OBrien's Update 141 Proves He Understands Trump Better Than Most
- john raymond
- Jul 13
- 2 min read
I’m going to keep this short. OBrien’s Weekend Update #141 cuts through the noise better than almost any mainstream reporting to date—not because of who he compares Trump to, but because he inadvertently applies the only frame that truly explains Trump’s behavior: asymmetric warfare.
OBrien documents something most analysts refuse to admit—that Trump’s hesitation, foot-dragging, and murky statements on Ukraine are not the signs of confusion or unpredictability. They are a strategy. Trump is not waiting to be convinced. He is not misinformed. He is acting in alignment with Russia’s goals through the oldest asymmetric tool in the autocrat’s playbook: plausible deniability.
Everything about Trump’s Ukraine posture signals alignment with Putin’s interests, even as it pretends to be something else. He withholds Patriot missiles, then gives back ten as a headline-friendly gesture. He refuses new sanctions entirely, even though Russian war production is surging. He allows his administration to claw back aid, then publicly praises the men who orchestrated the clawback. He sells arms to other nations, but not to Ukraine—even when they offer to pay in full.
These are not inconsistencies. These are asymmetric feints. They generate the illusion of engagement while ensuring the outcome favors the adversary. The war continues. Ukraine bleeds. Russia adjusts and thrives under the gaps created by this hesitation.
OBrien understands that the cost of ambiguity isn’t theoretical. It’s paid for in bombed-out cities like Lviv and Kyiv. Every withheld shipment, every delayed system, every abandoned sanction is a tactical gift to Moscow. And Trump knows this. The slowness is the sabotage. The vagueness is the violence.
The reporting doesn’t need elaboration. It needs clarity. Trump is not confused. He is not being undermined by staff. He is not evolving. He is stalling—on purpose. Because asymmetric war is not about making the right move. It’s about denying others the power to respond effectively.
That’s why OBrien’s piece matters. It’s not about a pivot. It’s not about comparisons. It’s about the pattern. And that pattern is perfectly aligned with Putin’s war.
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