Secretary of State Marco Rubio took on prominent media figures Sunday in a series of televised appearances defending the administration’s handling of President Trump’s meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The Alaska meeting on Friday marked the beginning of a new stage in efforts to negotiate peace between Russia and Ukraine.
Rubio’s interviews came just days before Trump is scheduled to host Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House.
Leaders of Britain, France and Germany are also expected to attend the Washington gathering on Monday.
Appearing on CBS’ Face the Nation, Rubio sparred with host Margaret Brennan, who pressed him for details about the private Trump-Putin meeting.
Brennan suggested European leaders were traveling to Washington because of fears that Trump would pressure Zelenskyy into concessions unfavorable to Ukraine.
“This is such a stupid media narrative that [European leaders] are coming here tomorrow because Trump is going to bully Zelensky into a bad deal,” Rubio countered.
“We’ve been working with these people for weeks… We invited them to come.”
Rubio explained that any successful peace process would require both Moscow and Kyiv to compromise.
“To have a deal… to reach the end of this conflict, both sides are going to have to make concessions,” he said.
Brennan pressed further, asking whether the administration was demanding that Russia withdraw forces from territory seized since the invasion began.
She raised the issue of land taken “by force” under Putin’s leadership.
“This is about what Ukraine can accept. And what Russia can accept. They both have to accept it, otherwise, there won’t be a peace deal,” Rubio responded.
The secretary of state stressed that neither side was in a position to declare total victory.
“If there aren’t concessions, if one side gets everything they want, that’s called surrender. That’s called the end of the war through surrender, he said.
“And that’s not what we’re close to doing, because neither side here is on the verge of surrender or anything close to it.”
Rubio’s assertive tone drew strong reactions online.
On X, many conservatives praised his pushback against Brennan and ABC host Martha Raddatz, who interviewed him later that morning.
During his appearance on ABC’s This Week, Raddatz asked Rubio if he could identify any concessions Putin had made during the Alaska discussions.
“I wouldn’t name them on your program,” Rubio shot back. “Why would I do that?”
The moment quickly circulated across social media.
Conservative commentator Charlie Kirk, founder of Turning Point USA, praised Rubio’s handling of the interviews.
“Bravo to Sec. Marco Rubio this morning for embarrassing CBS and ABC News. Impressive he didn’t just walk out of those interviews,” Kirk wrote.
Kirk added further criticism of the media response: “Imagine hating President Trump so much that you actively root for peace talks to fail. What vile, ghoulish creatures.”
Other voices on X echoed the sentiment.
Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich also weighed in, criticizing media coverage of the Alaska summit.
“The news media and the ‘expert’ analysts and commentators are making fools of themselves over the Trump-Putin meeting,” Gingrich said.
“Secretary of State Marco Rubio had it just right when he said the press literally had no idea what was said in the meetings. President Trump is a great negotiator and Alaska was just the opening act in a multi act play. Patience and calm would be a wise approach for the time being,” Gingrich added.
Another widely shared post came from the account @VigilantFox, which declared that Rubio “absolutely humiliated CBS’ Margaret Brennan after she melted down over Trump not achieving a ceasefire or slapping new sanctions.”
The post Rubio Humiliates Margaret Brennan Over Trump-Putin Talks, Conservatives Applaud appeared first on Resist the Mainstream.
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Author: Jordyn M.
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