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Fox News host Rachel Campos-Duffy tossed out an evidence-free conspiracy theory today that perhaps the U.S., NATO or both were behind the apparent coup unfolding in Russia.

One of Campos-Duffy’s takers was K.T. McFarland, a key aide to scandal-ridden Michael Flynn during the early years of the Trump administration. Campos-Duffy began by saying that she no longer trusted the government on foreign affairs.

According to the New York Times' Moscow chief, Vladimir Putin's great love of pitting advisors and supporters against each other as a way of maintaining power has now come back to haunt him in the worst possible way.

In a column for the Times following reports of the revolt being led by Wagner Group head Yevgeny Prigozhin, editor Anton Troianovski wrote that Putin has long maintained power through the type of chaos that keeps anyone who might want to supplant him unable to consolidate power.

But now, "... that approach has backfired."

Case in point he notes was Putin's tolerance of Prigozhin's proclamations which lulled everyone into a false sense of security.

RELATED: Former Ukraine ambassador: Putin no longer knows who his allies are after revolt

Part of the fallout for Vladimir Putin, now that his former close associate Yevgeny Prigohzin is reportedly leading a revolt and directing his Wagner Group troops back north, is the reality that the Russian president no longer knows who he can trust.

That is the opinion of the former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine William Taylor during an appearance on MSNBC on Saturday morning.

Speaking with host Jonathan Capehart, Taylor suggested Putin is facing an existential crisis as he faces what could turn into a coup.

"Kremlin critic Bill Browder tells NBC News that the Wagner mutiny quote, 'is the most credible threat to Putin since the start of his regime' some 23 years ago. Do you agree?" host Capehart began.

"Absolutely," Taylor quickly shot back. "Jonathan, this is a big threat to Putin. He is facing this and he doesn't know where the loyalties are going to be. He doesn't know if his troops are going to be loyal."

RELATED: Russian citizens' reaction to Wagner rebellion could set the stage for a coup: retired U.S

'He has been very close with Prigozhin and for Prigozhin to turn on him with significant forces, significant military forces that have done frankly pretty well in Ukraine; for Prigozhin to turn away from the fight in Ukraine and turn his focus and his force on the Russian military, it's a real threat to President Putin."

He later continued, "We could expect him to try to cross this rebellion, to crush this mutiny. We can certainly expect him to be getting the orders to the Ministry of Defense forces that are now fighting against and trying to prepare for a big fight against Prigozhin -- we can expect him to really focus on that.

"He now has to focus on Prigozhin, which gives him a focus inside the country and so that is going to be his priority -- he's got big problems," he added.

Watch below or at the link.

Appearing on MSNBC on Saturday morning after Yevgeny Prigozhin, the leader of the Wagner paramilitary group, launched what appears to be a revolt against Russian President Vladimir Putin, a retired U.S general suggested all eyes should be on how the Russian populace reacts to what could turn into a coup.

Speaking with MSNBC host Jonathan Capehart, (Ret) Lt. Gen. Stephen Twitty, the former Deputy Commander of the U.S. European Command, suggested all the elements that could lead to a coup are present as Wagner troops are reportedly moving north and Putin faces the greatest crisis of his life.

"Is what we are watching the beginnings of a coup in Russia?" the MSNBC host prompted.

"I wouldn't say that at this point in time," Twitty carefully replied. "Of course a coup, you don't see the military at this point in time trying to gain control of the seat of power in Russia."

RELATED: 'A civil war in the making': MSNBC defense analyst warns of growing Russia rebellion

"So Putin still firmly has control of the seat of power there and his administration is firmly in control at this particular point," he added before continuing, "I do see this more as a mutiny and, again, we will see if this thing gets ground swell from two locations. Number one, the Russian civilians. That is what we should be watching for: will the support start to turn in favor of the Wagner Group versus Putin."

"And number two, whether we start to get the groundswell of support from the western military favoring the Wagner Group," he added. "If that starts to happen, then we can start to look and determine whether or not we are in a coup situation here."

Watch below or at the link.

The head of the Russian Wagner mercenary group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, said overnight he had taken control of the Russian city of Rostov-on-Don as part of an attempt to oust Russia’s defense minister. The 62-year-old's open challenge to Moscow’s military comes after months of growing tensions over the conduct of the war in Ukraine.

Wagner mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin announced early on Saturday that his forces had taken control of Russia’s army headquarters in the city of Rostov-on-Don, a city of more than a million people where Russia has based one of its outposts overseeing military operations in Ukraine.