Good Tuesday evening. In this edition: Trump says Ukraine could take back all its territory and blasts U.N. as ineffectual while criticizing world leaders.
Plus, government funding, Jimmy Kimmel, assassination attempt and Fed independence.
Ukraine War
President Trump suggested Ukraine could reclaim all the land that Russia has taken since the start of the invasion, marking a major reversal for the president who said for months Kyiv would have to cede territory to secure a peace deal.
"I think Ukraine, with the support of the European Union, is in a position to fight and WIN all of Ukraine back in its original form," he said in a lengthy social media post after meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly.
The comments come as the president grows increasingly frustrated with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, who has only escalated his attacks on Ukraine in the weeks since their summit in Alaska.
"Russia has been fighting aimlessly for three and a half years a War that should have taken a Real Military Power less than a week to win," he wrote. "This is not distinguishing Russia. In fact, it is very much making them look like 'a paper tiger.'"
President Trump, who campaigned on quickly ending the war in Ukraine, initially set his sights on President Zelensky after retaking office, accusing him of being ungrateful for U.S. support in a remarkable Oval Office blowup.
The U.S. president repeatedly told President Zelensky he didn't "have the cards," and suggested Ukraine would have to give up land to secure a peace deal.
After meeting with President Putinin Alaska, President Trump said the two leaders were largely aligned on a strategy to end the war and hoped to set up one-on-one talks between the Ukrainian and Russian presidents.
However, the talks never materialized, and Russia significantly ramped up its attacks on Ukraine, drawing the ire of President Trump.
President Trump also said it would be appropriate for NATO allies to shoot down Russian aircraft if they violate their airspace.
Russian jets and drones have recently entered the airspaces of Poland, Romania and Estonia, seemingly testing NATO's defenses.
When asked whether the U.S. would back up those countries, he said it "depends on the circumstance."
Earlier in the day, President Trump gave a lengthy, wide-ranging address before the General Assembly in which he ripped the international organization as ineffective and chided world leaders for how he believed they were mismanaging their counties.
"What is the purpose of the United Nations?" the president asked rhetorically, claiming all the body did was write "strongly worded letters" and speak in "empty words."
The president said he had resolved seven "unendable wars" since reassuming office and charged that the U.N. hadn't done anything to help.
"It's too bad that I had to do these things instead of the United Nations doing them," he said. "And sadly, in all cases, the United Nations did not even try to help in any of them."
He also warned European leaders their countries were "going to hell" because of their immigration and climate policies.
"It's time to end the failed experiment of open borders," he said. "Your countries are going to hell."
President Trump said the countries were "destroying" their "heritage" by offering refuge to migrants and taking steps to mitigate global warming, which he called "the greatest con job ever perpetrated."
"I've been right about everything, and I'm telling you that if you don't get away from the green energy scam, your country is going to fail," he said.
"And if you don't stop people that you've never seen before, that you have nothing in common with, your country is going to fail."
He also criticized European NATO countries for continuing to buy petroleum products from Russia, calling it "embarrassing."
"China and India are the primary funders of the ongoing war by continuing to purchase Russian oil, but inexcusably, even NATO countries have not cut off much Russian energy and Russian energy products," he said.
"Think of it, they're funding the war against themselves. Who the hell ever heard of that one?"
The president also taunted Russia for failing to quickly win the war against Ukraine, saying it made Moscow "look bad."
"It was supposed to be just a quick little skirmish. It's not making Russia look good. It's making them look bad," he said.
"No matter what happens from here on out, this was something that should have taken a matter of days, certainly less than a week, and they've been fighting for three and a half years."
President Trumpcanceled a meeting with top congressional Democrats that was set to take place later this week at the White House, saying he had decided the talks would not be "productive" due to their "unserious and ridiculous demands." The move escalates the standoff with Democrats with less than a week before a potential government shutdown. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) responded by saying Democrats would not vote for a funding bill unless Republicans negotiate with them on health care issues.
Nexstar and Sinclair, two of the largest owners of broadcast TV stations, said they will not air Jimmy Kimmel's late-night show when it returns this evening following the host's suspension over comments he made in the wake of the Charlie Kirk assassination. Nexstar said it will continue to preempt the show "pending assurance that all parties are committed to fostering an environment of respectful, constructive dialogue in the markets we serve."
The man accused of attempting to kill President Trump on his Florida golf course last year was found guilty on all counts, including attempted assassination of a major presidential candidate, assaulting a federal officer, possessing a firearm and ammunition as a felon, and possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number. The man tried to stab himself in the neck with a pen after the verdict was read before being tackled by marshals.
Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powellpushed back on critics who say the central bank makes decisions for political purposes. "Many people don't believe us," he said at an event in Providence, Rhode Island. "But the truth is, mostly people who are calling us political, it's just a cheap shot." President Trump has mounted an unprecedented pressure campaign on the Fed this year, accusing it of keeping interest rates elevated to hurt him politically.
For your radar…
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and other world leaders deliver remarks Wednesday at the United Nations General Assembly. Watch LIVE on C-SPAN2 starting at 9:30am ET.
The four astronauts slated to fly around the moon as part of NASA's Artemis II mission hold a news conference in Houston on Wednesday. Watch LIVE on C-SPAN at 10am ET.
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