No matter their position on the Russia-Ukraine war, people who view the televised encounter between Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the Oval Office will likely be shocked. It didn’t morph into a full-on screaming match, but it came close.
The meeting might have gone sideways anyway, but JD Vance’s presence ensured that it became ugly—and quickly. The vice-president spoke over Zelenskyy, accused him of ingratitude for the assistance provided by the United States (“Have you ever said thank you?”) and of disrespecting Trump, his host, and, for good measure, scolded him for litigating his country’s case in public. That raised the temperature—a lot.
To be fair, the Ukrainian president shouldn’t have sprung the trap Vance set. He might have said that he had in fact expressed his gratitude in the past, wished to do so again, and was pleased to be in the United States to have a direct discussion with Trump, a man he regards as a strong leader.
Yuck, you might say: that would have been obsequious and undignified. True, but there are two rules for anyone meeting Trump, especially when the press corps is on hand: use flattery and avoid arguments.
The formula works.
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