MeidasTouch host Ben Meiselas interviews Alexander Vindman, the author of the new book The Folly of Realism, about Trump’s disastrous press conference with Zelenskyy. Visit https://meidasplus.com for more! Remember to subscribe to ALL the MeidasTouch Network Podcasts: MeidasTouch: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/meidastouch-podcast Legal AF: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/legal-af MissTrial: https://meidasnews.com/tag/miss-trial The PoliticsGirl Podcast: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/the-politicsgirl-podcast The Influence Continuum: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/the-influence-continuum-with-dr-steven-hassan Mea Culpa with Michael Cohen: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/mea-culpa-with-michael-cohen The Weekend Show: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/the-weekend-show Burn the Boats: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/burn-the-boats Majority 54: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/majority-54 Political Beatdown: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/political-beatdown On Democracy with FP Wellman: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/on-democracy-with-fpwellman Uncovered: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/maga-uncovered Coalition of the Sane: https://meidasnews.com/tag/coalition-of-the-sane Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
What happened during Trump's meeting with Zelensky?
I'm joined by Alexander Vindman, retired United States Army Lieutenant Colonel. Mr. Vindman, what do we just watch unfold in the Oval Office with Donald Trump attacking President Zelensky? It was maybe one of the most shameful moments I think ever in American history. You're Ukrainian. You have unique experience in this area as well.
What do you make of it? It was a shit show. We've never seen anything quite like it. Basically, the U.S. has been a supporter of Ukraine for, even if it's been insufficiently supportive, it's been a supporter of Ukraine for three years, spending somewhere in the ballpark of $60 to $100 billion to help Ukraine ward off an aggressor, Russia.
And now we have a new Trump administration that invites Zelensky into kind of work out a deal, figure out how the U.S. might continue to support. And in this discussion where Zelensky is saying, hey, this is what the Russians are doing to our troops. They just kidnapped 20,000 of our kids and are brainwashing them. Trump and Vance.
attack Zelensky and say that he's not motivated to conduct peace and that Russia is not such a bad guy. In this meeting, Trump basically sides with Russia and attacks Ukraine. And Zelensky, in a very valiant way, stands his ground and tries to make the point that Russia can't be trusted. Russia is the bad actor. The U.S. is in danger by buying in, by constantly deceiving itself about Russia.
And that devolves further into accusations that Ukraine's ungrateful. It was just something that we haven't seen. Not just undiplomatic, but a betrayal of Ukraine and our Western values and the way we interact with the world. It's 180 degrees different than it has been with any administration preceding.
I'll show you. They're trying to spin this now on Fox a certain way. They had Lindsey Graham, Senator Graham, MAGA Republican, go on moments ago. Let me show you what he said and get your reaction to it. Let's play it.
I told President Trump, I said, there's two ways to look at this. Your interaction with Zelensky was maybe the best television I've ever seen, but it's deeper than that. The world is now watching how Trump behaves and acts when he's pressed. I thought he stood up for America, that we're a good people, we want to help you. But we're going to be respected.
So I think Moscow is probably more afraid of Trump than ever. Hope the Chinese are, and I hope the Iranians are. As to Zelensky and Ukraine, to the Ukrainian people, America wants to help you. The way the meeting went today, you made it almost impossible to help you.
Again, I'll ask you. Alex, do you think that Putin is more afraid than ever? Is China more afraid than ever? Is Iran more afraid than ever after watching what just happened in the Oval Office?
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