> It no longer represents American interests, but Russian interests
Disagree. Trump is in this for himself. If he appears to represent Russian interests that's likely because he has made some kind of deal with Putin that benefits him personally. It has been reported that he has been talking to Putin before he was elected for the second term [1].
Donald Trump - whose business "got all the funding we need out of Russia"[1] stood up in front of the press and requested the Russian government target his opponent's email... and the Russian government immediately did so.[2] There has been a great deal of circumstantial evidence since, with little to anything to rebut it. This may very well be a quid pro quo rather than naked pro-Russian partisanship, but the practical difference for the United States is negligible.
If there's any remaining doubt that Trump has an under-the-table deal with Putin consider this: Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth last week ordered U.S. Cyber Command to stand down from all planning against Russia, including offensive digital actions [1].
There is something going in for sure, but the man knows in his heart that he will be dead soon. Surviving his term at his great age will be impressive.
Old men often don't care about personal help, so look to his kin/family for benefits.
He’s trolling dude, just like he said he was better than George Washington. There’s some kind of duality in US politics where people either take Trump seriously but not literally, or they take him literally and not seriously (the latter leading to all sorts of confusion, though often it’s intentional confusion).
Today Trump and his sidekick verbally attacked a man on TV, who has spent the last 3 years watching his country viciously and maliciously attacked by Russia. He's watched his people die. His friends killed. His country leveled.
And then Trump spews "give up" and "screw you", and the best part is he gets agitated and upset when the Ukraine didn't bend a knee.
This isn't trolling. This is the President causing real world events to happen. This is the President derailing a 3+ year effort by the entire West to stop Russia's aggression. This is a President appeasing a dictator, an expansionist, but apparently when he says and does things he's... trolling?
During election when Trump said outrageous things, a lot of people had the same attitude as you, and downplayed Trump's comments: he's trolling... he is bluffing... it is just a distraction tactic... it is a negotiation tactic... and so on.
Then after he got elected and actually started doing the things he said he would the same people are like... "Trump is delivering exactly what he promised what he would deliver when he started this campaign. This is what the American people voted for!"
> Trump is in this for himself. If he appears to represent Russian interests that's likely because he has made some kind of deal with Putin that benefits him personally.
That's usually how one state usually acheives a compromise of another state’s government, by finding the right weak links and making deals with them (the chief of state and/or head of government, and especially the person holding an office which serves simultaneously as both, is pretty much the ideal case for this, though in practice it is often only people a few steps down.)
So, while that description is true, it supports and explains rather than contradicts the claim that Russia has compromised the US government.
Everything he does is related to grift. A Ukraine-American minerals deal will probably have many layers of agencies and private contractors involved. All kinds of side dealings and under the table contracts will be exchanged where the Trump enterprise can skim off everything, like hedge fund fees.
Such a deal has no place in a peace deal where thousands of people have died. Stop the war first.
Trump is probably in it for himself and also helping himself by representing Russian interests. He's no doubt had a lot of money and support from Russia and probably wouldn't even have become president without them.
I think he's hoping for some deal where he / the US / the minerals corporation control half of Ukraine and Putin controls the other half and Zelensky and Ukrainian democracy just get in the way of that.
Disagree. Trump is in this for himself. If he appears to represent Russian interests that's likely because he has made some kind of deal with Putin that benefits him personally. It has been reported that he has been talking to Putin before he was elected for the second term [1].
[1] https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/trump-putin-ta...