Rachel Maddow: Two new details learned from Trump's Oval Office meltdown - Rachel Maddow - MSNBC

[Rhiannon12866]

Rachel Maddow points out two surprising but mostly overlooked revelations that came from Donald Trump's Oval Office meltdown over his inability to arrange a deal with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. One is Trump revealing the last time he spoke with Vladimir Putin, something about which he is typically cagey. The second is the surprising presence in the room of a news organization that was not invited. - Aired on 02/28/2025.

[HeartsCanHope]

1. Thank you for posting this.

It breaks my heart, though. We have to come up with a strategy to make the Republicans listen. Trump and his hardcore Magas will never change, but there have to be individuals that can change. I am old enough to remember when Democrats and Republicans worked together, so this is truly soul crushing. We just have to keep pressuring our elected officials to speak up and stand up. The situation as it is cannot be allowed to continue. We must pressure them until they find their spine again--the 2026 elections are too far away.

[Rhiannon12866]

2. You're more than welcome, I thought that Rachel was especially spot on tonight

And what happened today breaks my heart, too. It was excruciating to watch, certainly humiliating for this country a lot more than was for President Zelenskyy, and this happened in front of the entire world.

And after what we saw and Rachel documented, the Republicans are just hopeless. They're incapable of being humiliated, too - Graham and Wicker who Rachel exposed would rather make fools of themselves by doing a 180 on Zelenskyy in the same day than go against TFG, that's how bad that it's gotten. And I can remember when Democrats and Republicans could work together, too. My Dad was friendly with a lot of local officials regardless of party, but these days it's become so partisan that even neighbors and families can't get along.

And I sure agree that 2026 is unimaginably way too far away. Just this last month - hell, every day in the past month - has been excruciating. And it's become fairly obvious that Republicans care much more about what TFG thinks rather than their constituents. I've been stuck with one of those for the past few years - Stefanik. And she's not only incapable of being humiliated and only answers to a constituent of one - TFG - rather than the constituents in her district. And now she's been rewarded for her "loyalty" by TFG, being given a more high profile job.

So I don't have the answers, I'm still reeling from what we all saw today. Maybe the Town Halls will help if those in Congress learn that unless they change their "loyalties" they won't be reelected. But as you said, those are way too far off, each day has turned into a trauma. And I no longer have a congressperson to pressure, not that she'd listen, anyway. We're going to have a Special Election at some point, or maybe not until November - if we make it that long.

[BigmanPigman]

3. Money! That is always be the answer to "why are we doing this?"

It rules the world. "Money makes the world go round" and that will never change.

[Rhiannon12866]

4. I have no doubt you're right, for TFG it's both power and money.

He figures that his job gives him unlimited power and there's money to be made so he'll do anything to hang on to that power, even if it means selling out his country to Putin, to hell with the American people or any of our allies, including President Zelenskyy or the beleaguered people of our ally, Ukraine.