Douglas Schoen, a Democratic pollster and political consultant to such luminaries as Bill and Hillary Clinton, did the honors of sitting on stage with Ukrainian billionaire Pinchuk.
Schoen asked questions of Trump, a leading Republican candidate for U.S. president, as the audience dined with a mix of fascination and amusement.
Or at least they tried to ask Trump questions.
Trump poked his earphone from time to time and said things like “it just cut off” because he could not always hear the questions. So Schoen told him to just keep talking.
And he did.
He shared his less-than-vast knowledge about “The Ukraine,” using “the” article that drives “the” Ukrainians in the audience bonkers, saying things like “nightmare” and “awful.”
Sample quotes from Trump:
“My feeling towards The Ukraine is very, very strong.”
“I know many people who live in The Ukraine, they’re fantastic people.”
“My feeling is with respect to The Ukraine.”
“I don’t think The Ukraine is being given the proper respect from other parts of Europe, this is the respect The Ukraine has deserved.”
“Our president is not strong and he is not doing what he should be doing for The Ukraine. So far we have all lip service. It’s lip service and nothing else.”
“The Ukraine is an amazing place. I have known so many people for so many years in The Ukraine.”
“The Ukrainian people are special people, incredible people with incredible spirit and incredible heart.”
Despite audio problems, The Donald got his message through to Ukrainians in Kyiv.
It went on like that, with Trump trashing U.S. President Barack Obama, saying that Russian President Vladimir Putin — who once said he would get along with “very well” — doesn’t respect Obama and that everything is going downhill in the United States and President Trump “would make America great again.”
He said that “we have a leader that waffles, we have a leader that has no vision” and whose deal to ban nuclear weapons for Iran “is absolutely horrendous in terms of our country…it’s going to lead to nuclear proliferation.”
America and The Ukraine would simply be better off with Trump in the White House.
“We’re losing our jobs, money, income, losing so much manufacturing,” Trump said. But as president he would change all that and, returning to the main point of the video link, “countries like The Ukraine that need help, we will be there to help them.”
It was not entirely clear the depth of the personal connection between Trump and Pinchuk, besides the fact that they are both billionaires. Pinchuk likes to invite famous politicians to participate in his annual conference about Ukraine’s strategic direction.
Trump and Pinchuk met at least once in New York, perhaps 10 years ago.
It was “nice to see you in New York,” Pinchuk said in introducing Trump via video to the 350 participants having dinner in Kyiv.
Trump repaid the kind words — and more.
“Victor by the way is a very, very special man and a special entrepreneur,” Trump said. “And when he was up seeing me, I said I think I can learn more from you than you can learn from me.”
After it was all over, Schoen asked Pinchuk for any closing comments. He just left the stage instead.
Kyiv Post chief editor Brian Bonner can be reached at [email protected].
