The David Pakman Show

8/18/25: Putin crushed Trump, and it devastated Karoline Leavitt

Aug 18, 2025
Vladimir Putin skillfully manipulates a summit with Donald Trump, leaving the former U.S. president humiliated and without any gains. Amidst growing nationwide protests against Trump's authoritarian tactics, concerns about election integrity come to the forefront. Gavin Newsom releases a powerful ad framing the fight for democracy, while doubts about Trump's health and cognitive capabilities grow evident. The discussion also highlights Marco Rubio's struggles to justify Trump's actions and exposes contradictions in Trump's rhetoric regarding Putin.
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INSIGHT

Summit Gave Putin Legitimacy Not Concessions

  • David Pakman argues the Alaska summit legitimized Putin while yielding no concessions for Trump.
  • The optics of American troops rolling out a red carpet portrayed Trump as submissive, boosting Putin's propaganda at home.
INSIGHT

Flattery As A Tool Of Manipulation

  • Pakman explains Putin flattered Trump to manipulate him into accepting false narratives like the 2020 fraud claim.
  • That praise makes Trump trust Putin's claims beyond their truth, deepening foreign influence over U.S. rhetoric.
INSIGHT

Rubio's Evasion Shows Lack Of Wins

  • Marco Rubio could not name any concessions from Putin and dodged specifics on live TV, signaling there were none.
  • Pakman interprets Rubio's evasions as proof the summit produced no tangible gains for the U.S.
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