Aboard Air Force One en route to Alaska for a high-stakes meeting with Russian President Vladimir V. Putin, President Donald J. Trump reportedly found himself the recipient of unexpected praise from one of his fiercest political adversaries: Hillary Clinton.
Fox News anchor Bret Baier, traveling with the president, previewed portions of their conversation ahead of the summit. In one clip, Baier asked about Clinton’s recent remarks, which were made on Democratic strategist Jessica Tarlov’s podcast.
“Did you see that Hillary Clinton yesterday said that if you got this deal done and not capitulate to Putin, that she would nominate you for the Nobel Peace Prize?” Baier asked. He then played the excerpt in which Clinton said, “If President Trump were the architect of that, I’d nominate him for a Nobel Peace Prize.”
Trump, who ran one of the most combative campaigns in modern political history against Clinton in 2016, seemed amused. “That was very nice,” he said with a grin. “I may have to start liking her again.”
For a political figure long accused by his critics of fostering division, the moment was notable — a rare acknowledgment of goodwill between two political rivals.
The exchange underscored the stakes of the meeting in Alaska, where Trump hopes to make progress on issues that have defied resolution under multiple administrations.
Baier, recounting his broader interview, said he pressed Trump on whether he believes he can trust Putin — a question that has loomed over U.S.-Russia relations for decades. “He’s been down this road before,” Baier noted, recalling moments when Trump expressed optimism after conversations with the Russian leader, only to see events on the ground take a darker turn.
“He’s had phone calls with him in which at the end of the phone call, there was another missile strike or another drone strike into Kiev,” Baier said, describing the pattern. “I asked him about his KGB background, the fact that he’s met with five different presidents 48 different times — Putin has.”
According to Baier, Trump’s response was direct. “‘Listen, it’s going to be trust but verify. I’m going to know, and we’re going to get to the next step,’” the president said.
The “trust but verify” formula, famously invoked by President Ronald Reagan during Cold War negotiations, appeared to be a deliberate choice of words — a signal to both allies and skeptics that Trump intends to approach Putin with a mix of caution and determination.
For supporters, it is a reminder that Trump sees himself as a dealmaker willing to push for agreements without sacrificing American leverage.
The meeting in Alaska comes amid heightened tensions in Eastern Europe and skepticism from political opponents who doubt Putin’s willingness to compromise.
But for the president, the moment is an opportunity to demonstrate that his unconventional style — one that can elicit even guarded compliments from Hillary Clinton — might still produce results in some of the world’s most intractable conflicts.
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