Last week’s “meltdown” between Donald Trump and Vlodomir Zelensky in the Oval Office was stunning in its outcome and revealed Trump as the out-of-control bully that the public has seen rarely, and certainly not on the world stage with global leaders.  Trump’s vitriolic attack on the president of Ukraine may explain why Republican Members of Congress have been spineless in pushing back against the chaos of the Trump/Musk actions to destroy the democratic principles that have governed this nation since its founding. It’s not hard to fathom that Trump took the same approach to threaten retribution against his fellow Republicans in Congress to keep them in line.  

The video and audio captured an ugly scene as Mr. Trump constantly talked over and hushed the Ukrainian president, pointing his finger in Zelensky’s face and poking his shoulder in the crowded room. Body language, especially the hands of major players, painted a wordless picture but clearly indicated the mood in the room.  Vice President Vance’s dismissive hand gestures spoke volumes.  Secretary of State Marco Rubio, sitting next to Mr. Vance, kept his hands tightly folded in his lap, and looked like he wanted the sofa, mimicking furniture ads, to swallow him whole.  The Ukrainian Ambassador covered her face with her hands in shock and frustration.  Mr. Zelensky placed one hand near his heart as he tried ardently to explain what his country needs to combat Russian aggression.  

Some reports have posited that it was an ambush, and that Mr. Zelensky took the bait.  Meetings between world leaders usually are tightly scripted and handled in the privacy of a closed conference room until issues are settled.  Other pundits accused the Ukrainian president, essentially, of not fawning over Mr. Trump enough.  That certainly echoed the haranguing denunciations by Mr. Vance, who insisted that Mr. Zelensky hadn’t uttered the words “thank you” during the meeting. Was this an Oval Office meeting or a schoolyard brawl? Maybe the Oval Office needs a playground monitor! 

Facetiousness aside, the damage done may be irreversible. Trust in America’s commitment to its allies was weakened by the first Trump Administration, somewhat restored by the Biden Administration, and nearly obliterated by the second Trump Administration last week.     To their credit, European leaders are united in their commitment to Ukraine, and in pledging to seek a joint solution to the damage witnessed in the Oval Office meeting.  Whether the United States will be part of that solution is doubtful but, realistically, a solution without America likely is doomed to failure.  Despite Mr. Trump’s insistence that he has a mandate from the voters, he received less than 50 percent in last November’s vote, and few voters cast their ballots to align with Vladimir Putin and his despotic regime.  

The United States has a long history of facing challenging international crises with strength tempered with caution. I remember being in my college French lab when a voice through our headphones announced the Cuban Missile Crisis.  We all quietly packed up and left the language lab, speculating if the incident just 90 miles from our southern shore would result in another war. It didn’t, but it portended more postwar crises that might have brought civilization to the edge of potential annihilation. Fortunately, cooler heads prevailed in American leadership then. Elected leaders were focused on preserving and maintaining American democratic ideals, not blowing them all up.  There was dissension, of course, and difficult debates, but also a basic understanding that American ideals underpinned all attitudes.  Supporting a European ally against a decades-old enemy bent on destruction of democracy should be a basic American tenet without question.  International peace and security demand it.