Sean Davis: Zelenskyy Isn't Incentivized To Have Peace In Ukraine Right Now
Co-founder and CEO of The Federalist Sean Davis joins Fox Across America With Jimmy Failla to talk about how Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy quickly realized there was a new sheriff in town when he met with President Trump and Vice President Vance in the Oval Office last week.
'I mean, it's worked for him for, you know, 3 to 4 years now where he just shows up and does his little song and dance and his cute little olive drab costume there, and it works for him like he shakes the tin can and people throw coins into it. So I think that's definitely part of it, is that's the role he played and it's worked for him. But I also think there's a more sinister aspect here, in that he he's not incentivized to have peace right now because with him being able to declare martial law because of a war, he's able to suspend elections. I think he has a year to a year and a half past the term he was elected to now. And once this war is over, he has to face an election again, and he's probably not going to win. So he kind of has this perverse incentive to just keep this awful war going on forever, because it's actually what benefits him politically. And I'm having a hard time dismissing that as a real motivation in this crazy decision making that he's a part of.'
Jimmy and Sean also share their thoughts on why the Democratic Party is currently in such disarray. To hear what else they covered, listen to the podcast!
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The Hill
an hour ago
- The Hill
Ocasio-Cortez faces test of her political power
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) faces a test of her political influence after endorsing a progressive candidate in the New York City mayoral race. Ocasio-Cortez backed New York state Assembly member Zohran Mamdani on Thursday, pitching him as the best chance to upset former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, the front-runner since before he entered the race. Her endorsement is sure to raise progressive hopes and give Mamdani a much-needed boost ahead of the June 24 primary. But it will also draw attention to the strength of her political clout as she positions herself as the next standard-bearer for the Democratic Party's progressive wing and possibly the party as a whole. 'She represents a younger, newer generation of Democratic voters,' said New York Democratic strategist Basil Smikle, adding that the movement she's led has been 'more forward looking with respect to the party, not just locally but nationally.' Observers of the Democratic primary for the mayor's race have been eagerly awaiting news of Ocasio-Cortez's endorsement for weeks. Reports indicated that the Bronx-area congresswoman has methodically reviewed polling and pitches from various candidates on how they plan to defeat Cuomo, who has dominated in name ID and polling. Among the more progressive candidates in the race, her support was coveted as one of the top leaders of the progressive wing since her own major upset win in 2018, making her the youngest woman elected to Congress. She was also credited with significantly improving Maya Wiley's chances of winning the Democratic nomination for mayor in 2021 as she gave an endorsement shortly before the primary then too. While Wiley ultimately lost to now-Mayor Eric Adams (D), her polling numbers jumped from single digits to make her a top contender after Ocasio-Cortez backed her. Ocasio-Cortez ultimately announced her endorsement of Mamdani in an interview with The New York Times the morning after the candidates faced off in the first debate of the race. She said Mamdani has made the best case that he can best Cuomo, showing a 'real ability on the ground to put together a coalition of working-class New Yorkers that is strongest to lead the pack.' Democrats said Ocasio-Cortez has demonstrated her influence in past races in New York and could put it on display again. George Albro, a co-chair of the New York Progressive Action Network, noted her support for current mayoral candidate Brad Lander during his city comptroller race in 2021 as he was trailing in the primary at the time. She and other top progressives appeared in ads backing him. 'He was trailing his opponent, and then they did a number of commercials for him, and he won the comptroller's race because of it, a city-wide race where he wasn't that well-known,' Albro said. 'It will be very impactful,' he added about Ocasio-Cortez's endorsement. But her endorsement in the race also comes at a time when she is taking on a rising profile within the Democratic Party as a whole in the aftermath of former Vice President Harris's loss in the November presidential election. Discontent has been growing among the party's base with the current leadership, as polling has found voters widely split or unsure who their standard-bearer is. Ocasio-Cortez received widespread attention for the 'Fighting Oligarchy' tour that she and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) embarked on earlier this year, fueling speculation of a role beyond representing New York's 14th Congressional District in Congress. Her name has been floated as a possible choice for Senate in 2028, with many Democrats expressing frustration with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), or even president, with the Democratic field in three years currently appearing wide open. New York Democratic strategist Hank Sheinkopf said Ocasio-Cortez is emblematic of the generational change that many in the party are searching for. He added that what happens in New York won't stay there. 'The generational shift is something that matters in New York politics and will ultimately matter around the country,' he said. 'Why? Because what happens in New York reflects national trends, unquestionably so, both culturally, from a media perspective, from a financial perspective, and certainly from a political perspective.' Sheinkopf argued that Sanders is the candidate many young people ideally wanted in 2024 rather than Harris, but Sanders has 'deputized' Ocasio-Cortez, who resonates even more among the voters whom a candidate like Mamdani appeals to. 'It doesn't matter whether he wins or loses,' he argued. 'The fact is that she's lined up with the younger generation of voters.' Democrats also said they don't believe Ocasio-Cortez is taking on much political risk even if the candidate she's backing, who is a significant underdog, falls short. New York Democratic strategist Trip Yang noted Cuomo still had significant inherent advantages in the race, including name recognition, calling him an imperfect but 'strong' candidate. 'Even if [Mamdani] doesn't win, he improves his political standing tremendously and the new progressive movement as a whole,' Yang said. 'At the end of the day, whatever happens, progressives will come out of 2025 looking better than they did in 2021,' he said. Smikle said Ocasio-Cortez isn't likely to alienate any potential followers by weighing in, as her base does not have too much overlap with Cuomo's core supporters. 'I don't think there's a downside [for her] at all,' he said. Smikle said Ocasio-Cortez has also effectively been what polling has shown New Yorkers and Democrats broadly want from their leaders — someone who will stand up to President Trump and fight for their constituents. He argued that New Yorkers don't have a specific ideology of moderate or progressive but just want someone who will 'fight' for them. He said Ocasio-Cortez is one of the few major leaders in the party who has been 'speaking forward,' talking about what the future of Democratic politics and the coalition needs to look like and what ideas should be put forward. 'It's not just playing defense in the moment,' Smikle said. 'It's thinking about what that offense is going to be, what that offense needs to look like. There are not a lot of people speaking about that.'
USA Today
2 hours ago
- USA Today
Cheap, fast and armed: U.S. looks to thwart Ukraine-style drone swarms
Cheap, fast and armed: U.S. looks to thwart Ukraine-style drone swarms Ukraine recently used inexpensive drones to inflict serious damage to Russia's strategic bomber fleet in an audacious attack. Show Caption Hide Caption Ukrainian drone attack hits Russian air force bases A large scale Ukrainian drone attack hit multiple Russian air force bases, significantly setting Russia back. A senior U.S. military official said it was only a matter of time before drones were used in a "mass casualty event" in the U.S. Last year, the military tallied 350 drone incursions on domestic bases. Most were thought to be the work of hobbyists who strayed into restricted airspace. WASHINGTON − Cheap weaponized drones pose a threat to military bases and civilians, leading a senior military official to predict they'll be used soon to inflict a 'mass-casualty event.' Ukraine underscored the risk to advanced military powers on June 1 when its inexpensive drones damaged or destroyed strategic warplanes across Russia. U.S. military bases, and targets like major sports events, share similar vulnerabilities, officials say. Neither the Pentagon, nor the militaries of other developed countries, has figured out how to defend against swarms of small drones packed with explosives, according to the military official, who has been briefed on counter-drone efforts but was not authorized to speak publicly. More: Russia's 'Pearl Harbor': What to know about Ukraine's audacious drone strike We're not even close, the official said. No one is. The threat from drones to military isn't just overseas. Last year, the military tallied 350 drone incursions on domestic bases, according to U.S. Northern Command. Most of those were probably hobbyists who strayed into restricted airspace, the defense official said. Some, however, could have been from foreign adversaries spying on the military. And some wonder if they could have carried explosives. More: Ukraine drone attack shows familiar-looking drones can be terrifying weapons How does the Pentagon, which spends nearly a trillion dollars a year on defense, have such a vulnerability? What's being done to address it, and how future of drone warfare plays out gains greater and greater urgency for lawmakers and military planners as technology improves almost daily. For the better part of two decades, the Pentagon had unmatched superiority in drone technology. Early in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, Predator and later Reaper drones armed with Hellfire missiles allowed pilots in dark bases in the Nevada desert to attack militant targets in the Middle East. A Reaper costs about $28 million, according to the Congressional Research Service. For a fraction of that cost today, a small drone can be weaponized and flown to its target and deliver devastating effects, too. 'At a cost of a mere tens of thousands of dollars, Ukraine inflicted billions in damage, potentially setting back Russia's bomber capabilities for years,' Army Secretary Dan Driscoll testified to Congress this week. 'The world saw in near-real time how readily available technology can disrupt established power dynamics.' Ukraine has been at the forefront of militarized drone development. By necessity, it needs a cheap alternative to thwart Russia, a country with a far larger military force that has advantages in conventional weapons like warplanes, tanks and artillery. Ukraine deployed first-person view, or FPV drones, in its attack on the Russian airfields. FPV drones allow a pilot with a headset to steer the aircraft to its target. That technology has proliferated and gotten relatively cheap in recent years. You can buy an FPV drone on Amazon for under $700. The Ukrainian military has refined technology for small drones and improves nearly weekly to offset Russian countermeasures, the defense official said. Fatal attack The Pentagon is painfully aware of the threat. In January 2024 militants in Jordan launched a drone attack on an outpost in the desert as soldiers slept in their quarters. Three died when the drone slammed into their building. Realizing the urgency of the threat, the Pentagon began funneling hundreds of millions of dollars into counter-drone weaponry. That includes electronic jamming devices that can sever the link between the operator and the drone, rendering it harmless. Small missiles can be fired at drones at a distance, and shotgun-type weapons can be used for those closer in, the official said. Even nets can be used to snag drones in the air before they reach their target. Defending against a swarm of small drones is a tough problem, the official said. There's no simple solution. On Capitol Hill, Sen. Roger Wicker, the Republican chairman of the Armed Services Committee, assured Army officials that Congress is prepared to spend billions on drone defense. Before senators and Army officials retreated to discuss the drone threat in secret, Driscoll raised another alarm about the threat. 'We are not doing enough,' he said. 'The current status quo is not sufficient.'
2 hours ago
Russian strikes on Ukraine overnight kill 7 and injure at least 41
LONDON -- At least seven people were killed and 41 others were injured in massive Russian strikes across Ukraine overnight, which targeted civilian and energy infrastructure, Ukrainian authorities said Saturday morning. "Russia continues its terror against civilians," Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said in a social media post on Saturday morning. "Hundreds of drones and missiles rained down on Ukraine overnight. Kharkiv had a particularly terrible night." In the northeastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv, Russian strikes killed three people and injured another 21. Among those injured was an infant and a 14-year-old girl, according to Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov. An additional person was injured in the city of Kupyansk, southeast of Kharkiv, in the surrounding region, according to Kharkiv Oblast Gov. Oleh Syniehubov. Russia attacked Kharkiv with 48 drones, five guided aerial bombs, four MLRS and three missiles, targeting homes and civilian infrastructure facilities in the city's Kyivskyi and Osnovianskyi districts, according to Syniehubov. Meanwhile, Russian strikes killed two people -- a married couple, aged 56 and 54 -- in the southern Ukrainian port city of Kherson and injured another 10 people in the surrounding region, according to Kherson Oblast Gov. Olexandr Prokudin. In eastern Ukraine's Donetsk Oblast, two people were killed and eight others were injured in Russian strikes, according to Gov. Vadym Filashkin. And in northeastern Ukraine's Sumy Oblast, Russian strikes injured one person, according to the regional administration. Across Ukraine overnight, Russia launched a total of 215 projectiles -- 206 drones, two ballistic missiles, six guided aircraft missiles and one cruise missile -- of which 174 were neutralized, according to the Ukrainian Air Force. "There were strikes throughout Ukraine -- in the Donetsk, Dnipro, Ternopil, Odesa, and other regions," the foreign minister said. "People were injured and killed, and the energy infrastructure was also damaged." Sybiha added: "To put an end to Russia's killing and destruction, more pressure on Moscow is required, as are more steps to strengthen Ukraine. Russia is a terrorist state, and it must be called such. It has already done more than enough to earn this title."
