By Trump SHAGSkids
Just when you thought the “Art of the Deal” couldn’t get any more embarrassing, Donald Trump has unveiled his latest masterpiece: the Art of the Kneel.
Two weeks into his “already won” war with Iran, Trump finds himself in a position that would make any other American president blush. The Strait of Hormuz is effectively closed. Gas prices are soaring. His own supporters are feeling the pinch at the pump. And his solution? Calling up his old buddy Vladimir Putin and begging for Russian oil .
That’s right, folks. The man who promised to be tougher on Russia than anyone, who swore he’d never bow to foreign adversaries, is now lifting sanctions on Moscow while American servicemen are being killed by Iranian missiles—missiles that Russia helped target .
The Putin Leash Gets Tighter
The visual of the week comes courtesy of California Governor Gavin Newsom, whose press office shared an AI-generated image that perfectly captures the current state of US foreign policy: Vladimir Putin walking Donald Trump like a dog .
Trump is depicted lying on his stomach, a leash attached to his neck, as Putin casually strolls ahead. It’s cruel. It’s demeaning. It’s also entirely accurate .
Because here’s what’s actually happening: Russia has been supplying intelligence to Iran that helped Tehran attack US bases in the Gulf, where at least six American servicemen have now been killed . And Trump’s response? “Here, Vladimir, let me just lift those oil sanctions for you” .
As one analysis put it, the question increasingly being asked is: “Whose side is the US president really on?” .
The MAGA Math Problem
But let’s talk about the folks who are really feeling the heat: Trump’s beloved base.
Remember when Trump promised to end endless wars? Remember when MAGA meant America First, not “America Begging Putin for a Oil Discount”? .
Republican strategist Sarah Longwell put it bluntly: This war is being viewed by Trump’s core supporters as “a fundamental betrayal—not just a disappointment, but being deceived by the person you trusted most” .
And the numbers back it up. Only 27% of Americans support the military action in Iran, and a stunning three in ten Republicans say they’re either unsure or opposed . That’s the kind of civil war within the party that usually ends with someone primaried out of existence.
The economic pain is hitting hardest in the places that voted for him. Eight美军 soldiers have already been killed, including Army Reserve members from Iowa, Florida, Nebraska, and Minnesota—all those “forgotten” middle American states that were supposed to benefit from Trump’s America First agenda .
Meanwhile, gas prices have surged past $100 a barrel, up 34 cents per gallon since the war began . And every time Trump opens his mouth, it gets worse.
The ‘Short-Term Pain’ That Never Ends
The White House has rolled out a familiar talking point: “short-term pain for long-term gain” .
Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt calls the gas spike “temporary.” Energy Secretary Chris Wright says “you’ve got to go through short-term pain to solve a long-term problem.” Even Trump himself posted that oil prices are “a very small price to pay for USA, and World, Safety and Peace” .
But here’s the problem: Americans have heard this before. Last year, it was tariffs. Remember those? Trump promised they’d bring back manufacturing jobs and make the economy “hum” .
Instead, the US has lost manufacturing jobs in 13 of the past 14 months. The Supreme Court ruled a large chunk of the tariff scheme illegal. And the government illegally charged Americans more than $160 billion without delivering any of the promised long-term benefits .
So when the same administration comes back asking for more “short-term pain,” Americans are understandably skeptical. A Reuters-Ipsos poll found that 67% of Americans expect gas prices to get worse over the next year—only 11% think they’ll improve .
The Baffling Logic of a ‘Businessman’ President
Stephen Colbert summed it up best when he mocked Trump’s self-styled image as a savvy businessman who somehow didn’t see the oil spike coming .
“You were surprised that bombing the place the oil comes from makes the oil cost more?” Colbert asked with mock disbelief. “I thought burning down the Ann Taylor Loft would lead to more sensible workplace separates” .
The administration reportedly was caught off-guard by the weekend surge in oil prices. One official called it “insane” how surprised they were .
And then there was Trump’s own contribution to the confusion: a social media post celebrating higher oil prices because, as he put it, “when oil prices go up, we make a lot of money” .
Democrats pounced. Senator Mark Kelly of Arizona responded that working Americans are being hurt by “the war Trump started,” adding: “The only ones benefiting from gas prices skyrocketing are the big oil companies. But it makes sense why Trump is happy about it because he’s only ever cared about rich people” .
Even Republican Senator Thom Tillis of North Carolina, when asked about Trump’s post, conceded that while the administration might be taking a long view, most Americans are dealing with weekly budgets .
The Putin Payoff
So what does Russia get out of all this?
Lifting sanctions could add at least $50 billion to the Kremlin’s war chest—money that will fund Russia’s invasion of Ukraine . And Trump has already stopped all US military support for Ukraine, leaving Volodymyr Zelenskyy more vulnerable than ever .
The Kremlin’s point man in talks with Trump’s envoy, Kirill Dmitriev, has been dangling the prospect of $12-14 trillion in business opportunities for US firms—a fantasy figure equivalent to six times Russia’s total annual economic output .
Dmitriev has met with Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff at least nine times since last April, frequently in Florida .
Meanwhile, Ukraine is actually diverting its own defensive drones to the Gulf to help protect US allies from Iranian attacks . The irony is so thick you could drill for it.
The Strategic Petroleum Reserve: Round Two
Remember when Trump released oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve before the 2020 election to juice the economy? He’s doing it again—172 million barrels starting next week .
But this time, it’s not about election-year politics (okay, it’s totally about election-year politics). It’s about trying to undo the damage from a war that has effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz, through which about 20% of the world’s oil passes .
Iran’s new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei—who took over after his father was killed in US and Israeli strikes—has made clear the strait should stay closed as a pressure tool . An Iranian official warned that oil could hit $200 a barrel if the war escalates further .
Energy Secretary Chris Wright called $200 oil “unlikely,” but his use of the word “unlikely” was itself a veiled concession that it’s possible .
The Unraveling
The contradictions keep piling up.
Trump says the war is “basically already won” . Then he says we haven’t won enough . His defense secretary says it’s not about regime change . Trump says maybe it is . His secretary of state calls it “defensive preemption” . Trump calls it an “epic offensive” .
One week, four different explanations .
The reality is simpler: Trump is in a war he didn’t prepare for, with allies he insulted, against an enemy that just got a new leader who watched his family killed by American bombs . And now he’s calling Putin for help.
Even Senator Rand Paul, a Republican, is warning that “the longer that stays up, the more electoral danger there is for Republicans” .
The Bottom Line
So here we are. Donald Trump, the man who promised to drain the swamp, is now draining the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. The man who promised to stand up to Russia is now lifting sanctions while Russian intelligence helps kill American soldiers. The man who promised to protect the working class is watching his own supporters pay record prices at the pump.
And Vladimir Putin? He’s walking his new puppy.
As for those “illegal tariffs” that were supposed to make America rich? They’re still hurting the same people who are now getting crushed by gas prices . The manufacturing jobs never came back. The “humming” economy is sputtering. And the only thing Trump has accomplished is proving that when you elect a “businessman president,” you get business as usual—except the business is war, and the president is begging for help from the guy who’s helping the enemy.
The Art of the Deal, ladies and gentlemen. Now playing at a gas station near you.