Trump is preparing to speak with Russian President Vladimir Putin as he pushes for a ceasefire deal with Ukraine. “We want to see if we can bring that war to an end. Maybe we can, maybe we can’t. But I think we have a very good chance,” Trump says. NBC’s Keir Simmons reports for “TODAY.”
It’s not only that the Trump administration is firing government employees en masse, or trying to swallow up neighboring Canada, or squeezing Ukraine, a democratic nation fighting off Russia’s invasion.
For those in the crosshairs, no small part of the ordeal is the public humiliation they’ve endured. The new administration has been rushing to execute its agenda and along the way has left a roadside trail of unsuspecting and, in some cases, helpless casualties.
In recent weeks, the world has seen images of federal workers leaving their building for the last time, tearfully clutching boxes with small plants and other belongings after abruptly learning they’re out of a job. Some of them were given just 15 minutes to clear out their desks.
Justice Department officials perceived to be not fully on board with the Trump agenda were escorted out of the building by law enforcement or security guards as if they had committed wrongdoing.
A majority of American voters say their sympathies lie more with Ukraine than with Russia in the war between the two countries. At the same time, nearly half say they think Trump favors Russia, while most of the remainder believe he favors neither, according to the new national NBC News poll.
Sixty-one percent of registered voters choose Ukraine when asked which of the two countries has their sympathies more, while just 2% say Russia. Another 35% say they are more sympathetic to neither side, while 2% are not sure.
When asked where they believe Trump’s sympathies are, 49% choose Russia, 40% say they think Trump favors neither side, and 8% choose Ukraine. Another 3% say they are not sure.
Trump himself has publicly adopted the idea of not favoring either side, saying in February, “If I didn’t align myself with both of them, you’d never have a deal.”
