Hey everyone, Harry here. Before we dive into today's episode, I've got some exciting news about

an upcoming event in our Talking San Diego series. On Thursday, May 29th at noon, we'll be

welcoming Senator Cory Booker for a conversation focused on our current political moment

and how to move forward.

For tickets and more information on this and all Talking San Diego events, visit

talking san diego.net.

Welcome to Talking Fed's, a roundtable that brings together prominent former federal officials and special guests

for a dynamic discussion of the most important political and legal topics of the day.

I'm Harry Littman. We tend to think of Donald Trump as an avatar of malice and tyranny, but an important

gloss to that portrait is his profound fickleness. Trump careens wildly from one position to the

next, and it is this very instability as much as his pettiness and cruelty that so's chaos in American life and reverberates

across the globe. With boasts about his supposed superhuman deal-making prowess, Trump promised

during the campaign to end the Ukraine-Russia war in 24 hours. This week, he revealed his hand, offering a poison-pill deal

to Ukrainian President Volodymer Zelensky, coupled with the ultimatum that the United States

would walk away if Zelensky didn't capitulate. The move, among other things, laid bare Trump's utter fecklessness as a negotiator.

The terms of the offer sheet were basically rush against everything at once and more,

including a recognition of its unlawful annexation of Crimea as lawful.

Zelensky, who knows his people and has led them bravely for years against an evil warmonger,

immediately rejected the gun to the head terms.

The failed gambit is already damaging America's standing in the world with two grim possibilities ahead. Either Trump follows

through, dealing a devastating blow to U.S. credibility and global influence, or true to form

as just last week, with tariffs, schools, and the Fed. He shrugs it off with a never mind,

...