Putin crushed Trump, and it devastated Karoline Leavitt

The David Pakman Show - August 18, 2025

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Friday marked a deeply humiliating day for the United States during Donald Trump’s summit with Vladimir Putin in Alaska. Trump greeted Putin with excessive fanfare, including American soldiers laying a red carpet, yet secured no concessions or concrete achievements. The summit embarrassed the U.S. globally, bolstered Putin’s authoritarian image, and exposed Trump’s weakness in foreign affairs.

Following the summit, Trump appeared on Fox News with Sean Hannity, where he repeated Putin’s claims about mail-in voting rigging the 2020 election. By taking Putin’s assertions at face value and praising him, Trump revealed how easily the Russian leader manipulates his vanity and admiration for authoritarian figures.

Trump’s Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, struggled to defend the summit, emphasizing vaguely that “concessions were asked” without naming any. His evasive responses underscored the absence of tangible outcomes.

Domestically, Trump has escalated authoritarian proposals to override state control of elections, targeting mail-in ballots and voting machines. Claiming without evidence that the 2020 election was rigged, he threatened executive orders to dictate state election procedures, a move unprecedented in modern U.S. politics. These efforts aim to consolidate federal power, intimidate election officials, and preempt Democratic victories.

Public opposition has surged, with over 300 protests in 44 states and Washington, D.C., targeting Republican gerrymandering and Trump’s authoritarianism. Massive mobilizations, including 5,000 protesters in Austin, have defied federal attempts to suppress dissent, highlighting grassroots resilience and exposing Trump’s weakness. California Governor Gavin Newsom has amplified opposition with a national ad campaign against Trump’s gerrymandering, energizing Democrats and signaling potential presidential ambitions.

Trump’s health is also under scrutiny. Press secretary Karoline Leavitt struggles to manage visible physical signs, such as bruised hands and swollen ankles, alongside cognitive lapses like forgetting countries and rambling incoherently. Levitt’s attempts at damage control are increasingly unconvincing.

On today’s bonus show:

A preview of Trump’s upcoming meeting with Zelensky and the controversy over his wartime attire. An examination of the growing risk of AI-driven job losses among white-collar, non-routine workers. And coverage of Republican governors sending additional National Guard troops to Washington, D.C.

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