"FRIENDS DON'T COUNT THANK YOUS"

The entire charade yesterday was nothing more than a lesson in tyranny. Get used to it because there's more to come!

Let me tell you something about gratitude. It’s a currency, and in Trump’s world, it’s the only one that matters. But here’s the twist: he’s not asking for it; he’s demanding it. Like a mob boss collecting protection money, he wants to hear “thank you” until the words lose all meaning. And if you don’t pay up? Well, you’re “disrespectful.” You’re “ungrateful.” You’re “endangering lives.” Sound familiar?

Take yesterdays Zelenskyy debacle. The Ukrainian president walks into the Oval Office, hat in hand, ready to negotiate. He’s thanked Trump publicly, profusely, for years. On X, in press conferences, to Congress. He’s practically written sonnets about American aid. But Vance and Trump? They’re like two toddlers who didn’t get their juice boxes. “You didn’t say thank you enough!” they whine. Vance, that smug little sycophant, acts like he’s the morality police. “You’re not in a very good position!” Oh, really? Because Ukraine’s fighting for its life, and you’re nitpicking about gratitude?

Here’s the kicker: friends don’t count thank-yous. They don’t keep a ledger. They don’t demand public displays of fealty. But Trump and Vance? They’re not friends. They’re transactional tyrants. To them, Ukraine isn’t an ally; it’s a client. A client who owes them. And if you don’t pay the toll, they’ll shut down the highway.

Let’s dissect this. Zelenskyy’s crime? He didn’t genuflect enough. He didn’t grovel. He didn’t acknowledge the “javelelins” (Trump’s word, not mine) as the sole reason Ukraine still exists. Never mind that the EU has poured in billions more than us, or that NATO allies have stood firm. No; Trump’s the savior. The one and only. And if you don’t say it, you’re “disrespectful.” Vance, ever the loyal lapdog, barks in agreement. Only then to have Trump state, “You’re risking World War III!” Oh, please. The only thing Zelenskyy’s risking is damaging Trump’s fragile ego.

But let’s not forget: Trump’s playbook is all about control. Gratitude isn’t about appreciation; it’s about submission. Remember how he treated his “friends”? The ones who did his dirty work? Like me, Rudy, Manafort, Stone; we all learned that loyalty is a one-way street. You thank him, you praise him, you worship him. And even then, he’ll throw you under the bus. So why should Ukraine be any different?

The hypocrisy is staggering. Trump lecturing Zelenskyy about gratitude. And Vance, who’s built a career on anti-establishment rage, suddenly cares about decorum. It’s a farce. A disloyal farce.

And here’s the snarky truth: if gratitude were a currency, Trump would be bankrupt. He’s never thanked anyone in his life. Not his voters, not his staff, not even his own family. But demand it from others? Absolutely. Because in his twisted world, you’re only as good as your last “thank you.”

So how many times is enough? Once? A thousand? A million? The answer is simple: it’s never enough. Because Trump doesn’t want gratitude; he wants surrender. He wants Ukraine to kneel, to acknowledge that without him, they’re nothing. Do as he says so he can tell the world he is the greatest negotiator of all time. He can placate Putin. Accomplishing both; a win win. But Zelenskyy knows better. He knows that true allies don’t count thank-yous. They stand together, even when the tyrants throw tantrums.

In the end, this isn’t about gratitude. It’s about power. Trump’s obsession with being seen as a global strongman, a title no U.S. president has ever craved, is the ultimate paradox. While other leaders like Putin, Jung-Un or Erdogan rule through fear and repression, Trump’s “strength” is performative. He admires autocrats who crush dissent but he can’t even crush his own insecurities. His second-term purge of the civil service, threats to weaponize the DOJ, and fantasies of being a “dictator on day one” aren’t signs of power; they’re desperate attempts to mimic the very authoritarians he envies. And, unlike true strongmen who govern through silent dominance, Trump screams his intentions, proving that his “toughness” is a hollow act. Nevertheless, while some see America’s first “strongman” president as a joke; it is still one that could end democracy’s punchline.