By Ben Meiselas
Hi everyone. I hope you are all having a chance to unwind this Saturday.
Today, MeidasTouch researchers and I have been closely monitoring a great deal of chaos and destruction occurring both at home and abroad. As Donald Trump spent his day at Mar-a-Lago making more deranged social media posts, Russia unleashed one of its most devastating assaults on Kyiv since the war began. I want to point out the timing of these attacks as well. They came just as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was preparing to meet Trump in Florida for talks ostensibly aimed at ending the war.
According to Ukrainian officials, Russia launched hundreds of drones and missiles at Kyiv in a coordinated strike that killed civilians, including children, and targeted critical infrastructure. The footage we are seeing is horrifying. Take, for instance, this clip of a strike against a high-rise residential building in Kyiv.
Former Ukrainian Advisor to the Internal Affairs Minister, Anton Gerashchenko, wrote on X: “Russia attacked Ukraine with 500 drones and around 40 missiles, including Kinzhal missiles. The main strike targeted Kyiv, hitting energy facilities and civilian infrastructure. The Russian attack left nearly one third of Kyiv without heating. Russia is a terrorist state.”
Zelenskyy made clear that Russia was demonstrating exactly how it responds to peace efforts.
The message appeared aimed not only at Ukraine, but also at Washington. Trump had publicly criticized Zelenskyy the day before, insisting that “nothing gets done without me,” referring to peace in Ukraine. Moscow’s answer was mass violence. If there was any doubt about how Vladimir Putin interprets Trump’s posture, the events in Kyiv made it clear. In a statement this morning, Zelenskyy wrote: “Ukraine did not start this war. Russia started it. Ukraine supported President Trump’s proposal for a ceasefire. Ukraine has agreed to many different compromises, and this is documented in our draft agreements, in our 20-point plan. Ukraine is willing to do whatever it takes to stop this war.”
Data shared by Senator Chris Murphy underscores the pattern. Since Trump returned to office, Russian drone and missile attacks have surged dramatically. Putin does not see restraint or resolve in the White House. He sees weakness. He sees a leader more focused on grievance and self-promotion than on deterring aggression. That perception has consequences measured in lives.
While Kyiv burned, Trump was golfing and posting more B.S. on social media. He declared that tariffs were creating “great wealth,” that the trade deficit had been slashed, that GDP growth was soaring, and that there was “no inflation.” These statements are insulting to our basic intelligence.
Here’s a reality check. Unemployment has climbed to 4.6 percent, with roughly one million jobs lost over the past year. Year-over-year unemployment has jumped by more than 50 percent. Inflation remains stubborn, and economists increasingly warn of stagflation, the toxic combination of rising prices and slowing growth. Even the data the administration relies on is suspect, with a significant portion of inflation metrics now based on internal estimates rather than transparent reporting.
Trump frequently points to the stock market as proof of success. Context matters. U.S. markets are up about 18 percent this year, but global markets are up far more. European stocks have risen roughly 25 percent. Global markets outside the United States are up around 30 percent. By comparison, American markets are underperforming nearly every major economy.
We’re also getting new information out of Nigeria related to Trump’s recent strikes. Trump recently described the U.S. missile strikes in Nigeria as a “Christmas present” to protect Christians from ISIS. Reporting on the ground tells a different story. Villagers in places like Jabo say there is no ISIS presence in their communities, where Christians and Muslims have coexisted peacefully. What they experienced was fear, confusion, and destruction without explanation. Trump didn’t protect them from terror. Trump was the terror.
So why Nigeria? The answer likely lies in resources and geopolitics. Nigeria sits atop vast reserves of oil and lithium, materials critical to energy and technology. China has been expanding its influence across Africa, including in Nigeria, Mali, and Burkina Faso. The Trump administration appears intent on countering that influence through force.
At home, even many of Trump’s own supporters are becoming disillusioned. I highlighted the growing backlash from voters who backed Trump but now feel betrayed. One right wing influencer explained she was going on an “unfollowing spree” of MAGA influencers, citing the regime’s reversal on releasing the Epstein files, continued funding of foreign wars, environmental rollbacks, and aggressive expansion of surveillance and artificial intelligence via entities like Palantir.
No matter how much Trump tries to escape from his ties to Jeffrey Epstein, his dark past continues to haunt him. Senator Ron Wyden has revealed that Treasury Department files detail more than 4,700 wire transfers totaling roughly $1.1 billion flowing through Epstein-linked accounts, including transactions involving sanctioned Russian banks. Follow the money…
And through all of this, we also must still pay attention to other major crises here at home. Affordable Care Act tax credits are set to expire within days. The federal government faces another shutdown in a matter of weeks. Congressional Republicans have shown little interest in compromise, even as families brace for higher health care costs and economic disaster.
It may be the weekend, but there’s a whole lot happening, not just in the U.S., but around the world. So thanks for taking a short break to catch up on the most important stories with me. And thank you for continuing to spread the word about our independent, pro-democracy reporting.
