Yesterday's Oval Office shouting match was shocking. But it wasn't too surprising to anyone close to President Trump or Vice President Vance.

• Why it matters: Privately, Trump sees Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as a pro-Biden, ungrateful lightweight destined to lose to Russia. And Trump advisers believe Zelensky sees Trump as a pro-Putin, delusional fool destined to make him lose to Russia, Axios' Alex Isenstadt and Marc Caputo report.

To Trump's team, it was three strikes — and now officially out of favor — for Zelensky. In their eyes, Zelensky already had two strikes against him when he sat down with Trump and Vance.

• That was the backdrop for a conversation that would become perhaps the most epic televised foreign policy row in history — an argument that rattled Europe and vividly illustrated a sharp turn in U.S. foreign policy toward Russia.

👉 It began with what Trump's team saw as Strike 3 against Zelensky: He disagreed publicly with Vance, who accused Zelensky of trying to "litigate" his case before the media.

• Vance said Zelensky didn't show enough thanks to the U.S. for funding Ukraine's defense — or to Trump for trying to bring peace.
• After a tense nine-minute exchange, it ended with Trump stopping the 50-minute meeting and essentially showing Zelensky the door.

👉 Strike 2 came just before Friday's meeting, when Zelensky arrived at the White House without a suit or jacket, as requested. It was perceived by White House staffers as disrespectful.

• Zelensky was dressed instead in a three-button, skintight, long-sleeved black athletic shirt. "Wow look, you're all dressed up today," Trump said in a seemingly friendly way that advisers say masked annoyance.

Brian Glenn, a conservative reporter and boyfriend of Trump ally Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), voiced the attitude of Trump's team when he asked Zelensky, "Why don't you wear a suit? … Do you own a suit?" Vance laughed out loud.

• "I will wear a [suit] after this war will finish," Zelensky said. "Maybe something like yours. Maybe something better ... maybe something cheaper."

👉 Strike 1, as first reported by Axios, came Feb. 15, when Zelensky trashed a proposed mineral rights deal with Ukraine that he privately had discussed the day before in Munich with Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

The big picture: At the heart of the discord is Trump's view of the conflict, which continues to challenge the United States' long-held alliances in Europe.

• Trump sees geopolitics in terms of negotiations between powerful countries and big personalities. Russian President Vladimir Putin is a coequal in this paradigm. Zelensky — the leader of a smaller country surviving thanks to American largesse — isn't.

Trump also approaches politics like a business deal or, as a former casino owner, as a type of poker. In one telling moment, he told Zelensky he had a bad hand without the U.S.

• "I'm not playing cards. I'm very serious," Zelensky said. Trump shot back: "You're playing cards. You're gambling with the lives of millions of people."
• Quick to temper and desiring of flattery, Trump demands a high degree of obeisance from supplicants. Zelensky didn't show that — and Vance was quick to try to put him in his place.

Trump's expectation of deference from Zelensky is particularly high because of the massive aid the U.S. has sent to Ukraine (an amount Trump inflates). The two have had a fraught relationship since 2019, when Trump was impeached for trying to leverage Zelensky for political gain against Joe Biden.

• Vance has long had antipathy for Zelensky and funding Ukraine's fight against Russia's invasion. In his 2022 Senate race in Ohio, Vance ran on a platform of ending Ukraine aid.

"I'm not sure this is salvageable," a senior White House adviser summed up. "Three strikes and you're out."

• Share this story ... Go deeper: Transcript of the Oval Office blowup.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he doesn't think he needs to apologize for his public spat with President Trump and Vice President Vance at the Oval Office.

• "I am not sure we did something bad," he told Fox News' Bret Baier.

Why it matters: The divide between the U.S. and Ukrainian leaders will likely lead to more changes in the Trump administration's policy towards Ukraine. A U.S. official said Trump is considering several retaliatory steps, including stopping military assistance to Ukraine, Axios' Barak Ravid reports.

"I respect President Trump and the American people, but we have to be very honest and direct to understand each other," Zelensky told Baier when asked whether he regrets the exchange with Trump and Vance.

• Zelensky said he thinks the discussion would have been better if it hadn't taken place in front of cameras, and that he "of course" thinks his relationship with Trump can be salvaged.

⏱️ 17 hours later ...

What we're watching: A White House official told Axios that Zelensky's interview on Fox was insufficient. "He keeps insisting on security guarantees on this economic deal, and we've made clear that won't be part of this," the official said.

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🇷🇺 How it's playing: The blowup exhilarated not only President Trump's "America First" base but also Kremlin officials, Axios' Zachary Basu reports.

• "The insolent pig finally got a proper slap down in the Oval Office," tweeted Dmitry Medvedev, former Russian president and prime minister. "And Trump is right: The Kiev regime is 'gambling with WWIII.'"

Keep reading.

President Trump's online base is splintering over the administration's handling of two major news stories related to sex trafficking, which converged this week in dramatic fashion, Axios' Zachary Basu reports.

• Why it matters: The online MAGA universe is diverse, powerful, and extremely volatile. With a mix of ultra Trump loyalists and conservative ideologues, infighting is inevitable — and often explosive.

🔎 What's happening: On Fox News on Wednesday night, Attorney General Pam Bondi promised to declassify and release secret documents related to Jeffrey Epstein, the deceased sex trafficker whose client list implicated global elites.

• On Thursday, the Justice Department released 200 pages of documents mostly consisting of recycled Epstein flight logs and contact information that had long been in the public domain.
• The online reaction was furious: Prominent Trump supporters accused Bondi and the influencers of staging a PR stunt and failing to release any new information.

Zoom in: As the chaos over the Epstein files was unfurling, Romania suddenly lifted travel restrictions on Andrew and Tristan Tate, a pair of far-right influencers who were awaiting trial on human trafficking charges.

• The British-American Tate brothers — self-proclaimed misogynists who support Trump and have a massive global audience of young men — have also been accused of rape and tax evasion in the U.K.
• The Financial Times reported that Trump officials had pressured Romanian authorities to lift the travel ban. Trump himself denied any knowledge of the case Thursday.

💥 The Tate brothers' landing in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., where they proclaimed their innocence, set the stage for another intra-MAGA feud between mainstream conservatives and hardline provocateurs.

• Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said the Tate brothers were not welcome in his state, and that his attorney general would investigate whether any of their alleged crimes trigger Florida jurisdiction.

👀 Between the lines: Backlash against Trump is brewing among segments of his base that are not traditionally political — but have an intense interest in the Tate and Epstein sagas.

• "If I'm gonna be fair these questions needs to be asked today. Why is the release of the Epstein list always a shit show?" tweeted Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy. "What's the point of booting out illegals and criminals while somehow becoming a safe haven for the Tate brothers?"

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President Trump will speak at the first-ever White House Crypto Summit next Friday.

• The White House says attendees will include prominent crypto founders, CEOs and investors. The summit will be chaired by White House A.I. & Crypto Czar David Sacks, and run by Bo Hines, executive director of the President's Working Group on Digital Assets.

Go deeper.

Nearly 30% of parents of kids ages 0–8 say their children have used AI for learning, Axios' Megan Morrone writes from new Common Sense Media research.

• Why it matters: Even the youngest of children are experimenting with a rapidly changing technology that could reshape their learning and critical thinking skills in unknown ways.

🦾 Reality check: You're supposed to be 13 years old or older to use OpenAI's ChatGPT, Google's Gemini, and Meta AI. To use Anthropic's Claude, you're supposed to be 18 or older.

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ALTON, N.H. — The Alton Bay Ice Runway (yes, you read that right!) set a new record for landings this season, with 733, Axios' Alex Fitzpatrick reports after a recent visit.

• Zoom in: Alton Bay — the only FAA-designated ice runway in the lower 48, sitting atop New Hampshire's Lake Winnipesaukee — draws challenge-seeking pilots and locals who enjoy the festive atmosphere.

Visiting pilots get a token, certificate ... and bragging rights.

• See Alex's POV landing on ice!