Ben Rhodes

first of all, Zelensky always thanks the United States repeatedly. He's done it, by the way, since Trump has been president, expressed gratitude for the support the United States supplies, even though, by the way, Donald Trump is not the one that provided that support. It was Joe Biden and the United States Congress on a bipartisan basis.

first of all, Zelensky always thanks the United States repeatedly. He's done it, by the way, since Trump has been president, expressed gratitude for the support the United States supplies, even though, by the way, Donald Trump is not the one that provided that support. It was Joe Biden and the United States Congress on a bipartisan basis.

But they want Zelensky to behave like, you know, a Trump staffer there. Thank you, Mr. Trump, for being such a great president. And they don't do this

But they want Zelensky to behave like, you know, a Trump staffer there. Thank you, Mr. Trump, for being such a great president. And they don't do this

to other leaders you know they don't hector other leaders like this in the oval office they you know they they they they're picking on him they're like schoolyard boys picking on a small injured person to impress their friends and it's like three on one you can hear all of them like chiding him be like yes you were mean yes you did say that it literally sounds like a schoolyard taunting and he didn't insult when did he insult did you do you know what they're referring because he shouldn't insult the u.s he just explained facts facts are insulting to true

to other leaders you know they don't hector other leaders like this in the oval office they you know they they they they're picking on him they're like schoolyard boys picking on a small injured person to impress their friends and it's like three on one you can hear all of them like chiding him be like yes you were mean yes you did say that it literally sounds like a schoolyard taunting and he didn't insult when did he insult did you do you know what they're referring because he shouldn't insult the u.s he just explained facts facts are insulting to true

Yeah, and he needs everything to be about himself and not about like the reality of what is happening in the world, particularly a reality that is counter to his narrative and inconvenient to him in any way, shape or form. And Zelensky is this guy who's only trying to share facts, you know, and each time he does –

Yeah, and he needs everything to be about himself and not about like the reality of what is happening in the world, particularly a reality that is counter to his narrative and inconvenient to him in any way, shape or form. And Zelensky is this guy who's only trying to share facts, you know, and each time he does –

They act as if he has personally offended them and come down even harder on the guy. And by this point in the clip, they're just picking on him. And to say that because he's not kissing Trump's ass, he's insulting the whole country, just shows you what Donald Trump's view of this country is, that he is the only thing that matters.

They act as if he has personally offended them and come down even harder on the guy. And by this point in the clip, they're just picking on him. And to say that because he's not kissing Trump's ass, he's insulting the whole country, just shows you what Donald Trump's view of this country is, that he is the only thing that matters.

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.