Popular Fox Host in Hot Water for ‘Nasty’ Comment About Trump

Fox News host Brian Kilmeade is under fire online after calling on his followers to push back against President Donald Trump’s approach to the Ukraine-Russia conflict.

This surprising public split pits one of the most recognizable faces on the leading conservative cable network against the Republican president, who is now in his sixth week in the White House. The friction stems from Trump’s recent public scolding of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, which occurred in front of the press and made national headlines.

Taking to X, Kilmeade reminded his audience of 900,000 that Russia launched the war in 2022 and that Vladimir Putin remains the aggressor — facts Trump has not formally disputed. Kilmeade’s comments appeared to subtly criticize the president.

“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,” Kilmeade posted, tagging Putin’s official account directly.

Many establishment Republicans have sided with Kilmeade, criticizing Trump’s efforts to negotiate directly with Putin, a process that pointedly excludes Zelenskyy. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has previously admitted that Ukraine is unlikely to recover all of the eastern regions currently controlled by Russian forces.

Online responses to Kilmeade’s remarks were swift and critical, with several users mocking his warning about Russia’s potential to expand further into Europe.

“Europe will be next? So they couldn’t take Kyiv, but somehow they are going to conquer all of Europe? What you are saying contradicts all reality,” one user wrote.

Another questioned, “How is Putin going to invade Eastern Europe when after 3 years he can’t take Ukraine?”

Kilmeade’s post follows a tense exchange in the Oval Office between President Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy last Friday, which led to heightened tensions between Washington and Kyiv.

In response, Vance traveled to Capitol Hill on Monday, where he offered lawmakers an update on ongoing discussions with Ukraine, including negotiations over a rare earth minerals deal and potential terms for a ceasefire with Russia.

During the visit, CNN’s Manu Raju asked Vance directly: “If Zelenskyy changes his posture, his focus, would there be a consideration of bringing the aid back on? Or is that an indefinite pause, a long-term pause, do you see it?”

Vance responded: “No, look it… the president has been very clear he wants the Ukrainians to come to the negotiating table. I think when the Ukrainians come to the negotiating table, everything is on the table.”

Raju followed up with: “What do you need to see from President Zelenskyy?”

Vance replied: **“Look, I think the most important thing, a lot of people have made this about public statements, President Zelenskyy needs to say that he is committed to the peace or President Zelenskyy needs to apologize to the president.

“The public stuff doesn’t matter nearly as much as what are the Ukrainians doing to meaningfully engage on what a peaceful settlement would look like. We need to Ukrainians privately to come to us and say, ‘This is what we need, this is what we want. This is how we’ll participate in the process to end this conflict.’ That is the most important thing, and that lack of private engagement is what is most concerning to us,”** Vance concluded.