Kinzinger. The second part will be up Sunday morning.
I started out our discussion by reading this piece by Peter Baker: “Trump and Vance Berate Zelensky During Testy White House Meeting.”
President Trump and Vice President JD Vance berated President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine on Friday in an explosive televised Oval Office shouting match that ultimately blew up plans to sign a rare minerals deal and signaled a dramatic break in relations between two wartime allies.
In a public confrontation unlike any seen between an American president and foreign leader in modern times, Mr. Trump and Mr. Vance castigated Mr. Zelensky for not being grateful enough for U.S. support in its war with Russia and sought to strong-arm him into making a peace deal on whatever terms the Americans dictated.
With voices raised and tempers flaring, Mr. Trump threatened to abandon Ukraine altogether if Mr. Zelensky did not go along. After journalists were escorted out of the Oval Office, Mr. Trump canceled the rest of the visit, including a planned joint news conference and signing ceremony for the minerals deal. A grim-faced Mr. Zelensky then strode out of the West Wing, climbed into a waiting black sport utility vehicle and departed the White House grounds.
“I have determined that President Zelenskyy is not ready for Peace if America is involved, because he feels our involvement gives him a big advantage in negotiations,” Mr. Trump wrote on social media. “I don’t want advantage, I want PEACE. He disrespected the United States of America in its cherished Oval Office. He can come back when he is ready for Peace.”
Exit take: This is a good time to note that in all of his years in or out of office, Trump has never spoken of Putin this way. Ever.
Some highlights of Kinzinger-Sykes, Part
**
Are pro-Ukraine Republicans prepared to die on this hill?
Some other quick reactions:
“Generations of American patriots, from our revolution onward, have fought for the principles Zelenskyy is risking his life to defend. But today, Donald Trump and JD Vance attacked Zelenskyy and pressured him to surrender the freedom of his people to the KGB war criminal who invaded Ukraine. History will remember this day— when an American President and Vice President abandoned all we stand for.”
Friday, February 28, 2025, will go into the history books as one of the grimmest days in American diplomacy, the beginning of a long-term disaster every American, every U.S. ally, and anyone who cares about the future of democracy will have to endure. With the White House’s betrayal of Ukraine capping a month of authoritarian chaos in America, Putin, along with other dictators around the world, can finally look at Trump with confidence and think: one of us.
Increasingly obvious they invited him to Washington to humiliate him. This is theatre for the benefit of their base and of course a suddenly very happy man in Moscow.
If there are any illusions about what side Trump is on between Russia and Ukraine, this should dispel them.
That event in the Oval Office is going to send shock waves across the world -- far more so than Vance's Munich speech. We're the most powerful country on the planet, and we are Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde from admin to admin. Today Mr. Hyde made his full debut.
I’m hard-pressed to think of a more disgraceful and damaging performance by a U.S. President on the world stage than what we just witnessed in the Oval Office.
Some have disappointed, some had bad policy, some made big mistakes. But I’ve never in my life been ashamed of American leaders. Until today.
This is utterly shameful. This is Vladimir Putin's best outcome. The U.S. is placing pressure on a free nation fighting for its life while giving aid and comfort to an authoritarian thug.
We are a completely different country from what we were 2 months ago. Bully. Aggressor. Putin suck-up. Betrayer of allies. Rude. Crude. Dishonest. The most dishonorable display by an American president in our lifetimes.
ICYMI: The Full Argument
Nota Bene the deplorable role of JD Vance in setting it off…
The Trump toadies weigh in…
Cue the Trump toadies. Via Mediaite:
“This is entirely Zelensky’s fault. Trump greeted him graciously, was ready to turn the page. Just said he wanted to get help Ukraine get it’s territory back. And Z comes in and gets into a fight in public? I’ve never seen anything like it in my life,” mused The Washington Post‘s Marc Thiessen.
“When you’re the leader of a war-torn country that has already been handed $200 billion in aid, you check your ego at the door, stay cordial, and sign the deal,” submitted RedState’s Bonchie. “Stupid, stupid decision by Zelensky.”
Conservative columnist Isaac Schorr (who is often a critic of Never Trumpers) asked: “Do these people hear themselves?”
First, there are the outright lies. The verbal brawl between the three men began not because Zelensky was rude or came in looking for a “fight,” but because Trump and Vance were criticizing their guest.
“You see the hatred he’s [Zelensky] got for Putin. It’s very tough for me to make a deal with that kind of hatred,” said Trump. “He’s got tremendous hatred.”
Then after Vance blamed the previous American administration for the prolonging of the war, Zelensky pointed out that the Russians had launched multiple wars of aggression over the last decade, committed atrocities against Ukrainian citizens, and violated past agreements.
Vance responded by calling him “disrespectful.” That’s when the conversation began to unravel — after Trump and Vance excoriated Zelensky, not the other way around.
Even setting aside the mendacious retelling of what happened in the Oval Office, though, this “defense” of Trump is actually a staggering indictment….
Friday afternoon dog
He’d have been appalled.
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