Zelensky Employs a Trump-Like Tactic: Solutions for Preserving Public Housing and Additional Insights

Ukraine Updates: Zelensky Channels Trump

Volodymyr Zelensky “mirrored Trump’s tactics from numerous past instances” during the recent Oval Office confrontation, notes Christopher Caldwell at The Free Press. “He dismissed the traditional format of such meetings” and “adapted it to meet his own objectives.”

Zelensky “grasped these situations like Trump does: Two parties are poised to sign an agreement in a private setting. The public’s sole insight will come from TikTok, Twitter, and hearsay.”

Post-meeting, Trump’s team “didn’t feel they’d lost in a fresh kind of argument. They felt deceived. Yet it was both. Zelensky executed a Trump-styled maneuver. And he secured a Trumpish victory. For now, it appears to be a Pyrrhic one.”

From the Right: Revitalizing Public Housing

The Department of Housing and Urban Development’s initiative to impose “time limits and work requirements” on public housing tenants is poised to “benefit subsidized housing residents by promoting upward mobility” and “assist those in need of housing by alleviating long waitlists for subsidized apartments,” enthuses Howard Husock at the Washington Examiner.

The $8 billion welfare assistance program from HHS “includes a work requirement and a five-year limit.”

However, HUD’s $30 billion “housing choice voucher” and public housing programs lack these stipulations. The San Bernardino housing authority has observed tenants “transitioning out of public housing before the five-year cap.”

“It’s imperative to guide tenants away from dependency towards upward mobility. Establishing a time limit for new tenants is a prudent starting point.”

Mideast Update: Arab League’s Gaza Initiative

Arab leaders are “realistic about the need to address the Hamas issue,” points out Ahmad Sharawi in The Hill, but they are hindered by fears of “domestic backlash.”

President Trump’s bold strategy to relocate 2 million Palestinians and transform Gaza into a luxurious destination “poses a challenge.”

During an “emergency summit” this week, the Arab League “will strive to formulate a response to Trump’s proposal.”

Even if “the League pledges billions for Gaza’s reconstruction… that would merely skirt the core issue.”

The Arab leadership must “muster the courage” to “propose solutions based on the notion that Gaza can only prosper in the absence of Hamas.”

Left Coast Insight: Newsom’s Hollow Transformation

California Governor Gavin Newsom “claims to be a reformed politician,” yet he’s “reluctant to expend the political capital needed to revitalize” government, cautions Allysia Finley at The Wall Street Journal.

His economic strategy “bears resemblance to a five-year plan from the Chinese Communist Party,” vowing “to direct investment toward ‘strategic sectors.’ ”

Democrats “shower tax benefits on their affluent Hollywood associates” to prevent their departure from the state, while burdening “middle-class entrepreneurs,” resulting in increased costs for “working-class Californians.”

Newsom “remained passive as teachers unions kept schools shuttered during Covid,” resulting in detrimental effects on students.

If the economy falters, the state could confront a budget crisis that would “diminish” Newsom’s prospects for presidency.

“Alternatively, he could enhance his chances by urging his allies in the climate movement, government unions, and the Legislature to step back for the benefit of Californians.”

Cultural Commentary: Understanding the White House ‘Fiasco’

Many analysts “failed to recognize” President Trump’s remark — “Great television!” — after his “confrontation” with Volodymyr Zelensky, but it’s “crucial for grasping the entire fiasco,” explains Jacob Reynolds at Spiked.

Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance’s “rebuke” of the Ukrainian president sent a signal to their supporters: They are “prioritizing ‘America first.’”

“For the American right,” Zelensky is portrayed as a “distorted caricature” that represents “the globalist elite” they resent.

Ukraine is viewed as “a hotbed of deep-state funds and dubious ‘biolabs.’”

Furthermore, US support for Ukraine symbolizes a situation where America is “being exploited by other nations.” Zelensky’s involvement in the American culture war is not of his making but is detrimental for Ukraine.

— Compiled by The Post Editorial Board