We have a look at President Trump’s embrace of Vladimir Putin as he turns his again on U.S. ally, Ukraine, in addition to mass firings at authorities companies and the way that may have an effect on the providers they supply.
SCOTT SIMON, HOST:
And since taking workplace, President Trump seems to have reversed U.S. coverage on Ukraine and has mentioned that Ukraine’s President Zelenskyy is chargeable for the conflict that started when Russia invaded three years in the past nearly to the day. This is the president talking to Fox Information Radio’s Brian Kilmeade on Friday.
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PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: When Zelenskyy mentioned, oh, he wasn’t invited to a gathering, I imply, it wasn’t a precedence as a result of he did such a nasty job in negotiating to date. Primary, you should not have had a conflict. And in the event you did, it ought to have been solved and settled instantly. It might have been.
SIMON: NPR’s Ron Elving joins us now. Ron, thanks for being with us.
RON ELVING, BYLINE: Good to be with you, Scott.
SIMON: I really feel the necessity to put this to you very bluntly. Is the U.S. authorities now supporting the Russian place?
ELVING: It is onerous to ponder this actuality, Scott, however in latest days, President Trump has been repeating Russian speaking factors. Yesterday, on Fox, as you had been simply taking part in, he admitted it was Russia that attacked Ukraine, however he nonetheless blamed Ukraine and the Biden administration for the conflict. Trump has mentioned Ukrainian chief Volodymyr Zelenskyy is a dictator with out elections. However Zelenskyy was elected democratically, and the nation cannot maintain elections now as a result of it is beneath siege. Trump is negotiating with Russia, a rustic led by an actual dictator named Vladimir Putin, and people negotiations have included Russia, however not Ukraine. So whose aspect is the U.S. on?
Now, it may be onerous to know simply the place Trump’s going to return down tomorrow on this or every other subject, and we do know that no matter his curiosity in Ukraine’s independence, he’s thinking about a few of its pure assets. He despatched an envoy to barter on this, and there is apparently been some progress on that. So maybe if there might be payback for U.S. help, which will make a distinction. In any other case, that is the abandonment of a strategic U.S. dedication. We’re altering sides, and it has our allies in NATO and elsewhere on this planet deeply involved.
SIMON: Ron, we simply heard about final night time’s employees shake-up on the Pentagon. And this, in fact, follows introduced cuts in departments of Schooling, Veterans Affairs, Homeland Safety, Inner Income – simply earlier than tax season – Nationwide Park Service, Federal Emergency Administration, Justice. What are we seeing?
ELVING: Right here once more, there could also be a niche between what we’re seeing and Trump’s final agenda. However what we’re seeing is a scientific dismantling of the federal authorities as we all know it – 1000’s of layoffs utilized largely indiscriminately, apparently in an effort to generate large numbers of reductions in federal workforce and declare a sort of victory for that. A lot of it is being pushed by Trump’s particular worker Elon Musk – a mirrored image of his libertarian impulses and his suspicion of presidency generally. However whether or not you are speaking about understaffing flight management towers at airports or within the IRS or the individuals at USAID or the Park Service individuals preventing wildfires, that is staffing that has a function, and its absence might be felt. Polls and public boards present these strikes are already producing plenty of destructive suggestions, even amongst Republicans, so it is doable Trump will go a sure distance with Musk after which recalibrate.
SIMON: And I received to boost the query, will these reduce arise in courts or Congress, as a result of plenty of federal employees, as you be aware, are being let go in states that voted for President Trump, aren’t they?
ELVING: Sure. Federal employees dwell in all places, together with in Trump states. And now we’re seeing some pushback from the courts. As you say, the Supreme Court docket has upheld a decrease courtroom ruling that enables the particular prosecutor, Hampton Dellinger – the highest protector of whistleblowers within the authorities – to stay in his job till the decrease courtroom guidelines on February 26 concerning a extra everlasting disposition of that subject. One other federal decide has discovered the manager orders to finish equity-related grants or contracts throughout federal companies violate the Structure.
So the larger query is how Trump voters will react in the event that they lose one thing they worth, one thing they could have counted on – one instance is Medicaid. That medical health insurance program for low-income Individuals takes an enormous hit within the Home finances decision that Trump has endorsed. 4 of the states with the best fee of Medicaid dependence are Kentucky, Louisiana, Arkansas and West Virginia. All of them voted overwhelmingly for Trump. However greater than a 3rd of the individuals in these states are on Medicaid proper now, and with out it, they may face medical prices they’ve by no means seen earlier than.
SIMON: Ron Elving, thanks a lot.
ELVING: Thanks, Scott.
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