Trump's gesture at Marjorie Taylor Greene's reporter BF has Internet arguing Zelensky bust-up was a setup

WASHINGTON, DC: President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky settled into their high-backed damask chairs on Friday, February 28—ready for what should have been a routine diplomatic exchange.

Zelensky mimicked Trump’s posture—leaning slightly forward, hands clasped in his lap. It all started off cordially, with the MAGA spearhead calling it an "honor" to welcome his guest. But by the end, insults were flying, threats were hurled, and diplomats left the premises teary-eyed. 

It was a spectacle the world wouldn’t soon forget. But was this just another day at the Trump White House or—as one diplomatic insider put it—a "planned political mugging"?

There were telltale signs that this wasn't going to be just another grip-and-grin moment, according to the Daily Mail.

Dig at Volodymyr Zelensky's outfit earns a wink from Donald Trump

Perhaps the biggest clue was a wink from Donald Trump to reporter Brian Glenn. If that name sounds familiar, it's because Glenn happens to be the boyfriend of right-wing firebrand Rep Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA).

At the Oval Office meeting, Glenn lobbed a seemingly loaded question at Zelensky, mocking his outfit: "Why don’t you wear a suit… Do you own a suit?"

Greene later took to social media to gush about her partner, writing on Facebook, "I’m so proud of Brian Glenn for pointing out that Zelensky has so much disrespect for America that he can’t even wear a suit in the Oval Office when he comes to beg for money from our President!!"

Zelensky got a taste of what was coming before he entered the White House. As he stepped out of his SUV, Trump greeted him with a snarky: "Oh, you’re all dressed up."

Trump initially laid on the charm inside the Oval Office. He praised Ukraine’s soldiers, saying, "Your generals and yourself in the sense that it’s been very hard fighting. You should be very proud."

Zelensky simply replied, "I am proud."

But it didn’t take long for Trump to shift the focus back to himself. Less than two minutes in, he confidently declared that Russia’s invasion would never have happened if he had been in charge. But now his mission was to "stop the shooting."

After three minutes and 12 seconds of uninterrupted Trump talk, Zelensky was finally given a turn. His message was rather direct and desperate. He described Russian President Vladimir Putin as a terrorist and a killer before turning to Trump and pleading, "I hope together we can stop him… and save our country."

To drive his point home, he showed Trump a series of gut-wrenching photos of captured Ukrainian soldiers. Trump simply nodded and muttered, "Hmm."

Donald Trump turns up the heat during Oval Office meeting

The floor opened to reporters nearly eight minutes into the meeting. One of the first questions was for Donald Trump about long-term security for Ukraine. Appearing to dodge the question, he declared that Putin was "very serious" about making a deal.

Zelensky, however, had his own message to deliver. He pivoted to praise Europe’s support in the war. "They really gave a lot," he said.

Trump immediately shot back, "But they gave much less [than the US]."

A light chuckle rippled through the room, but the tension was unmistakable. Then came the big question of whether Zelensky felt Trump was "on his side at the moment."

Before he could answer, Glenn jumped in with what appeared to be a softball question for Trump—asking about his legacy as a peacemaker.

Trump replied, "I hope I will be remembered as a peacemaker… I am doing this to save lives… Thank you, Brian, for that question; it was a nice question. What was your second question?"

And that's when Glenn turned to Zelensky and went in for the kill. "You’re at the highest level in this country’s office, and you refuse to wear a suit. Do you own a suit?"

The Ukrainian leader fired back, "Do you have a problem?"

Glenn doubled down. "A lot of Americans have problems with you not respecting the dignity of this office."

Zelensky responded with some sarcasm and humor: "I will wear [a] costume after this war will finish… Maybe something better than yours, I don’t know… maybe something cheaper."

Netizens think Donald Trump's wink confirms clash was a setup

Volodymyr Zelensky, clearly feeling the pressure, tried to push back against Donald Trump’s dominance in the conversation. At one point, he raised his hand and pleaded, "If I can answer, please."

Trump cut him off—first playfully complimenting his outfit, then turning to Glenn and calling him a "great guy" before assuring him that Zelensky was "dressed beautifully."

A visibly frustrated Zelensky pushed to discuss "more serious questions." Meanwhile, Trump leaned to his left, looked at Glenn—and winked.

Some netizens were convinced that this was a setup.

"Please note at 23:22 when Trump winks at the man who asked the suit question. Hard to see here, harder to catch it here, but watch it on this clip I took from my TV," one posted on X (formerly Twitter) alongside a clip of the supposed wink.

"TRUMP once again plays Americans for Chumps. He coordinates a personal attack on Zelensky with MTGreene's boyfriend and starts it off with a wink. It was as staged as his smackdowns of Vince McMahon at a WWE event. And just as fake. Why betray allies?" another fumed.

"I knew it was a set up. Odd things said to bring it on by a few, DJT included," someone else insisted.

"We're all entitled to our opinions, and this is my own: I personally believe this entire event was orchestrated," one more chimed in.

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.