Dear Jake Broe: Trump Lets It Slide—And That’s the Story
- john raymond
- Jul 6
- 3 min read
Jake Broe, in his latest Ukraine update, covers a whirlwind of wartime developments, culminating in a record-breaking Russian drone and missile strike on Kyiv—timed suspiciously, almost ritualistically, after Trump’s July 4th phone call with Vladimir Putin.
While Broe makes much of Trump’s supposed dissatisfaction with the call and hints at possible sanctions, the core fact goes untouched: Trump is actively letting Pete Hegseth block military aid to Ukraine. Not a mistake. Not a miscommunication. A choice.
Jake gives Pete Hegseth too much oxygen here. Whether Hegseth acted independently or under orders doesn’t ultimately matter. Trump is not firing him. Trump is not overriding him. Trump is not even tweeting about it. And silence is complicity. This isn’t about personnel. It’s about presidential will. And the current will of Trump is to do nothing while Ukraine burns.
That’s the actionable reality: Trump is letting the pipeline of weapons to Ukraine stop. He could reverse it. He hasn’t. That is the story.
Now What? The Senate's Sanctions Bluff
Jake then turns to the Senate, invoking Lindsey Graham’s promise that sanctions will be picked up “this week.” But here’s the question Jake doesn’t ask: what if they don’t? What if Congress just lets the moment pass?
We’ve seen this before: performative outrage, press conference pledges, empty resolutions. The Rube Goldberg machine of American Ukraine policy is still controlled by one man: Donald Trump.
And even if Congress does move a sanctions bill, it has to get past Trump, who will water it down, delay it, or ignore it.
So what will Jake say if the Senate doesn’t pick it up? Or worse, picks it up and drags it out for weeks, allowing the Kremlin another month of murder, all while Ukrainian cities burn and the arms pipeline remains frozen?
Because that’s the next test—not whether Lindsey Graham can get a microphone, but whether he can get a vote. And whether that vote can lead to action. And whether that action can survive Trump’s interference.
Feet-Dragging Is Strategy
Even if a sanctions bill does emerge this week, Broe should be asking: how long will it take to pass? Will there be House delays? Will Trump-linked Republicans insert poison pills? Will Trump “negotiate” it into nothing?
The truth is: feet-dragging is the strategy. It allows Trump to look plausible, pretend he’s “thinking about it,” all while enabling Putin to escalate further. Every day of delay costs lives and reinforces the true perception that the U.S. under Trump 2.0 is not a "President," but a saboteur.
Jake’s Dilemma: What Will You Say, Jake?
So the challenge to Jake Broe is this: what will you say if the Senate doesn’t act? Will you still talk about “possible” sanctions? Will you still suggest Trump is merely reluctant, or finally learning? Or will you tell the truth—that Trump has had multiple chances to act, and he’s using each of them to stall?
Because if you don’t call it out, Jake, you’re doing the same thing Congress is doing: letting it slide.
Trump’s Pause Is Putin’s Greenlight
Trump isn’t just failing to stop Putin. He’s actively allowing the tools of deterrence to fall into disrepair.
By letting Hegseth pause aid, and by standing idle while Graham makes vague promises, Trump reveals his true alignment—not to Ukraine, not to NATO, not even to American interests—but to the asymmetric strategy of delay, denial, and plausible betrayal.
Jake got most of the details right. But now he faces the same question Congress does:
Will you name it for what it is? Or will you let it slide?
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