donald trump shaking hands with putin
(Mikhail Svetlov/Getty Images)

‘Courageously. Like a man’: An extremely controversial European president chillingly praises Donald Trump

You know in movies when the bad guys team up and you get really scared for the future of the movie? That’s basically what we’re dealing with in real time in our actual lives. Because why is Vladimir Putin calling Donald Trump a “courageous man.”

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We’ve been living in a time where men suddenly feel like they have to beat their chests and yell “MEN” to show their masculinity. Which ties to Putin praising Trump’s manliness. Putin publicly congratulated Trump, saying that the President-elect was “hounded from all sides.” But again, not before calling him a “courageous man.” He also said he was willing to talk to Trump about ending the war with Ukraine.

Personally, I don’t love that Russia’s president has this much control over who we elect but hey, that’s just me I guess! The message from Putin comes at a time when Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is actively trying to protect the Ukraine. There are also fears that when Trump takes office, military aid to the Ukraine will cease.

Putin has been on Trump’s side since July. The assassination attempt on Trump apparently left an “impression” on Putin. “People show who they are in extraordinary circumstances. This is where a person reveals himself. And he showed himself, in my opinion, in a very correct manner, courageously. Like a man,” Putin said.

Trump said in an interview with NBC that he hadn’t yet spoken with. “I think we’ll speak,” said Trump.

All of this should terrify us

I was part of the generation who had history books in school. You know, unlike the future generations if Trump goes through with Project 2025 and taking funds away from the Department of Education. And I remember things like the lead up to World War II. I don’t ever want to be that person that user hyperbole to scare people but…sometimes, that fear needs to be felt for people to take things seriously.

Why is a man like Putin congratulating him? And so quickly after the election? Putin did eventually congratulate Biden but it was a month later. All of it scares me and makes me think the worse and I don’t want that to be our reality.

Unfortunately it is and if the polls show anything, this is a reality that millions of Americans want. Not me and those of us who vote for Kamala Harris whose votes have not even been counted yet. But things like this have an ominous feel to them. It feels controlling. Putin was willing to talk about the war but only if Trump won? That is him swaying our election. Granted, he never said “if and only if” but he had the chance to speak with Biden and didn’t take it.

To me, that is control and I don’t like it. We’re living in this feeling of free fall and I’m just afraid of what is going to happen in January when Trump is back in office. For now, I guess I’m happy for those who voted for him. At least you know that a man who is essentially a dictator thinks your choice is a “courageous man.”


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Rachel Leishman
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Rachel Leishman (She/Her) is an Assistant Editor at the Mary Sue. She's been a writer professionally since 2016 but was always obsessed with movies and television and writing about them growing up. A lover of Spider-Man and Wanda Maximoff's biggest defender, she has interests in all things nerdy and a cat named Benjamin Wyatt the cat. If you want to talk classic rock music or all things Harrison Ford, she's your girl but her interests span far and wide. Yes, she knows she looks like Florence Pugh. She has multiple podcasts, normally has opinions on any bit of pop culture, and can tell you can actors entire filmography off the top of her head. Her current obsession is Glen Powell's dog, Brisket. Her work at the Mary Sue often includes Star Wars, Marvel, DC, movie reviews, and interviews.