Fox News host Mark Levin refuted President Donald Trump’s bombastic claims about Russia’s war on Ukraine, siding with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on his radio show on Wednesday.
To prove his point, Levin, normally a steadfast supporter of the president, provided his listeners with a history lesson on Kremlin dictator Vladimir Putin’s rise to power in Russia and the crimes he allegedly committed to get there.
Trump went on the offensive in his dealings with Zelensky this week, calling him a “dictator” and blaming him for the war in his home country—even though it was Russia that invaded Ukraine with little provocation in 2022.
Levin started by contextualizing Trump’s claims about Zelensky.
The president had tried to sow doubts about the Ukrainian president to reporters at his Mar-a-Lago resort on Tuesday: “We have a situation where we haven’t had elections in Ukraine, where we have martial law.”
In response to this allegation, Levin argued that Zelensky had indeed ordered martial law and hadn’t called for an election because “that’s what the constitution there compelled.” He pointed out the irony at play here, when Putin is serving his fifth term as president of Russia.
“Now, I’m waiting for the first free election for Vladimir Putin. I mean, this is almost comical in a sick way that Putin is demanding an election,” Levin contended. “Why is he demanding an election in Ukraine when he doesn’t have free and real elections in his own country? And why does he-, why does he get to call the shots when in fact, he murders people who dare to challenge him?”
Levin added: “ I don’t know why there are people that not only oppose Zelensky but seem to support Putin.”
The Fox News host ended his history lesson by playing a clip of his network colleagues Martha MacCallum and Jack Keane, who also seemed to disagree with Trump.
“Now look, I don’t have a problem if it’s the position of our administration to cut back on support for Ukraine — which I oppose, by the way — then so be it. Elections have consequences, so be it. But I want to make sure the facts are on the table and you, the American people, draw your own conclusion,” Levin said, adding: “MAGA doesn’t support Putin.”
