I have never been so embarrassed to call myself an American as I am now after the, what can be called nothing less than a shit show, at the White House yesterday during the meeting between President Trump, Vice President Vance, and President Zelensky of Ukraine. It was, however, not a meeting. It was a planned ambush. Trump and Vance no doubt figured they could bully Zelensky into accepting unreasonable terms for ending the war that was started by Putin, particularly in front of the cameras and lights. When Zelensky stood his ground and refused to accept those unreasonable terms, Trump and Vance upped their vicious attacks on Zelensky in a way that would make Putin proud. It was a total disgrace and the worst example of American diplomacy (if you can even call it that) in my lifetime. If anyone ever had any doubt Trump is acting on behalf of Putin, that meeting should leave little doubt.
Trump was more gracious to Kim Jung Un of North Korea who is stockpiling nuclear missiles which are aimed directly at targets in the United States. He is always deferential to Putin who has a habit of murdering his opponents and invading and annexing sovereign countries (Crimea and Ukraine). Yet he acted like a school yard bully to Zelensky who’s people are fighting and dying for the very values of freedom and democracy that most Americans once held dear. Trump seems to be turning into some combination of Ivan the Terrible (murdered his eldest son in a fit of rage and was prone to paranoia, rage, and episodic outbreaks of mental instability that worsened with age), Nero (murdered his mother as a result of a power struggle and described by some as tyrannical, self-indulgent, and debauched.) and Hitler (we all know that story!) right before our eyes.
I sincerely believe Trump was just setting the stage for abandoning Ukraine in favor of Russia. I have believed for years that Trump (with help and urging of Putin, and now Musk) intends to essentially abandon NATO and re-align the United States with Russia. This seems completely obvious to me and yet, it seems like the majority of Americans are still in the ‘that could never happen here’ mindset. It not only ‘could’ but I think ‘will’ unless people begin to wake up to what is really going on.
Trump does not give a whit about the price of eggs. He does not give a damn about Christianity, or any other religion for that matter. He does not give a second thought to things like the U.S. Constitution, the Rule of Law, or ‘We the people.’ Trump cares only about money and power. He will say and do anything that will give him more power or put more money in his bank account. And as I’ve said before, I believe Putin and Musk are promising him more power and more money and he is perfectly willing to sell the United States down the drain for a few pieces of silver or the opportunity to build a big hotel in Moscow and put his name on it.
It’s a sad time to be an American. Our once proud country is becoming the laughingstock of the world because we were foolish enough to re-elect a convicted, egomaniacal felon and we have a Congress full of Republican supplicants who allowed him to surround himself with a circus of incompetent toadies. No doubt those same Republicans will once again twist themselves into pretzels as they try to defend Trump’s inexcusable attacks on President Zelensky in the White House. And, once again, Putin will be sitting back in his chair, sipping on his vodka, and smiling broadly as he raises his glass in a toast, “Make America Great Again – You go, Donald! Za Nas (to us)!”
