CNN host shuts down Trump official in fiery clash over Ukraine peace talks

Irish Daily Star

24-04-2025

CNN viewers were left disgruntled after host Pamela Brown had
a heated exchange
with Donald Trump's State Department spokesperson regarding the peace talks in Ukraine. Earlier this week, the Republican leader suggested that an agreement to cease Russia's aggression towards Ukraine is "very close."
Trump encouraged Volodymyr Zelensky to "get it done", despite the ongoing turmoil in Kyiv due to Russian missiles and drones. This follows the recent downgrade of London-based discussions involving representatives from the UK, France, Germany, Ukraine, and the US, which aimed to
establish a ceasefire
.
The change was prompted by the withdrawal of US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and special envoy Steve Witkoff. After announcing his non-participation, the politician issued a statement about
the President's role in the peace negotiations
. He stated: "I think it's important to remind everybody that the Ukraine war is a terrible thing, but it's not our war."
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"And the reason why I make that point is the President has spent 87 days at the highest level of this government repeatedly taking efforts to bring this war to an end. We are now reaching a point where we need to decide and determine whether this is even possible or not, which is why we're engaging both sides," Rubio explained
President Donald Trump chastised Zelensky when he visited
(Image: (Image: AFP via Getty Images))
On Wednesday's episode (April 24) of their morning news show, the 41-year-old presenter invited politician Tammy Bruce to discuss the latest updates on the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
During the televised interview, she pressed the politician for details on the ongoing dialogue between Russia and Ukraine. Bruce responded: "That is what Rubio pointed to and that it will not go on forever, it will not go on for months."
The conversation hit a snag when the official refused to entertain more questions about the war, stating that it's "not fair to discuss on television."
Bruce noted: "It's a matter of what these individuals, what they know in their private conversations through diplomatic conversations and meetings. This is not something that is fair to discuss on television, speculate about or muse about. Their success is based on their actions, and it does not come down to a conversation like this on television."
"I'm just talking about Secretary Rubio's own comments. Secretary Rubio made the comments himself and JD Vance and they're willing to walk away, and you have Ukraine saying that it would not agree to a key part of the US proposal. So, it is very fair to ask about that and press about that," Brown said.
Bruce then reproached the media outlet, alleging that she had replied to the questions multiple times and that the interviewer was merely seeking a confrontation on live TV to "pull people in." Brown defended: "No, it's not that, we're just trying to get answers for our viewers, it's not any of that."
The politician erupted: "We are not going to have this debate, and certainly it's not going to be a negotiation between you and me. You know that and I know that, and the audience should know that this is a dynamic that is very different, this kind of an exchange is very unfortunate."
Intent on ending their squabble over details, Pamela firmly expressed: "Okay, you are the State Department spokesperson, it is very fair of me to ask you basic questions about what has been said publicly."
Bruce was visibly frustrated, insisting, "I want you to accept my answers." Meanwhile, the host justified her stance by saying, "But you didn't answer some of my questions, which is why I followed up, which is my job." The politician retorted: "Of course I did, I just didn't answer it the way you wanted me to answer it."
As the heated conversation unfolded on screen, viewers quickly took to the comments section on X, previously known as Twitter, to voice their dismay at the fiery interaction. One viewer criticized: "This is not transparency. This is how dictators work."
Another shared in the sentiment adding: "All the finger pointing and tapping of the pen on the table. MAGA 101. Feign fake outrage, raise your voice and talk non-stop, so that the interviewer can't get a word in edgewise." A third remarked: "She should recognisze that she is a 'guest' on the show. She doesn't get to set the agenda."