[Washington Post] Trump begins purging the Military creating mass panic

Two Trump officials decline to say Russia started the war in Ukraine
In recent days, Trump has upended the prior U.S. position by falsely calling Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy a “dictator” and blaming Ukraine for Russia’s invasion.


Pressed on why U.S. officials were hesitant to say Russia invaded Ukraine, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth asked if “finger-pointing and pearl-clutching” make peace more likely. Omar Havana / Getty Images file

Feb. 23, 2025, 11:22 AM CST
By Megan Lebowitz

Two Trump administration officials publicly declined to characterize Russia as the provocateur in its war against Ukraine, despite the war having begun when Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

Asked during an interview with “Fox News Sunday” host Shannon Bream whether it was fair to say Russia attacked Ukraine unprovoked three years ago tomorrow, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said it was “fair to say it’s a very complicated situation.”

The comments come after President Donald Trump upended the prior U.S. position on Ukraine by falsely calling Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy a “dictator” and laying blame on Ukraine for Russia’s invasion, despite Russia having launched an invasion of Ukraine in 2022 after Russia’s President Vladimir Putin advanced false information about the history and governance of Eastern Europe.

Earlier in the Fox News interview, Hegseth said he did not “need to get into the characterization of — we know who invaded who. We understand the stakes of this game.”

When pressed on why some have expressed hesitance in stating who was responsible for the start of the war, Hegseth responded by asking whether “finger-pointing and pearl-clutching” would make peace more likely.

“Standing here and saying, ‘You’re good, you’re bad; you’re a dictator, you’re not a dictator; you invaded, you didn’t.’ It’s not useful. It’s not productive,” said Hegseth.

“And so President Trump isn’t getting drawn into that in unnecessary ways, and as a result, we’re closer to peace today than ever before,” Hegseth added. “And I’ve been privy to these conversations. Great progress is being made.”

Top Trump administration officials, including Middle East special envoy Steve Witkoff, have traveled to Saudi Arabia in recent days to hold talks with Russian officials.

Witkoff said in a CNN interview Sunday that the war in Ukraine, “irrespective of who started it, needs to end.” He then appeared to defend Russia’s perspective by arguing that the war was not necessarily provoked by Russia.

“The war didn’t need to happen. It was provoked,” he added later in his answer. “It doesn’t necessarily mean it was provoked by the Russians. There were all kinds of conversations back then about Ukraine joining NATO. The president has spoken about this — that didn’t need to happen. It basically became a threat to the Russians, and so we have to deal with that fact.”

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/tr...decline-russia-started-ukraine-war-rcna193357

 

For a trained journalist/Fox propagandist he really sucks at messaging.

Ofc, none of his tribe will remark on the dull deliveries the same way they did under Biden.

Over/under 1 year?

 

Commodore is the literal embodiment of Frank Burns.

 

The Constitution vests all executive authority in the President.

 

It wasn't a compliment.

 

He comes across as nervous - and physically he seems frail.

He was hired in part because of how he has come across in the media in the past and his appearance and perceive charisma.

So far we have not seen a lot of that - but it is still early and I am sure he is way over his head.

If he doesn't memorize the messaging better - and appear more in control, I am sure he will at some point be replaced.

Behind all of this is a group of bright, but radical and morally questionable men that make all the substantive decisions - National Guard Boy just needs to deliver the news like an actor or news anchor, when he doesn't do that well, he is nothing but a negative to this administration.

 

The Constitution vest all federal executive authority in the President.

Also - if are going to play the strict constructionist scenario, nowhere in the Constitution are Executive Orders explicitly defined in the Constitution. It is an inferred power.

Further - the Constitution requires that the President ensure that the laws are faithfully executed - which is something that he has already arguably violated with some of his Executive Orders.

Having said all of that - a lot of the positions that Trump has taken on foreign relations I disagree with, but I agree that he can Constitutionally do what he is doing. Congress has some degree of power but they are largely at the whims of the President.

Still - what I think many are not considering is that this broad expansion of Presidential power in practice is setting precedence going forward, and the next President very well could be a Democrat and with the current political situation - it could be a very radical democrat... and a lot of what conservatives are cheering could well be the complete opposite......... and I don't think that is good for the country.

 

Great Point, as an American Voter I don't want the US to be a big yo yo of extremism every 4 years which is why a very extreme administration like this one will lose the trust of the Voter................IMO so many fringe voters wanted change based on grocery prices, insurance and rent and will jump at the chance to vote the other way on someone who gets help to the middle class. Were barely a month into this shitshow with no sight that it will slow down, I honestly hope Democracy can hold on for 4 years. I prefer trump to do what's right so that ALL of us do well, but I am afraid that's not in the cards.........

 

I will trumpsplain this..................when the orange man makes a huge mistake with the military, no one will be smart enough or man enough to talk him out of it. Think what you will about trump but he is no diplomat, and now he has a weaponized military to do his bidding.............well what do you know, just like his bff puttin, but our military can actually do something unlike the russians

 

I missed the "mass panic" part of this story . . . any details on that?

 

Yeah, like storm the whitehouse and arrest Trump for illegal actions.

DD

 

You're right there is no panic, that's the problem

 

Probably the same place that $55,000,000,000 saved by DOGE is