Michael Weiss maintained a deadpan demeanor. But seen in the context of his other comments, it seemed that the MSNBC regular was mocking President Trump.
On Monday's Morning Joe, reacting to the recent round of Russian attacks on Ukraine, and on Trump's critical comments about Putin, Weiss [looking like he just crawled out of bed] said:
"I think the most generous interpretation we can make is that Donald Trump genuinely believes that the force of his own personality, and I suppose his charisma and his intellect, could bend Putin to his will. The Russian president's response is, f-off, basically. He's humiliating Trump. He's embarrassing Trump's so-called peace process."
For his part, Jonathan Lemire, hosting the interview, added his own share of skepticism about Trump. Reacting to Trump's assertion that "I don't know what the hell happened to Putin. Something happened to this guy, and I don't like it," Lemire said:
"It is hard to argue that President Putin of Russia's behavior has changed at any point during this war. Putin has been dead set on claiming Ukraine, or as much of it as he can, since February 2022, if not earlier. Trump has been angry at Putin before, briefly, hasn't done anything about it. Putin seems to know that, and that's why he's acting in such defiance, continuing these strikes."
Speaking of presidential intellect, Sam Harris, the philosopher and one of the "Four Horsemen of New Atheism," has said, commenting on the revelations about the cover-up of Biden's incapacity, that because he views Trump as "genuinely evil":
"I would rather have a president in a coma, where the duties of the presidency are executed by a committee of just normal people."
Here's the transcript.
MSNBC
Morning Joe
5/26/25
6:01 am EDTJONATHAN LEMIRE: On the tarmac in New Jersey, outside his golf club there in Bedminster, President Trump spoke about the situation to reporters.
PRESIDENT TRUMP: I'm not happy with what Putin's doing. He's killing a lot of people. And I don't know what the hell happened to Putin. I've known him a long time, always gotten along with him, but he's sending rockets into cities and killing people and I don't like it at all, okay?
We're in the middle of talking, and he's shooting rockets into Kiev and other cities. I don't like it at all.
REPORTER: Mr. President, what do you want to do about that?
TRUMP: And I'm surprised. I'm very surprised. We'll see what we're going to do. What, am I going to tell you? You're the fake news, aren't you? You're totally fake. All right, any other questions?
I don't like what Putin is doing, not even a little bit. He's killing people. And something happened to this guy, and I don't like it.
LEMIRE: It is hard to argue that President Putin of Russia's behavior has changed at any point during this war. Trump claims [inaudible] are there.
The president's comments come just hours after at least 12 people were killed throughout Ukraine as Russia launched over 350 drones and missiles into the country overnight into Sunday. Dozens more were injured then in one of the largest assaults of the war so far. It was followed up with more attacks this morning, after Trump's words, marking the third consecutive day of large-scale strikes targeting civilians.
Joining us now, the editor at The Insider, Michael Weiss. Michael, we're always so grateful when you join us to talk about the situation in Ukraine, and a lot to get to. Let's start with President Trump's words just now, where he is claiming, somehow, that Putin's behavior has changed during this war, when it has not. Putin has been dead set on claiming Ukraine, or as much of it as he can, since February 2022, if not earlier.
And also, tell us about that, the shift you're seeing. And also, you know, Trump has been angry at Putin before, briefly, hasn't done anything about it. Putin seems to know that, and that's why he's acting in such defiance, continuing these strikes.
MICHAEL WEISS: I think the most generous interpretation we can make is that Donald Trump genuinely believes that the force of his own personality, and I suppose his charisma and his intellect, could bend Putin to his will. And that Putin, as a gesture, good grace, if you like, would stop the war, pause the war, diminish his capacity to do harm in pursuit of these negotiations.
And, you know, the Russian president's response is, f-off, basically. He's humiliating Trump. He's embarrassing Trump's so-called peace process. He's showing through fire and steel that he has absolutely no interest in stopping the war, either temporarily or permanently.
I mean, the Russian goal has been from day one, the complete conquest of Ukraine.
. . .
So, I think Donald Trump is finding out the hard way that he cannot end this war. Certainly, he wasn't able to do so in 24 hours, as he famously said on the campaign trail. He can't even do so in the space of more than 100 days of his second term.
