'Propagandized' him 'back into' power: GOP strategists slam Fox host complaining about Trump policy

After U.S. President Donald Trump and U.S. Vice President JD Vance angrily berated Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky during a televised White House Oval Office meeting on Friday, February 28, many Democrats attacked their behavior as a foreign policy disaster. And Never Trump conservatives like MSNBC hosts Joe Scarborough (an ex-GOP congressman) and Michael Steele (who formerly chaired the Republican National Committee) were equally critical, describing Trump and Vance's anti-Zelensky comments as a major gift to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

But Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina), on the other hand, are defending Trump and Vance while attacking Zelensky.

Fox News host Brian Kilmeade, in a Monday, March 3, post on X, formerly Twitter, took issue with Republicans who are defending Putin.

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Kilmeade tweeted, "Can we all remember @KremlinRussia_E is the bad guy — they invaded — they kidnap kids — Whatever happens — Ukraine can not lose. [Eastern] Europe will be next."

In response, The Bulwark's Tim Miller — a former GOP strategist, Never Trump conservative and frequent guest on MSNBC — posted, "maybe DM the secretary of defense." Miller was referring to Pete Hegseth, a former Fox News host.

A more scathing response to Kilmeade's tweet came from The Bulwark's Sarah Longwell, founder of Republican Accountability and another Never Trumper.

Longwell reminded the "Fox and Friends" co-host how aggressively him and others at Fox News defended Trump in 2024.

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Longwell tweeted, "Can we all remember, the guy you helped propagandized back into the White House has long been siding with the bad guys. It's like you think this happened in a vacuum without your active participation."

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