‘Very unfair media’: Trump slams ‘fake news’; calls Bolton ‘really dumb’ ahead of Putin summit

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday took aim at the “very unfair media” over its coverage of his upcoming meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Friday, ahead of ongoing talks over a potential Ukraine ceasefire.

Posting on his Truth Social platform, Trump singled out former National Security Advisor John Bolton, calling him a “fired loser” and “really dumb,” and accused networks of misrepresenting the summit. “Very unfair media is at work on my meeting with Putin. Constantly quoting fired losers and really dumb people like John Bolton, who just said that, even though the meeting is on American soil, ‘Putin has already won,’” Trump posted on Truth Social.



“What’s that all about? We are winning on EVERYTHING. The Fake News is working overtime (No tax on overtime!),” Trump further wrote. “If I got Moscow and Leningrad free, as part of the deal with Russia, the Fake News would say that I made a bad deal! But now they’ve been caught.”

He added, “Look at all of the real news that’s coming out about their CORRUPTION. They are sick and dishonest people who probably hate our Country. But it doesn’t matter because we are winning on everything!!! MAGA.”

Former US National Security Advisor John Bolton has criticised Trump’s approach, including tariffs on India for Russian oil purchases, warning they could push India closer to Moscow and Beijing. Bolton also labelled the Alaska summit a “great victory for Putin,” comments that Trump highlighted in his Truth Social post.

Trump’s remarks come ahead of scheduled calls with European leaders and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Wednesday. The president has portrayed the Alaska meeting as a chance to “feel out” Putin, even hinting that a ceasefire deal could involve “land swapping” - a proposal firmly rejected by Zelenskyy.

Speaking in Berlin on Tuesday, Zelenskyy clarified that Ukraine will not make territorial concessions, emphasizing that any decision on its lands is subject solely to the Ukrainian Constitution.

The US president is set to speak with Zelenskyy and European leaders on Wednesday before meeting Putin. Analysts say the summit will test Trump’s approach to the Russia-Ukraine conflict, with concerns that a rushed deal could undermine Kyiv’s position.

Zelenskyy also noted that recent proposals appear to reflect Putin’s preferences rather than US mediation, saying Ukraine might be asked to withdraw from Donbas. “This is not a proposal from Trump or Witkoff,” he told reporters.

Trump, meanwhile, painted the summit as an opportunity to “feel out” the Russian president while continuing to challenge media narratives about the meeting.