5 ms·

No, this was shocking on multiple levels. What motivates the nominally most powerful person on the planet to behave like this?

by tgv 2y ago

pjc50 2y ago
Power. They're having the time of their lives.
afavour 2y ago
He likes bullying people and it makes him feel good. People often attribute 5D chess strategies to Trump when base instincts are a far clearer explanation.
racktash 2y ago
It was content for a segment of his base. On Twitter, it's common to find populist-right commentators say things like: 1. Supporting Ukraine against Russia is risking WW3 2. Zelensky is always asking for more, more more and is SO disrespectful to the generous United States. And he doesn't even show up in a suit when meeting the president. How disgraceful. etc. etc. These points were both touched upon by the Trump/Vance tag team and that's no coincidence. My respect for Zelensky, the only decent politician in that room. Ukraine is lucky to have him in a time like this.
llm_trw 2y ago
He nearly got assassinated by the incompetence of the same people telling him to help Ukraine.
- cbg0 2y ago
  Secret Service is telling Trump to help Ukraine?
GolfPopper 2y ago
My guess: dementia and psychopathy.
- cryptonector 2y ago
  Now do Vance.
  - benrutter 2y ago
    Demented and psychopathic
hiccuphippo 2y ago
Good television, it seems.
hightrix 2y ago
Weakness. Trump looked like the weakest negotiator I’ve ever seen in this exchange. He looks so powerless. He’s taking his frustration out on Zelenski since Musk has completely taken over his role in the US.
- Sohcahtoa82 2y ago
  To his supporters, Trump looked strong.
  - cmurf 2y ago
    They are also weak. And they've learned that aggression compensates for weakness, but in reality weakness is what leads to the aggression. His supporters believe in many lies because they've been brainwashed. Things will continue to degrade until an counter agent is developed for this insanity.
cmrdporcupine 2y ago
He's an entertainer / reality TV star / game show host. That's the sum of him. I'm not sure what anybody could really expect other than this.
arwhatever 2y ago
He wants to defund U.S. support for Ukraine, but isn't can't directly own his decision like an adult, and so has to stage this baloney conflict of a press conference.
tinco 2y ago
You don't have to ask this sort of question. He literally says it in the discussion. He wanted to show the world Zelensky's attitude. And he was successful in doing so Trump failed to make the deal, they tried to get resources for a minimum of involvement, and the deal didn't go through because Zelensky is adamant in wanting to protect Ukrainian integrity. From Trump's perspective this puts him in a good light. He is attempting to negotiate rationally and Zelensky is irrationally spending Ukrainian lives to hold on to an ideal. Of course Europe and many Americans believe in that ideal and would support Ukraine, but that's not Trump's political platform. His motivation is to end the war, and the easiest way to end the war is to yield to Putin's demands. Making Zelensky look unreasonable is a critical part of that.
- deleted 2y ago
  [deleted]
- cmurf 2y ago
  It's not an idea. It's the law. Everyone agreed to it. Aggressive war is proscribed in the UN Charter. Starting a war to expand borders or subjugate people is untenable. The right to conquest is obsolete. Returning to that time is absolutely what the Trump regime is asserting on behalf of Americans. And Americans should be vary wary of returning to a time prior to the two world wars as if the lessons learned should now be dismissed or unlearned. We do this and we guarantee there will be one or more world wars again. More wars of conquest, again. More wars of aggression, again. A return to might makes right. Not law. A republic is an empire of laws, not men. We follow Trumpism, and we return to an entirely familiar and more chaotic world than what we have had. Not one fucking square meter of Ukraine should go to Russia. There already is a negotiation and a treaty that said the very goddamn thing that's happening would not happen. So why trust untrustworthy liars by giving them land, with a piece of paper that means less than nothing? You know what is "holding onto an ideal"? Negotiation with Russia.
  - tinco 2y ago
    I agree with your rant, but it's not relevant to this thread. GP asked a question about how Trump's behavior could be explained and I explained it. If you can't understand someone's behavior and you think everything they do is dumb or evil, you've shut your brain off and the world will keep catching you off guard.
deleted 2y ago
[deleted]

No, this was shocking on multiple levels. What motivates the nominally most powerful person on the planet to behave like this?

by tgv 2y ago

No, this was shocking on multiple levels. What motivates the nominally most powerful person on the planet to behave like this?

pjc50 2y ago

Power. They're having the time of their lives.

afavour 2y ago

He likes bullying people and it makes him feel good. People often attribute 5D chess strategies to Trump when base instincts are a far clearer explanation.

racktash 2y ago

It was content for a segment of his base. On Twitter, it's common to find populist-right commentators say things like: 1. Supporting Ukraine against Russia is risking WW3 2. Zelensky is always asking for more, more more and is SO disrespectful to the generous United States. And he doesn't even show up in a suit when meeting the president. How disgraceful. etc. etc. These points were both touched upon by the Trump/Vance tag team and that's no coincidence. My respect for Zelensky, the only decent politician in that room. Ukraine is lucky to have him in a time like this.

llm_trw 2y ago

He nearly got assassinated by the incompetence of the same people telling him to help Ukraine.

cbg0 2y ago
Secret Service is telling Trump to help Ukraine?

GolfPopper 2y ago

My guess: dementia and psychopathy.

cryptonector 2y ago
Now do Vance.
- benrutter 2y ago
  Demented and psychopathic

hiccuphippo 2y ago

Good television, it seems.

hightrix 2y ago

Weakness. Trump looked like the weakest negotiator I’ve ever seen in this exchange. He looks so powerless. He’s taking his frustration out on Zelenski since Musk has completely taken over his role in the US.

Sohcahtoa82 2y ago
To his supporters, Trump looked strong.
- cmurf 2y ago
  They are also weak. And they've learned that aggression compensates for weakness, but in reality weakness is what leads to the aggression. His supporters believe in many lies because they've been brainwashed. Things will continue to degrade until an counter agent is developed for this insanity.

cmrdporcupine 2y ago

He's an entertainer / reality TV star / game show host. That's the sum of him. I'm not sure what anybody could really expect other than this.

arwhatever 2y ago

He wants to defund U.S. support for Ukraine, but isn't can't directly own his decision like an adult, and so has to stage this baloney conflict of a press conference.

tinco 2y ago

You don't have to ask this sort of question. He literally says it in the discussion. He wanted to show the world Zelensky's attitude. And he was successful in doing so Trump failed to make the deal, they tried to get resources for a minimum of involvement, and the deal didn't go through because Zelensky is adamant in wanting to protect Ukrainian integrity. From Trump's perspective this puts him in a good light. He is attempting to negotiate rationally and Zelensky is irrationally spending Ukrainian lives to hold on to an ideal. Of course Europe and many Americans believe in that ideal and would support Ukraine, but that's not Trump's political platform. His motivation is to end the war, and the easiest way to end the war is to yield to Putin's demands. Making Zelensky look unreasonable is a critical part of that.

deleted 2y ago
[deleted]
cmurf 2y ago
It's not an idea. It's the law. Everyone agreed to it. Aggressive war is proscribed in the UN Charter. Starting a war to expand borders or subjugate people is untenable. The right to conquest is obsolete. Returning to that time is absolutely what the Trump regime is asserting on behalf of Americans. And Americans should be vary wary of returning to a time prior to the two world wars as if the lessons learned should now be dismissed or unlearned. We do this and we guarantee there will be one or more world wars again. More wars of conquest, again. More wars of aggression, again. A return to might makes right. Not law. A republic is an empire of laws, not men. We follow Trumpism, and we return to an entirely familiar and more chaotic world than what we have had. Not one fucking square meter of Ukraine should go to Russia. There already is a negotiation and a treaty that said the very goddamn thing that's happening would not happen. So why trust untrustworthy liars by giving them land, with a piece of paper that means less than nothing? You know what is "holding onto an ideal"? Negotiation with Russia.
- tinco 2y ago
  I agree with your rant, but it's not relevant to this thread. GP asked a question about how Trump's behavior could be explained and I explained it. If you can't understand someone's behavior and you think everything they do is dumb or evil, you've shut your brain off and the world will keep catching you off guard.

deleted 2y ago

[deleted]