Probably the most surreal moments of Friday’s Oval Workplace showdown between President Trump and President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine got here on the very finish.
After all of the shouting and the saber-rattling and the lecturing and the pleading and the politicking had ceased, the American president shifted a bit in his seat and shared an remark.
“That is going to be nice tv,” he remarked. “I’ll say that.”
It was a conclusion as startling because it was basically Trumpian.
This was not a season finale boardroom scene of “The Apprentice” that had simply taken place. It was the very best of high-stakes talks — one that would decide the destiny of thousands and thousands, the existence of a sovereign nation and the safety of a continent — going wildly off the rails.
However for Mr. Trump, one factor that was on his thoughts, as at all times, was the rankings. He sounded nearly excited by the drama of the spectacle, as if he may really feel the entrance pages of the world’s newspapers being written in actual time.
It is a man who spent years yelling at individuals on TV as a strategy to make a residing. He’s wired to consider issues by way of “nice tv.” He’s a extremely acutely aware performer. However playacting as a tricky man on NBC on Thursday nights between 9 and 10 p.m. just isn’t the identical factor as bossing round an ally earlier than the eyes of the world, even when Mr. Trump makes use of the identical language to explain one efficiency as he would the opposite.
Nonetheless, how one postures earlier than the cameras is of paramount significance on this White Home.
After the assembly, the president did an imitation of Mr. Zelensky in entrance of the cameras and stated: “Hastily, he’s a giant shot.” The place Mr. Trump is concerned, there’s often room sufficient for one large shot.
The opposite European leaders who had come to Washington over the previous few weeks to purpose with him about Russia understood this. They knew tips on how to play their components within the Oval Workplace whereas the cameras have been rolling. President Emmanuel Macron of France actually held Mr. Trump’s hand at one level. Britain’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer offered a letter from King Charles III to Mr. Trump for all to see. It went over so effectively that Mr. Trump introduced the letter out to wave round once more a short time later at their joint information convention.
It’s not that Mr. Zelensky doesn’t know tips on how to carry out. He was a tv actor earlier than he turned president and has been skillful in utilizing the media as he tries to impress assist. However evidently the position of supplicant was not one he was going to play Friday.
Immediately, issues bought off to a nasty begin, since Mr. Trump appeared to really feel the Ukrainian chief was not correctly costumed: He wasn’t sporting a swimsuit. “He’s all dressed up at present,” Mr. Trump stated sarcastically as he greeted him exterior the West Wing.
Ordinarily, within the theater of Trump, it’s the journalist who performs the position of the heel. The president recurrently clashes with members of the information media, and everyone roughly is aware of tips on how to play their components. This time the character arguing with him up there was one other president — one along with his personal goals and his personal expertise taking part in to the world’s cameras.
Vice President JD Vance advised Mr. Zelensky that it was “disrespectful” for him to “attempt to litigate this in entrance of the American media.” However a lot of the Trump doctrine is litigated earlier than the media. And it was Mr. Vance — a onetime best-selling creator and TV speaking head who’s media savvy himself — who appeared notably decided to instigate a blowup whereas reporters have been within the room.
Exterior the White Home, tons of of journalists lined up for a information convention that will by no means come. When Mr. Trump introduced that he was calling it off, a mob of cameras rushed throughout the pavement to get the shot.
Mr. Zelensky emerged from the West Wing. He climbed into the again of a black Chevrolet Suburban adorned with two little flags, one American and one Ukrainian. All of the cameras slowly turned to observe as he made his method down the drive and away from the White Home.
