Donald Trump defended Putin’s pounding of Ukraine while the US is withdrawing intelligence, saying it’s ‘what anyone would do’. Here’s more of his troubling words and actions – and why we should pay attention
Donald Trump says a lot of things from his pulpit in the Oval Office.
Some of them are baffling. Some spark genuine concern about his mental health, or his capacity to run a bath let alone the world’s most powerful country.
But once you parse the actual meaning from them, the words he said about Ukraine and Russia last night must rank among the darkest ever said by a world leader.
You’ll find them, and a number of other bizarre and troubling words and actions below – and why they’re important. Have a nice day.
1. Said he’s withholding air defences from Ukraine to make sure they surrender, maybe
“I think we’re doing very well with Russia,” Donald Trump said in the Oval Office last night about progress towards a peace deal.
“But right now they’re bombing the hell out of Ukraine. I’m finding it more difficult, frankly, to deal with Ukraine. And they don’t have the cards … in terms of getting a final settlement, it may be easier dealing with Russia.”
He also appeared to defend Putin for hammering Ukraine while the US has withdrawn intelligence support, saying the Russian dictator is merely doing “what anyone would do.”
Asked why, given he’s accepted that Russia is currently giving Ukraine ‘a pounding’, he doesn’t offer air defences, Trump said the following: “Because I have to know that they want to settle. I don’t know that they want to settle.
“If they don’t want to settle, we’re outta there. Because we want them to settle.”
So Trump, aware of the pummelling Ukraine is getting, is withholding defensive assistance, either because he’s not sure they want it enough, or in an attempt to let Russia soften them up so they’re forced to come to the table.
Either way, that’s a pretty dark statement to make about potentially hundreds of lost lives.
2. The ‘free speech president’ is policing speech again
Trump is set to sign a slightly nebulous executive order barring certain government and non-profit employees from a programme that wipes out student debt, if they engage in “improper activities”.
The order states employees will be ineligible for the programme if they “engage in illegal, or what we would consider to be improper activities, supporting, for example, illegal immigration or foreign terrorist organisations or otherwise law-breaking activities.”
The key word here is “supporting”. This isn’t about policing people’s activity, actual lawbreaking, anything like that. It’s about policing political speech.
It could mean anyone who professes support for, for example, Sanctuary Cities, birthright citizenship or many other fairly mainstream immigration policies that the Trump White House considers “improper”, they’re back on the hook for their student loan.
The reference to “foreign terrorist organisations” is presumably a nod to Hamas – opening the door to targeting employees who profess support for Palestinian causes.
3. Said a trade war is going to make the World Cup ‘more exciting’
The US will co-host the World Cup next year, along with – you guessed it – Trump’s biggest tariff targets Mexico and Canada.
Some 78 of the 104 matches are being held in the US – including the entire knockout stage.
Asked in the Oval how he saw the World Cup playing out, given the current trade situation between the three nations, Trump said: “I think it’s going to make it more exciting.
“Tension’s a good thing, I think it makes it much more exciting.”
4. Told a reporter ‘you’re not supposed to be asking that question’…
Trump was asked about reports of a “clash” between Marco Rubio and Elon Musk at a recent meeting of his cabinet.
He denied it, sighing “No clash. You’re just a troublemaker. And you’re not supposed to be asking the question because we’re talking about the World Cup.”
The ‘free speech President’ back once again, telling reporters what they can and can’t ask about.
5. Fired the person who handles requests for president pardons
And here’s a potentially deeply troubling addition that broke late last night…
The Trump administration has apparently fired the government official who handles Presidential pardon requests.
Liz Oyer, who was appointed by Joe Biden in 2022, said: “I’m sad to share that I was fired today from the job I have poured my heart and soul into for the last three years.”
Two things are interesting about this…
Firstly, Trump has a history of unexpectedly firing people because either they have refused to do something outrageous for him, or because he thinks they lack personal loyalty to him, and will refuse a planned future request.
We don’t know what this request is, which brings us to the second interesting thing. On his first day in office, Trump pardoned the January 6th rioters. Hundreds of them. And she was, if not fine with it, willing to do it.
Which leaves a chilling question: What on Earth does he have planned?
