President Donald Trump is beginning to lose faith that he canget an actual dealKatty Kay, the BBC News special correspondent, mentioned during a conversation with MSNBC's Jason Johnson on Wednesday evening, regarding Vladimir Putin's summit concerning the Ukraine war in Alaska.
Now, this is an important point," said Johnson. "After his first term, when President Trump was no longer in power, he essentially removed any real experts within the Republican Party regarding Russia... the only individual in his administration who might have had any understanding of this is Marco Rubio, whom he pushed aside.
That being so, he continued, "Is it possible, even despitelistening to the Europeans, Trump isn't even aware of what ground rules to establish, as it's not as if he clearly understands what's at stake. Can he really set standards with Putin when he's so lacking in knowledge?
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Look, I don't believe anyone would claim that Donald Trump was particularly interested in the specifics of foreign policy or domestic policy, would they?" said Kay. "He's after the victory. He's after the deal. He's after the meeting.
I found it very intriguing to observe the White House's approach over the past few days, as they have adjusted their expectations for this," she added. "Donald Trump entered this situation, almost implying that he already had the agreement and the Nobel Prize would be announced the following day. That perspective has shifted considerably. I mean, we've heard this from Karoline Leavitt. She has mentioned that this is now a 'listening phase.' I believe there has been an understanding that he is approaching this meeting and might not leave with the major deal he had hoped to achieve.
The issue, she continued, was, "What is the purpose of the meeting? Does the meeting aid the situation in Ukraine, or does it potentially worsen it? Could Vladimir Putin ... manipulate him with excessive praise? And does Trump revert to his usual tendencies, which appear to be a fondness for Vladimir Putin after this meeting?"
This follows similar findings from other experts, as CNN's Kristen Holmes pointed out that Putin has left Trump "disappointed and embarrassed," with "increasing frustration" building up before the meeting.
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