Overview

• On his show, Smith said Democrats hold greater responsibility than President Trump, pointing to events that predate the 2022 invasion.
• He noted Russia’s full-scale attack occurred under President Joe Biden, Crimea’s annexation happened during Barack Obama’s tenure, and the 1994 Budapest Memorandum was signed under Bill Clinton.
• Framing those milestones as weakening Ukraine, Smith urged the United States to keep the support it promised to Ukrainians.
• Coverage referenced President Trump’s recent separate meetings with Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelensky as he pursues a long-term peace effort.
• Reports also recalled pre-invasion steps by the Biden administration, including sanctions on Russian banks and debt, an order restricting U.S. activity in the DNR and LNR regions, and a move to enable sanctions on Nord Stream 2.