THE DAVID PAKMAN SHOW: 8/19/25 – Zelenskyy-Trump Meeting Chaos as Veggie Prices Surge 40 Percent

Episode Overview On this episode of The David Pakman Show (August 19, 2025), David dissects a chaotic week in U.S. and global politics, highlighting the humiliating spectacle of President Trump hosting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy just days after a fawning meeting with Vladimir Putin. The episode explores Trump’s swift reversal on ceasefire goals in Ukraine, his pro-Putin tilt, erratic public performance, and the alarming economic rise in vegetable prices. Pakman also analyzes the political chess game between Trump and California Governor Gavin Newsom, whose mocking social media strategy is rattling the MAGA machine and shifting Democratic primary momentum.

Main Theme

• The U.S. is experiencing diplomatic humiliation following Trump’s inconsistent foreign policy toward Russia and Ukraine, seen in back-to-back, sharply contrasting meetings with Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
• Domestically, vegetable prices are surging nearly 40% in wholesale, undercutting Trump’s promises of immediate relief from inflation.
• California Gov. Gavin Newsom is emerging as a resilient opponent to Trump’s MAGA rhetoric, outmaneuvering him on social media and in the 2028 Democratic primary buzz.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Trump’s Chaotic Ukraine Policy and the Zelenskyy Meeting

• Post-Putin meeting, Trump reverses his prior “ceasefire at all costs” stance toward the Russia-Ukraine war (00:07-02:43).
• Trump claims he "ended seven wars" without ceasefires despite having previously touted ceasefires as achievements—Pakman sharply labels this “layers of lies.”
• “If you look at the six deals that we made peace, you know, long term, long running wars, I didn’t do any ceasefires. Would I like...I like the concept, you know. I like the concept of a ceasefire for one reason, because you stop killing people immediately… But we can work a deal where we’re working on a peace deal while they’re fighting, they have to fight.” – Donald Trump (01:43)
• Ukraine’s wartime suspension of elections is discussed; Trump seizes on this to make an authoritarian-tinged joke about U.S. elections during war—a comment Pakman finds chilling given Trump’s undemocratic instincts (04:54-05:13).
• “So you say during the war you can't have elections. So...if we happen to be in a war with somebody, no more elections.” – Donald Trump (04:56)
• Zelenskyy defends their election suspension, emphasizing the need for nationwide safety—a “truce everywhere...to do democratic open...legal elections.” (04:23-04:54)

2. Loaded Media Questions & Shifting the Blame

• Reporter asks Zelenskyy if he’ll keep “sending Ukrainian troops to their deaths,” a question Pakman notes is never directed at Putin—the actual aggressor (06:49).
• Zelenskyy’s reply emphasizes Ukraine’s daily suffering and the need for Western support.
• Trump and U.S. media increasingly pressure Ukraine to make territorial concessions, moving responsibility from Russia to Zelenskyy (07:44-10:45).
• After these meetings, European leaders are “increasingly alarmed” at Trump’s shift to siding with Putin (09:00-09:45).

3. Trump’s Public Lapses and Cognitive Questions

• Pakman highlights Trump’s confusion at a joint event, struggling to recognize President Stube of Finland sitting just three feet away.
  • “President Stube of Finland and he’s...Where are we here? Where, where...oh, you look better than I’ve ever seen you look.” – Donald Trump (10:45)
• Pakman notes that if Biden had such a moment, conservative media would loop it as “cognitive collapse,” but Trump’s errors are routinely shrugged off (12:01).

4. Trump’s Putin Deference & Blame-Shifting on Ukraine

• Trump appears on Fox and Friends, blaming the Ukraine war on Obama, praising Putin’s “deal-making” over Crimea, and deriding Ukraine’s NATO aspirations as “insulting” to Russia (17:10-22:41).
• “It was so insulting when they said we want to be in Naito.” – Donald Trump (22:19)
• “Putin made a good deal. He got it from Obama...He just took it like candy from a baby.” – Donald Trump (18:51)
• Trump calls his relationship with Putin “a warmth there that you can’t...there’s a decent feeling,” starkly contrasting with his coldness toward Zelenskyy (26:04).
• Trump left the joint Zelenskyy-European leader meeting to take a private call with Putin, a symbolic act of subservience according to Pakman (24:58-26:29).

5. Inconsistent Principles on Borders and Invasions

• Pakman exposes Trump’s contradiction: endlessly touting U.S. border protection, yet asking why Ukraine would “defend itself” against Russian invasion (29:08).
• “Principles and political positions are really born out of convenience…As soon as the principles are inconvenient, they go out the window.” – David Pakman (29:08)

6. Surging Vegetable Prices & Economic Self-Infliction

• Wholesale vegetable prices have surged 38%. Despite promises, Trump-era policies (tariffs, immigration raids) are contributing, Pakman explains (44:19-51:00).
• “We were promised vegetable and grocery prices overall could come down. So weather can impact, tariffs are a factor, supply chain kinks…immigration policy … the most reasonable explanation is a cocktail of all these things.” – David Pakman (46:00)
• Pakman notes retail impact is forthcoming, with restaurants and consumers to feel it soon.
• Immigration raids are squeezing farm labor, further raising costs; tariffs make imported vegetables more expensive, driving chain inflation (47:45-49:12).
• “It may be a sign of Trump’s tariffs doing exactly what we expected them to do—raise prices.” – David Pakman (50:25)

7. Federalizing D.C.: Restaurant Meltdown & Economic Fallout

• Trump takes credit for D.C.’s supposed restaurant boom post-federalization while Pakman debunks this, citing data: restaurant reservations have plummeted by ~30% (42:42-43:44).
• Militarized streets are cited as the real deterrent, not crime (43:44-44:30).
• Trump’s tariffs, ICE raids, and mass deportations are damaging city and national economies, cutting GDP and wages, deepening inflation (44:30-51:45).

8. Gavin Newsom’s Online Strategy Rattles Trump, Shifts Democratic Primary

• Newsom parodies Trump’s all-caps Truth Social posts (“Trump Taco”—Trump Always Chickens Out), prompting Trump to abruptly abandon his trademark style (52:30-54:30).
• “All of a sudden, you look and there are no capitalized words to be found…this is not an accident.” – David Pakman (53:10)
• New Echelon Insights poll: Newsom’s support triples, now second in the 2028 Democratic primary.
• Betting markets and polling momentum reflect widespread hunger among Democrats for a fighter; Newsom’s hard-hitting, satirical tactics are working (55:00-57:30).
• “Democrats are starving for someone that looks like they want the fight...Newsom has turned Trump’s biggest online weapon...into a punchline.” – David Pakman (53:55)
• Fox’s Dana Perino derides Newsom’s tweets as “cringe,” ignoring Trump’s decade-long identical style; Pakman says this is “proof that it is working” (59:21-59:51).
• “Newsom is showing that when Democrats step onto the battlefield and use some of the same tools, Republicans really don’t know how to handle it.” – David Pakman (59:51)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Trump Defends No Ceasefire for Ukraine: “Would I like...the concept of a ceasefire…because you stop killing people immediately? But we can work a deal while they're fighting...all these deals I made without even the mention of the words cease fire.” – Trump (01:43)
• Trump’s Authoritarian ‘Joke’ on Elections: “So you mean if we happen to be in a war with somebody, no more elections.” – Trump (04:56)
• Pakman on Trump’s Blame-Shifting: “Putin’s going to get whatever he wants. Trump is absolutely smitten…Everything is either Barack Obama’s fault or due to Ukraine’s ‘insulting’ demands.” – Pakman (22:41)
• Pakman on Principles: “As soon as the principles are inconvenient, they go out the window…the supposed principles and political positions are really born out of convenience.” (29:08)
• Vegetable Price Spike: ”This is the sort of spike...that if it lasts, it’s going to start hitting retail grocery prices…You’re going to start seeing it...when you go and say, ‘give me a bag of sweet potatoes.’” – Pakman (44:19)
• On Newsom Rattling Trump: “All of a sudden the capital letters are gone...this is not an accident.” – Pakman (53:10)
• Fox News Paranoia: “If his wife—if I were his wife, I would say what, you are making a fool of yourself. Stop it.” – Dana Perino on Newsom’s trolling (59:21)

Key Timestamps for Major Segments

• Trump’s Ceasefire Denial / Zelenskyy Meeting Recap: 00:07–04:23
• Elections During War Exchange (Zelenskyy & Trump): 04:23–05:13
• Loaded Media Q to Zelenskyy (“Sending Troops to Death”): 06:49–07:44
• Trump’s Cognitive Lapses (Finland President, Giuliani): 10:45–12:04
• Fox and Friends—Trump Blames Obama, Praises Putin: 17:10–22:41
• Pakman on Principles and Contradictions: 29:08–31:00
• Vegetable Prices Surge – Economic Analysis: 44:19–51:00
• D.C. Restaurant Meltdown – Federalization Fallout: 42:42–44:30
• Gavin Newsom’s Social Media Game, Polling Surge: 52:30–59:51

Conclusion

In this episode, David Pakman offers sharp, detailed commentary on a week that encapsulates the chaos and contradictions of Trump’s administration—from foreign policy subservience to Putin to domestic economic fallout and being outmaneuvered online by Gavin Newsom. Amidst all, the real-world implications (rising grocery prices, local economic pain, and international diplomatic instability) drive home the seriousness of what might otherwise seem like political theater.