Maddow Blog-'He got played again': Why Trump's second summit with Putin was worse than his first

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In his Alaska summit with his Russian counterpart, the American president didn’t just fail by objective metrics, he failed by his own metrics.

Trump’s first summit with Putin was a national embarrassment. His second was even worse.

With high stakes, the Republican didn’t just fail by objective metrics, he also failed by his own metrics. www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddo...

— Steve Benen (@stevebenen.com) 2025-08-18T12:05:36.801Z

https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/trump-summit-putin-alaska-ukraine-russia-rcna225539

Nearly a year ago, Donald Trump and Kamala Harris faced off in their first and only presidential debate, and when the discussion turned to Russia’s war in Ukraine, the Democratic vice president told her Republican rival what he didn’t want to hear. Vladimir Putin, Harris said, turning toward Trump, “would eat you for lunch.”

The prescient assessment came to mind anew about the Republican’s failed summit in Alaska. As NBC News summarized:

President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin emerged from a nearly three-hour meeting on the Ukraine war and struck a cordial tone in brief public statements, but left without announcing a ceasefire or peace agreement. ... Trump appeared buoyant at the start of the summit, deflated by the end.

....Appearing on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut explained, simply, “Putin got everything he wanted.”

There’s ample evidence to bolster the point:

Trump handed Putin a victory before the summit even began by extending an invitation and giving the Russian leader the legitimacy he’s craved.

Trump handed Putin a public relations victory in Alaska, literally rolling out the red carpet for the dictator, literally applauding him, welcoming him into the presidential limo, and treating Putin with deference, even letting the Russian leader speak first (and longer) at their pseudo press conference.

Trump handed Putin a strategic victory by abandoning the White House’s own policy: The American president said he’s no longer seeking a ceasefire as a precursor to broader negotiations — the policy Trump spent months trying to secure — which necessarily strengthens Moscow’s hand.

Trump handed Putin an economic victory by once again backing off his threats to punish Russia. Shortly before meeting with his counterpart, Trump said there would be “very severe” consequences if Putin didn’t move toward peace. After the meeting, the Republican abandoned his own position.

Trump handed Putin a tactical victory by shifting the onus onto Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, as if it were up to Russia’s victim to end Russia’s war.

“He got played again,” Ivo Daalder, the Obama-era ambassador to NATO, told The New York Times. “For all the promises of a cease-fire, of severe economic consequences, of being disappointed, it took two minutes on the red carpet and 10 minutes in the Beast for Putin to play Trump again. What a sad spectacle.”

[Starbeach]

1. The Vacant Man

Trump knows no history, geography, culture, etc. He's a vacant man wandering in the highest halls of diplomatic engagement. Of course he gets played. He's content with a cheap smile and a friendly word from a professional butcher.

[LetMyPeopleVote]

2. Our service men should not be on their hands and knees rolling out red carpets for war criminals