We thought he had hit bottom when he berated Volodymyr Zelensky in the Oval Office.

We were disappointed when nothing came of the summit in Alaska, or all of those trips by Witkoff and Kushner to the Kremlin.

We were stymied when he paused the sanctions against Russia that he had signed just weeks earlier.

We were appalled when he agreed to purchase diesel fuel from Putin, adding billions of dollars to Russia’s war chest to be used against Ukraine.

We were horrified when he told Zelensky the whole thing was his fault and that he should resign.

We were disgusted yesterday when he tried to con the EU into turning over to the United States some of the frozen Russian assets safely held in European hands. (Wisely, they have refused.)

But, just as we thought there couldn’t possibly be more, late last evening (Friday) — just two days before the deadline for the implementation of the sanctions — Donald Trump signed an executive order putting the sanctions package on hold, citing as the reason “the national interest.” [Will Weissert and Meg Kinnard, Associated Press, October 16, 2026.]

There has not yet been an explanation as to how this move could possibly be in the national interest . . . or, for that matter, in whose national interest it was directed. Because each and every one of the above actions can benefit one party, and one party only: Vladimir Putin.

And the one overriding question — the one that everyone asks but no one seems able to answer — is:

“Why?”

What is the hold that Putin has over him? It can’t simply be hero worship . . . can it? Or an ego so frail that Putin is able to sweet-talk him into anything? Many have suggested that Putin has incriminating information that could destroy Trump, and is holding him — and thus our whole country, Ukraine, and the rest of the world — hostage.

Considering the level of corruption we are seeing lately, anything is possible. And the prospect is terrifying.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
10/17/26