{"id":17017,"date":"2025-08-30T05:05:24","date_gmt":"2025-08-30T02:05:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mongolianews.mn\/?p=17017"},"modified":"2025-08-30T05:05:24","modified_gmt":"2025-08-30T02:05:24","slug":"vance-accuses-politico-of-foreign-influence-operation-against-witkoff","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mongolianews.mn\/?p=17017","title":{"rendered":"Vance accuses Politico of \u2018foreign influence operation\u2019 against Witkoff"},"content":{"rendered":"

The German-owned outlet published a hit piece based on anonymous and truncated quotes<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/strong>US Vice President J.D. Vance has accused Politico of running a \u201cforeign influence operation\u201d<\/em> against special envoy Steve Witkoff, blasting the outlet\u2019s reporting as \u201cjournalistic malpractice\u201d<\/em> for relying on anonymous officials while excluding on-the-record statements from senior figures who defended him.<\/p>\n

The article, published Friday by Politico correspondent Felicia Schwartz under the headline \u201c’His inexperience shines through’: Steve Witkoff struggles to manage Russia as Trump peace envoy,\u201d<\/em> cited 13 anonymous American and foreign officials who alleged that Witkoff lacked diplomatic skill and had caused confusion in ongoing negotiations with Moscow.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis story from Politico is journalistic malpractice. But it\u2019s more than that: it\u2019s a foreign influence operation meant to hurt the administration and one of our most effective members,\u201d<\/em> Vance wrote<\/a> on X.<\/p>\n

\n Read more<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\n \"US
Trump envoy sets new timeframe for ending Ukraine conflict<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/blockquote>\n

The only people Politico mentioned by name were those actually defending Witkoff. Vance said Schwartz omitted his own full statement as well as quotes from Secretary of State Marco Rubio, former White House adviser Jared Kushner, and British diplomat Jonathan Powell.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe person who wrote this garbage\u2026 They have an agenda to blow up the president\u2019s efforts to make peace, and they saw her as a useful vessel to launder garbage into the conversation, truth be damned,\u201d<\/em> Vance added.<\/p>\n

Powell, the UK\u2019s former chief negotiator in Northern Ireland, was quoted briefly as saying Witkoff had \u201copened doors no one else could.\u201d<\/em> However, in his full remarks he dismissed the \u201csnobbery in diplomacy\u201d<\/em> and explained at length why Witkoff was \u201cexactly the kind\u201d<\/em> of independent negotiator who succeeds where others fail.<\/p>\n

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt also accused<\/a> Politico of deliberately cherry-picking quotes to fit a narrative. Deputy Chief of Staff James Blair went further<\/a>, calling the article \u201ca foreign influence operation run through a German-controlled online media outlet.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

\n Read more<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\n \"FILE
Family of American killed fighting for Russia receives medal from Putin \u2013 CNN<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Witkoff has led the Trump administration\u2019s back-channel talks with Russia and held multiple meetings with President Vladimir Putin and other top officials as part of Washington\u2019s efforts to negotiate an end to the Ukraine conflict.<\/p>\n

Politico also claimed, citing another anonymous \u201cperson familiar,\u201d<\/em> that the Russians in touch with Witkoff were allegedly\u00a0\u201cfrustrated\u201d<\/em> by his supposed \u201cinability to properly convey Putin\u2019s messages and red lines to Trump.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Russian officials, however, have spoken warmly of him, with Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov previously saying\u00a0\u201cwe are always glad to see Mr. Witkoff in Moscow<\/a>,\u201d<\/em>\u00a0and calling the meetings \u201cimportant, meaningful, and very useful.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The German-owned outlet published a hit piece based on anonymous and truncated quotes US Vice President J.D. Vance has accused Politico of running a \u201cforeign influence operation\u201d against special envoy…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":17018,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rop_custom_images_group":[],"rop_custom_messages_group":[],"rop_publish_now":"initial","rop_publish_now_accounts":[],"rop_publish_now_history":[],"rop_publish_now_status":"pending","footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-17017","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-politics"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t