New Delhi: President Donald Trump is facing a fierce political storm, with critics slamming his handling of the Russia-Ukraine conflict and his defiance of a court ruling that struck down his sweeping trade tariffs. At the center of the controversy is White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt’s claim that the president remains “positive” about progress in Ukraine, despite mounting civilian casualties, stalled peace talks and no new sanctions on Russia.
At a high-stakes press briefing, Leavitt faced tough questions about both trade and foreign policy. But her earlier remarks have already ignited backlash. “The President remains positive about the progress we have seen. He urged both leaders to sit down and talk… Russia handed over a memorandum of peace… hostages were exchanged. He believes this war, which was caused by his predecessor’s weakness, is something he can end through diplomacy,” she told journalists.
The tone of the statement, highlighting optimism and blaming past leadership, triggered disbelief in Washington. Lawmakers across the aisle questioned how the White House could cite “progress” just days after Ukraine suffered heavy losses and Russia continued its aggressive posture.
Her remarks sparked outrage among lawmakers and foreign policy experts, who accused the Trump administration of downplaying the seriousness of the war.
Leavitt’s comments also came amid growing pressure on the president to implement new sanctions on Russia. With Kyiv signaling willingness for a ceasefire and Moscow resisting, lawmakers argue the United States must raise the cost of continued war for Putin.
But Trump, according to reports, has expressed displeasure with both sides and privately said Zelensky and Putin are “playing games”. His reluctance to act decisively has frustrated both Democratic and Republican leaders who fear American credibility is on the line.
The president’s critics accuse him of appeasing Moscow and say his inaction contradicts his image as a dealmaker.
The controversy deepened last week when a federal judge ruled that Trump did not have the unilateral authority to impose massive tariffs on nearly all U.S. trading partners. The decision delivered a legal blow to Trump’s America First trade agenda, one he has refused to walk back.
Instead of backing down, Trump has doubled down, brushing aside the ruling as “overreach” and vowing to continue his economic offensive against what he calls “unfair global practices”.
The president, reports suggest, has privately told aides the ruling was politically motivated and has instructed his team to explore workarounds to keep the tariffs in place.
The court’s decision has fueled fresh debate in Congress over Trump’s executive overreach, with some Republicans privately admitting concerns about legal instability and economic fallout just months before the election.
Will the administration shift course or stick to its controversial optimism and economic hardball? The world and Trump’s political future hang in the balance.
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