Outside the White House yesterday, a reporter asked President Donald Trump for his reaction to Russia’s drone incursion into Poland. (On Wednesday, NATO fighter jets shot down Russian drones that violated Poland’s airspace while Russia was attacking targets in Ukraine.)
Trump answered: “Uh, could’ve been a mistake, could’ve been a mistake.” He added, “Regardless, I’m not happy with anything to do with that situation. But hopefully it’s going to come to an end.”
[Note: On the 2024 presidential campaign trail, Trump said he would be able to end the Russian-Ukrainian war on “day one” of his second term.]
We expect more spine from our President . https://t.co/ynqhJdWZjI
— Rep. Don Bacon 🇺🇸✈️🏍️⭐️🎖️ (@RepDonBacon) September 12, 2025
U.S. Congressman Don Bacon (R-IL) responded to Trump’s “mistake” comments, writing on social media: “We expect more spine from our President.”
One X user, favoring Trump’s non-belligerent response, replied to Bacon with sarcasm, writing: “Or avoiding a nuclear war would be cool too,” which prompted the Congressman to reply: “Weakness emboldens a bully and doesn’t strengthen odds for peace.”
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk also responded to Trump’s comments on social media: “We would also wish that the drone attack on Poland was a mistake. But it wasn’t. And we know it.” Bacon replied to Tusk: “One drone may be a mistake. Nineteen Russian drones flying over Poland is not a mistake.”
One drone may be a mistake. Nineteen Russian drones flying over Poland is not a mistake. https://t.co/QJGHFYzWF2
— Rep. Don Bacon 🇺🇸✈️🏍️⭐️🎖️ (@RepDonBacon) September 12, 2025
Bacon isn’t alone among American conservatives calling for a stronger reaction from Trump, even if many MAGA influencers are careful about how they phrase their positions.
Trump had initially given what seemed a bolder response, with the ambiguous “here we go!” social media post that some interpreted as threatening Russia. It was a response that Trump allies like Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) used as a prompt to post tough anti-Putin rhetoric in “agreement” with Trump.
Below Graham promises that legislators in both parties will help the President by “authorizing bone crushing new sanctions and tariffs that can be deployed at your discretion,” saying “our goal is to empower you as you deal with this mounting threat.”
I completely agree with President @realDonaldTrump's sentiment in response to Russia’s insane violation of Polish airspace for hours, deploying multiple drones.
— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) September 10, 2025
Mr. President, Congress is with you. We stand ready to pass legislation authorizing bone crushing new sanctions and… pic.twitter.com/LIqYmS4rG7
Notably taking more of a Bacon-like view, The Wall Street Journal continued to stand apart from much of the rest of Rupert Murdoch-owned rightwing media by criticizing the President’s seemingly permissive response to the drone incursion in Poland. Opining on his social media response, the WSJ said the post made Trump look less like a president and more like a “sidewalk gawker.”
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