Viewers of the meeting between Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed concern after hearing a specific comment made by Trump regarding elections during wartime.
During the encounter, which took place on August 18, Trump met with the Ukrainian president, following an earlier meeting with Russia’s Vladimir Putin, as he attempted to negotiate an end to the conflict in Ukraine.
Zelenskyy characterized the talks positively, describing them as ‘really good’ and even ‘the best’ to date. He stated, “We are very happy with the president that all the leaders are here and security in Ukraine depends on the United States and on you and on those leaders who are with us in our hearts.”
While the meeting was in progress, a journalist asked Zelenskyy about his openness to holding an election in Ukraine. Zelenskyy expressed willingness but noted that ‘during a war you can’t have elections’.
This comment caught Trump’s attention. The president interjected, saying, “So you say during the war, you can’t have elections.”
Trump then seemed to jest about the idea of being at war if it could prevent the 2028 presidential election, suggesting he could maintain his position. He commented, “So let me just say, three and a half years from now. So you mean if we happen to be in a war with somebody, no more elections.”
Zelenskyy responded with laughter, saying, “You like this idea.”
While the Ukrainian president found humor in the exchange, others were unsettled by the comment.
One viewer described the remark as ‘sickening’, stating, “BREAKING: Trump implies that he can cancel US elections if the US is at war in 2028. HE DOES THIS ON THE WORLD STAGE AS WE TRY TO GET [Putin] TO STOP INVADING A SOVEREIGN NATION. Sickening!!!”
Another individual posted on X (formerly Twitter): “There it is. Trump says he likes the idea of starting a war so he can declare ‘no more elections’ and stay in office forever.”
A third commenter added, “Trump jokes about engaging in a war before the 2028 U.S. elections just so that they can cancel the elections. Are wars really a laughing matter for him?”
These concerns arise as Trump announced on Truth Social his plans to spearhead a movement against mail-in ballots, a longstanding component of the election process.