Donald Trump is reportedly irritated that John Bolton failed to deliver a quick and easy victory in Venezuela. But one US journalist says it proves the US president is taking direct orders from Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Last week, Washington’s chosen guy to take power in Venezuela, Juan Guaido, tried and failed to stage “a military coup”. Senior US officials, like National Security Advisor John Bolton, were first cheering him and celebrating the imminent “liberation” of the Venezuelan people. Then they were struggling to find an explanation for President Nicolas Maduro remaining in power.

The embarrassing flop didn’t dissuade Washington from continuing their backing of Guaido, of course. But President Trump is reportedly quite frustrated with not getting what he was promised by Bolton and Co. The Washington Post printed a lengthy piece about it on Wednesday, citing anonymous insiders. The White House is preparing for the long haul now, expecting Maduro to eventually fall under the crippling sanctions imposed by the US on Venezuela, the newspaper said.

Seems plausible. But there is a more thrilling explanation that scratches all the right places of a Trump-despising mind. Hint: the Russians are to blame. According to the Young Turks host Cenk Uygur, the change is “direct evidence” that Trump is carrying out Putin’s orders which he conveniently received during last Friday’s phone call.

Trump just changed policy on Venezuela and is reportedly frustrated with Bolton that he is being too militaristic (that's news to Trump?). While I agree with the new policy, it comes right after a call with Putin. Direct evidence that he is literally taking orders from Putin. — Cenk Uygur (@cenkuygur) May 9, 2019

The phone conversation itself triggered a media meltdown last week, with MSNBC host Rachel Maddow expressing deep sympathy for John “think of him as a human being” Bolton, whose job of toppling a foreign government must be so difficult under mercurial Trump.

Also on rt.com MSM melts down as Trump talks Venezuela with Putin… and ‘feels same way’

Uygur apparently shares Maddow's dot-connecting approach to the Trump-Russia conspiracy theory. But for some reason many of his readers failed to see the logic behind his startling discovery, even as he was doubling down on it.

What happened to the portion of the left that no longer believes in evidence and facts? Trump gets a call from Putin and then does a complete reversal of his position Venezuela - to the benefit of Russia - and you don't think that's evidence? Your bias is blinding. https://t.co/csO8jbjpg8 — Cenk Uygur (@cenkuygur) May 9, 2019

Maybe Putin can talk Trump into supporting Medicare-for-all or ending wage stagnation...I'd be ok with that. — Roy Rushing (@PhotogRoy) May 9, 2019

Or he listened to Ron Paul's take on it. Stop with the Crazy Russian nonsense already. — Arthur Milton Davis (@EinekleineTweet) May 9, 2019

The only thing it might be evidence of is that trump is most influenced by the last person he spoke to. — ohyeahsure (@Chomskyter) May 9, 2019

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