Zolan Kanno-Youngs

Right. And while you're cutting spending, the question that we have to keep asking are going to be following is also what programs get cut with that. And if you're looking at $800 billion over 10 years, there's very few ways to do that without cutting something like Medicaid, providing health insurance for lower income Americans. Many of which are supporters of the president.

Many of which are supporters of the president as well. And if they were to do that, You know, Democrats who up until this point have been really cautious in choosing what to swing at when it comes to the Trump administration.

Many of which are supporters of the president as well. And if they were to do that, You know, Democrats who up until this point have been really cautious in choosing what to swing at when it comes to the Trump administration.

I've talked to folks who think they have an opening there in attaching cutting of a government program that many of the president's own supporters rely on to this administration. Right.

I've talked to folks who think they have an opening there in attaching cutting of a government program that many of the president's own supporters rely on to this administration. Right.

So we've talked about how President Trump's approach to foreign policy can best be described as transactional. And we got some examples of that early on when after coming into office, you know, when it came to aid for Ukraine, it started out as sort of amusing over having an exchange of the natural resources in Ukraine for aid to Ukraine.

So we've talked about how President Trump's approach to foreign policy can best be described as transactional. And we got some examples of that early on when after coming into office, you know, when it came to aid for Ukraine, it started out as sort of amusing over having an exchange of the natural resources in Ukraine for aid to Ukraine.

And that has really become a focus of the negotiations that we've now seen in recent days and in recent weeks. So a pivotal point in this is when Trump's Treasury Secretary Scott Besson took a trip to Kyiv, Ukraine, and presented an initial version of this deal. And the initial version, Ukraine balked at it. What was the initial version? First, the U.S.

And that has really become a focus of the negotiations that we've now seen in recent days and in recent weeks. So a pivotal point in this is when Trump's Treasury Secretary Scott Besson took a trip to Kyiv, Ukraine, and presented an initial version of this deal. And the initial version, Ukraine balked at it. What was the initial version? First, the U.S.

basically wants back pay for the aid they already sent to Ukraine. Trump is basically saying, you have these critical earth minerals in Ukraine, and the U.S. is going to get a significant amount, half of the revenue from that up to $500 billion. That's a lot. The maybe even more significant thing is what's not important. that proposal.

basically wants back pay for the aid they already sent to Ukraine. Trump is basically saying, you have these critical earth minerals in Ukraine, and the U.S. is going to get a significant amount, half of the revenue from that up to $500 billion. That's a lot. The maybe even more significant thing is what's not important. that proposal.

And that's the assurance Zelensky wants of a long-term security guarantee. The concern for Ukraine is that any pause in fighting that U.S. and Russia agreed to, well, what if Russia uses that to build up its forces and then Ukraine is left without the assurance, the knowledge that the United States will come to their defense, that the United States will actually support Ukraine?

And that's the assurance Zelensky wants of a long-term security guarantee. The concern for Ukraine is that any pause in fighting that U.S. and Russia agreed to, well, what if Russia uses that to build up its forces and then Ukraine is left without the assurance, the knowledge that the United States will come to their defense, that the United States will actually support Ukraine?

Why? Well, for one, I mean, a late version of a U.S. proposal did vaguely say that the U.S. would support Ukraine security. But then Trump came around the next day in a cabinet meeting and said, essentially, that was going to be the responsibility of European nations that are closer to Ukraine. Zelensky's in a really tight spot here. I mean, he knows Ukraine has been relying on a lot of U.S. aid.

Why? Well, for one, I mean, a late version of a U.S. proposal did vaguely say that the U.S. would support Ukraine security. But then Trump came around the next day in a cabinet meeting and said, essentially, that was going to be the responsibility of European nations that are closer to Ukraine. Zelensky's in a really tight spot here. I mean, he knows Ukraine has been relying on a lot of U.S. aid.

And, you know, he's now put in a position where, like many other world leaders, he now needs to come to Washington and try to placate Trump, try to use old-fashioned diplomacy to try and secure any kind of assurance for Ukraine.

And, you know, he's now put in a position where, like many other world leaders, he now needs to come to Washington and try to placate Trump, try to use old-fashioned diplomacy to try and secure any kind of assurance for Ukraine.

Even when the administration is trying to reassure Ukraine that the United States will be here, they actually point to the fact that, look, if we have an investment in your critical earth minerals, that is impossible. in a form, you know, the best kind of security assurance that you could get because we don't want Russia to take over all of this territory.

Even when the administration is trying to reassure Ukraine that the United States will be here, they actually point to the fact that, look, if we have an investment in your critical earth minerals, that is impossible. in a form, you know, the best kind of security assurance that you could get because we don't want Russia to take over all of this territory.

If we have an agreement with you to continue to financially benefit, you know, from these critical earth minerals, isn't it more likely that we will continue to support your defense of your land, which I think says a lot about Trump. It says a lot about him.