The Big Media talking heads are not over their Trump Derangement Syndrome. It’s only getting worse.
That’s why Trump’s Secretary of State had to slap a TV host silly with a brilliant reality check.
Marco Rubio Hits at ABC’s Stephanopoulos For Lying About President Trump
On Sunday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio sharply criticized ABC News’ George Stephanopoulos over the U.S.’s handling of the Ukraine-Russia conflict under Donald Trump. Rubio, speaking with evident frustration, stressed that the sooner everyone involved “grows up,” the sooner there could be an opportunity to end it.
The tension surrounding the conflict came to the forefront after a heated Oval Office meeting between President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The meeting resulted in the cancellation of a potential mineral extraction deal between the U.S. and Ukraine. Trump stated that Zelenskyy was “not ready for peace” after the Ukrainian leader publicly criticized the U.S. for not doing enough to stop Russia’s aggression. Following the meeting, the White House confirmed that no agreements would be signed.
In an interview on This Week with Stephanopoulos, Rubio was questioned about the U.S.’s increasingly strained relationship with Ukraine. The conversation quickly shifted toward claims from some Republican allies, like Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, who suggested that the U.S. might be “embracing Putin.” Stephanopoulos attempted to highlight these statements, prompting Rubio to ask, “Well, which ones? What steps has the president taken to placate Putin?”
As Stephanopoulos read Murkowski’s statement criticizing Trump’s refusal to acknowledge that Russia initiated the war, Rubio was firm in his response: “We’re a free country, people have a right to these opinions,” he said. “I would just say to you, what have we done to placate the Russians? The only thing we’ve done is say, are you guys willing to talk about peace? I say the same point. We’re not giving that—”
Stephanopoulos quickly interrupted to bring up a recent vote in the United Nations, where the U.S. aligned with Russia, North Korea, and Belarus, rather than its Western allies. This vote was on a European-drafted UN resolution that condemned Russia’s actions in Ukraine.
Rubio was quick to respond, challenging Stephanopoulos’ framing. “Do you know what the United Nations resolution was? I’ll tell you if you want to hear what it was,” Rubio said. He explained that the resolution, while acknowledging the devastation of the war, called for an end to the conflict. “The job of the U.N. is to bring about peace in the world. I thought that’s what the U.N. was created to do, to stop wars and to prevent them?” Rubio asked rhetorically, emphasizing that the resolution did not take an antagonistic stance against Russia but instead focused on ending the war.
He went on to explain that the UN resolution simply acknowledged that the war had been disastrous and needed to end. “It’s not about praising the Russians,” Rubio noted. “It’s about recognizing this is a bad war, and it needs to end.”
The United Nations General Assembly had adopted two competing resolutions on the Ukraine-Russia conflict earlier that week. Rubio pointed to one of the resolutions, initiated by the U.S. in the Security Council, as a significant effort to bring about peace. This was the first resolution passed by the UN since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022.
In the course of the conversation, Rubio expressed disbelief at the criticism faced by Trump’s stance on the conflict. “I just don’t get it. I really don’t. Other than the fact that it’s Donald J. Trump,” Rubio remarked. “If this was a Democrat that was doing this, everyone would be saying, ‘Well, he’s on his way to the Nobel Peace Prize.’ This is absurd. We are trying to end the war. You cannot end the war unless both sides come to the table, starting with the Russians.”
Rubio also noted that the U.S. government’s new approach under Donald Trump is rooted in trying to bring both sides to the negotiating table. “That is the point the president has made,” Rubio said. “We have to do whatever we can to try to bring them to the table to see if it’s even possible. I’m not promising you it’s possible,” he added, emphasizing the uncertainty but necessity of dialogue for peace.
Tensions between Trump, Vance, and Zelenskyy boiled over during their Oval Office meeting. The Ukrainian president had publicly criticized the U.S. for failing to take stronger action against Russia. Trump, cautioning Zelenskyy about the potential dangers of continuing to provoke Russia, warned him he was “gambling with World War 3.” The discussion became so contentious that Trump ultimately determined that Zelenskyy was “not ready for peace if America is involved” because he felt the U.S.’s involvement gave him a significant advantage in his negotiations.
Rubio concluded his remarks by urging that the U.S. take a clear, rational stance on the war. “The sooner everyone grows up around here and figures out that this is a bad war that’s heading in a bad direction with death and destruction and all kinds of danger surrounding it that could spiral into a broader conflict,” Rubio warned. “The sooner people grow up and realize that, I think the more progress we’re going to be able to make.”
He reaffirmed that President Trump remains committed to achieving peace, stating, “The president’s crystal clear, he is going to be a president that tries to achieve peace. We’re going to do everything we can to end it in an enduring and sustainable and fair way.”
In response to the ongoing tension, Zelenskyy publicly expressed gratitude for U.S. support, reiterating on Fox News that he remains open to signing the mineral extraction deal, which would involve joint development projects within Ukraine. Despite the setback, Zelenskyy’s willingness to continue cooperating with the U.S. signals his ongoing desire to maintain relations with the U.S. even amidst the political pushback.
The Conservative Column will keep you updated on any news from the Trump administration.
