Zelensky Inauguration Speech Resurfaces After Trump Deems Ukraine President a 'Dictator': 'The President Is Not An Idol'

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's 2019 inaugural speech is making a comeback as a viral rebuttal to President Trump's claim that he's a "dictator," with thousands insisting Trump's words couldn't be further from the truth.

A photo of Zelensky's quote—"I really do not want my pictures in your offices, for the President is not an icon, an idol, or a portrait. Hang your kids' photos instead"—has racked up 80K upvotes and more than 1,000 comments on Reddit.

Despite Trump declaring himself a "King" last week, he attacked Zelensky, calling him a "dictator without elections." Trump's remarks, deemed as a regurgitation of Putin propaganda, triggered bipartisan backlash.

Zelensky's speech condemned authoritarianism and called for ethical leadership, democracy, and collective responsibility while touching on personal moments.

"My 6-year-old son said: 'Dad, they say on TV that Zelensky is the President... So, it means that I am the President too?!'" Zelensky said. "Each of us is responsible for the country that we leave to our children."

"We are all Ukrainians: there are no bigger or lesser, or correct or incorrect Ukrainians," he went on. "We will build the country of other opportunities—the one where all are equal before the law and where all the rules are honest and transparent."

Now Redditors are making stark comparisons, backing Zelensky while calling out Trump's hypocrisy.

"Meanwhile, Dumbass Donald even hangs his own mugshot in his office...," one Redditor wrote.

"Someone like Trump is the type to want his face carved into Mt. Rushmore," another added.

Trump's attack on Zelensky comes as he pressures Ukraine to accept a U.S.-brokered peace deal that would give American control over key Ukrainian mineral resources in exchange for security guarantees.

The UN General Assembly passed a resolution Monday, officially designating Russia as the aggressor in the 3-year-long war, and demanded a full withdrawal of its troops. The vote tally: 93 in favor, 18 abstentions—including the U.S.

"Yeah, but he is a 'dictator' somehow. Unlike Trump, who cannot go 24 hours without installing a completely [unqualified] news presenter, podcaster, quack doctor, or golf buddy into positions of power," one Redditor concluded.