UPDATE ON AUGUST 12, 2025: When I posted this article, I was drawing attention to the fact that we have a delusional, unprepared man meeting with the most evil, dangerous man in the world. Little did I know that my “humor” would hit so close to the truth. Many will say Trump’s misstatements are simple errors. However, a predictable series of misstatements reveals the underlying reality. I do not think that Seward’s ghost will allow Trump to trade Alaska for Ukraine or a Trump hotel in Moscow. However, I believe those in the MAGA world who have not swallowed the orange Kool-Aid will be BIGLY disappointed with the August 15 Putin-Trump meeting in Russia. For the sake of Ukraine, I hope the Russian invasion can be terminated, but the chances of Putin walking out of Ukraine due to the negotiation skills of our president are slim to none.
My update to this post was triggered when President Trump told reporters on August 11, 2025, the following:
“You know, I’m going to see Putin. I’m going to Russia on Friday. I don’t like being up here, talking about how unsafe and how dirty and disgusting this once-beautiful capital was.”
Question for MAGA world: Is Trump confusing the capital of Russia or Alaska with Washington, DC? Will he send in the National Guard to Moscow or Juneau to make the “capital” safe and clean like it used to be? If he is sending in the masked troops to Moscow, he is crazier than we thought. If he sends troops into the capital of Alaska, there might be more troops than people. Juneau has a population of about 31,000. Trump’s disconnected-from-reality statement might refer to Alaska’s largest city, Anchorage. Who knows? I don’t think he knows either.
Trump’s performance is similar to his statement when the ageing Joe Biden misspoke in the Biden-Trump debate. Trump said, “I really don’t know what he said at the end of that sentence. I don’t think he knows what he said either.” The tables have turned for the ageing Donald Trump. We don’t know what he’s talking about. The apparent difference between the actions of Democrats and Republicans when their candidate is beyond the sell-by date is that the Democrats acted, and Republicans double down like a crazed bettor at the roulette wheel.
ORIGINAL ARTICLE:
Secretary of State William Seward negotiated the purchase of Alaska from Russia in 1867. He was roundly criticized for wasting $7.2 million ($119 million in 2025 money). His critics believed that Alaska was a vast frozen wasteland with no value.
You can judge for yourself about the wisdom of Seward’s expenditure.
After the purchase of Alaska in 1867, no Russian head of state has ever set foot in Alaska. On August 15, 2025, Vladimir Putin will be the first. He will meet with Donald Trump in Alaska, presumably to discuss Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
We pray that the negotiations will lead to a cessation of hostilities between Russia and Ukraine. However, since Putin has not shown any indication that he is willing to halt his bloody war, the August 15 meeting is not likely to result in a significant breakthrough.
After he returns to Washington, Trump is expected to bloviate for hours with a George W. Bush Mission Accomplished victory statement. He is likely to make comments at his next news conference like, “Did you know that the sun almost never sets in the summer in Alaska? I never knew how bigly Alaska is. Boy, is it huge. Did you know that Russia and Alaska were very close to each other?”
We can hope for success on Friday, but maybe we should also worry about the unthinkable.
