For those who don�t spend their Sunday mornings glued to the television � and
their Sunday afternoons attempting to dig through a week�s worth of network
and cable news media spin � The Daily Wire has compiled a short summary of
what you may have missed.
The focus of the spin on Sunday centered on the ongoing war between Russia
and Ukraine � along with attempts by President Donald Trump and his
administration to bring about an end to hostilities. Citing Trump�s recent
harsh comments directed at Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Democrats
and media alike have used the opportunity to claim that Trump, if not working
with Russia, is certainly more sympathetic to dictator Vladimir Putin than to
Zelensky.
On CNN�s �State of the Union,� anchor Jake Tapper pressed Special Envoy to
the Middle East Steve Witkoff on what concessions might be expected from both
sides � and Witfokk made it clear that thus far, there were a lot of
possibilities still on the table.
�Well, I think, in any peace deal, each side is going to make concessions,
whether it�s territorial concessions, whether it�s economic concessions. I
think there�s a whole array of things that happen in a deal. And you will see
concessions from both sides,� he said.
.@JakeTapper: �What concessions will Russia have to
make?�@SteveWitkoff: �Well, I think, in any peace deal, each side
is going to make concessions, whether it's territorial concessions,
whether it's economic concessions. I think there's a whole array of
things that happen in a� pic.twitter.com/10YeAEisa2
� State of the Union (@CNNSOTU) February 23, 2025
Witkoff also responded to claims that Trump might opt not to assist NATO
allies in the event that Russia attacked elsewhere � and he rejected them
outright.
�I just don�t understand the rationale behind that. We�ve done more than
most� I just think it�s unfair, actually,� he said.
Special Envoy @SteveWitkoff responds to the frontrunner to be
Germany�s next chancellor suggesting Trump won�t defend NATO
allies if attacked: �I just don't understand the rationale behind
that. We've done more than most� I just think it's unfair,
actually.� pic.twitter.com/Oh7WA8iaZx
� State of the Union (@CNNSOTU) February 23, 2025
�Essentially, this is President Trump surrendering to the Russians,� Senator
Jack Reed (D-RI) claimed during an appearance on ABC News� �This Week.� This
is not a statesman or a diplomat. This is just someone who admires Putin.�
�Essentially, this is the President Trump surrendering to the
Russians � This is not a statesman or a diplomat. This is just
someone who admires Putin.�
Democratic Sen. Jack Reed decries Pres. Trump's recent verbal
attacks on Ukrainian Pres. Zelenskyy.
https://t.co/RMqaMBfrbg pic.twitter.com/68VGIihI6Y
� This Week (@ThisWeekABC) February 23, 2025
Reed made no concessions for the possibility that Zelensky could be asking
for what both Vice President JD Vance and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said
was impossible � admission into NATO for Ukraine � nor did he mention the
fact that Zelensky�s negotiation tactics had been criticized both by former
President Joe Biden and by current Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Rubio brought up that very issue during an interview last week with
independent journalist Catherine Herridge, noting that Biden had reportedly
sworn at Zelensky on the phone after the Ukrainian leader publicly badmouthed
what the United States was not doing to help � even after billions had been
sent in aid.
The Secretary of State also cited a more recent meeting that included
himself, Zelensky, and Vance � and after saying in the meeting that he was
ready to work out a deal involving mineral rights, Zelensky turned around and
made a very different, more antagonistic public statement.
Senator Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) pushed back on the prevailing narrative
during an appearance on NBC News� �Meet the Press� � and on warnings from a
number of Democrats � saying that he did not �believe for a second� that
Russia would move to invade NATO allies.
Democrats have been pushing that particular narrative � because if Russia did
invade a NATO ally, the United States is treaty-bound to take military action
� in order to keep driving support for funding Ukraine.
Sen. Mullin: �I don�t believe for a second� Russia will invade NATO
allies
https://t.co/K4zTcykncK � Meet the Press (@MeetThePress) February 23, 2025
Meanwhile, the president started even more tongues wagging with his decision
to start the staffing shake-ups at the Pentagon by firing the Chairman of the
Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Senator Reed complained that the move was �completely unjustified� despite
the fact that such roles are filled at the pleasure of the president: �It�s
the beginning of a very, very serious degradation of the military and
politicization of the military.�
Reed did not mention the fact that former President Barack Obama had fired
General Stanley McChrystal under similar circumstances.
�It�s the beginning of a very, very serious degradation of the
military and politicization of the military.�
Sen. Jack Reed, top Democrat on the Armed Services Committee,
says Pres. Trump's purge of senior Pentagon leaders �was completely
unjustified.�
https://t.co/iYl0H05HZJ pic.twitter.com/vGo2la5Ytk
� This Week (@ThisWeekABC) February 23, 2025
Martha Raddatz also brought in retired General George Casey, who also
criticized the move as �extremely destabilizing.�
�When you remove so many senior leaders, especially without justifying and
giving due cause, it creates huge uncertainty in the ranks,� he argued.
Pres. Trump firing top military officers is �extremely
destabilizing,� Ret. Gen. George Casey tells @MarthaRaddatz.
�When you remove so many senior leaders, especially without
justifying and giving due case, it creates huge uncertainty in
the ranks.�
https://t.co/SORGuQ9at8 pic.twitter.com/hbeOqVwJOn
� This Week (@ThisWeekABC) February 23, 2025
Casey also balked at the idea that senior leaders were being removed in order
to root out the DEI problems within the military, arguing that it was
possible to change the policy without removing the leaders who had been
instrumental in implementing it.
�Now we�re going to put military leaders in jeopardy and punish them for
following lawful orders from another administration? I mean, give me a
break.�
Ret. Gen. George Casey on whether DEI is the reason several top
military leaders were fired under Trump: �Now we�re going to put
leaders in jeopardy and punish them for following lawful orders
from another administration? I mean, give me a break.�
https://t.co/UBEegnFPzA pic.twitter.com/F6yVRGpXLK
� This Week (@ThisWeekABC) February 23, 2025
�I honestly don�t think it was necessary because if they want to change the
direction, they can change the policies and not the people.�
Ret. Gen. George Casey says Pres. Trump�s motives for firing top
Pentagon officials "should be better explained.�
�I honestly don�t think it was necessary because if they want to
change the direction, they can change the policies and not the
people.�
https://t.co/xMQQA0OfJz pic.twitter.com/WTrOVVtuPI
� This Week (@ThisWeekABC) February 23, 2025
-- Don't jump!
Spin Cycle: Russia, Russia, Russia -- Plus A Little Chaos At The Pentagon