When President Donald J. Trump traveled to Alaska to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin in hopes of brokering a peace deal to end the bloody Russo-Ukraine War, most Americans saw a bold leader once again stepping into the role of peacemaker. But not everyone shared that sentiment. Predictably, Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) — the man who spent years peddling the discredited “Russia collusion” hoax — rushed onto CNN to recycle his favorite conspiracy theory: that Trump is somehow “controlled” by Moscow.
Appearing on *The Lead* with Jake Tapper, Schiff warned he was “deeply concerned” about Trump’s talks with Putin. Without evidence, he claimed the president was “susceptible to manipulation,” repeating the same tired accusations he used during Trump’s first term. Schiff, who infamously promised “smoking gun” evidence of collusion that never materialized, is now dusting off the script in an attempt to smear Trump’s latest foreign policy success.
Schiff cited Trump’s 2018 Helsinki meeting with Putin as “disastrous,” complaining that Trump didn’t blindly parrot the claims of intelligence agencies — the same agencies that spied on his campaign, doctored FISA warrants, and misled the American people. Schiff conveniently ignored those facts while wringing his hands about Trump daring to put American interests first.
The California Democrat went further, whining that Trump wasn’t prioritizing Ukraine enough. “He’s saying that he’s not there to negotiate on behalf of Ukraine,” Schiff said, as if the president of the United States is supposed to put a foreign nation ahead of the American people. Trump, by contrast, has been clear: his goal is to stop the bloodshed and bring peace to Europe while protecting U.S. interests.
Schiff then conjured up a bizarre hypothetical in which Putin could supposedly trick Trump with flattery or a deal on Arctic energy exploration. According to Schiff, Trump is so desperate for praise that he’d give away the farm. It was the same tired caricature of Trump that Schiff has been selling to CNN audiences for years, despite Trump’s actual record of imposing tough sanctions on Russia, rebuilding America’s energy independence, and keeping NATO allies in check.
Meanwhile, Trump himself sounded an optimistic note after the Anchorage summit. Posting to Truth Social, he announced, “A great and very successful day in Alaska! The meeting with President Vladimir Putin of Russia went very well, as did a late night phone call with President Zelenskyy of Ukraine, and various European Leaders, including the highly respected Secretary General of NATO.”
Trump explained that the goal is not just a temporary ceasefire — which history shows often collapses — but a genuine peace agreement that could save millions of lives. “If all works out, we will then schedule a meeting with President Putin. Potentially, millions of people’s lives will be saved.”
While Schiff and his allies relive their failed Russia hoax fantasies, Trump is working to end a brutal war and restore stability on the world stage. The contrast could not be clearer: one side is obsessed with smears, the other with results.
