A Russian state media reporter briefly gained access to the Oval Office during Friday’s contentious meeting between President Donald Trump and Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
An unnamed reporter for the Russian state media organization TASS joined other handpicked pool reporters in a meeting that saw Zelenskyy ― who is three years into fighting a Russian invasion of his country ― get berated by Trump.
“You’re not in a good position,” Trump told him at the meeting. “You don’t have the cards right now. With us, you start having cards.”
“I’m not playing cards,” Zelenskyy replied. “I’m very serious, Mr. President. I’m very serious.”
In a statement, the White House said the Russian state reporter was removed from the Oval Office after a member of the administration was made aware.
“TASS was not on the approved list of media for today’s pool,” a White House official told CNN in a statement. “As soon as it came to the attention of press office staff that he was in the Oval, he was escorted out by the Press Secretary.”
Following the heated exchange between Trump and Zelenskyy, Russian state media was quick to praise Trump, with TV commentator Vladimir Solovyov announcing a special show focusing on “Zelenskyy’s suicide in the White House,” Reuters reported.
Meanwhile, former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev called Zelenskyy an “insolent pig.”
“The insolent pig finally got a proper slap down in the Oval Office,” Medvedev posted on social media. “And [Trump] is right: The Kiev regime is ‘gambling with WWIII.’”
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The White House did not clarify how Friday’s security breach with the Russian state media reporter happened. Other U.S. publications like The Associated Press and Reuters were not allowed into the meeting.