Bill Maher expressed his outrage on his show “Real Time” after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was berated by President Donald Trump at the White House. Maher sarcastically remarked, “Great day to be an American,” highlighting the lack of decorum shown during the Oval Office meeting.
Zelenskyy was supposed to sign an agreement with the U.S. regarding Ukraine’s rare minerals in exchange for protection against Russia. However, the meeting took a sour turn when Zelenskyy mentioned Russia’s violation of a 2014 ceasefire agreement and requested U.S. assurances for Ukraine’s security in any peace deal with Russia.
Trump, in response, belittled Zelenskyy, telling him he was in no position to dictate terms and that he needed to play his cards right. The interaction between the two leaders was described as tense and disrespectful by onlookers, with political pundits and social media users expressing their disapproval.
Fareed Zakaria, a guest on Maher’s show, called the incident “tragic” and criticized Trump for bullying a leader who relies on U.S. support for survival. Zakaria humorously suggested that Zelenskyy should have praised Trump and presented him with a grand medal to appease the President.
Overall, the meeting between Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and Zelenskyy was filled with tension and lacked the diplomatic decorum expected from such high-level discussions. The incident highlighted the strained relationship between the U.S. and Ukraine and raised concerns about the future of peace negotiations in the region.
