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Former President Donald Trump greets supporters at a campaign rally on April 27, 2023 in Manchester, New Hampshire. Trump, who is currently dealing with a growing number of legal cases against him, is the Republican frontrunner for the Republican presidential ticket.
(Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)
It Is Now Democracy vs. Authoritarianism. There Can Be No Compromise
The danger is at the doorstep. In many ways, it is already inside the house. Trumpian fascism must be vanquished now and forever. Neither silence nor complacency is an option.
May 16, 2023
Last Wednesday evening marked the unofficial start of Donald Trump’s campaign to be reelected president of the United States.
He spent over an hour of prime-time television before an adoring crowd — courtesy of CNN — suggesting America should default on its debts (the crowd applauded) and that we should not defend Ukraine from Russia (cheers).
He defended his infamous “grab ’em by the pussy” comments, called E. Jean Carroll, against whom a Manhattan jury had just found him liable for sexual abuse and defamation, a “whack job,” and said her trial was “a rigged deal” (cheers and applause).All of this was bad enough.
We are no longer dealing with politics as we have come to understand it
But what really got my attention was his attempt to rewrite the history of his attempted coup: He asserted that January 6, 2021, was “a beautiful day” (more cheers), that the Capitol rioters had “love in their heart,” and that if elected, he’d pardon those who have been convicted (big applause). He denied moderator Kaitlan Collins’s factual assertion that he took three hours to tell the January 6 rioters to go home (more cheers).
He claimed that he never asked Georgia election officials to “find” him the exact number of votes needed to defeat Biden in Georgia. (He did, and it’s on tape.) He claimed that ex-Vice President Mike Pence had the power to overturn the election. (He didn’t.) He called Michael Byrd — the Black Capitol Police lieutenant who fatally shot Ashli Babbitt while protecting lawmakers during the storming of the Capitol — a “thug.” (He isn’t.)
And he reiterated that the 2020 election was stolen from him, and — menacingly — refused to commit to the results of the 2024 presidential election (more applause).
***
What’s been the reaction to this prime-time squalor?
No Republican lawmaker has condemned it — except for Utah’s Mitt Romney (remember him? He was the Republican Party’s presidential nominee in 2012, as amazing as that now seems).
From the rest of the Republican Party — Speaker Kevin McCarthy, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, other Republican leaders in Congress, Republican governors? Nothing.
It is now democracy versus authoritarianism. There can be no compromise. And there must not be silence.
What about Democratic lawmakers?
Besides questioning CNN’s judgment in giving Trump the platform, remarkably little.
My sources in the Biden administration say they were “delighted” with the CNN event because it gave Biden even “more ammo” against Trump and will “drive more Dems and independents to the polls to vote for Biden next year.”
Maybe. But what if it convinced more Americans of Trump’s lies? Of his “strength?” Of his baseless convictions?
CNN has gone into overdrive defending itself (and its CEO, Chris Licht) for giving Trump the platform. After all, said CNN repeatedly, Trump is the leading Republican in the race for president and the public has a right to see and hear him. Others in the media claimed it would be irresponsible to “ignore” Trump and “keep him under a bushel basket.”
As if that were the issue.
The issue was CNN’s decision to give Trump exactly what he wanted — more than an hour by himself, with a hand-picked audience, and a single reporter who couldn’t possibly correct his torrent of lies (after Kaitlan Collins repeatedly asked him about his handling of classified documents, he called her a “nasty person,” eliciting audience cheers).
***
But the problem we face is larger than the silence of Republican lawmakers, the smug tactical response of Democrats, and the blinkered defense of CNN by the media.
Two and a half years after Trump summoned supporters to Washington, rallied them outside the White House, and, knowing they were armed and dangerous, sent them to “stop the steal” on Capitol Hill — where they rioted, threatened the lives of Congress, and caused five deaths — he has still not been held legally accountable.
Yes, he has been found liable in a civil trial for sexually harassing and defaming one woman and indicted for making hush-money payments to another.
But he instigated an attempted coup of the United States in plain sight. Where is the attorney general? The special counsel? The law?
Silence.
Wake up, America!
Those who stood up to Trump have now been purged.
We are no longer dealing with politics as we have come to understand it — as I have seen and practiced it over the last half century: Democrats versus Republicans, liberals versus conservatives, left versus right. In this old form of politics, compromise was expected and often necessary.
It is now democracy versus authoritarianism.
There can be no compromise. And there must not be silence.
***
In 2016, Trump was a joke. He is no longer a joke. He has taken over the Republican Party, turning it into an anti-democracy party containing many officials who have bought into and magnified his big lie about winning the 2020 election.
Those who stood up to Trump have now been purged. Most Republican lawmakers who remain have made it clear that they will bend or disregard any rule that gets in their way.
Trump’s racism, sexism, homophobia, and xenophobia have fueled a dramatic rise in hate crimes across America.
His grievances and calls for vengeance are causing the nation to become ever more bitterly divided, paranoid, and suspicious.
He is less constrained than he was before. His lies are even larger. He is even more self-assured in telling them.
We do not have the luxury of waiting 18 months until the 2024 election. The danger is now.
His rhetoric is even more menacing. “In 2016, I declared I am your voice,” Trump said at the recent Conservative Political Action Conference. “Today, I add: I am your warrior. I am your justice. And for those who have been wronged and betrayed, I am your retribution.”
Yet if the tepid silence from the rest of America continues, he has a fair shot at becoming president again in 2024.
***
Friends, we do not have the luxury of waiting 18 months until the 2024 election. The danger is now.
We must speak out against Trumpian fascism.
Demand that Trump be held fully accountable for what he has done.
Condemn the media for allowing him to set the terms for appearing, and for magnifying and legitimizing his lies.
Urge secretaries of state and other state election officials to refuse to put him on the ballot — under Section 3 of the 14th Amendment, which bars anyone from holding office who, having taken an oath to support the Constitution, has engaged in an insurrection against the United States.
And we must make good trouble, as John Lewis put it: Mobilize to protect equal rights and preserve the rule of law. Call out haters and bigots. Take to the streets, if necessary, to defend our democracy.
Why Your Ongoing Support Is Essential
Donald Trump’s attacks on democracy, justice, and a free press are escalating — putting everything we stand for at risk. We believe a better world is possible, but we can’t get there without your support. Common Dreams stands apart. We answer only to you — our readers, activists, and changemakers — not to billionaires or corporations. Our independence allows us to cover the vital stories that others won’t, spotlighting movements for peace, equality, and human rights. Right now, our work faces unprecedented challenges. Misinformation is spreading, journalists are under attack, and financial pressures are mounting. As a reader-supported, nonprofit newsroom, your support is crucial to keep this journalism alive. Whatever you can give — $10, $25, or $100 — helps us stay strong and responsive when the world needs us most. Together, we’ll continue to build the independent, courageous journalism our movement relies on. Thank you for being part of this community. |
© 2021 robertreich.substack.com
Robert Reich
Robert Reich, is the Chancellor's Professor of Public Policy at the University of California, Berkeley, and a senior fellow at the Blum Center for Developing Economies. He served as secretary of labor in the Clinton administration, for which Time magazine named him one of the 10 most effective cabinet secretaries of the twentieth century. His book include: "Aftershock" (2011), "The Work of Nations" (1992), "Beyond Outrage" (2012) and, "Saving Capitalism" (2016). He is also a founding editor of The American Prospect magazine, former chairman of Common Cause, a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and co-creator of the award-winning documentary, "Inequality For All." Reich's newest book is "The Common Good" (2019). He's co-creator of the Netflix original documentary "Saving Capitalism," which is streaming now.
Last Wednesday evening marked the unofficial start of Donald Trump’s campaign to be reelected president of the United States.
He spent over an hour of prime-time television before an adoring crowd — courtesy of CNN — suggesting America should default on its debts (the crowd applauded) and that we should not defend Ukraine from Russia (cheers).
He defended his infamous “grab ’em by the pussy” comments, called E. Jean Carroll, against whom a Manhattan jury had just found him liable for sexual abuse and defamation, a “whack job,” and said her trial was “a rigged deal” (cheers and applause).All of this was bad enough.
We are no longer dealing with politics as we have come to understand it
But what really got my attention was his attempt to rewrite the history of his attempted coup: He asserted that January 6, 2021, was “a beautiful day” (more cheers), that the Capitol rioters had “love in their heart,” and that if elected, he’d pardon those who have been convicted (big applause). He denied moderator Kaitlan Collins’s factual assertion that he took three hours to tell the January 6 rioters to go home (more cheers).
He claimed that he never asked Georgia election officials to “find” him the exact number of votes needed to defeat Biden in Georgia. (He did, and it’s on tape.) He claimed that ex-Vice President Mike Pence had the power to overturn the election. (He didn’t.) He called Michael Byrd — the Black Capitol Police lieutenant who fatally shot Ashli Babbitt while protecting lawmakers during the storming of the Capitol — a “thug.” (He isn’t.)
And he reiterated that the 2020 election was stolen from him, and — menacingly — refused to commit to the results of the 2024 presidential election (more applause).
***
What’s been the reaction to this prime-time squalor?
No Republican lawmaker has condemned it — except for Utah’s Mitt Romney (remember him? He was the Republican Party’s presidential nominee in 2012, as amazing as that now seems).
From the rest of the Republican Party — Speaker Kevin McCarthy, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, other Republican leaders in Congress, Republican governors? Nothing.
It is now democracy versus authoritarianism. There can be no compromise. And there must not be silence.
What about Democratic lawmakers?
Besides questioning CNN’s judgment in giving Trump the platform, remarkably little.
My sources in the Biden administration say they were “delighted” with the CNN event because it gave Biden even “more ammo” against Trump and will “drive more Dems and independents to the polls to vote for Biden next year.”
Maybe. But what if it convinced more Americans of Trump’s lies? Of his “strength?” Of his baseless convictions?
CNN has gone into overdrive defending itself (and its CEO, Chris Licht) for giving Trump the platform. After all, said CNN repeatedly, Trump is the leading Republican in the race for president and the public has a right to see and hear him. Others in the media claimed it would be irresponsible to “ignore” Trump and “keep him under a bushel basket.”
As if that were the issue.
The issue was CNN’s decision to give Trump exactly what he wanted — more than an hour by himself, with a hand-picked audience, and a single reporter who couldn’t possibly correct his torrent of lies (after Kaitlan Collins repeatedly asked him about his handling of classified documents, he called her a “nasty person,” eliciting audience cheers).
***
But the problem we face is larger than the silence of Republican lawmakers, the smug tactical response of Democrats, and the blinkered defense of CNN by the media.
Two and a half years after Trump summoned supporters to Washington, rallied them outside the White House, and, knowing they were armed and dangerous, sent them to “stop the steal” on Capitol Hill — where they rioted, threatened the lives of Congress, and caused five deaths — he has still not been held legally accountable.
Yes, he has been found liable in a civil trial for sexually harassing and defaming one woman and indicted for making hush-money payments to another.
But he instigated an attempted coup of the United States in plain sight. Where is the attorney general? The special counsel? The law?
Silence.
Wake up, America!
Those who stood up to Trump have now been purged.
We are no longer dealing with politics as we have come to understand it — as I have seen and practiced it over the last half century: Democrats versus Republicans, liberals versus conservatives, left versus right. In this old form of politics, compromise was expected and often necessary.
It is now democracy versus authoritarianism.
There can be no compromise. And there must not be silence.
***
In 2016, Trump was a joke. He is no longer a joke. He has taken over the Republican Party, turning it into an anti-democracy party containing many officials who have bought into and magnified his big lie about winning the 2020 election.
Those who stood up to Trump have now been purged. Most Republican lawmakers who remain have made it clear that they will bend or disregard any rule that gets in their way.
Trump’s racism, sexism, homophobia, and xenophobia have fueled a dramatic rise in hate crimes across America.
His grievances and calls for vengeance are causing the nation to become ever more bitterly divided, paranoid, and suspicious.
He is less constrained than he was before. His lies are even larger. He is even more self-assured in telling them.
We do not have the luxury of waiting 18 months until the 2024 election. The danger is now.
His rhetoric is even more menacing. “In 2016, I declared I am your voice,” Trump said at the recent Conservative Political Action Conference. “Today, I add: I am your warrior. I am your justice. And for those who have been wronged and betrayed, I am your retribution.”
Yet if the tepid silence from the rest of America continues, he has a fair shot at becoming president again in 2024.
***
Friends, we do not have the luxury of waiting 18 months until the 2024 election. The danger is now.
We must speak out against Trumpian fascism.
Demand that Trump be held fully accountable for what he has done.
Condemn the media for allowing him to set the terms for appearing, and for magnifying and legitimizing his lies.
Urge secretaries of state and other state election officials to refuse to put him on the ballot — under Section 3 of the 14th Amendment, which bars anyone from holding office who, having taken an oath to support the Constitution, has engaged in an insurrection against the United States.
And we must make good trouble, as John Lewis put it: Mobilize to protect equal rights and preserve the rule of law. Call out haters and bigots. Take to the streets, if necessary, to defend our democracy.
From Your Site Articles
- The Entire United States Is Now the Reichstag Building ›
- Trump Is Not Our Biggest Problem: It's the Open Fascism He Has Unleashed ›
- The Battle to Protect American Democracy Is the Most Important Battle of Our Lifetimes ›
- 'Authoritarianism 101': Trump Plot to Purge Civil Servants If Reelected Draws Alarm ›
Related Articles Around the Web
Robert Reich
Robert Reich, is the Chancellor's Professor of Public Policy at the University of California, Berkeley, and a senior fellow at the Blum Center for Developing Economies. He served as secretary of labor in the Clinton administration, for which Time magazine named him one of the 10 most effective cabinet secretaries of the twentieth century. His book include: "Aftershock" (2011), "The Work of Nations" (1992), "Beyond Outrage" (2012) and, "Saving Capitalism" (2016). He is also a founding editor of The American Prospect magazine, former chairman of Common Cause, a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and co-creator of the award-winning documentary, "Inequality For All." Reich's newest book is "The Common Good" (2019). He's co-creator of the Netflix original documentary "Saving Capitalism," which is streaming now.
Last Wednesday evening marked the unofficial start of Donald Trump’s campaign to be reelected president of the United States.
He spent over an hour of prime-time television before an adoring crowd — courtesy of CNN — suggesting America should default on its debts (the crowd applauded) and that we should not defend Ukraine from Russia (cheers).
He defended his infamous “grab ’em by the pussy” comments, called E. Jean Carroll, against whom a Manhattan jury had just found him liable for sexual abuse and defamation, a “whack job,” and said her trial was “a rigged deal” (cheers and applause).All of this was bad enough.
We are no longer dealing with politics as we have come to understand it
But what really got my attention was his attempt to rewrite the history of his attempted coup: He asserted that January 6, 2021, was “a beautiful day” (more cheers), that the Capitol rioters had “love in their heart,” and that if elected, he’d pardon those who have been convicted (big applause). He denied moderator Kaitlan Collins’s factual assertion that he took three hours to tell the January 6 rioters to go home (more cheers).
He claimed that he never asked Georgia election officials to “find” him the exact number of votes needed to defeat Biden in Georgia. (He did, and it’s on tape.) He claimed that ex-Vice President Mike Pence had the power to overturn the election. (He didn’t.) He called Michael Byrd — the Black Capitol Police lieutenant who fatally shot Ashli Babbitt while protecting lawmakers during the storming of the Capitol — a “thug.” (He isn’t.)
And he reiterated that the 2020 election was stolen from him, and — menacingly — refused to commit to the results of the 2024 presidential election (more applause).
***
What’s been the reaction to this prime-time squalor?
No Republican lawmaker has condemned it — except for Utah’s Mitt Romney (remember him? He was the Republican Party’s presidential nominee in 2012, as amazing as that now seems).
From the rest of the Republican Party — Speaker Kevin McCarthy, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, other Republican leaders in Congress, Republican governors? Nothing.
It is now democracy versus authoritarianism. There can be no compromise. And there must not be silence.
What about Democratic lawmakers?
Besides questioning CNN’s judgment in giving Trump the platform, remarkably little.
My sources in the Biden administration say they were “delighted” with the CNN event because it gave Biden even “more ammo” against Trump and will “drive more Dems and independents to the polls to vote for Biden next year.”
Maybe. But what if it convinced more Americans of Trump’s lies? Of his “strength?” Of his baseless convictions?
CNN has gone into overdrive defending itself (and its CEO, Chris Licht) for giving Trump the platform. After all, said CNN repeatedly, Trump is the leading Republican in the race for president and the public has a right to see and hear him. Others in the media claimed it would be irresponsible to “ignore” Trump and “keep him under a bushel basket.”
As if that were the issue.
The issue was CNN’s decision to give Trump exactly what he wanted — more than an hour by himself, with a hand-picked audience, and a single reporter who couldn’t possibly correct his torrent of lies (after Kaitlan Collins repeatedly asked him about his handling of classified documents, he called her a “nasty person,” eliciting audience cheers).
***
But the problem we face is larger than the silence of Republican lawmakers, the smug tactical response of Democrats, and the blinkered defense of CNN by the media.
Two and a half years after Trump summoned supporters to Washington, rallied them outside the White House, and, knowing they were armed and dangerous, sent them to “stop the steal” on Capitol Hill — where they rioted, threatened the lives of Congress, and caused five deaths — he has still not been held legally accountable.
Yes, he has been found liable in a civil trial for sexually harassing and defaming one woman and indicted for making hush-money payments to another.
But he instigated an attempted coup of the United States in plain sight. Where is the attorney general? The special counsel? The law?
Silence.
Wake up, America!
Those who stood up to Trump have now been purged.
We are no longer dealing with politics as we have come to understand it — as I have seen and practiced it over the last half century: Democrats versus Republicans, liberals versus conservatives, left versus right. In this old form of politics, compromise was expected and often necessary.
It is now democracy versus authoritarianism.
There can be no compromise. And there must not be silence.
***
In 2016, Trump was a joke. He is no longer a joke. He has taken over the Republican Party, turning it into an anti-democracy party containing many officials who have bought into and magnified his big lie about winning the 2020 election.
Those who stood up to Trump have now been purged. Most Republican lawmakers who remain have made it clear that they will bend or disregard any rule that gets in their way.
Trump’s racism, sexism, homophobia, and xenophobia have fueled a dramatic rise in hate crimes across America.
His grievances and calls for vengeance are causing the nation to become ever more bitterly divided, paranoid, and suspicious.
He is less constrained than he was before. His lies are even larger. He is even more self-assured in telling them.
We do not have the luxury of waiting 18 months until the 2024 election. The danger is now.
His rhetoric is even more menacing. “In 2016, I declared I am your voice,” Trump said at the recent Conservative Political Action Conference. “Today, I add: I am your warrior. I am your justice. And for those who have been wronged and betrayed, I am your retribution.”
Yet if the tepid silence from the rest of America continues, he has a fair shot at becoming president again in 2024.
***
Friends, we do not have the luxury of waiting 18 months until the 2024 election. The danger is now.
We must speak out against Trumpian fascism.
Demand that Trump be held fully accountable for what he has done.
Condemn the media for allowing him to set the terms for appearing, and for magnifying and legitimizing his lies.
Urge secretaries of state and other state election officials to refuse to put him on the ballot — under Section 3 of the 14th Amendment, which bars anyone from holding office who, having taken an oath to support the Constitution, has engaged in an insurrection against the United States.
And we must make good trouble, as John Lewis put it: Mobilize to protect equal rights and preserve the rule of law. Call out haters and bigots. Take to the streets, if necessary, to defend our democracy.
From Your Site Articles
- The Entire United States Is Now the Reichstag Building ›
- Trump Is Not Our Biggest Problem: It's the Open Fascism He Has Unleashed ›
- The Battle to Protect American Democracy Is the Most Important Battle of Our Lifetimes ›
- 'Authoritarianism 101': Trump Plot to Purge Civil Servants If Reelected Draws Alarm ›
Related Articles Around the Web
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LATEST NEWS
Trump Vow to 'Get Rid of Mail-In Ballots' for 2026 Blasted as 'Unconstitutional'
Any such effort, said one democracy watchdog, "would violate the Constitution and is a major step to prevent free and fair elections."
Aug 18, 2025
In his latest full-frontal assault on democratic access and voting rights, President Donald Trump early Monday said he will lead an effort to ban both mail-in ballots and voting machines for next year's mid-term elections—a vow met with immediate rebuke from progressive critics.
"I am going to lead a movement to get rid of MAIL-IN BALLOTS, and also, while we’re at it, Highly 'Inaccurate,' Very Expensive, and Seriously Controversial VOTING MACHINES, which cost Ten Times more than accurate and sophisticated Watermark Paper, which is faster, and leaves NO DOUBT, at the end of the evening, as to who WON, and who LOST, the Election," Trump wrote in a social media post infested with lies and falsehoods.
Trump falsely claimed that no other country in the world uses mail-in voting—a blatant lie, according to International IDEA, which monitors democratic trends worldwide, at least 34 nations allow for in-country postal voting of some kind. The group notes that over 100 countries allow out-of-country postal voting for citizens living or stationed overseas during an election.
Trump has repeated his false claim—over and over again—that he won the 2020 election, which he actually lost, in part due to fraud related to mail-in ballots, though the lie has been debunked ad nauseam. He also fails to note that mail-in ballots were very much in use nationwide in 2024, with an estimated 30% of voters casting a mail-in ballot as opposed to in-person during the election in which Trump returned to the White House and Republicans took back the US Senate and retained the US House of Representatives.
Monday's rant by Trump came just days after his summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who Trump claimed commented personally on the 2020 election and mail-in ballots. In a Friday night interview with Fox News, Trump claimed "one of the most interesting" things Putin said during their talks about ending the war in Ukraine was about mail-in voting in the United States and how Trump would have won the election were it not for voter fraud, echoing Trump's own disproven claims.
Trump: Vladimir Putin said your election was rigged because you have mail-in voting… he talked about 2020 and he said you won that election by so much.. it was a rigged election. pic.twitter.com/m8v0tXuiDQ
— Acyn (@Acyn) August 16, 2025
Trump said Monday he would sign an executive order on election processes, suggesting that it would forbid mail-in ballots as well as the automatic tabulation machines used in states nationwide. He also said that states, which are in charge of administering their elections at the local level, "must do what the Federal Government, as represented by the President of the United States, tells them, FOR THE GOOD OF OUR COUNTRY, to do."
Marc Elias, founder of Democracy Docket, which tracks voting rights and issues related to ballot access, said any executive order by Trump to end mail-in voting or forbid provenly safe and accurate voting machines ahead of the midterms would be "unconstitutional and illegal."
Such an effort, said Elias, "would violate the Constitution and is a major step to prevent free and fair elections."
Residents Revolt as 'Free DC' Protests Target Trump's National Guard Deployment
"We've got the FBI patrolling the streets." said one protester. "We've got National Guard set up as a show of force. What's scarier is if we allow this."
Aug 17, 2025
Residents of Washington, DC over the weekend demonstrated against US President Donald Trump's deployment of the National Guard in their city.
As reported by NBC Washington, demonstrators gathered on Saturday at DuPont Circle and then marched to the White House to direct their anger at Trump for sending the National Guard to Washington DC, and for his efforts to take over the Metropolitan Police Department.
In an interview with NBC Washington, one protester said that it was important for the administration to see that residents weren't intimidated by the presence of military personnel roaming their streets.
"I know a lot of people are scared," the protester said. "We've got the FBI patrolling the streets. We've got National Guard set up as a show of force. What's scarier is if we allow this."
Saturday protests against the presence of the National Guard are expected to be a weekly occurrence, organizers told NBC Washington.
Hours after the march to the White House, other demonstrators began to gather at Union Station to protest the presence of the National Guard units there. Audio obtained by freelance journalist Andrew Leyden reveals that the National Guard decided to move their forces out of the area in reaction to what dispatchers called "growing demonstrations."
Even residents who didn't take part in formal demonstrations over the weekend managed to express their displeasure with the National Guard patrolling the city. According to The Washington Post, locals who spent a night on the town in the U Street neighborhood on Friday night made their unhappiness with law enforcement in the city very well known.
"At the sight of local and federal law enforcement throughout the night, people pooled on the sidewalk—watching, filming, booing," wrote the Post. "Such interactions played out again and again as the night drew on. Onlookers heckled the police as they did their job and applauded as officers left."
Trump last week ordered the National Guard into Washington, DC and tried to take control the Metropolitan Police, purportedly in order to reduce crime in the city. Statistics released earlier this year, however, showed a significant drop in crime in the nation's capital.
Marco Rubio Repeatedly Put on the Spot for Trump's Failure to Secure Ukraine Cease-Fire Deal
"Why not impose more sanctions on [Russia] and force them to agree to a cease-fire, instead of accepting that Putin won't agree to one?" asked NBC's Kristen Welker.
Aug 17, 2025
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Sunday was repeatedly put on the spot over the failure of US President Donald Trump to secure a cease-fire deal between Russia and Ukraine.
Rubio appeared on news programs across all major networks on Sunday morning and he was asked on all of them about Trump's summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin ending without any kind of agreement to end the conflict with Ukraine, which has now lasted for more than three years.
During an interview on ABC's "This Week," Rubio was grilled by Martha Raddatz about the purported "progress" being made toward bringing the war to a close. She also zeroed in on Trump's own statements saying that he wanted to see Russia agree to a cease-fire by the end of last week's summit.
"The president went in to that meeting saying he wanted a ceasefire, and there would be consequences if they didn't agree on a ceasefire in that meeting, and they didn't agree to a ceasefire," she said. "So where are the consequences?"
"That's not the aim of this," Rubio replied. "First of all..."
"The president said that was the aim!" Raddatz interjected.
"Yeah, but you're not going to reach a cease-fire or a peace agreement in a meeting in which only one side is represented," Rubio replied. "That's why it's important to bring both leaders together, that's the goal here."
RADDATZ: The president went in to that meeting saying he wanted a ceasefire and there would be consequences if they didn't agree on a ceasefire in that meeting, and they didn't agree to a ceasefire. So where are the consequences?
RUBIO: That's not the aim
RADDATZ: The president… pic.twitter.com/fuO9q1Y5ze
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) August 17, 2025
Rubio also made an appearance on CBS' "Face the Nation," where host Margaret Brennan similarly pressed him about the expectations Trump had set going into the summit.
"The president told those European leaders last week he wanted a ceasefire," she pointed out. "He went on television and said he would walk out of the meeting if Putin didn't agree to one, he said there would be severe consequences if he didn't agree to one. He said he'd walk out in two minutes—he spent three hours talking to Vladimir Putin and he did not get one. So there's mixed messages here."
"Our goal is not to stage some production for the world to say, 'Oh, how dramatic, he walked out,'" Rubio shot back. "Our goal is to have a peace agreement to end this war, OK? And obviously we felt, and I agreed, that there was enough progress, not a lot of progress, but enough progress made in those talks to allow us to move to the next phase."
Rubio then insisted that now was not the time to hit Russia with new sanctions, despite Trump's recent threats to do so, because it would end talks all together.
Brennan: The president told those European leaders last week he wanted a ceasefire. He went on television and said he would walk out of the meeting if Putin didn't agree to one, he said there would be severe consequences if he didn’t agree to one. He spent three hours talking to… pic.twitter.com/2WtuDH5Oii
— Acyn (@Acyn) August 17, 2025
During an appearance on NBC's "Meet the Press," host Kristen Welker asked Rubio about the "severe consequences" Trump had promised for Russia if it did not agree to a cease-fire.
"Why not impose more sanctions on [Russia] and force them to agree to a cease-fire, instead of accepting that Putin won't agree to one?" Welker asked.
"Well, first, that's something that I think a lot of people go around saying that I don't necessarily think is true," he replied. "I don't think new sanctions on Russia are going to force them to accept a cease-fire. They are already under severe sanctions... you can argue that could be a consequence of refusing to agree to a cease-fire or the end of hostilities."
He went on to say that he hoped the US would not be forced to put more sanctions on Russia "because that means peace talks failed."
WELKER: Why not impose more sanctions on Russia and force them to agree to a ceasefire, instead of accepting that Putin won't agree to one?
RUBIO: Well, I think that's something people go around saying that I don't necessarily think is true. I don't think new sanctions on Russia… pic.twitter.com/GoIucsrDmA
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) August 17, 2025
During the 2024 presidential campaign, Trump said that he could end the war between Russian and Ukraine within the span of a single day. In the seven months since his inauguration, the war has only gotten more intense as Russia has stepped up its daily attacks on Ukrainian cities and infrastructure.
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