But one may find some dark humor in the plight of pundits on the right who have long maintained that, ackshually, Ukraine had no better friend than Trump. Take Washington Post columnist (and former George W. Bush speechwriter) Marc Thiessen, whose greatest hits include, “Putin is stalling and Trump is angry. It’s time for ‘maximum pressure’” (March 31, 2025), “Watch Trump make good on his Ukraine promises” (July 9, 2025), and “Putin made a big mistake with Trump” (September 25, 2025). In recent days, Thiessen has been mostly quiet on the subject; in his tweets, he has occasionally pushed back against inane anti-Ukraine and pro-Russia right-wing commentary but also chided Volodymyr Zelensky for being imprudently confrontational in response to Trump’s insults.

A pro-Trump, pro-Ukraine position has always required awkward mental gymnastics, but now it demands downright contortionism. In one cringeworthy moment, radio host and Fox News contributor Hugh Hewitt was caught in the middle of a Fox appearance when informed of Trump’s remark to the press that Ukraine needs a new president. Hewitt, visibly taken aback, conceded that it was “shocking,” but quickly bounced back to suggest that it was just “jaw-jaw”—Trump venting his frustrations about the “international economy” and diesel fuel prices. Not to worry, he reassured his audience: Zelensky is here to stay, and “Russia is the bad guy. The president knows that.” Are you sure, Hugh? Trump, at that point, was saying things like, “Zelensky could have settled this war many times—many, many times” and “I think, actually, Putin wants to make a deal more than Zelensky.” (Meanwhile, as anybody with a brain that hasn’t been fried by Trumpism can tell you, it’s Putin who has repeatedly rejected Zelensky’s offers for a ceasefire and direct talks.)