Trump’s Pseudo-Diplomacy

By now, dear readers, you must have heard about that “heated discussion” between Trump and Zelenskyy. You know, the one that turned into a “shouting match” or “big clash” on Friday, February 28?

More importantly, though, did you actually HEAR and SEE what really happened during that meeting at the White House? If not, it’s time to go online and view what took place. Unless you see and hear with your own eyes and ears, you’re never going to understand the magnitude of Trump’s calculated animosity against NATO and Ukraine, America’s supposed ally.

First, Team Trump set the stage days earlier by falsely accusing President Zelenskyy of being a dictator. Then Trump falsely accused Zelenskyy of starting the war with Russia. Then he shamed Zelenskyy for holding up the good-faith(?) peace talks that America and Russia had been struggling so hard to negotiate. And note: those “peace talks” took place without Zelenskyy or any other Ukrainian representation.

In other words, those negotiations were more about what Putin wanted America to do for him than any bona fide diplomacy. And, of course, The Donald and his lackeys delivered professional courtesy — from one narcissistic strongman’s lair to another.

There’s the art of diplomacy, then there’s the scripted ambush designed to humiliate Zelenskyy that Team Trump coordinated and televised. Not very diplomatic. Oh, Trump did mutter something about how it was important for Americans to know about this — but “this” was merely another belated Valentine for Vladimir Putin.

That’s right, Trump and Veep J.D. delivered the final 1-2 punch on Friday, in front of the cameras. So Putin(and Russian TV) could witness — in real time — that The United States and Russia were on the same page.

Their take-down of Zelenskyy was grounded in Trump’s tried-and-true playbook of misinformation. So both Trump & Veep were following their pre-ordained script with their familiar M.O. Of course, things seemed to be cordial…at first. Then they turned Zelenskyy’s valid concerns about Putin’s failure of honoring any written agreement into pseudo-drama gotcha time.

Suddenly, J.D. started talking down to Zelenskyy and accused him of being unreasonable and ungrateful because he never once thanked the President for all that he’d done for him and his country.(Not true.) Trump sat, silent and posed, like an actor who was allowing another player to deliver his big speech.

Besides this accusatory outrage and lies, there were numerous questions posed to Zelenskyy that he couldn’t answer because J.D., and now Trump, kept interrupting him. In their final coup de grace they both pounced on Zelenskyy for being rude and ungrateful and uncooperative!

You have to see it and hear it to believe it.

Then towards the end of their smack-down, both Trump and J.D. Vance started reminding Zelenskyy how powerless he was, how few choices he had to end the war. Trump kept telling him he didn’t have “all the cards, we have all the cards.”

When Zelenskyy, who didn’t have English as his first language, said something about “this wasn’t a card game,” Trump fired back by repeating he didn’t have all the cards, and reminded him he’d gotten everything from “the stupid President”(A.K.A. Biden).

What’s more disturbing about this seismic shift in foreign policy is the way the media initially tried to make it a fight that involved both parties. Not accurate at all. There was no real “discussion.” There was no valid exchange of ideas. There was no “fight.” There was no “shouting match.” Zelenskyy barely got a word out, and his valid concerns were never addressed.

How could the media forget that Trump’s second term would be his self-proclaimed vendetta against his enemies? Or, rather, against those he believed to be his enemies. Let’s not forget how Trump was trying to smear Hunter Biden during his first term, and how he tried to get the Ukrainians to back up his lies. The Ukrainians didn’t. They were supposed to support his hunt for Hunter’s “lawless payments.” That didn’t happen. So now Zelenskyy must pay for this disloyalty to him.

Now, like that spoiled kid on the playground who’s gotten too mean to discipline, Trump is getting even by withholding military and humanitarian aid to Ukraine. Mature, real mature — for a wounded doge who’s become more paranoid than Presidential, that is.

Remember, voters can hold grudges, too. Ours is filed under I for IMPEACHMENT. Get ready…