At 4:36 this afternoon, Donald Trump posted his explanation for refusing to impose new sanctions on Russia: Russia was doing “very little” to help Iran compared to what it could be doing. He warned that “stupid people” might get in the way, meaning the lawmakers who passed the law he signed just a month ago. Then he used Ukraine’s devastation against Zelenskyy and endorsed Netanyahu for reelection. This is how he tries to make siding with authoritarian leaders feel normal. But students in North Carolina just marched 45 minutes to vote after their campus polling sites were removed. They still voted.

Based on the events of 10-18-2026

The Breakdown:
* Trump’s Truth Social explanation for waiving Russia sanctions while claiming he wants peace
* The warning about “stupid people” getting in the way, aimed at lawmakers from both parties
* The reversal of the sanctions law named for Lindsey O. Graham, just a month after Trump signed it
* Why his belief that Putin respects him keeps him from seeing how Russia is using him
* Trump listing Ukraine’s losses as an argument against Zelenskyy while ignoring Putin’s responsibility for the invasion
* His accusation that Zelenskyy wants the war to continue for financial reasons
* How this messaging prepares supporters to accept abandoning Ukraine as a necessary step toward peace
* The “Complete and Total Endorsement” of Netanyahu, despite the active International Criminal Court arrest warrant
* Making American support for Israel conditional on Netanyahu staying in power
* Why the people of Israel and Iran should not be blamed for the actions of their leaders
* Trump’s admission that he likes even horrible people if they like him
* The danger of becoming desensitized to America siding with dictators and authoritarian leaders
* Students from North Carolina A&T, Bennett College, and UNC Greensboro marching 45 minutes to vote
* The removal of campus polling sites, the “voting is a privilege” remark, and the lawsuit defending voting as a right
* The connection between today’s students and the four North Carolina A&T freshmen who began the 1960 Greensboro sit-in
* My memories of college in the 1990s, compared with the repeated crises and threats facing young people today
* Why we must vote, insist every vote is counted, and prepare to defend the midterm results for future generations

This commentary represents my personal opinions and analysis of matters of public concern, informed by publicly available information. Any references to individuals constitute opinion and commentary protected under the First Amendment.

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