Trump’s Putin Play: A Toast to Diplomacy (and a Heavily‑Sponsored Speech)
Picture this: The President of the United States, a man who loves golf more than geopolitics, steps into a wintery meeting in Helsinki, arms shaking with a Russian strongman named Vladimir Putin. The media, being what it is, erupts into a circus of screaming headlines and Twitter storms.
“A Great Success” – Trump on the Summit
- “The Summit with Russia was a great success, except with the real enemy of the people, the Fake News Media,” Trump bragged on Twitter, winking at a crowd that was already jamming.
- He claimed the Fake News Media wants “a major confrontation with Russia,” implying that a global showdown might be the best Netflix storyline yet.
- “Getting along with Putin is a positive, not a negative,” Trump told CNBC, as if Fyodor Dostoevsky was jealous of his diplomatic finesse.
Spin Doctors on Each Side
Mike Pompeo – the U.S. Secretary of State – kept it low‑down. “We’re trying to redirect two countries that were on a bad path,” he proudly said on EWTN. He painted the meeting as a “channel for communication” and was surprised any transcript would ever surface.
Dan Coats – Director of National Intelligence – looked like he’d just finished a cliffhanger episode at a news broadcast, asking the interviewer, “Say that again?” as he laughed. “I don’t know what happened in that meeting” – no drama, no plot twists.
Big‑League Playground: The Pauses and the Pocket‑Sums
- U.S. Senate went 98‑0 against a first‑hand exchange of US officials for Russian questioning.
- Trump pre‑emptively asked National Security Advisor John Bolton to invite Putin to Washington in the fall, and Sanders tweeted that the talks are already underway.
- In Helsinki, Putin tossed an offer: “We can meet the U.S. government halfway.” He iterated that “12” Russian spies could be interrogated in Russia – only if the U.S. sat back, let Moscow question former envoy Michael McFaul and the billionaire William Browder.
- Federally, Mueller inducted the 12 Russians – a move that caused Trump to double‑check, but the White House quickly said the deal wasn’t on the table.
Public Opinion: A Comedy of Differences
Polls do what polls do: split the crowd.
- Only 1/3 of Americans approved of Trump’s umpteen handling of the “Putin summit,” but among Republicans it shot up to 68 % – a “cheers for the president!” segue.
- Even seasoned foreign‑policy figures got wary. Senator Lindsey Graham warned that Trump was “misjudging Putin” and that the President needs to be better prepared.
- In Moscow, Putin fired back at U.S. critics, calling them “pathetic, worthless people” ready to sacrifice Russian‑American relations for personal ambition. He even practically applauded the Pelosi‑sized demos of patriotism.
Wrap‑up
In a nutshell: Trump’s Helsinki escapade was a high‑stakes tug‑of‑war between Russian might, U.S. satire, and headline‑hungry media. Whether it counts as a “great success” or a “potential flashpoint” largely depends on who’s watching the screen. Meanwhile, a springboard for another meeting looming in Washington keeps the drama ticking. And the world? It’s still waiting for the official transcript to turn up – because who doesn’t love a good mystery?
