Trump and Zelenskyy have heated exchange

USA Today

03-03-2025

Trump and Zelenskyy have heated exchange | The Excerpt
On Saturday's episode of The Excerpt podcast: USA TODAY Washington Bureau Chief Susan Page explains the 'unprecedented' meeting between the world leaders. President Zelenskyy later declined the opportunity to apologize to President Trump during an appearance on Fox News. The Education Department offers employees $25K to quit or retire by Monday. Hundreds of National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) employees were fired this week. Some Americans are opting to raise their own chickens amid the rising price of eggs. The investigation into the death of actor Gene Hackman revealed he may have been dead for 10 days before his body was found. USA TODAY Managing Editor for Life and Entertainment Laura Trujillo shares some of what we can expect at the 97th Academy Awards. Have feedback on the show? Please send us an email at [e-mail].
Hit play on the player below to hear the podcast and follow along with the transcript beneath it. This transcript was automatically generated, and then edited for clarity in its current form. There may be some differences between the audio and the text.
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Taylor Wilson:
Good morning. I'm Taylor Wilson. And today is Saturday, March 1st, 2025. This is the Excerpt. Today Trump's shouting match with Zelenskyy, plus we're learning more in the aftermath of actor Gene Hackman's passing. And Hollywood's big night is this weekend.
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President Donald Trump, along with Vice President J.D. Vance, laid into Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy yesterday inside the Oval Office. And as USA TODAY Washington Bureau Chief Susan Page told me, the incident was unprecedented. Thank you so much for hopping on the show today, Susan.
Susan Page:
Man, what a day.
Taylor Wilson:
What a day indeed. What happened, Susan, during this meeting between President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy?
Susan Page:
We've seen a million of these Oval Office meetings between presidents and visiting foreign leaders, sometimes friends, sometimes foes. We have never seen an exchange in the Oval Office in front of television cameras like we saw. And just to remind, this was an exchange between two leaders of countries that are in alliance, in a wartime alliance. And yet we saw it explode into recriminations and anger.
President Donald Trump:
You're not in a good position. You don't have the cards right now. With us, you start having cards.
President Volodymyr Zenlenskyy:
I'm not playing cards.
President Donald Trump:
Right now you don't [inaudible 00:01:27] playing cards.
President Volodymyr Zenlenskyy:
[inaudible 00:01:27], Mr President.
President Donald Trump:
You're playing cards.
President Volodymyr Zenlenskyy:
I'm [inaudible 00:01:29]. I'm the president [inaudible 00:01:30]-
President Donald Trump:
You're gambling with the lives of millions of people.
President Volodymyr Zenlenskyy:
You think you can-
President Donald Trump:
You're gambling with World War III.
President Volodymyr Zenlenskyy:
[inaudible 00:01:35] what you're thinking about?
President Donald Trump:
You're gambling with World War III. And what you're doing is very disrespectful to the country, this country-
President Volodymyr Zenlenskyy:
[inaudible 00:01:43]-
President Donald Trump:
... that's backed you far more than a lot of people said they should have.
Taylor Wilson:
Susan, what are some of the broader tensions or issues swirling around this meeting as Trump seems to continue to ruffle feathers with his approach to Russia?
Susan Page:
One of the fundamental reasons for this verbal smackdown was Trump's desire to bring the war in Ukraine to a quick end. He's willing to do that even on terms that Ukraine and our European allies find unacceptable, giving Russia territorial gains from its invasion and not providing what Ukraine thinks of as sufficient security guarantees. So, that's one aspect of it. There was a personal overtone to this as well. Though you'll remember that President Trump's first impeachment during his first term in office was pegged to his exchanges with Zelenskyy, his efforts to pressure Zelenskyy to investigate Joe Biden and his son, Hunter. And in the Oval Office, Trump mentioned Hunter Biden and also mentioned the special counsel investigation into himself on allegations of Russian meddling in the 2016 election. So, there was a lot more at play in this exchange than just a dispute over how to end this war.
Taylor Wilson:
And afterwards, Susan, did we hear from Zelenskyy himself following this meeting and really what might this mean for his future?
Susan Page:
After the meeting, Zelenskyy issued a written statement thanking the United States, thanking Trump for the meeting. But also after the meeting, Trump put out a social media statement that said basically Zelenskyy was unwilling to reach a peace if the United States was still involved in Ukraine. This could have the most serious possible repercussions. It could draw the United States closer to Russia. It could force European allies to decide whether to continue supporting this war without US participation. It could also cost Zelenskyy his job.
Taylor Wilson:
All right, Susan Page, is USA TODAY's Washington Bureau Chief. Susan, I appreciate the insight as always. Thanks so much.
Susan Page:
Thank you.
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Taylor Wilson:
Quit by Monday and maybe get $25,000. That was the message of an email yesterday afternoon from the Department of Education's top human resources official. The offer was made to all staffers ahead of what Jacqueline Clay called a very significant impending workforce reduction. Resignations would take effect on March 31st according to the email. But not every employee who elects to take the buyout would be eligible for a $25,000 payment. Clay's memo says the award would be the equivalent of severance pay or $25,000, whichever is less. And there are more caveats. Those eligible must have been employed by the federal government for at least three consecutive years. They also cannot have received a student loan repayment benefit in the last three years. And other types of awards, including relocation, recruitment or retention bonuses would be disqualifying for some. You can read more with a link in today's show notes.
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More than 880 probationary employees of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration or NOAA were fired this week. Employees of the agency, which monitors violent weather and tracks hurricanes had waited for days, as tens of thousands of their federal colleagues were terminated from other agencies. The NOAA cuts represent about 7% of the agency's staff. NOAA has a range of responsibilities, monitoring and forecasting the nation's most violent storms, daily weather and long-term climate. Its agencies and employees' scientific duties include collecting, storing and sharing data, maintaining a research fleet of satellites, ships and aircraft, as well as managing the nation's ocean and marine species and saltwater fishing.
The cost of eggs has some Americans skipping the grocery store and opting to raise their own brood of chickens instead. The price of a dozen large grade A eggs is just under five bucks on average, roughly double what they were last year, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Egg prices are expected to increase 41% this year, but some experts warn the cost that go into starting and maintaining a coop might not be worth it in the short term. For some though, it's more than just offsetting the price of eggs. California resident Jennifer Johnson is welcoming eight chicks into her home later this month. She told USA TODAY she's looking forward to building a sense of community by sharing eggs with her neighbors. If you're curious about what it might cost for you to raise your own chickens, check out the link in our show notes.
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New Mexico authorities have revealed actor Gene Hackman may have died nearly 10 days before his body was found. The actor, his wife, pianist Betsy Arakawa, along with a dog, were found dead by neighborhood security officials at their New Mexico home on Wednesday. Authorities are still investigating the cause, which at this point is still considered suspicious. Hackman's pacemaker revealed that his last event was recorded on February 17th. That's according to Santa Fe County Sheriff Adam Mendoza during a press conference yesterday. Mendoza said it was a very good assumption to conclude that was Hackman's last day of life, more than a week before he was found. He also said that tests ruled out carbon monoxide poisoning as a cause of death for the couple.
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The 97th Academy Awards are tomorrow night. So for this week's edition of our Editor's Note segment, we thought it would be a good idea to check in with USA TODAY managing editor for Life and Entertainment, Laura Trujillo, about her team's coverage of the big night, and some things she's looking forward to. Hello, Laura. Thanks so much for hopping on Editor's Note this week.
Laura Trujillo:
Thanks for having me. It's a fun conversation.
Taylor Wilson:
It is. I'm very excited for the Oscars tomorrow on Sunday. So, let's just talk about the Red Carpet. I know this is such a big part of what people tune in for, what the coverage is about. How is USA TODAY preparing for the Red Carpet and why is it such a big part of our coverage and the pomp and circumstance of the night?
Laura Trujillo:
Well, first I'll say the fashion. Everyone loves to see the fashion, even if it's not as exciting as maybe the Globes or as daring as the Met Gala, people want to see all of the artists together at the same time. It is the moment. And also, the Red Carpet show is before the Oscars, which are so long and you may not stay awake for three and a half hours to the end of the show. So, I feel like the Red Carpet is the moment to see everybody. We've been preparing for the Oscars the entire year. If you think about the Oscars Honor, things that came out in January of 2024, all the way through the end of last year. So our movie critic, Brian Truitt and Patrick Ryan, has been watching the movies, reviewing the movies, interviewing the actors and directors. So, almost now when we're to this season, it's time to refresh our readers on what movies they saw last year, what they need to watch again, what maybe they didn't see. So, it's really fun.
It's also a logistical challenge. We have maybe a dozen people at the show in Los Angeles, and 20 more of us working from all over the country to bring you the videos in real time and all the best moments.
Taylor Wilson:
So you mentioned the movies themselves, Laura, let's talk about them. I know there has been some controversy for some of the films involved on the award campaign trail leading up to this moment. You mentioned Amelia Perez. We've also had some controversies around Anora and the Brutalist. Can you talk through some of those issues and how did your team cover what seemed like a pretty turbulent lead-up to Oscars night?
Laura Trujillo:
Every year it seems like the Oscars, the mudslinging gets more... I don't know if you want to say more interesting, but just more every year, and this year that happened a lot with Amelia Perez. There was so much talk at the beginning about how great Karla Sofia Gascon was until some remarks came out that she had said in the past, which people obviously did not agree with. There also were some controversies about Mexican representation in the movie. In Anora, we had some comments about the lead actress talking about how she didn't want to use an intimacy coordinator for the film sex scenes. And if you've seen the movie, there were a lot of them. And we also had a lot of talk about AI in the Brutalist. And so, it really becomes almost a part of the story as much as the movies themselves.
Taylor Wilson:
All right, let's talk about Demi Moore. I think this will be a big storyline on the night itself. She's had a very long winding road to the Oscars and may win tomorrow for her remarkable work in The Substance. Is there any plan for navigating this kind of a moment at this point in her career? To me, this seems like something of a really inspiring feel good story.
Laura Trujillo:
It is. And I think for Gen X, like we're really excited to see Demi Moore have this moment. She's got a 40-year long career. People are rooting for her. I think she's someone you just want to win. She's been told in the past in her life, she's a popcorn actress, she's never going to be able to do something like win an award like this. And I think everyone loves someone who's getting their flowers when other people have doubted them. And so, it's a really just fun and exciting time to watch her. I really do hope she wins Sunday.
Taylor Wilson:
Let's talk about the host. The Oscars' host is often a big part of how the night flows and is really just the central figure in a lot of ways of the night. What should listeners expect then from Conan O'Brien, and do we think he'll skip politics?
Laura Trujillo:
This is his first time hosting, and I was almost surprised about that since he's been around so long. He has said that he will likely mention politics but will not make it a big part of the show. He has said he loves the Oscars, he feels very reverent toward them. So I think we're going to see more emphasis just on the movies and less about politics. And I think a lot of people will be pleasantly relieved by that just to have a night that's just about the movies.
Taylor Wilson:
Laura, it seems like every year, especially post-COVID, I feel like this is part of the conversation where we get a new version of the do the Oscars still matter talk. But people clearly still care, they still tune in, they still talk about these movies and the awards themselves. How do you view this show's importance in the zeitgeist in this moment, and how is that reflected really in USA TODAY's coverage?
Laura Trujillo:
We think they matter. We think they're entertaining. We think they're fun. Everyone now is a critic in many ways. Everyone has an opinion on things. The Oscars no longer are that communal watching experience that it used to be, like everyone had seen the movies and now with all the streaming services, people haven't seen all of them, but it brings everyone together. And it is a time when the experts are deciding. Whether you think they're experts or not, they're the artists. So, I think it's a big deal. You see different points of view. You see people on the stage maybe from another country. And it's fun, it's important. And I think it introduces us to different viewpoints than maybe we had, and that always makes me feel better.
Taylor Wilson:
Thank you so much, Laura, and happy Oscars.
Laura Trujillo:
Thank you. Can't wait to watch on Sunday.
Taylor Wilson:
For more coverage, stay with usatoday.com.
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Muslims around the world will begin observing Ramadan this weekend, embarking on a month of fasting and religious study. Ramadan is expected to begin around March 1st and last through around March 29th, according to the Islamic Network Group, the exact date always depends on the sighting of the Crescent Moon. The holy period is marked by community gatherings, special prayers, and abstinence from ill behavior.
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There's a rise in babies dying in states with restricted abortion access.
Suzanne Bell:
Infant health is really a bellwether or harbinger of future population health. And if we're seeing these striking shifts in this really essential indicator of infant health, I think that is voting poorly for future population health.
Taylor Wilson:
Suzanne Bell of Johns Hopkins University co-authored two studies that look at what's happening in these states and why. You can listen to our conversation with my colleague, Dana Taylor, tomorrow, right here on this feed.
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And thanks for listening to the Excerpt. You can get the podcast wherever you get your audio, and if you're on a smart speaker, just ask for the Excerpt. I'm Taylor Wilson and I'll be back Monday with more of the Excerpt from USA TODAY.