Washington (Parliament Politics Magazine) – US President Donald Trump skips August break to meet world leaders, push Ukraine talks, and continue advancing his domestic policy agenda.
As reported by The Telegraph, according to a senior source, President Trump cancelled his August holiday to push forward with Ukraine peace talks.
The official added,
“Two weeks were blocked out for him to be at Bedminster [the president’s New Jersey golf club], but he decided to cancel it.”
How is Trump’s schedule forcing staff to postpone summer holidays?
Last week, the president met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska. On Monday, he hosted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and seven European leaders at the White House. Between these events, he oversaw Washington security and signed executive orders ranging from ‘debanking’ to overhauling scientific research.
Mr Trump’s aggressive agenda continues while offering no break for his team. Staff members have had to repeatedly postpone their holiday plans or make do with brief days off.
David Urban, a former Trump adviser, said there is no ‘silly season’ this year. He added,
“He’s killed it off. There is no downtime in this administration.”
Mr Urban said focus is shifting to promoting the ‘big, beautiful bill,’ Trump’s signature domestic agenda. Mr Trump also faces Senate approval for appointees and ongoing diplomatic efforts in Ukraine.
The president plans to stay in Washington this weekend as lawmakers and diplomats take their summer breaks.
A staff member said their summer plans were disrupted three times by the president’s last-minute schedule changes.
They added,
“But it’s worth it.”
What did Craig Shirley say about Trump pushing his agenda?
Presidential historian Craig Shirley said Trump is rushing to advance his agenda as his second and final term nears its end.
He stated that previous presidents often left the capital for the entire month of August.
Mr Shirley added,
“But I think it really depends on what is going on at the time. Trump is dealing with multiple crises right now, so it makes more sense to stay close to the White House even with all the modern communications he has – the image of being seen at the White House is very important.”
What did Karoline Leavitt say about Trump working through flights and nights?
Karoline Leavitt, his press secretary, stated,
“Many staff on Air Force One were sleeping on the way home, not President Trump. He was awake and working the entire flight.”
She added,
“President Trump is the hardest working man in politics, and he literally works around the clock, as evidenced by his being here at the White House in the Oval Office 12 to 15 hours a day, going up to the residence immediately to continue working throughout the night.”
What did poll data show about Trump’s rising approval rating?
Earlier this week, a survey revealed Trump’s approval rating climbed after his Alaska summit with Putin.
According to an InsiderAdvantage poll, President Trump has support from 54% of participants, with 44% expressing disapproval. This 10-point net approval is up from two points in July, the last time the poll was taken.
What did Donald Trump say about Ukraine talks and peace plans?
After the Ukraine talks on Monday, 18 August, Donald Trump called the talks “very good” on his Truth Social platform, adding,
“During the meeting we discussed security guarantees for Ukraine, which guarantees would be provided by the various European countries, with coordination with the United States of America.”
He said,
“Everyone is happy about the possibility of PEACE for Russia/Ukraine. At the conclusion of the meetings, I called President Putin and began arrangements for a meeting, at a location to be determined, between President Putin and President Zelensky.”
Mr Trump added,
“After the meeting takes place, we will have a trilat which would be the two presidents plus myself. We also need to discuss the possible exchanges of territory, taking into consideration the current line of contact.”
What did Keir Starmer say about the Ukraine security talks with Trump?
British PM Sir Keir Starmer praised plans for a security guarantee after being introduced by Mr Trump as a “friend.”
He stated,
“Your indication of security guarantees, of some sort of Article Five-style guarantees, fits with what we’ve been doing with the coalition of the willing, which we started some months ago, bringing countries together and showing that we were prepared to step up to the plate when it came to security.”
Mr Starmer said,
“With you coming alongside, the US alongside, what we’ve already developed, I think we could take a really important step forward today – a historic step, actually, could come out of this meeting in terms of security for Ukraine and security in Europe.”
He added,
“The other material outcome was the agreement that there will now be a bilateral agreement between President Putin and President Zelensky, which was after a phone call between President Trump and President Putin during the course of this afternoon, followed by a trilateral, which will then add President Trump.”
Key facts about the Ukraine-Russia war
Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022. Russian military casualties have surpassed 1 million, with 164,000–250,000 killed.
Ukraine has lost 60,000–100,000 soldiers, with total casualties around 400,000. The UN has verified over 13,883 civilian deaths, though the real number is likely higher.