They say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. That being the case, Donald Trump must truly admire Vladimir Putin, considering the way he keeps bending over backwards to suck up to him.

His most recent impersonation of Putin was a comment he made during remarks in Florida yesterday while trying to convince the world that he has everything under control in Iran. Warning that people shouldn’t talk about the U.S. not winning the war with Iran despite his having notified Congress earlier that the hostilities have “terminated,” he said:

“We get the radical left to say, ‘We’re not winning, we’re not winning.’ They [Iran] don’t have any military left. It’s unbelievable. It’s actually, it’s actually, I believe it’s treasonous, okay. You want to know the truth — it’s treasonous.” [Kit Maher, CNN, May 1, 2026.]

Consider this:

> In 2022, following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Putin passed wartime censorship laws making it illegal to refer to the conflict as a “war” or “invasion,” instead labeling it a “special military operation.” (Trump himself has referred to his invasion of Iran as a “military operation,” denying that it is a war in order to avoid the necessity of seeking Congressional approval.)

> The Russian laws provide for a maximum penalty of 15 years’ imprisonment for spreading false information about the Russian armed forces. Even repeatedly “discrediting” the military — including through social media posts, public acts, or simply wearing blue and yellow clothing — can result in criminal charges and imprisonment.

> And as we all know, independent journalists and media outlets have been shut down en masse, with many being forced to flee the country.

If that all sounds too familiar, it should. JHearing Trump speak of “treason” in the context of individuals stating their opposition to his illegal, immoral, expensive, completely unnecessary war against Iran is like listening to Putin himself dictating the text of his newest edict as he proclaims imminent victory in Ukraine.

The echoes of their words — including the nearly identical verbiage — ring in my head like so many alarm bells. And I have a mental image of our Constitution being shredded into ever-smaller pieces.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
5/2/26