(A column of opinion by Gary Reid, Publisher Emeritus)

Trump victories ‘just killing’ the U.S. Left

The American left can’t stand it that President Trump picks up one victory after another as he works unceasingly to repair America and bring calm to a world that had been spinning crazily due to the failures of his predecessors.

Trump met with Ukraine president Zelenskyy last week after hosting Russian President Putin in Alaska the preceding Friday.

Some previous roadblocks were overcome in the meeting with Putin.

After the meeting with Putin, Trump said he thinks a deal to end the war could be reached quickly. Reports indicate Putin is demanding Ukraine give up the Donbas region to Russia in exchange for an end to the war and security guarantees for Ukraine. Zelenskyy has opposed ceding any Ukrainian territory to Russia in the past.

A report by Virginia Allen in The Daily Signal said: “Trump called the meeting with the European leaders ‘very good’ in a post on Truth Social shortly after it concluded Monday evening.

“During the meeting we discussed Security Guarantees for Ukraine, which Guarantees would be provided by the various European countries, with a coordination with the United States of America,” Trump said.

“Everyone is very happy about the possibility of PEACE for Russia/Ukraine,” the president continued, adding that he had a call with Putin after the meeting concluded and began making “arrangements for a meeting, at a location to be determined, between President Putin and President Zelenskyy.”

After the meeting between Putin and Zelenskyy, “we will have a Trilat, which would be the two Presidents, plus myself. Again, this was a very good, early step for a war that has been going on for almost four years. Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, are coordinating with Russia and Ukraine.”

If you think the leftists are upset now, wait until the economic benefits begin next year due to Trump’s work to realign tariffs more in America’s favor while also cutting disastrous waste.

All the Democrats have for President Trump is hatred because his victory in 2024 destroyed their plan for permanent control of Washington, D.C., and America.

Now out of control in Washington and leaderless, all they have is left is “Bad Orange Man.”

A majority of Americans don’t think that way. Polls showing Democrats at an all time low are appearing not only in conservative outlets but left-leaning outlets. So far, the only “savior” for the Democrats appears to be California Gov. Gavin Newsom, whose policies have critically damaged the former “golden state,” causing people and businesses to leave in the thousands.

Gavin’s left-wing policies closely resemble those of the Washington Deep State denizens.

An interesting outcome of the Ukraine meeting was Zelenskyy’s remark: “The Security in Ukraine depends on the United States.”

The Ukraine war likely would not have occurred with stronger leadership by the United States earlier.

A columnist on Townhall.com I admire, Alan Joseph Bauer, wrote: “You may not like him, but Vladimir Putin deserved the high-octane reception that he received in Alaska.

“One of the problems that Democrats and weak-kneed Republicans have is that they are always playing the wrong game. Imagine a baseball game. Team A’s goal is to have more runs at the end of nine innings than other guys have. That has traditionally been the goal of baseball: to win. Team B has a different program. While they also field nine guys and look serious in their uniforms, their goal is to face as many pitches as possible. One guy fouls off nine pitches before striking out. The next guy goes through 12 pitches before grounding out to first. They think they are winning; in fact, they are losing by all traditional metrics and are also losers.

“Let’s assume that Vladimir Putin is all the bad things that his detractors say: “•He started the war in Ukraine (we’ll ignore why he started it) “•He mistreats his political opponents, some of whom fall out of sixth-floor windows “•His election is suspect as to its veracity “•He is into “that macho thing” as Obama described him riding bareback, etc.

“•He is in cahoots with America’s enemies like Iran and China.

“Let’s say it’s all true. He’s no Boy Scout and maybe he is a bona fide enemy of the U.S. With all that, he still deserved the red carpet, the rows of hi-tech planes and attack helicopters, the ride in the Beast (heavily armored limousine), the B-2 flyover and the F-35 escort home.

“Why? Because improved U.S.-Russian relations benefi t the U.S. enormously.”

Bauer added: “Anything that one can do to weaken China or at least prevent it from getting stronger is a plus for the U.S. I would rather see a joint U.S.-Russian naval exercise in the Sea of Japan than a Chinese-Russian exercise.

“I would rather see Russian pressure on Iran over its nuclear ambitions than Russia buying huge numbers of Iranian drones for its war in Ukraine. One does not have to love Putin or even ignore his negatives. But the U.S. today is better served with Russia as a friend rather than an enemy.

“It’s quite a funny thing when Hillary Clinton brought her silly ‘Reset’ button to the Russians but suddenly hated them when she invented out of thin air a story of Russia getting Trump elected. She repeated the same last week: Trump lost in 2020, won in 2024, and questionably won with Russian help in 2016. Don’t these people ever go away? Don’t they have a sell-off date on their necks when we no longer have to hear from them?”

Also, on the subject of Trump’s capability, he wrote: “Donald Trump, though brought up in the world of real estate, has impeccable political instincts. He twice whacked Iran in such a surprising manner that they arranged with him their revenge attacks so as not to further provoke him. He has learned to pick associates and give them the baton to run their offices and departments.

“Trump understands Putin and knows what he needs. One can pretend to be quite righteous and demand Putin’s removal from office or refuse to deal with him. Will such approaches bring peace? Will they lead to the end of the killing? No.

“Trump wants an end to the war and that will not happen without Putin. He knows that if you want Putin on board, you have to treat him like an important world actor—and Alaska was a form of honor given to few world leaders.”