Sky News previously reported that Trump’s special envoy, Witkoff, experienced a wait of over eight hours for a meeting with Putin, who was allegedly occupied with discussions with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko during that period.
On Saturday, March 15, U.S. President Donald Trump criticized media organizations for allegedly disseminating false information regarding an incident involving Russian President Vladimir Putin and his close aide, Steve Witkoff. Through his Truth Social platform, Trump asserted that there was “no nine-hour wait” and emphasized that his “highly respected ambassador and special representative” engaged in several fruitful discussions.
“Yesterday evening, I came across reports claiming that Russian President Vladimir Putin made my esteemed ambassador and special representative, Steve Witkoff, wait for over nine hours, which is simply untrue,” Trump stated.
“There were other meetings with various Russian representatives that understandably took some time, but they were very productive. After that, everything proceeded swiftly and efficiently, and I remain optimistic about the outcomes! To clarify, there was no nine-hour wait or any wait whatsoever!” he continued.
The President further remarked that the media had “fabricated” this narrative to belittle and humiliate him.
“The sole purpose of this fabricated story is to try and DEGRADE, as they are morally bankrupt individuals who need to start reporting the news accurately. This is why they have seen a decline in their ratings, audience, and credibility. Thank you for your attention to this issue, and GOD BLESS AMERICA!”
Earlier, Sky News reported that Trump’s special envoy, Witkoff, had indeed waited for more than eight hours for a meeting with Putin, who was reportedly occupied with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko at that time.
On March 14, the day prior, Trump had also criticized major news networks during a speech at the Department of Justice, suggesting that their reporting should be deemed illegal and warrant investigation.
“I believe that CNN and MS-DNC, which consistently report 97.6% negatively about me, function as political extensions of the Democratic Party and, in my view, their actions are corrupt and illegal,” Trump asserted.
He likened media organizations to political operatives, contending that their conduct should be scrutinized.
Trump stated that “these networks and newspapers are essentially akin to well-compensated political operatives,” referring to CNN and MSNBC as “corrupt.”
He emphasized, “This must come to an end; it should be deemed illegal. It is affecting judges and fundamentally altering the law, which cannot be permissible. I do not believe it is lawful, and they operate in complete coordination with one another.”
