Secretary of State Marco Rubio delivered a masterclass in realpolitik during his appearance on ABC’s This Week, dismantling Martha Raddatz’s weak attempt to paint President Trump’s high-stakes negotiations with Vladimir Putin as a loss for America. The liberal media, desperate to undermine Trump’s foreign policy wins, has fixated on meaningless theatrics—like the red carpet greeting in Alaska—while ignoring the monumental task of brokering peace between Russia and Ukraine. Rubio, however, wasn’t having it.
When Raddatz insinuated that Putin gained an advantage simply by sharing the world stage with Trump, Rubio fired back: “Putin is already on the world stage. He’s already on the world stage. The guy’s conducting a full-scale war in Ukraine. He’s already on the world stage. He has the world’s largest tactical nuclear arsenal in the world and the second largest strategic nuclear arsenal in the world. He’s already on the world stage.” Rubio rightly pointed out that the media’s obsession with Putin for years has already elevated him—Trump’s engagement isn’t about legitimizing a dictator but ending a bloody conflict.
The left’s narrative that Trump is “soft on Russia” collapses under scrutiny. As Rubio noted, “You’re not going to end a war between Russia and Ukraine without dealing with Putin. That’s just common sense. I shouldn’t even have to say it.” President Trump, unlike his feckless predecessor Joe Biden, is the only leader capable of bringing Putin to the table. While the media whines about handshakes and red carpets, Trump is securing real diplomatic progress—speaking directly with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and NATO leaders to finalize a deal.
Rubio also dismantled the left’s knee-jerk demand for more sanctions, warning that such moves could derail peace talks and prolong the war. “The minute you levy additional sanctions, strong additional sanctions, the talking stops,” he explained. “You’ve probably just added 6, 8, 9, 12, more months to the war, if not longer. More people dead, more people killed, more people maimed, more families destroyed.” The hypocrisy is staggering—the same media that accused Trump of warmongering now demands escalatory measures that would only fuel the conflict.
Meanwhile, Trump’s critics ignore the reality that Europe and Ukraine itself are “begging the United States to be engaged, engage Putin, and try to get him to agree to a peace agreement.” The President’s strategy isn’t about appeasement—it’s about leveraging America’s strength to force concessions from Moscow. While the liberal media roots for failure, Trump is working to stop the bloodshed.
h/t: Steadfast and Loyal
