The White House briefing room turned combative on Tuesday as Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt faced a barrage of questions over President Donald Trump’s approach to ending the war in Ukraine. At the heart of the exchanges was Trump’s recent meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin—held in the U.S. despite a wave of criticism—and his broader efforts to push for a negotiated settlement to the nearly four-year conflict.
Reporters pressed Leavitt on whether Trump’s optimism about a deal with Moscow is grounded in reality or simply rhetoric. NBC’s Kelly O’Donnell pointed to Trump’s hot-mic remark a day earlier that Putin “wants to make a deal.” When asked what the president had actually learned that made him believe a deal was within reach, Leavitt leaned on Trump’s long-standing argument that dialogue is essential, contrasting his approach with that of President Joe Biden. “The previous administration, who oversaw the beginning of this war, refused to talk,” she said, insisting that Trump’s willingness to engage is a sign of strength rather than concession.
That explanation did little to quiet skepticism in the room. O’Donnell followed up, asking bluntly why Putin would have any interest in helping Trump rather than simply seeking his own advantage. Leavitt brushed it off, framing Trump’s stance as part of a renewed era of global respect for American power.
The tension rose again when New York Times reporter Shawn McCreesh pressed Leavitt about Trump’s decision to avoid taking a call with Putin in front of European leaders, with the president later saying it would have been “disrespectful” to Putin. Leavitt snapped back, “Only a reporter from The New York Times would ask a question like that,” underscoring just how fraught the briefing had become.
Even Fox News, normally a more sympathetic audience for the Trump White House, found itself caught in the crossfire. Jacqui Heinrich tried to ask about Trump’s repeated claim that the war would never have begun if he had been in office. Before she could finish, Leavitt jumped in to push Heinrich to accept what she was saying was true. To say that the exchange was tense would be an understatement.
The briefing came against the backdrop of Trump’s back-to-back meetings this week: first with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and then with a host of European leaders. Trump also held a phone call with Putin during those discussions, though no agreement was reached. He later announced that he is working on arrangements for a face-to-face meeting between Zelenskyy and Putin, with Trump himself joining as a third participant.
While Trump has billed this as an “early step” toward peace, European leaders remain wary. The big fear here is that the president is so eager to make a deal that this could pressure the Ukraine into accepting terms that will leave them empty handed when all is said and done. Experts argue that the stakes aren’t just about ending a war but about whether Washington is willing to trade Ukrainian security for what looks like a deal simply to keep the president happy.
For now, Trump insists he is undeterred. “This was a very good, early step,” he wrote after his latest call with Putin. But if Tuesday’s press briefing was any indication, the skepticism surrounding his approach is only growing louder.
