All posts tagged "steve witkoff"

'Don't be fooled': Ex-Trump 'operative' exposes 'cover story' for key admin figure

The media is calling a particular Trump admin figure incompetent, but it's all a carefully orchestrated tactic, according to Trump's former "operative."

Former Trump associate Lev Parnas, who says he used to be "deep inside the Trump machine" and now reports from the outside, published an article on Saturday called, "Witkoff Exposed — Trump’s Envoy Revealed as Kremlin Pawn," in which he wrote that the president's "fixer plays theatrics for Putin, trading peace for Russia’s power and money."

Parnas is referring to real estate investor-turned-international negotiator Steve Witkoff, who has recently been referred to as a "rogue actor."

According to Parnas, the media is being played for a fool by the Trump admin.

The ex-insider wrote that, "The media is trying to portray Trump’s 'special envoy' Steve Witkoff as incompetent and botching meetings and confusing Moscow’s lies with reality."

"But you know who the real Steve Witkoff is, because for months I’ve been telling you — and now the world is beginning to see it too. My sources are telling me that after a meeting in New York between Andriy Yermak, Sergiy Kyslytsya, and Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff, the Ukrainians are now more convinced than ever that Witkoff is nothing more than another useful idiot for the Kremlin," Parnas wrote. "Politico and others report how U.S., Ukrainian, and European officials are all frustrated with him. He refuses to consult experts. He shows up unprepared. He parrots back nonsense after sitting with Putin. One day he believes Russia will give up territory; the next he thinks they agreed to NATO-style security guarantees. It’s chaos — but don’t be fooled into thinking it’s just incompetence."

He continued, saying, "Let me make it very clear, Witkoff isn’t confused. He’s obsessed."

"Like Trump, he came up in the real estate world of the 1990s, making money with the same Russian oligarchs who answer directly to the Kremlin. They were both swimming in Moscow’s dirty money long before Ukraine was ever on the headlines," Parnas added. "That’s why I tell you: the real deals aren’t happening in public. They’re not in the leaks you see. They’re not in Witkoff’s babbling reports. The real manipulations are happening behind closed doors with his handler, Kirill Dmitriev, Putin’s fixer."

Parnas also said, "Don’t listen when the media tells you Witkoff is 'confused.' That’s the cover story. This isn’t confusion. It’s a deliberate stalling tactic. A distraction. A way to buy time while Russia pounds Ukraine with drones and missiles."

Read the full post on Substack here.

Ousted Trump aide claims he's 'incredibly honored' by new gig — hours after losing old job

President Donald Trump's former national security advisor posted on X Thursday about his surprise new position.

"I’m deeply honored to continue my service to President Trump and our great nation," Waltz wrote.

Following days of rumors, Waltz and his aide were relieved of their posts. Some speculated it was because he took responsibility for the Signal app debacle, in which he inadvertently added a reporter to a high-level chat about an impending air strike. Others questioned why Waltz, not Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, was being punished for sharing classified information on his phone using an unsecured mobile app.

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Former CIA Director John Brennan told MSNBC that Waltz was looking for a "fall guy" to pay for the Signal debacle.

"It's easy to replace a security advisor because it's not Senate-confirmed," Brennan said. "It's easy to oust them and then put someone in, including a deputy, right away."

But just hours after news outlets reported Waltz's ouster, President Donald Trump announced he was handing Waltz a different position in his administration.

"I am pleased to announce that I will be nominating Mike Waltz to be the next United States Ambassador to the United Nations," Trump posted to Truth Social. "From his time in uniform on the battlefield, in Congress and, as my National Security Advisor, Mike Waltz has worked hard to put our Nation’s Interests first. I know he will do the same in his new role."

Trump added that Secretary of State Marco Rubio would act as interim national security advisor, while continuing his duties at the State Department.

Politico reported that Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff was one of the people being considered to replace Waltz as national security advisor.

"Other possible contenders include Trump’s top policy chief Stephen Miller, National Security Council senior director for counterterrorism Sebastian Gorka and Trump’s special envoy for special missions Richard Grenell," according to the report.

'Willing to attack': CNN reporter highlights 'key moment' from Trump interview

President Donald Trump suggested the U.S. may have to "attack" Iran's nuclear sites to prevent the Islamic Republic from building a nuclear weapon, according to a new report in TIME.

CNN's Alayna Treene discussed TIME's interview on Friday's Situation Room.

"He said that he would be open to meeting with Iran's supreme leader," Treene said, recounting the article's news-making highlights. "He also made it very clear that he's confident the United States can reach a deal with Iran to try and create some sort of nuclear deal, to avoid them from building up their nuclear facility."

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Treene emphasized "one very key moment" in the interview when Trump "said that he wouldn't let Israel drag him into a war with Iran, but that he would go willingly if a deal is not made. Essentially, saying he is very much willing to attack Iran's nuclear facilities if this deal is not struck."

In the TIME interview reviewing his first 100 days in office, Trump corrected a reporter who said, "You reportedly stopped Israel from attacking Iran's nuclear sites."

"No, it’s not right," Trump said. "I didn’t stop them. But I didn't make it comfortable for them, because I think we can make a deal without the attack. I hope we can."

Trump added, "It's possible we'll have to attack because Iran will not have a nuclear weapon. But I didn't make it comfortable for them, but I didn't say no. Ultimately I was going to leave that choice to them, but I said I would much prefer a deal than bombs being dropped."

Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff is expected to lead the U.S. team as talks with Iran get underway in Oman on Saturday.

Watch the CNN clip below or click the link here.

'Total idiot': Dem lawmaker gobsmacked that Trump envoy is echoing the Kremlin

Rep. Seth Moulton (D-MA), who sits on the House Armed Services Committee, didn't try to hide his dismay Monday when asked about a top U.S. official echoing Vladimir Putin's talking Points on Ukraine.

Steve Witkoff, U.S. special envoy to the Middle East, told Fox News over the weekend that some parts of Ukraine are "Russian territory."

Witkoff also appeared on former Fox News host Tucker Carlson's podcast and CNN's Kate Bolduan played a clip of Witkoff telling Carlson that "There have been referendums where the overwhelming majority of the people have indicated that they want to be under Russian rule."

Moulton reacted with total disbelief.

"It's just insane, and I think we've known for a while that Tucker Carlson is on the Kremlin's side and has been for some time, but now the lead negotiator for the United States is taking the Tucker Carlson/Putin position on these negotiations. He's literally negotiating for the other side, negotiating for the aggressor, negotiating for the violator of international law. And what does he say? He says, 'Oh, I take Putin at his word.' Is this guy a total idiot? Is he just completely naïve?"

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Moulton then suggested that Witkoff was being "paid off by Russia."

Bolduan interjected, "I get your point, but there's no evidence that that has been presented, that there's any payoff that has actually been happening to Steve Witkoff."

"I'm not I'm not saying there's any evidence," Moulton acknowledged. "I'm just trying to understand why on earth would a U.S. negotiator takes our adversary's side? I mean, Reagan must be rolling over in his grave here. The Republican Party has become subservient to Russia."

Boulduan read a portion of a new Time Magazine interview with Ukraine's president Volodymyr Zelensky that read, "I believe Russia has managed to influence some people on the White House Team through information. Their signal to Americans was that Ukraine doesn't want to end the war and something should be done to force them.

Moulton claimed that Zelenskyy was trying to introduce some reality "that the trump Team apparently can't figure out because Vadimir Putin is a KGB agent who is playing Trump like a violin."

Watch the video below or at this link.