President Donald Trump’s patience in dealing with Volodymyr Zelensky appears to have expired, with Trump referring to the Ukrainian president as circus master P.T. Barnum in an interview Thursday with Newsmax.
Trump claimed former President Joe Biden gave Ukraine billions of dollars of cash and equipment, only to see U.S. missiles “being sold on the open market.”
“I call him P.T. Barnum,” he said. “They gave to P.T. Barnum, which is Zelensky, massive amounts of — Biden should have made them pay. He gave hundreds, probably $350 billion worth of equipment and cash to Ukraine. Biden was giving them missiles, and they were being sold on the open market.”
🚨 President Trump just BLASTED Zelensky, calling him a CIRCUS MASTER, and says the equipment Biden gave him was BEING SOLD on the black market
“I call him P.T. Barnum! They gave to P.T. Barnum, which is Zelensky, MASSIVE amounts of [missiles]…”
“Biden should have made them PAY. He gave hundreds — probably $350 BILLION worth of equipment and cash to Ukraine.”
“Biden was giving them missiles, and they were being sold on the open market!”
Trump wants this guy GONE, and rightfully so!
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) October 16, 2026
When asked about Ukraine resuming strikes on Russian energy targets after being asked not to, Trump pulled no punches.
“Zelensky is not a good guy for us to deal with,” he said matter-of-factly.
“Have you lost faith in him?” host Rob Finnerty asked.
“I think they’re gonna end up with a settlement of some kind,” the president replied. “They’re not gonna do it with him. He doesn’t wanna settle. He says he wants to settle, but he doesn’t. No, I’m not a big fan of Zelensky. They’ve destroyed that country.”
.@POTUS: “Zelensky is not a good guy for us to deal with… If they’re going to end up with a settlement of some kind, they’re not going to do it with him. He doesn’t want to settle. He says he wants to settle, but he doesn’t.” https://t.co/jVbg0jRJg0
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) October 16, 2026
Trump announced Sunday that Ukraine and Russia had agreed to an “energy ceasefire” deal, but Ukrainian officials claimed Russia continued to attack its energy facilities.
The president suggested that Barack Obama was at least partially at fault for the current war in the region, referencing Russia’s 2014 annexation of Crimea.
“If the U.S. election weren’t rigged, that war would have never happened. That’s the saddest part,” Trump said. “Ukraine has lost so many of its men, and Russia, too, but Russia’s a massive country.”
When asked if the war would end before he leaves office, Trump predicted that it would not go on much longer.
“It should end soon,” the president told Finnerty. “I think they actually both would like to see it end, but I find Zelensky to be more difficult to deal with than Putin.”
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Tom Tillison grew up in Maryland before moving to Central Florida as a young teen. It is in the Sunshine State that he honed both his passion for politics and his writing skills. Tillison also contributes to BizPac Review.
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