Priti Patel defends Donald Trump after US president’s social media attack on Volodymyr Zelensky

Michael Waltznational security adviser

Here’s the bottom line: President Zelenskyy is going to sign that deal, and you will see that in the very short term,

Waltz said

Gerry Connollymember

We urge you to abandon immediately any plans that would either privatize the Postal Service or undermine the independence of the Postal Service,

the Democrats, led by Oversight Committee ranking member Gerald Connolly, D-Va., wrote

Elon Musk|

Elon is doing a great job."

In a post Saturday morning on his social media site, Trump heaped praise on tech mogul and DOGE head Elon Musk, writing

But I would like to see him get more aggressive,

the president added, writing in all caps

Your reported plans for the Postal Service would put at risk the timely, affordable delivery of life-saving medications, mail-in ballots, important financial documents, and letters from loved ones, especially in rural or less-profitable areas that the private sector refuses to service,

the Democrats wrote

Any effort to privatize the Postal Service or move it into an executive branch department requires explicit authorization from Congress, which Congress would not provide,

they added, pointing to Article 1, Section 8 of the Constitution, which gives Congress the power to establish post offices

I'm so thankful that we have a president who's concentrating on peace. And that's what Donald Trump has just said: ‘You know, let's stop.'

While speaking at the Conservative Political Action Committee Conference (CPAC) in National Harbor, Maryland, on Friday, Grenell said

But I want to say that’s really important in this conversation is Donald Trump has done something different than Republican foreign policy leaders have done for 25 years,

he emphasized

What President Trump is saying very clearly: ‘We have to stop this war,

he explained

Volodymyr Zelenskyypresident

I think when you reject having elections, and you're not moving towards that way that people get angry about that."

Pressed by a reporter on whether he stood by Trump recently calling Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy a "dictator," Grenell said

Remember that we handed Joe Biden total peace in the Middle East and total peace in Europe. He handed us a war in the Middle East and a war in Europe,

he added

We deserve better than the failed leadership and partisan politics of our elected officials."

Despite

I think the American people are really frustrated with Zelenskyy. I think that there's a big frustration that he's not making great choices for peace,

he added

Honestly, it's not in my plan unless Kamala Harris runs for governor,

he said

I mean, here's the thing. We already know who she is. We've spent hundreds of millions of dollars to define who Kamala Harris is,

he went on

I think that impacts the way in which other politicians may interact with him,

Goldstein said

Trump is two weeks into the administration. In what universe is Trump answering that question in a different way?”

one adviser posited

Marc Shortformer chief of staff

The reality is it can be a tight rope with being asked to be the president’s central spokesperson and I think that JD does that exceptionally well,

said Marc Short, who served as Pence’s chief of staff

JD VancevP

I’m in a good place right now,

Vance told the Conservative Political Action Conference on Thursday as he acknowledged jet lag from his whirlwind stretch

Trump said to JD, ‘Hey you’re a (venture capitalist) guy. You’re a good dealmaker. You get on this,

according to a source familiar with the exchange