Trump can't sell his lies, even in Versailles

[marmar]

Trump can’t sell his lies, even in Versailles
President arrives in France promising peace in our time. Problem is, no one believes anything he says

By Heather Digby Parton
Columnist
Published June 18, 2026 6:45AM (EDT)


(Salon) For a man who has trouble staying awake on camera these days, Donald Trump is really pushing the envelope. After staying up into the wee hours celebrating his birthday last Sunday at the UFC spectacle on the White House lawn, our 80-year-old president hopped on a plane to France for his sixth meeting of the G7. He arrived bearing a “memorandum of understanding” between the U.S. and Iran’s governing regime that supposedly opens the Strait of Hormuz and extends the current ceasefire for another 60 days while the parties hammer out a hypothetical long-term agreement to end hostilities.

....(snip)....

Trump really looks worn out. On Tuesday, he appeared to have forgotten his usual bronze makeup, which was a startling sight. His energy is notably low, especially for a gathering like this one; meetings with Europeans usually turn him combative and hostile. Back in 2017, he announced his presence on the world stage by lecturing European leaders about their failure to “pay their dues” to NATO and accusing them of unfair trade practices. In other first-term trips, he was generous and gracious to the presidents of Russia and China, making it abundantly clear who he respected and who he didn’t.

....(snip)....

The biggest issue facing the summit this year is the economic upheaval caused by the war in Iran, which will continue far into the future whether or not the war itself is over. Like it or not, that illustrates how interconnected the world still is. All the G7 leaders were relieved that something has been agreed upon that may mean ships can once again pass safely through the Strait of Hormuz. It’s abundantly clear that Trump is still smarting from Western leaders’ collective refusal to follow him into that misbegotten war. If he weren’t so visibly exhausted, he’d probably be a lot more belligerent. As it is, he’s spending his time hyping this deal as the conclusion of a narrative that casts him as a big hero. But between his diminished energy and the obvious fact that he lost the war and is desperate to get out of it, none of that is working.

The other issue on the table is the war in Ukraine. After promising to make a peace deal on his first day in office, Trump has pretty much abandoned it, only reluctantly agreeing to sell the Ukrainians more weapons. The EU and Britain have stepped up, and Ukraine has shown itself to be an immensely resilient country with impressive military cunning, pushing Russia’s mighty military to unsustainable casualties. Trump has made it clear that he’s out, telling the press, “We have nothing to do with it; we sell weapons to them. It has no impact on us. … We’re thousands of miles away.” So says the man who has spent the last three months waging a pointless war in the Middle East. .....................(more)

https://www.salon.com/2026/06/18/trump-cant-sell-his-lies-even-in-versailles/

[riversedge]

1. Trump on Ukraine: , "We have nothing to do with it; we sell weapons to them. It has no impact on us.

..........The other issue on the table is the war in Ukraine. After promising to make a peace deal on his first day in office, Trump has pretty much abandoned it, only reluctantly agreeing to sell the Ukrainians more weapons. The EU and Britain have stepped up, and Ukraine has shown itself to be an immensely resilient country with impressive military cunning, pushing Russia’s mighty military to unsustainable casualties. Trump has made it clear that he’s out, telling the press, “We have nothing to do with it; we sell weapons to them. It has no impact on us. … We’re thousands of miles away.” So says the man who has spent the last three months waging a pointless war in the Middle East. .....................(more)

https://www.salon.com/2026/06/18/trump-cant-sell-his-lies-even-in-versailles/

[multigraincracker]

2. We may not see him for a few weeks in public.

Recovering for this trip.