Trump and Putin are showing the world what dumb power can do

Samantha Selinger-Morris· Host0:00

[gentle music] We know that Donald Trump has long chased after Vladimir Putin's approval. Remember the time when Trump tweeted, "Do you think Putin will be attending the Miss Universe pageant in Moscow in November? If so, will he become my new best friend?" That was 13 years ago, and now Trump is Putin's match, but perhaps not in the way that he'd like. I'm Samantha Selinger-Morris, and you're listening to the Morning Edition from The Age and the Sydney Morning Herald. Today, international and political editor Peter Hartcher on the humiliation of Trump and Putin by far smaller nations, and what their distinctly dumb brand of power might do to all of us. It's June the 4th. Hey, Peter.

Peter Hartcher· Guest0:54

Hi, Samantha.

Samantha Selinger-Morris· Host0:55

Welcome back.

Peter Hartcher· Guest0:56

Thank you. Always a pleasure to be here.

Samantha Selinger-Morris· Host0:58

[laughs] Okay, well, I'm so glad because, as always, I'm fascinated by what you've written, and in particular, you have a very different take, I think, on what Putin and Trump, what they're doing to the world and how they're doing it than, than many I think have taken. So many people, they speak about the wars that they've launched, and they discuss these two leaders as evil or selfish or potentially corrupt. I interviewed, uh, the human rights expert Geoffrey Robertson last year, and he said that Vladimir Putin is, quote, "The worst man in the world," and