The Conversation -- August 19, 2025

European Leaders Stand Together Against Rogue U.S. Tyrant. Michael Birnbaum & Cat Zakrzewski of the Washington Post: “Leaders of European and NATO countries presented a united front Monday with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, after racing to Washington hoping to steer ... Donald Trump away from some of the concessions he appeared ready to grant the Kremlin to end the war in Ukraine. After several hours of meetings, sharp differences remained evident between the leaders and Trump, who declared that Russian President Vladimir Putin is ready for peace, even as he has continued his bombardment of Ukraine and demanded that Kyiv make sweeping, painful concessions to stop the war. But Ukrainian and European leaders appeared encouraged by Trump’s openness to security guarantees for Ukraine, which Putin might not accept. That could make the Kremlin the obstacle to Trump’s peace deal, insulating Ukraine from having to choose between untenable concessions of territory and inviting Trump’s ire.... Putin and Zelensky will meet 'within the next two weeks,' German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said after the White House meetings ended.”

Dressed for Success. Stupidest “Controversy” Since the Tan Suit. Cleve Wootson of the Washington Post: “Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky showed up at the Oval Office on Monday wearing a black jacket and a black collared shirt, having apparently gotten the message during his last trip to D.C., in February, when ... Donald Trump mocked his clothing choice before their meeting later imploded.... [At the same meeting, Brian Glenn a 'reporter' with a right-wing media outfit, asked,] 'Why don’t you wear a suit? ... You’re at the highest level in this country’s office, and you refuse to wear a suit.... A lot of Americans have problems with you not respecting the dignity of this office.'... Zelensky has donned military-style garb since the first day of Russia’s full-scale invasion of his country in 2022, often wearing a green T-shirt or black sweater emblazoned with the Ukrainian coat of arms, a show of solidarity with frontline troops.... [On Monday,] Vice President JD Vance, who had accused Zelensky at the time of being  'ungrateful' for U.S. help, said nothing. And Glenn made another comment about Zelensky’s attire — this time a positive one.” Here's how that went: ~~~

Glenn: First of all, President Zelensky, you look fabulous in that suit. You look good. ...

Zelensky: But you are in the same suit. You see, I changed. You are not.

David Badash of the New Civil Rights Movement: "... Donald Trump and his advance team were highly criticized as images of U.S. soldiers on their hands and knees rolling out a red carpet in front of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s plane on the tarmac in Alaska made the rounds on the internet on Friday. But the President of the United States was not on hand to greet the seven European leaders who jetted to Washington, D.C. and headed to the White House on Monday. Critics are angered Trump instead had U.S. Chief of Protocol Monica Crowley at the door to welcome them." MB: That would be the same Monica Crowley who left secret U.S. documents lying around the printer of an Alaska hotel where Russians also were staying.... Trump greeted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House, but no red carpet."

“Republic of the Condo.” Erkki Forster of the Daily Beast, republished by Yahoo! News: “The White House appeared to cover up Donald Trump’s cankles in an official photo from his meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in the Oval Office on Monday. The 79-year-old president’s swollen ankles were hard to miss as his slacks crept up his shin while sitting down with [President] Zelensky, 47, for Russia-Ukraine peace talks. But in a photo from the meeting posted by the White House’s X account, the angle conveniently placed Trump’s cherished Air Force One model in front of his enlarged lower limbs.... Trump — who is also often seen with a bruise on his right hand — is the oldest president ever to be inaugurated. His physical and cognitive health have been questioned amid his diagnosis and frequent gaffes. During Monday’s meeting with Zelensky, he referred to the Republic of the Congo as the 'Republic of the Condo.'”

Bonjino Gets a Buddy. Devlin Barrett & Maggie Haberman of the New York Times: “The Trump administration said on Monday that it had tapped the Missouri attorney general, Andrew Bailey, to be a deputy director of the F.B.I., in what many rank-and-file agents described as a surprising arrangement. Mr. Bailey would join the current deputy director, Dan Bongino, who as a popular right-wing podcast host repeatedly railed against the bureau, in overseeing the day-to-day operations of the agency. Since taking the post — a sprawling task that includes overseeing dozens of field offices around the country, as well as personnel assigned around the world — Mr. Bongino has vocally complained about the toll the job has taken on him.... The move was reported earlier by Fox News Digital, prompting a one-word response from Mr. Bongino on social media. 'Welcome,' he wrote, followed by a trio of American flag emojis.... It remains to be seen what Mr. Bailey’s hiring means for Mr. Bongino, whose future has appeared tenuous after a furious fight with the attorney general, Pam Bondi, spilled into public view in July.” ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: So this is how Trump II does "You're Fired" in order to pretend "everything is going very well." They sideline the unwanted staffer and appoint someone else to the job. ~~~

     ~~~ Perry Stein of the Washington Post: Andrew “Bailey, a Trump loyalist who supported debunked claims that the 2020 election was stolen..., has no known experience at the FBI. He is a military veteran who as Missouri’s top prosecutor mounted high-profile legal fights aligned with Trump’s agenda. He sued Starbucks over its diversity, equity and inclusion policies, fought transgender care policies and waged legal battles against sanctuary city policies.” MB: But he is a sturdily-built, customarily handsome White guy of the appearance Trump imagines an FBI agent should look like.

Chris Cameron of the New York Times: “The Air Force’s top uniformed officer, Gen. David Allvin, will retire early, the Pentagon said on Monday, the latest early departure of a high-ranking general under ... [Donald] Trump. General Allvin, the chief of staff of the Air Force, will retire around Nov. 1 — two years into a four-year term....” ~~~

     ~~~ Oh. The Rest of the Story. Dan Lamothe & Tara Copp of the Washington Post: “Allvin was informed last week that he would be asked to retire and that the Pentagon under Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth wanted to go in another direction, said a person familiar with the matter.... As a trade-off, the Pentagon would allow Allvin to announce the decision, this person said, adding, 'It was certainly not his choice.'... Allvin’s impending departure follows the firings of several other senior military officers since Trump’s return to the White House this year, including the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the chief of naval operations, the commandant of the Coast Guard, and the vice chief of staff of the Air Force. Generals and admirals serving in less prominent roles also have been purged, sending shock waves through the Pentagon and much of the U.S. military, where stability typically is seen as an asset.”

Benjamin Weiser of the New York Times: “Manhattan’s federal court judges on Monday retained Jay Clayton as the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, a victory for ... [Donald] Trump, who had named him to lead the office temporarily after his Senate confirmation was blocked. Mr. Clayton’s appointment will last until a Senate-confirmed candidate can be installed to run what has been the country’s most prestigious prosecutor’s office. In practical terms, the decision means he may end up serving for the duration of the Trump administration; New York’s senior Democratic senator, Chuck Schumer, has said he would stop Mr. Clayton’s confirmation.”

This is step one in how we lose free and fair elections. It’s not that Trump will 'cancel' the midterms. It’s just everyone has to vote in person, and urban downtowns will be filled with ICE checkpoints and intimidating National Guard troops to 'double check' that only citizens vote. -- Garrett Graff in a BlueSky skeet ~~~

~~~ Steve Benen of MSNBC: “Two months into his second term..., Donald Trump signed a sweeping executive order intended to overhaul dramatically how elections are administered in the United States, taking aim at everything from voter registration requirements to election equipment to mail-in ballot deadlines. NBC News noted that the 'reforms,' if implemented, would’ve risked 'disenfranchising tens of millions of Americans.'... NBC News reported: 'Trump said in a post to Truth Social that he would sign an executive order to try to get rid of mail-in ballots and voting machines, a move that would almost certainly face immediate challenges in court. The president said in the post that he was 'going to lead a movement to get rid of MAIL-IN BALLOTS” and voting machines.'... 'Remember, the States are merely an ‘agent’ for the Federal Government in counting and tabulating the votes,' Trump wrote, peddling a legal absurdity.”

Michael Gold of the New York Times: “When House Republican leaders rushed to leave Washington for a long August break, they seemed desperate to quell the anger among their supporters about the Trump administration’s backtracking on a promise to release files related to its investigation of the accused sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein. But halfway through a five-week congressional recess, the clamor shows little sign of quieting.... Back in their districts, lawmakers have continued to face questions about the Epstein investigation from their constituents. And the Justice Department, which ignored a Friday deadline from Senate Democrats and is set to miss another on Tuesday to comply with a bipartisan subpoena to provide the materials to Congress, has yet to release anything.... Democrats, in some cases with the help of Republicans, have laid a series of procedural traps that will make it all but impossible for the G.O.P. to avoid confronting the issue again when Congress reconvenes in September.” ~~~

~~~ Michael Gold of the New York Times: “The chairman of the House’s chief investigative committee said on Monday that the Justice Department would miss his panel’s Tuesday subpoena deadline for providing files related to the accused sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein but would begin sharing some records starting Friday. Representative James R. Comer, the Kentucky Republican who leads the Oversight Committee, issued the subpoena to Attorney General Pam Bondi this month after a few G.O.P. lawmakers on the panel teamed with Democrats to force his hand. It set an Aug. 19 deadline for the Justice Department to give the committee all of its files related to Mr. Epstein.... Mr. Comer ... chalk[ed the delay] up to the sheer volume of records it had on Mr. Epstein and [his sex-trafficking associate] Ghislaine Maxwell.... Democrats on the Oversight Committee expressed skepticism about Mr. Comer’s announcement. The ... Committee was required to send a subpoena for the Epstein files after Democrats forced a vote in a key oversight subcommittee last month.”

Lauren Hirsch & Tripp Mickle of the New York Times: “The Trump administration has discussed taking a 10 percent stake in Intel as part of a government-backed effort to revive the troubled U.S. chipmaker and bolster domestic semiconductor manufacturing.... The discussion has included converting $10.86 billion in recent federal grants into equity in Intel, which is worth about $100 billion.... The Biden administration awarded the Intel grants under the 2022 CHIPS and Science Act.... The proposal would be among the largest government interventions in a U.S. company since the rescue of the auto industry after the 2008 financial crisis.... While the United States is not facing a similar economic threat today, the Trump administration has been unusually aggressive in taking stakes in businesses. The federal government took a 'golden share' in U.S. Steel this year....” ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Uh, isn't taking stakes in some of the nation's vital corporations a copy of the communist model? How is it Trump repeatedly calls Democrats communists when it his administration that is introducing communistic strategies into the economy?

Eduardo Medina of the New York Times: “The governors of Mississippi and Louisiana said on Monday that they would deploy hundreds of National Guard troops to Washington, joining three other Republican-led states that have recently heeded ... [Donald] Trump’s request to fill the nation’s capital with troops.... The governors of Ohio, West Virginia and South Carolina have also deployed National Guard troops to Washington as part of Mr. Trump’s crackdown on the city, which has also included deploying hundreds of federal agents and commandeering the Washington police force. The five states are collectively sending about 1,000 troops to Washington, where there are already 800 deployed troops from the D.C. National Guard, which the president can call out directly.” ~~~

     ~~~ Brittany Shammas, et al.,  of the Washington Post: “As images have circulated showing Guard members taking photographs with passersby and patrolling parts of the city that aren’t considered high-crime areas, some have questioned what purpose the troops are serving.... D.C. Mayor Muriel E. Bowser (D) told reporters the growing number of National Guard troops from other states 'doesn’t make sense' — and was not a matter she had any control over.... Council member Christina Henderson (I-At Large) ... said the governors who are sending more National Guard members should be asked, 'What are your troops actually going to be doing here? Because the current ones are not doing a lot.'”

Patrick Marley, et al., of the Washington Post : “Texas Republicans moved closer Monday to enacting a new congressional map designed to boost their chances in the midterm elections as Democrats ended a two-week boycott aimed at stalling the plan. Soon after the Democrats returned, Republicans modified a proposed map that was already friendly to the GOP to make it even more favorable to their party. With the Democrats back, Republicans, at the behest of ... Donald Trump, plan to pass the new map by the end of the month. In Washington, Republicans hold a 219-212 U.S. House majority with four vacancies, and a broad, national fight over redrawing districts could determine which party wins control next year.”

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