Fox host on Trump’s claim Russia-Ukraine war wouldn’t have started if he was president: “I think that’s true”
Dana Perino: “He says that if he had been president, it wouldn’t have happened. I think that is true.”
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From the April 23, 2025, edition of Fox News' America Reports
SANDRA SMITH (CO-ANCHOR): That's gonna be interesting. Also, the president taking to Truth Social just a moment ago. This obviously could come up with some of those world leaders as well, talking about the situation in Ukraine, he says, is dire. 'He can, referencing Zelenskyy, have peace, or he can fight for another three years before losing the whole country. We're very close to a deal, but the man with no cards to play should now finally get it done. I look forward to being able to help Ukraine and Russia get out of this complete and total mess,' says President Trump. 'That would never have started if I were president.' So this obviously also —
DANA PERINO (FOX NEWS HOST): Yeah, he talks about this a lot, right? He says that if he had been president, it wouldn't have happened. I think that is true. Unfortunately, the war did happen. He wasn't president during that time. President Biden really slow-walked things and made things much more difficult for Zelenskyy, but Zelenskyy's country was attacked. And President Putin has been back there, I think, really playing along and pretending that he wants peace. So I know President Trump's frustrated on one end. Maybe he's frustrated on the back end as well. All of those countries in Europe, though, they are very concerned about Putin. Whether they need to be or not, maybe President Trump doesn't think they need to be. I don't know. But that is how they feel. And so talking to them, one, about their own defenses is important, and also figuring out a way to try to move forward and get peace in Ukraine.