Trump has finally defied Vladimir Putin; not to save Ukrainian lives, but to commandeer Venezuelan oil and indulge his obsession with power, spectacle, and humiliation. The seizure of a Russian-flagged tanker marks a shift from theatrical cruelty to real economic disruption, but it exposes something darker than strategy.
iPINIONS contends that, in chasing oil, prestige, and even a Nobel he could never earn, Trump hasn’t just debased the presidency. He has stripped America of the capacity for shame.

Read my full take on Substack:
https://ipinionsdaily.substack.com/p/trump-seizes-putins-oil-tanker-as
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