Bill Maher was visibly outraged Friday after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was berated at the White House by President Donald Trump for asking that a proposed peace deal between Ukraine and Russia come with U.S.-backed assurances Russia won’t violate it.
“Great day to be an American,” Maher dejectedly joked on HBO’s “Real Time.”
“My first thought is he’s having this big browbeating with a guy who speaks English as a second language,” he continued, adding, “So we’re all agreed this is deplorable. I’ve tried not to use the word deplorable as much as I can, but when it’s deplorable, it’s deplorable.”
World leaders, political pundits and the American people on social media certainly agreed, as Friday’s Oval Office blowout between Trump, Vice President JD Vance and Zelenskyy lacked any semblance of decorum they might hope for the highest U.S. office to aspire to.
Zelenskyy was set to sign an agreement between the U.S. and Ukraine regarding an exchange of his nation’s rare minerals for U.S. protection against Russia but appeared to be booted from the premises after Trump and Vance felt disrespected.
“You have to be thankful,” Trump told the Ukrainian leader during their meeting.
They seemed to discuss the conflict cordially for more than 40 minutes before Zelenskyy said Russia violated a 2014 ceasefire agreement and that he wants the U.S. to guarantee Ukraine’s security if he does sign the minerals deal in exchange for a new push for peace.
“You’re in no position to dictate what we’re going to feel,” Trump told Zelenskyy, adding, “You’re right now not in a very good position, you’ve allowed yourself to be in a very bad position. … You don’t have the cards right now. With us, you start having cards.”
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“Real Time” guest Fareed Zakaria said Friday it was “tragic” to see an American president “bully, berate” and “demean” a nation’s leader “who depends on the United States for its survival” — before giving a cheeky suggestion to Zelenskyy.
“The way to have gone in there,” Zakaria joked, “is first, you begin by saying, ‘President Trump, you are a genius. You have completely transformed the landscape. I have with me the highest order of merit — Ukraine has never created a civilian honor this big — for you.’”
“You have a big medal, put it on him, then say to him, ‘I look forward to working with you,’” Zakaria added.