Trump Talks to Putin About Ukraine Deal - The Monday AM Quickie 11/11/24
Apparently listening to Uber's general counsel for advice on economic policy was a bad idea. –Jacob
Subscribe to the AM Quickie's NEW paid newsletters here!
THE BIG NEWS
Trump Talks to Putin About Ukraine Deal
President-elect Donald Trump recently had a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, during which he received the Russian dictator's congratulations and discussed the war in Ukraine, according to the Washington Post. The exact contents of the call haven't been released (apparently these calls are going direct to Trump, rather than through the State Department). Trump-world leakers claim that the boss warned Putin not to escalate the war, but Trump's affection for Putin – a strongman of exactly the type that Trump respects – is well established.
Trump has repeatedly called for an end to US military assistance in Ukraine, saying that a peace agreement should have been reached long ago. "Any deal — the worst deal — would’ve been better than what we have now," he said in September. But Ukraine and its allies fear that Trump would favor Putin, who he has talked to periodically since leaving office, allowing the Russian president to retain control of Crimea and other occupied territory in eastern Ukraine.
The Putin call took place one day after Trump and shadow president Elon Musk (who also has a telephonic relationship with the Russian prez) spoke to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who surely is dreading the changeover in power and the likely cuts in US military aid. Zelensky has vowed not to capitulate on Crimea.
The war has been disastrous for both sides, but Russia has the long-term advantage in resources and manpower (including some North Korean grunts recently tossed in the mix). Despite a surprise Ukrainian incursion into southern Russia and the growing reach of Ukraine's drone fleet, few analysts seem to think that Ukraine can win – whatever winning might look like at this point. A combined Russian-North Korean force of 50,000 soldiers is poised to launch a counterattack on Ukrainian forces in Kursk, the Russian region they captured earlier this year.
However painful the concessions might be, a diplomatic solution is long overdue. But who would trust Donald Trump to be an honest broker?
MORE STORIES TO WATCH
Republicans Closing In On House Majority
As of last night, 17 races in the House of Representatives had yet to be decided, with the tally standing at 213 Republican seats to Democrats' 205. Those 17 seats are scattered across the country – Iowa, Maine, Ohio, California, Oregon, etc – and will determine who controls the House. The Republicans already won control of the Senate and the presidency, with the Supreme Court set to be theirs for years to come. As of now, it's looking almost certain that the Republicans will control all three branches of government. If history is any guide, the next midterm election should bring a blue wave, but right now 2026 seems very far away.
With Arizona In The Bag, Trump Sweeps Every Swing State
On Saturday, the AP officially called Arizona for Donald Trump, meaning that the president-elect won all seven major swing states. Arizona, which will be on the front lines of Trump's deportation and border militarization plan, is generally a red state, but Biden won it by a small margin in 2020. Many pundits had predicted that some, if not all, of those seven battleground states would go to Harris. (Let's not even talk about Iowa.) Trump's electoral vote total stands at 312, far beyond the 270 he needed to win.
QUICKEST QUICKIES
- Israel Bombs Gaza, Lebanon, and Syria In One Day Over the weekend Israeli forces dropped bombs in Gaza, Lebanon, and Syria, killing dozens of people. In northern Gaza, rescue workers were among the dead. Numerous civilians, including children, also died in the attacks. via Al Jazeera, BBC News, and Reuters.
- Climate Conference Begins in Kleptocratic Petrostate The UN-led climate conference known as COP29 is set to kick off today in Azerbaijan, a large gas producer that's ruled as a veritable mafia state by the presiding Aliyev family. The conference is supposed to be about the trillions of dollars needed to fund the green-energy transition – especially in less developed countries – but so far, the world's major powers have failed to keep warming below the crucial threshold of 1.5 degrees Celsius. And with Trump about to take office, small nations vulnerable to climate change can expect little help from the United States. via UN, PBS, and Bloomberg.
- Biden and Trump Will Meet in The Oval Office President Joe Biden will meet President-elect Donald Trump in the Oval Office on Wednesday. After denouncing Trump as a threat to democracy, Biden is now in the awkward position of working "to ensure a peaceful and orderly transition" with his main political enemy. But that kind of cooperation, according to Biden, is "what the American people deserve." How reassuring. via AP News.
- Arizona and Pennsylvania Senate Races Still Too Close To Call The Republicans flipped three seats last week to tighten their hold on the Senate, but two races remain officially unsettled. In Arizona, Democrat Ruben Gallego is leading Republican Kari Lake by about 70,000 votes. In Pennsylvania, where 99 percent of votes have been counted, Republican Dave McCormick leads incumbent Democrat Bob Casey by about 39,000 votes. The AP called the race, but the margin is so close that it may trigger a legally mandated recount. "We must allow that process to play out and ensure that every vote that is eligible to be counted will be counted," said Casey. via AP News, X/Bob Casey, Philly Enquirer, NBC News.
SOME NUMBER
$7.6 million
That's how much money billionaire venture capitalist (and Trump donor) Ben Horowitz has given to the Las Vegas Police Department. According to a new report in TechCrunch, Horowitz has purchased products and services from companies in his VC portfolio and then given them to the LVPD, meaning that his police philanthropy has also become a way to burnish his investments.
ON THE SHOW TODAY
11/11: Happy Monday! Sam and Emma speak with David Dayen, executive editor at The American Prospect, to discuss the continued fallout from last Tuesday's elections.
DON'T MISS MR CLIPS
Misogyny's Role In Trump's 2024 Win
Woman-hating is baked into the MAGA movement, especially its manosphere wing.
Harris's Campaign Was Doomed From This Moment
"She played like she was protecting a lead when it appeared she never really had one," said political commentator Ettingermentum.
PARTING WORDS
"Across northern #Gaza, there is no way of telling where the destruction starts or ends.
No matter from what direction you enter #Gaza City, homes, hospitals, schools, health clinics, mosques, apartments, restaurants - all completely flattened.
An entire society now a graveyard.
-- Louise Wateridge, a spokesperson for UNRWA, the embattled UN agency that has served Palestinian refugees for decades.
20th Anniversary Merch!
It's the 20th anniversary of The Majority Report, and we have the merch to prove it! Buy some swag at shop.majorityreportradio.com and help us keep going for another 20 years. Thanks!
Quickie Discount Code Corner
Hey check it out! Stuff on sale!
Join Sam on the Nation Magazine Cruise! 7 days in December 2024! https://nationcruise.com/mr/
Check out Seder's Seeds at sedersseeds.com!
It's growing season, so it's time to get your very own Seder's Seeds! Go to https://sedersseeds.com and get 15% off your entire order when you enter the discount code Majority
IAC Laser Engraving: Visit https://iaclasers.com and use Coupon Code MAJORITY10 at checkout to save 10% on your order. They have also updated their site recently, so if you’ve visited in the past, you’ll want to visit again and check out the new products.
Fast Growing Trees: This Spring Fast Growing Trees has the best deals online, up to half off on select plants and other deals. And listeners to our show get an ADDITIONAL 15% OFF their first purchase when using the code MAJORITY at checkout. That’s an ADDITIONAL 15% OFF at https://FastGrowingTrees.com using the code MAJORITY at checkout. https://FastGrowingTrees.com code MAJORITY. Offer is valid for a limited time, terms and conditions may apply.
Earthbreeze: Right now, my listeners can receive 40% off Earth Breeze just by going to https://earthbreeze.com/majority! That's https://earthbreeze.com/majority to cut out single-use plastic in your laundry room and claim forty percent off your subscription.
Blueland Cleaning Products: Blueland has a special offer for listeners. Right now, get 15% off your first order by going to https://Blueland.com/MAJORITY. You won’t want to miss this! https://Blueland.com/MAJORITY for 15% off.
Prolon: Right now, Prolon is offering The Majority Report with Sam Seder listeners 10% off their 5-day nutrition program. Go to https://ProlonLife.com/MAJORITY.
ExpressVPN: Stop handing over your personal data to the Big Tech monopoly that mines your activity and sells your information. Protect yourself with the VPN I trust to keep me safe online. Visit https://ExpressVPN.com/majority. That’s https://ExpressVPN.com/majority to get three extra months free.
Ritual: Essential for Men is a quality multivitamin from a company you can actually trust. Get 40% off your first month for a limited time at https://ritual.com/MAJORITY. This offer is only available through January 31st. Start Ritual or add Essential For Men to your subscription today.
ZBiotics: Go to https://zbiotics.com/MAJORITY to get 15% off your first order when you use MAJORITY at checkout. You can also sign up for a subscription using my code - so you can stay prepared no matter the time or occasion. ZBiotics is backed with 100% money back guarantee so if you’re unsatisfied for any reason, they’ll refund your money, no questions asked.
Henson Shaving: Henson Shaving is giving my audience a 2-year supply of blades for FREE. Just go to https://HENSONSHAVING.com/MAJORITY, That’s https://HENSONSHAVING.com/MAJORITY. Add a razor and 100-pack of blades to your cart, then enter code MAJORITY to get the blades for free.
Shopify: Sign up for a one-dollar-per-month trial period at https://shopify.com/majority. Go to https://shopify.com/majority now to grow your business–no matter what stage you’re in.
LiquidIV: Revive yourself for the New Year. Grab your Liquid I.V. Hydration Multiplier Sugar-Free in bulk nationwide at Costco or get 20% off your first order when you go to https://liquidiv.com/majorityrep at checkout. That’s 20% off your first order when you shop better hydration today using promo code MAJORITYREP at https://liquidiv.com.
Nutrafol: Take the first step to visibly thicker, healthier hair. For a limited time, Nutrafol is offering our listeners ten dollars off your first month’s subscription and free shipping when you go to https://Nutrafol.com/men and enter the promo code TMR. Find out why over 4,000 healthcare professionals recommend Nutrafol for healthier hair.
Sunset Lake CBD: Sunsetlakecbd is a majority employee owned farm in Vermont, producing 100% pesticide free CBD products. Use code Leftisbest and get 20% off at http://www.sunsetlakecbd.com.
CozyEarth: IF you’ve never tried Cozy Earth, I've got awesome news! You can SAVE up to 35% off Cozy Earth right now! But hurry... this offer won't last. Go to https://CozyEarth.com and enter mypromo code MAJORITY REPORT at checkout for up to 35% off on your first order! That's https://CozyEarth.com promo code MAJORITY REPORT.