‘These people are sick!’: Trump hits back at ‘fake news’ over Alaska Summit criticism

US President Donald Trump has lashed out at the media and Democrats, rejecting claims that he suffered a setback after hosting Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Alaska summit on 15 August.In a series of posts on Truth Social late Sunday, Trump said: “The Fake News has been saying for 3 days that I suffered a ‘major defeat’ by allowing President Vladimir Putin of Russia to have a major Summit in the United States. Actually, he would have loved doing the meeting anywhere else but the US, and the Fake News knows this. It was a major point of contention! If we had the Summit elsewhere, the Democrat run and controlled media would have said what a terrible thing that was. These people are sick!”The president also defended his decision to host the high-profile meeting of European leaders coming with Ukrainian President Zelenskyy for peace negotiations, saying it is an honour for America rather than a loss. “The Fake News will say that it is a big loss for President Trump to host so many great European Leaders at our beautiful White House. Actually, it is a great honour for America!!!” he wrote.Trump also took aim at senator Chris Murphy, who had earlier criticised the summit, saying Putin “got everything that he wanted.” Responding sharply, Trump wrote, “The very unattractive (both inside and out!) Senator from Connecticut, Chris Murphy, said ‘Putin got everything that he wanted.’ Actually, ‘nobody got anything,’ too soon, but getting close. Murphy is a lightweight who thinks it made the Russian President look good in coming to America. Actually, it was very hard for President Putin to do so. This war can be ended, NOW, but stupid people like Chris Murphy, John Bolton, and others, make it much harder to do so.”Murphy had earlier described Trump’s move to federalise police in Washington, DC, as a “stunt” and suggested the president was under pressure from his own supporters over unrelated controversies, according to The Hill.Trump stressed that his focus remained on securing peace in Ukraine following the Alaska summit. “I had a great meeting in Alaska on Biden’s stupid War, a war that should have never happened!!!” he posted, adding that efforts were underway to reach a peace deal rather than just a ceasefire.The US president had earlier described the Alaska talks with Putin as a “great and very successful day” and said he also held late-night calls with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Nato Secretary-General Mark Rutte, and European leaders, during which they agreed that a peace agreement, rather than a temporary ceasefire, would be the best way to end the conflict.Reiterating his long-standing criticism of the press, Trump accused journalists of deliberately misrepresenting his actions. “It’s incredible how the Fake News violently distorts the truth when it comes to me. There is nothing I can say or do that would lead them to write or report honestly about me,” he wrote.In another post, he argued that even if he secured a major concession from Moscow, the media would still attack him: “If I got Russia to give up Moscow as part of the Deal, the Fake News, and their partner, the Radical Left Democrats, would say I made a terrible mistake and a very bad deal. That’s why they are the Fake News!”The president also claimed credit for preventing further global conflicts, writing: “They should talk about the 6 wars, etc., I just stopped!!! MAGA.”The Alaska summit produced no immediate breakthrough, though Trump insisted progress had been made and that his strategy was aimed at moving towards a lasting peace.