Meet the Press NOW – February 19

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3.8 • 3.7K Ratings

🗓️ 19 February 2025

⏱️ 50 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Ukrainian Member of Parliament Kira Rudik reacts to President Donald Trump blaming President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for the war in Ukraine. NBC News’ Tom Winter and Politico’s Emily Ngo report on the Justice Department's effort to dismiss corruption charges against New York City Mayor Eric Adams. NBC News’ Vaughn Hillyard and CNBC’s Lora Kolodny discuss Elon Musk's “playbook” of mass firings now targeting workers across the federal government.

Transcript

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0:00.0	If it's Wednesday, President Trump lashes out at President Zelensky, falsely calling the Ukrainian leader a dictator and falsely slaying Ukraine started the war, the comments echoing Russian talking points, and prompting pushback from both sides of the aisle.
0:17.6	Plus, New York City Mayor Eric Adams appears in federal court in a hearing that just
0:21.8	wrapped up as his lawyers tell a federal judge there was no quid pro quo agreement with President
0:26.9	Trump's Justice Department as it moves to dismiss the case. And President Trump and Elon Musk
0:33.0	sit down for a joint interview defending mass firings and sweeping cuts to the federal agencies
0:38.6	while touting their close and personal partnership as they take new steps to consolidate power.
0:57.6	Welcome to meet the press now.
1:01.2	I'm Kristen Welker in Washington, where we've seen a stunning series of developments and a rapid and very public deterioration of the White House's support for Ukraine.
1:06.7	President Trump and Ukrainian President Zelensky are publicly trading barbs.
1:10.6	With President Trump today lashing out at Ukraine's president, maligning Mr. Zelensky as a dictator
1:15.9	without elections in a social media post filled with other falsehoods about the war,
1:20.9	all echoing Russian talking points.
1:23.1	It comes as the Trump administration is improving its relations with the Kremlin,
1:27.1	including holding
1:27.7	a meeting with Russian officials about Ukraine's future without Ukraine in the room, the dizzying
1:32.7	episode leaving several of America's traditional allies stunned and grappling with how to respond.
1:38.7	In addition to the falsely calling Zelensky a dictator, President Trump also claiming without
1:42.8	evidence today that the Ukrainian people have soured on their leader and warning Zelensky a dictator. President Trump also claiming without evidence today that the
1:44.2	Ukrainian people have soured on their leader and warning Zelensky that he, quote,
1:48.8	better move fast or he is not going to have a country left. It comes after the president brazenly
1:54.4	and falsely suggested that Ukraine started the war while also tacitly backing Putin's calls for
2:00.1	regime change in Ukraine through
	...

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