In a jaw-dropping moment that may feel like camera-knit betrayal, Fox News’ own media watchdog Howard Kurtz didn’t hold back, delivering a savage takedown of President Donald Trump’s much-hyped summit with Vladimir Putin in Alaska.
The so-called “peace rendezvous” on August 15 crashed harder than a weekend weather drone, ending without a ceasefire, without Q&A, and with just vague nods to “progress,” though no one actually heard what that meant. Kurtz’s verdict? Despite rosy rhetoric, “not much was accomplished.” There were no details, no journalists allowed to ask questions, just a red carpet, flyovers, and handshake theater.
To his credit, Kurtz admitted Trump didn’t oversell what didn’t happen, saying he “credited” the president for not pretending the summit was a knockout win.
Talking to reporters doesn’t make you transparent. Telling the truth does. @HowardKurtz @FoxNews pic.twitter.com/2xYWxljBRe
— Meghan Hays (@meghan_hays9) August 17, 2025
While Trump took to Truth Social on Sunday, August 17, to rage against the critics, calling them “Fake News” that “violently distorts the TRUTH,” Kurtz framed it as classic defensive spin. Trump claimed, “I had a great meeting in Alaska on Biden’s stupid war, a war that should have never happened!” but even that wasn’t enough to fend off mounting skepticism.
Enter Fox’s Media Buzz, where Kurtz whipped out a media montage of criticism. CNN’s John King sneered, “He went for a ceasefire and leaves with nothing. Putin got a flyover, a red carpet, and a lot of handshakes.” Jen Psaki on MSNBC chimed in, “The big winner of today’s summit… was undoubtedly Vladimir Putin.” Bret Baier railed that it was “not a news conference,” pointing out there were no questions fielded by either leader.
Fox News star Howard Kurtz joined his colleague Jacqui Heinrich in attacking President Trump. Heinrich says Putin “steamrolled” our president. Kurtz said it was “clear not much was accomplished.”
And yet Fox News continues to get exclusive access to the Trump White House.
— toddstarnes (@toddstarnes) August 18, 2025
Kurtz brought on National Review’s Rich Lowry, who said Putin “moved the ball a little bit in his direction,” by delaying ceasefire talk and getting Trump to pull back on sanctions threats. Lowry tempered expectations, calling it a “wait-and-see mode” moment.
Meanwhile, former Biden communications ace Meghan Hays tore into the optics, fuming that Trump “let Putin have the red carpet, metaphorically and actually,” effectively giving legitimacy to the Russian strongman on U.S. soil. Ouch.
Across the media landscape, voices were crushing. The Washington Post’s Max Boot called it “a defeat for the United States,” saying it was less of a disaster and more of a diplomatic face-plant that gifted Putin a soft-power win. Observers lamented that Trump dropped his ceasefire push in favor of a broader, undefined “peace agreement,” set to Putin’s terms. The New Yorker summed it up as a “diplomatic self-own,” a flashy encounter that produced zero substantive progress.
With Zelenskyy and European leaders gearing up for a follow-up sit-down at the White House, the world is watching whether Trump will double down or double-cross again.
Bottom line is Fox News just delivered a public spanking to Trump, complete with an embarrassed red carpet and no trophies to show for it. Elliott hits home on the world stage, except in this script, Putin got the box office encore while Trump walked offstage with a stub.
