Ben Rhodes

He, the leader, he, Der Fuhrer, is the only guy, he's the symbol of the nation or something. It's... It's absolutely grotesque. And what we can see here is like little Marco Rubio on the couch, like shrinking deeper and deeper into his seat.

He, the leader, he, Der Fuhrer, is the only guy, he's the symbol of the nation or something. It's... It's absolutely grotesque. And what we can see here is like little Marco Rubio on the couch, like shrinking deeper and deeper into his seat.

Yeah. And they're just, you know, like, what is he wrong about? You know, like, like nothing that Zelensky said. We can again, we'll talk later about like what his tactical decision making was, but like nothing he said was wrong. And J.D. Vance doesn't know what the fuck he's talking about. He's not some expert on like Ukraine and Russia.

Yeah. And they're just, you know, like, what is he wrong about? You know, like, like nothing that Zelensky said. We can again, we'll talk later about like what his tactical decision making was, but like nothing he said was wrong. And J.D. Vance doesn't know what the fuck he's talking about. He's not some expert on like Ukraine and Russia.

He's just some guy who listened to some podcasts and tries to put nothing wrong with that. Nothing wrong with that. Sorry about that. All of you people. This is YouTube. This is YouTube. Yeah, exactly. YouTube.

He's just some guy who listened to some podcasts and tries to put nothing wrong with that. Nothing wrong with that. Sorry about that. All of you people. This is YouTube. This is YouTube. Yeah, exactly. YouTube.

Yeah, but it felt like that J.D. Vance and Trump wanted some version of this outcome. They didn't want to go exactly like this, but they wanted to smack him around and say he was ungrateful and tell him to thank Mr. Trump. And again, what I find so. It's appalling about it, but it's interesting.

Yeah, but it felt like that J.D. Vance and Trump wanted some version of this outcome. They didn't want to go exactly like this, but they wanted to smack him around and say he was ungrateful and tell him to thank Mr. Trump. And again, what I find so. It's appalling about it, but it's interesting.

We have to understand this is that, you know, Trump's, you know, the headline in foreign policy is he's completely switched sides. And it's now the U.S. and Russia against Europe and Ukraine, the U.S. wanting to be in this alignment with big autocratic countries, Russia, China, the Gulf, etc., But it also mirrors, Tommy, what Trump does at home. He doesn't really pick on people his own size.

We have to understand this is that, you know, Trump's, you know, the headline in foreign policy is he's completely switched sides. And it's now the U.S. and Russia against Europe and Ukraine, the U.S. wanting to be in this alignment with big autocratic countries, Russia, China, the Gulf, etc., But it also mirrors, Tommy, what Trump does at home. He doesn't really pick on people his own size.

It's undocumented people. It's trans people. It's a country that's been invaded like Ukraine. It's people in Gaza that he's dunking on and posting weird videos about the Riviera that he's going to build. This guy is not tough. Tough people like would pick on Putin.

It's undocumented people. It's trans people. It's a country that's been invaded like Ukraine. It's people in Gaza that he's dunking on and posting weird videos about the Riviera that he's going to build. This guy is not tough. Tough people like would pick on Putin.

Tough people would like not be terrified of Putin and beating the shit out of Zelensky on television and then telling him it's his fault. And guess who sees that? The world sees that. Like MAGA base will, you know, be like, oh, this is great. Look at Trump. Own the libs because they think Zelensky sucks.

Tough people would like not be terrified of Putin and beating the shit out of Zelensky on television and then telling him it's his fault. And guess who sees that? The world sees that. Like MAGA base will, you know, be like, oh, this is great. Look at Trump. Own the libs because they think Zelensky sucks.

I mean, your point about Pennsylvania, it's not just – you gave up the game on that, but they also equate Ukraine with kind of libs or something, which is super weird, by the way, because it used to be the opposite.

I mean, your point about Pennsylvania, it's not just – you gave up the game on that, but they also equate Ukraine with kind of libs or something, which is super weird, by the way, because it used to be the opposite.

That was the talking point forever. Now Obama looks a much different light compared to Trump. But I mean – The rest of the world doesn't live in the megaverse. The rest of the world lives in reality, and they're just seeing a bully picking on someone smaller to make himself look tough.

That was the talking point forever. Now Obama looks a much different light compared to Trump. But I mean – The rest of the world doesn't live in the megaverse. The rest of the world lives in reality, and they're just seeing a bully picking on someone smaller to make himself look tough.

Yeah. I mean, the whole purpose of this was to, again, further make Trump look tough. Like he got Ukraine to bend to his will and give us access to these rare earth materials that, as you said, take, you know, these would not be mined in Trump's presidency. And if and when they are, so what? What is it? What on earth does this have to do with ending the war?

Yeah. I mean, the whole purpose of this was to, again, further make Trump look tough. Like he got Ukraine to bend to his will and give us access to these rare earth materials that, as you said, take, you know, these would not be mined in Trump's presidency. And if and when they are, so what? What is it? What on earth does this have to do with ending the war?