Trump & Vance Embarrass U.S. in Spectacular Fashion

In a stunning collapse of White House diplomacy—and basic decency—President Trump’s meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy ended in a fiery exchange on Friday, with Trump accusing Zelenskyy of disrespecting the US in the "cherished Oval Office."

Zelenskyy had come to Washington to finalize a deal: Ukraine would establish a fund, handing over billions of future state-owned mineral, gas, and oil profits to the U.S.

Why? Trump—always a fan of transactional diplomacy—framed the agreement as Ukraine's repayment to the U.S. for military aid. Zelensky – eager to stay in Trump's good graces and perhaps tie his country's security with American interests – agreed.

These minerals, essential for technologies like EV batteries and semiconductors, are currently dominated by China—making them critical to U.S. economic and national security interests.

When Vice President J.D. Vance—also present—suggested Ukraine’s war with Russia could be solved through simple diplomacy, Zelenskyy refused to be gaslit and reminded him of Putin’s long history of violating agreements, including the broken Crimea ceasefire. Zelensky insisted that any U.S.-brokered peace deal must include real security guarantees for Ukraine—something missing from Trump’s proposal.

Trump dismissed Zelenskyy’s concerns, acknowledging that Putin had broken past agreements but insisting "he respects me" and wouldn’t dare do so under his administration. The exchange escalated when Trump accused Zelenskyy of "gambling with World War III," while Vance condescendingly asked if he had properly thanked the U.S. for its support. (He has—repeatedly.)

The meeting ended abruptly, and Zelensky left the White House without signing the agreement. Later, on Truth Social, Trump declared that Zelenskyy had "disrespected the United States" and could return "when he is ready for Peace."

In contrast to other world leaders who have handled Trump with calculated flattery, Zelenskyy chose substance over submission—and paid the price. The encounter laid bare the fragility—or perhaps the façade—of diplomacy in today’s White House.

I. THE WHITE HOUSE

⭐️ "Gold Card" Immigration Scheme: Wealthy foreigners can now buy a "gold card"—an upgraded green card—for $5 million. Trump claims it will create jobs, but he continues to cut corporate taxes and assumes companies won’t outsource jobs. He even suggested that "very nice" Russian oligarchs could qualify. 250,000 are now on the waitlist. (The Hill)

💲 More Tariffs: "The Trump Administration says it will increase tariffs on China by another 10%, after the White House accused them of facilitating fentanyl trade. Trump says the previously announced 25% tariffs on Canada and Mexico – which were delayed for 30 days – will start next week. (Axios)

🇺🇸 America's Official Language: The White House announced that Trump will sign an executive order declaring English as the country’s official language, claiming it will promote "unity" and "civic engagement." The U.S. federal government has never declared an official language in its history. Immigration advocates warn the move could disenfranchise millions and remove requirements for federal agencies to provide materials in other languages. AP | WSJ

⭐️ Adios DC: The Trump Administration has directed federal agencies to propose new locations outside of DC by April, aiming to reduce costs by moving offices to cheaper locations. Washington Post

Cabinet News

🏥 Ebola Prevention Efforts in Limbo: At his first Cabinet meeting, Elon Musk claimed that mistakenly fired employees working on Ebola prevention had been reinstated. However, USAID—which spearheads those efforts—says Ebola prevention efforts have been shut down entirely. Washington Post

😷 Measles Outbreak Worsens: An unvaccinated child in Texas died from measles this week as an outbreak—now over 100 cases—continues to grow. HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a vaccine skeptic, downplayed the outbreak, calling it "normal." But medical experts disagree: Measles was declared eradicated in 2000, and the last U.S. measles death was in 2015. There are outbreaks in other states though experts have not linked them yet. 

🩻 Mystery Illness in Congo: The WHO reports a mystery illness spreading in Congo has killed about 60 people, with half of those deaths occurring within 48 hours of infection. Experts have ruled out Ebola and Marburg viruses and are now investigating possible poisoning from contaminated substances, such as water. Normally, "virus hunters" would be deployed to trace such outbreaks, but foreign aid cuts under the Trump Administration have prevented these teams from operating. CBS News | WHO Afro

💉 Flu Vaccine Meeting Canceled: A crucial March 13 meeting on next year’s flu vaccine was canceled without explanation—the second since Kennedy took over HHS. Panel members, including experts from Stanford, NIH, and the New England Journal of Medicine, were instructed not to speak to the media. Flu vaccines must be updated annually. Planning starts in spring to ensure vaccines are ready by September. This flu season was one of the worst in a decade: 86 children and 19,000 adults died. The panel relies on World Health Organization (WHO) data, but the U.S. withdrew from WHO under Trump. The administration is now letting the CDC and FDA coordinate with WHO to help fill the gap.

❌ Social Security Job Cuts: Trump’s administration is slashing 7,000 jobs from the Social Security Administration, further straining a system already struggling with long wait times. NPR

🎙️ FBI’s "Shocking" No. 2 Pick: Trump named a right-wing podcaster and former Secret Service agent with no FBI experience as its deputy director. NBC News

💻 Leaving the Chat: Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard fired over 100 agents for engaging in sexually explicit chats on government platforms. Axios

🍳 Finally, Cheaper Eggs? The USDA says it will invest $1 billion to combat the bird flu which has led to the killings of millions of chickens and a nationwide egg shortage and price increase, which Trump promised to address on Day One of his presidency. NBC News

🌪️ Stormy Days: About 1,300 NOAA employees—10% of its workforce—will be laid off, curtailing key weather services as climate change worsens extreme weather events. Critics warn the move could hinder the ability to accurately forecast storms like hurricanes and tornadoes. CNN | Axios

📚 Trump’s DEI crackdown continues: The Department of Education launched a public portal urging parents, teachers, and students to report “divisive ideologies” in schools. Trump has banned DEI programs in federal agencies and publicly funded schools. Education Week

💰 The Department of Education is also offering cash buyouts of up to $25,000 to employees willing to resign or retire, ahead of a major Reduction In Force. Critics warn that those accepting the buyout forfeit severance, accrued leave, and unemployment benefits, while being barred from federal jobs for five years. The Guardian

II. CONGRESS

🚨 At a Republican Central Committee town hall in Idaho, a woman was forcibly removed by two men after shouting from her seat, expressing frustration over being ignored. The men were part security team hired for the event but refused to identify themselves during the incident. Their license to practice has been revoked. AP | Video here

📌 This incident is one of many confrontations during last week’s congressional recess, which were recorded and shared on social media. GOP leaders have suggested holding tele-town halls or vetting attendees to avoid further negative publicity. The town halls and the viral videos highlight growing concerns among Republicans ahead next year's midterm elections. NBC News

💵 The House Republicans' tax bill narrowly passed 217-215 on Tuesday. One Republican and all Democrats opposed the bill. While the left argues the bill guts Medicaid, Republicans counter that Medicaid isn’t directly mentioned in the cuts; both are kinda right and wrong. The budget must pass by March 14 to avoid a government shutdown. NYT

• Republicans propose $4.5 trillion in tax cuts over 10 years, mostly benefiting wealthy individuals and corporations.
• To offset this, they're looking for $2 trillion in spending cuts. They've tasked the Energy and Commerce Departments – which oversee Medicaid – to cut $880 billion from their budgets, which is impossible to do without cutting Medicaid.

😰 Republican leadership – under pressure from swing district lawmakers who fear Medicaid cuts will harm their constituents – privately assured lawmakers that they won't make any deep cuts to the program. Politico

III. JUDICIAL

👨🏼‍⚖️ After a repeatedly defying a district court's order to unblock USAID funding by Wednesday night—the Trump administration went to the Supreme Court, asking it to throw out the lower court's ruling. Sarah Harris, a government lawyer, argued that allowing a district court to second-guess the executive branch would hinder the administration’s ability to govern. Chief Justice John Roberts temporarily froze the lower court’s order and instructed the plaintiffs—two nonprofit groups that receive USAID funding—to respond to the White House’s claims by Friday. SCOTUSblog | Washington Post

IV. THE MEDIA

📝 The White House announced it will now decide which media outlets cover the president, ending the long-standing practice where the White House Correspondents' Association coordinated the press pool. The AP was removed after refusing to refer to the Gulf of Mexico as the "Gulf of America." Critics warn this could lead to further control over the press. Axios

‼️ The situation is so serious that (gasp) even FOX and NewsMax are supporting the AP. Deadline

🗞️ In a controversial move, Jeff Bezos announced that the Washington Post’s opinion pages will only feature pieces defending personal freedoms and free markets. This has raised concerns about Bezos' influence on the paper’s editorial stance. In November, Bezos killed the paper's endorsement of Kamala Harris for president, causing an uproar that led to more than 200,000 subscriptio🗞️ n cancellations. Politico | CNN

HEADLINES

• Pope Francis suffered a setback in his recovery from pneumonia after aspirating vomit. Doctors warn that he is not out of danger yet. CNN
• Skype is shutting down in May after 22 years of service. NPR
• In Illinois, a man was convicted of murdering a six-year-old Palestinian boy by stabbing him 26 times due to his ethnicity. ABC7
• Germany’s Far-Right Gains Power: The AfD party—which has ties to Moscow and Elon Musk—won 20% of Germany’s vote, making it the country’s second-largest party. The party opposes sanctions on Russia and military aid to Ukraine. The Hill
• A non-profit group is urging the International Criminal Court to investigate former President Joe Biden and former Secretary of State Antony Blinken for war crimes in Gaza. The Guardian
• The Islamic holy month of Ramadan – when Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset – begins Saturday. Middle East Eye