It must be 9D chess. From Pedro L. Gonzales at readcontra.com:
Mohammad Azuddin / Quarta Design
It’s been clear for a long time that, despite all the populist proclamations, Donald Trump’s view on aid for Ukraine aligns with the establishment position: the cash must flow, one way or another. That’s not what his supporters want to hear, but after this weekend, there’s no evading it.
On Saturday, the House passed a massive aid package, shepherded against the opposition by Speaker Mike Johnson with House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries. It had the support of all Democrats but just less than half of Republicans and includes billions of dollars in “economic assistance” for Ukraine in the form of “forgivable loans.” That is to say, it’s money that doesn’t have to be repaid. It’s a farce, and everyone knows it.
But here’s the key detail missing from all the right-wing outrage on Twitter now: Johnson collaborated with the Democrats in the House to ram through this package at Trump’s behest.
The “loan” was Trump’s idea, and Trump told Johnson to get behind it. That’s why Johnson, for now, acts like he is bulletproof amid calls from other Republicans for his defenestration. Johnson knows that the leader of the party is in his corner. Indeed, as demands for Johnson’s head rang out, Trump defended the speaker in an interview with radio host John Fredericks.
“I think he’s a very good person,” Trump said, and declined to criticize him over Ukraine funding.
That was a lifeline for Johnson.
Der Friedensstifter 