Faulkner said Zelenskyy, used to Biden’s diplomacy, was unprepared for Trump-Vance.
New Delhi: At the NXT Conclave 2025, former U.S. House of Representatives Chief Administrative Officer Scot Faulkner shared insights on global governance, U.S. political shifts, and the recent tense exchange between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, U.S. President Donald Trump, and Vice President JD Vance. In a discussion with NewsX Senior Consulting Editor Vineet Malhotra, Faulkner compared the diplomatic confrontation to historical events, noting that such a public diplomatic meltdown was unprecedented in modern times.
Reflecting on the Oval Office exchange, Faulkner remarked, “The last time something like this happened was in 1619 in Prague, when the defenestration of the Catholic delegation triggered the 30-year war. So it’s been quite a while, and that one wasn’t on CNN.” He described the incident as a political spectacle, with both sides blaming the other.
Faulkner suggested that Zelenskyy, accustomed to negotiations with the Biden administration, was unprepared for the aggressive stance of Trump and Vance. “As one person put it, with Trump and Vance, there was ‘bad cop, worse cop.’ Zelenskyy probably lost his cool when he shouldn’t have,” he observed. He warned that the fallout
Discussing the broader crisis in governance, Faulkner outlined his philosophy of the “3Ts”—Transaction, Trust, and Transparency—as essential pillars of effective government. He explained that citizens engage in a social contract with the government, delegating responsibilities like infrastructure and law enforcement in exchange for services.
However, Faulkner argued that these principles have been eroded over decades. “Both Republicans and Democrats are to blame. The public’s faith in government has collapsed due to corruption, inefficiency, and lack of transparency,” he said. He linked this decline in trust to recent revelations of fraud, abuse, and scandals, calling it the worst crisis in American governance.
The NXT Conclave 2025, designed to drive global innovation and policymaking, featured thought leaders discussing economic trends, technological advancements, and sustainability. Attendees witnessed groundbreaking AI demonstrations, quantum computing developments, and policy discussions shaping future governance.
With Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi as the chief guest, the conclave underscored India’s leadership in global innovation. Exclusive leadership roundtables facilitated strategic collaborations to address pressing global challenges, reinforcing the conclave’s role in shaping the future of industries and societies.