Trump And His Enemies
Yesterday I listened to a lengthy exchange between Glenn Diesen and Gilbert Doctorow. In fact, I listened to the first part of it twice. Doctorow was insisting that at least some of the Euros are “very dangerous people” and that this fact explains some of Trump’s actions—which Doctorow characterizes as “brilliant” and “very encouraging.” Here’s a partial transcript of that portion of the exchange. As you’ll see, Doctorow describes Trump’s enemies in Europe—Starmer and Macron—as “dangerous people.” On the surface he says that because “they have friends on Capitol Hill.” But Doctorow is a pretty shrewd and experienced observer of the international scene. He has to know that Starmer and Macron are puppets, and he has to know that there are also powers who control their “friends on Capitol Hill.” Let’s get Doctorow’s take first:
Gilbert Doctorow: Trump Outmaneuvers Europe
I'm going to stick my neck out, because otherwise I don't see much much reason to talk about it. What I think I see is a showman. This is a person--I'm speaking about Trump--who has a master feel for creating confusion in order to paralyze his enemies. One of our very well-known observers--a former inspector in Iraq of for nuclear weapons [sounds like Scott Ritter] was commenting yesterday that Trump doesn't have any enemies in Europe who should make him worry, because Europe has got nothing. Well, things are not that simple from my perspective, and I think they're not that simple from Trump's perspective. If they were simple then Trump wouldn't have received Starmer and Macron ... These people are dangerous. They have friends on Capitol Hill. Macron was the first person since since DeGaulle to be received by the Joint House of Congress going back to the start of his of his first term. These are dangerous people who have a lot of friends among Republicans. Not every Republican is kneeling at Trump's feet--particularly when the issues are, How do we get out of the Ukrainian situation? Or, How do we reneg on our obligations?
Ted Cruz’s ties to the globalists, including through his wife, are well known. But I don’t imagine that there aren’t other Republicans like this. Never forget that Ukraine was a global center for money laundering. This is why the Senate is so fearful of Trump.
Ted Cruz @tedcruz
President Trump campaigned on ending the war in Ukraine.
I have repeatedly urged President Trump that it is crucial for this war to end with a decisive and unmistakable defeat for Putin and Russia.
2:31 PM · Mar 1, 2025
So there Trump is facing very difficult challenges and he is handling them--from my perspective--brilliantly. Not single-handedly, but by a team who have been choreographed. The whole sequence a week ago: the call that Trump had with Putin, the speech that Hegseth made here in Brussels--Ukraine not returning to its original borders and not having a future in NATO--the speech by JD Vance explaining why the United States is not interested in backing up Europe if Europe is not interested in being democratic.
I do not listen to what Trump says. What Trump says is confused and confusing--intentionally. Not because his mind is confused--not at all! He knows what he wants but he's playing with Starmer, he's playing with Macron to sideline them while he's hoping to complete the business with Russia over Ukraine, and then to present the Europeans and the Ukrainians with a fait accompli--take it or leave it, because you can't do anything about it. That is what he's doing. He's disarming his enemies.
The fact that this is a correct reading of him comes, not from what he said but from what he did on Monday of this past week. We saw something we haven't seen in 80 years--the United States voted with China and Russia against Europe. This is unbelievable, earth shaking, and it is proof that Trump is doing what he believes in and these are not arbitrary and accidental decisions. He slips into his conversations--as he did with Starmer--words which, if you were listening closely, tell you what he's really about and not what he seems to be about. ...
This is why we are in very interesting times, and very encouraging times. I don't think that I am falling for Trump. I think what I'm saying is based on very concrete and specific things that have happened in the last 10 days.
Pretty good stuff, as far as it goes. So, what did Zelensky do after getting tossed from the White House? He flew straight to London, where Starmer, 008, pledged more billions. But … who told Starmer to do that? Presumably the “City of London.” It’s war, now:
Alex Christoforou @AXChristoforou
"That Escalated Quickly" - Ron Burgundy.
Russia sees what’s going on, and they are playing into it. Trump gets that:
dana @dana916
The summary of Lavrov's remarks:
-The Trump team's common sense dictates that they 'step aside' on Ukraine, while Biden's team has been defeated by hubris, the foreign minister said;
-The appearance of European peacekeepers in Ukraine will mean that the causes of the crisis will not disappear for Russia;
-Russia and the US have realized that they cannot see eye to eye on all issues of world politics, but they cannot 'go to war';
-There were no preliminary preparations in the bilateral format for the Russia-US meeting in Riyadh, the teams prepared in their own countries;
-In the last 500 years, all the world's tragedies originated in Europe, the US was not the instigator.
ukraine_watch
4:48 AM · Mar 2, 2025
But make no mistake about this: The Russians know who Trump’s enemies are, too. Are Lavrov’s closing remark (above) a hint that the Russian side, like Doctorow, are concluding that Trump is acting on his beliefs? That, within the limits of American politics, they can deal with Trump? Here are some links from past posts that seem to play into this business of Trump’s enemies, and who’s behind them—the Triple Axis of DC, NY, and London that Macgregor keeps talking about:
Very Brief Follow Up On Jack The Protector
Hopefully this will help explain Trump’s approach as described by Doctorow.
Maybe President Trump shouldn't go over and visit King Charles. Sounds like a trap!
Europe is certainly dangerous.
Looking at the talk of conscription I’m wondering if Europe is on the verge of establishing a radical leftist ‘Gendarmerie‘ an Azov parallel.