Oval Office Trainwreck

Zelensky's European allies weren’t exactly thrilled about his Oval Office performance either
Oval Office Trainwreck
IN politics, you have to be prepared for when things don’t go your way. But that hardly fits what Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky endured on his latest trip to Washington.
After a spectacularly botched meeting with Donald Trump, Zelensky had little choice but to seek refuge among his European allies — who, as it turns out, weren’t exactly thrilled about his Oval Office performance either.
Still, in classic Old World fashion, European leaders masked their true feelings and pledged unconditional support for Ukraine. British prime minister Keir Starmer and French president Emmanuel Macron were forced to take the reins — perhaps more out of fear than conviction.
Meanwhile, Moscow is still enjoying the free entertainment provided by Trump. So much so that a Kremlin spokesperson cheerfully announced, “The new US administration largely coincides with our vision.”
Let’s not forget that after their trainwreck of a meeting, Trump took to his social media platform to declare: “I have determined that President Zelensky is not ready for Peace if America is involved, because he feels our involvement gives him a big advantage in negotiations. I don’t want advantage, I want PEACE. He disrespected the United States of America in its cherished Oval Office. He can come back when he is ready for Peace.”
However, some on Zelensky’s team tried to portray the glass as half full: “Listen, the only complaint from the guy who accused us last week of being a dictatorship is that ‘we’re not grateful enough.’ That’s real progress, no?”
Germany Swings Right
The key takeaway from Germany’s latest elections is simple: Rightward, march!
The conservative CDU/CSU, led by likely chancellor Friedrich Merz, won 208 of 630 seats in the Bundestag. Merz had distanced himself from the party during the Angela Merkel years, believing she had drifted too far left. His victory signals a reversal of that trend.
But calling CDU/CSU the “big winner” would be a mistake. The real star of the election was the AfD, which surged into second place with an astounding 152 seats — a whopping 69-seat gain.
Given Germany’s “cordon sanitaire” policy — under which mainstream parties have pledged never to form a coalition with the AfD, considered far right and xenophobic — CDU/CSU will likely have to join forces with the center-left Social Democrats. The problem? Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s SPD just suffered a catastrophic defeat, securing only 120 seats — a brutal 86-seat drop.
So Germany has shifted dramatically to the right. What could possibly go wrong?
Cuomo Tries Again
IN a move that surprised absolutely no one, former New York governor Andrew Cuomo has officially announced his candidacy for mayor of New York City.
Cuomo, who governed the state from 2011 to 2021 before resigning amid a scandal over alleged misconduct, has now launched a campaign built on the rather convenient theme of “learning from past mistakes.”
Of course, a checkered past is hardly a deal-breaker for anyone hoping to lead the world’s most famous city. After all, the current mayor, Eric Adams, is himself knee-deep in legal troubles.
According to early polling from Honan Strategy Group, Cuomo is comfortably leading the pack with 38%, far ahead of Democratic Socialist Zohran Mamdani (12%) and Mayor Adams himself (10%).
But it’s still early days — the election isn’t until November 5. More candidates will surely enter the race, more scandals will surface, and more accusations will fly.
One thing is clear: legal problems might disqualify you from working as a grocery store cashier, but it sure won’t stop you from running America’s biggest city.
About Face
The Trump hurricane sweeping through Washington has several self-proclaimed “progressive” business magnates scrambling to reposition themselves — among them, Jeff Bezos.
Now, the real shocker isn’t Bezos adjusting his political stance — few people enjoy capitalism more than the Amazon founder — but rather that he’s reshaping the Washington Post to fit his new ideology.
During Biden’s presidency, the legendary newspaper functioned as little more than a house organ for the Democratic Party. But with MAGA winds blowing through D.C., Bezos has deemed it prudent to align with the GOP.
By direct order of Bezos himself, the Post’s opinion section will now focus exclusively on “free markets and personal liberties,” sparking outrage among progressives (a.k.a., the paper’s core readership).
Since this editorial shift, the Washington Post has lost a modest 75,000 digital subscribers and faced backlash from the so-called “free press.”
But regardless of the criticism and declining readership, the newspaper isn’t going anywhere. Just check Forbes: Bezos has 228.9 billion reasons to keep it afloat.
Over the Moon
IN a first for lunar tourism, US company Firefly Aerospace has successfully landed its Blue Ghost spacecraft on the moon.
Though the lander carried no crew, experts hailed this as a “significant milestone” for the Texas-based firm.
Technically, Firefly is the second private company to achieve a lunar landing, but the first, Intuitive Machines, failed to land its probe intact.
Firefly’s success marks a first step toward the ultimate goal: returning humans to the moon. The US has set an ambitious 2027 deadline, while China, India, and Japan have also entered the new space race.
One might have expected the Trump administration to be over the moon with this breakthrough, given the president’s well-documented fascination with space. But the real White House space enthusiast — Elon Musk — has his sights set on Mars.
Druze Control
AS if Israel didn’t have enough conflicts to manage, the government now appears to be opening a new front in Syria — this time to defend the Druze community.
Reports suggest that Syrian Druze were attacked by forces from Syria’s new government, which took power after the fall of dictator Bashar al-Assad. At least one person was killed in the clashes.
Israel’s Defense Minister Israel Katz didn’t mince words: “We will not allow the extreme Islamic regime in Syria to harm the Druze. If the regime harms the Druze, we will strike it… We will take all the steps required to maintain their safety.”
Let’s not kid ourselves — altruism might not be the only motive at play.
Last week, reports surfaced of a new pilot program to allow Syrian Druze to work in Israeli towns on the Golan Heights. Some speculate that this could eventually help replace Palestinian labor in Israel’s workforce.
It’s truly heartwarming to see Israel’s unwavering commitment to the Druze community. Though let’s not forget that Netanyahu is a political animal, round the clock. It wouldn’t be the least bit surprising if, come the next election, villages across the Druze heartland are plastered with posters proclaiming, “Bibi: A League of His Own.”
(Originally featured in Mishpacha, Issue 1052)
Oops! We could not locate your form.