Trump's Lies About Ukraine Flood The Information Zone

Writes: "LONG LIVE THE KING!" on his social media page

Author

Matt Davis
February 20, 2025

Morning. For the new folks, the format is simple; I read the top story in the New York Times each morning so that you don’t have to. If you were forwarded this, you can subscribe here. Do please recommend the newsletter to your friends because once I have a thousand subscribers, I can promise the definite second coming of Jesus Christ. The wheat will be sorted from the chaff. ETCETERA. Now, speaking of chaff…

My child attempts a Ukrainian presidential gesture with convincing authority.

This morning’s lead stories are twofold. First, on the left, President Donald Trump has called the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, a “dictator” because he has suspended elections during wartime. It’s a continuation of yesterday’s “disinformation space”, with Trump yesterday falsely accusing Zelensky of having started the war which has killed more than a million people. Tempting though it is to gloss this story and move straight to congestion charging, which would be easier to bite off and chew, my job is to read the newspaper so that you don’t have to. And so Peter Baker’s analysis piece about the “feud” between Zelensky and Trump is accompanied by a piece by three reporters rounding up a “flood of false claims” Trump has made about the country.

Let’s start with the false claims. From the hilariously named Truth Social.

“Think of it, a modestly successful comedian, Volodymyr Zelenskyy (sic), talked the United States of America into spending $350 Billion Dollars, to go into a War that couldn't be won, that never had to start, but a War that he, without the U.S. and ‘TRUMP,’ will never be able to settle,” Mr. Trump wrote.

This was a misrepresentation of “verifiable facts,” the Times reports. The U.S. has spent $119 billion for Ukraine aid so far, for example. Mr. Trump also said that Mr. Zelensky’s approval rating was 4 percent when it’s at least 52 percent. The article rounds up the risks of the war continuing for Russia:

“…including by the estimate of military analysts a staggering toll of 1,000 soldiers or more killed or wounded daily, as well as punishing economic sanctions.”

Vladimir V. Putin, meanwhile, described American allies in Europe as “hysterical”, in conversations with reporters in St. Petersburg yesterday. Mr. Zelensky has offered to take Trump’s special envoy to Russia to the frontlines to speak with civilians and soldiers, “and ask them whether they trust their president, what they think of Putin, and what they think of Trump after his statements.” One can only imagine. It’s also nice to see the British Prime Minister backing Zelensky, pointing out that Winston Churchill also suspended elections during World War Two.

The analysis piece contrasts Trump’s criticism of Zelensky as a Dictator with his efforts to interfere in congestion charging in New York City.

“The president’s ‘dictator’ jab came hours before he referred to himself online regarding a domestic issue as ‘the king,’ followed up by a White House official who posted an illustration of Mr. Trump in royal garb.”

It’s almost like the man is inconsistent!

“Vitriol expressed to Mr. Zelensky drew gasps of surprise on both sides of the Atlantic,” the reporter writes.

Trump’s former Vice President, Mike Pence, said Russia started the war, online. His former national security adviser Charles Kupperman compared Trump to Neville Chamberlain. These men are hardly liberals.

Once again we have a portrait emerging of a leader who can’t control himself when provoked, and who undermines American interests while he’s throwing his toys out of his pram.

The congestion pricing story is an odd one indeed in this context. It shows the president taking on a fight he is unlikely to win, presumably to bolster his poll appeal in more conservative areas around New York. Trump’s officials have written to New York Governor Kathy Hochul telling her to stop congestion charging in Manhattan.

Trump wrote, like a lunatic, on social media: “CONGESTION PRICING IS DEAD. Manhattan, and all of New York, is SAVED. LONG LIVE THE KING!”

Hochul then put out a statement: “We are a nation of laws, not ruled by a king. We’ll see you in court.”

The details:

“Congestion pricing started on Jan. 5 and charges most drivers $9 to enter Manhattan below 60th Street, an area that includes some of the city’s most famous destinations like Times Square and the Empire State Building.”

…and our apartment, of course. There are fewer vehicles (about 9 percent) in the area since the charges began, but foot traffic has improved by about 5 percent.

Will Shepherd, a high school social studies teacher from Hamilton Heights in Manhattan and an avid cyclist, said that congestion pricing was necessary to alleviate pollution and make the streets safer for pedestrians.

“To have the federal government decide policy for New York City is just outrageous,” he said. “It’s not surprising given who this man is. He really seems to hate New York.”

The piece quotes a variety of proponents and opponents of the law, including one woman who opposes it, but still thinks Mr. Trump should leave New York to decide on the matter for itself.

“I think he should absolutely stay out of it,” said Cassie Robinson, 61, who lives in Manhattan and opposes congestion pricing. “I think it’s something that the city of New York and the state of New York should figure out.”

And there we have it. Donald Trump beating up on New York and New Yorkers while also beating up on the president of a country invaded by Russia. Coincidentally, here’s a video by the European Union about a disinformation tactic called “flooding.”

And there we have it. That’s literally what is happening here. We’re being thrown a fight about congestion pricing so that we don’t focus on the Ukraine stuff.

And speaking of Democracy, I did a poll three days ago:

Are you glad Matt Davis is reading the news so that you don't have to?

And here are the results:

🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 Yes, I am glad. (5)

⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️ Actually I would rather not know what is in the news, now that I do. (0) 5 Votes

As always: You’re welcome! (*And thanks!)

Matt Davis lives in Manhattan with his wife and kid.