20250228 Emptywheel Friday And a Massive Oval Office Ambush & Meltdown on the Nicole Sandler Show

Today is Friday, when we get together with Marcy Wheeler of emptywheel.net to recap much of what happened in the week leading up to our conversation. We record these shows on Friday mornings here in Arizona/Friday afternoons for Marcy in Ireland.

Today, while we were recording, Ukrainian President Volodimir Zelinskyy arrived at the White House to meet with Trump, ostensibly to sign a deal for Ukraine to compensate the US for our help in defending them against Russia. I had the tape-delayed coverage running on a computer screen off to my right. When Marcy and I finished taping, I turned up the volume in time to hear the US president and vice president attack Zelinskyy in an outrageous spectacle that should be the end of this administration.

I watched that surreal scene unfold and then replay for the next couple of hours. We saw President Zelinskyy get in his car and leave the White House.

I'm still in shock.

Although Marcy and I had already recorded the show for today, I knew I couldn't just run it as usual without addressing this sickening, embarrassing moment that history will not look kindly on. I reached out to Marcy who agreed to jump back on the line to start the show live with me so we could address the situation.

I have no idea what will happen next, I just know that it's not a great time to be alive.

Slava Ukraini.