Former Fox News anchor Gretchen Carlson claimed the explosive Oval Office clash between President Donald Trump and Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky was ‘staged’ for maximum political effect.

Appearing on CNN’s morning panel, Carlson did not hold back as she called the heated exchange between the world leaders a deliberate spectacle aimed at captivating the American public and reinforcing Trump’s nationalist agenda.

‘I felt like it was completely planned, Abby,’ Carlson told CNN anchor Abby Phillip. ‘I mean, even Trump said this was great TV, and it’s sort of like he let the cat out of the bag’

Carlson said she believed Trump and Vice President JD Vance orchestrated the dramatic standoff, ensuring that their tough stance on Ukraine’s military funding would dominate social media and conservative media outlets.

Former Fox News anchor Gretchen Carlson has claimed the explosive Oval Office clash between President Donald Trump, and Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky was ‘staged’ for maximum political effect.

‘If you go on any social media, you’re seeing people say, “Yay, we got America back again, make America great again.” And I was asking, how does this make America great again?’ she asked, questioning the true motives behind the fiery exchange.

Carlson’s claim comes just days after the stunning public confrontation unfolded at the White House. 

What was supposed to be a tense but diplomatic meeting to discuss a Ukrainian minerals deal quickly spiraled into chaos, with Trump accusing Zelensky of ‘gambling with World War Three’ and Zelensky warning the U.S. would ‘feel it in the future’ if it cut off support.

Trump, who has long expressed skepticism about continuing military aid to Ukraine, hammered Zelensky for what he saw as a lack of gratitude, a sentiment echoed by Vice President JD Vance.

Former Fox News anchor Gretchen Carlson has claimed the explosive Oval Office clash between President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance , and Ukraine ‘s President Volodymyr Zelensky was ‘staged’ for maximum political effect

Trump accused Zelensky of ‘gambling with World War Three’ and Zelensky warned the US would ‘feel it in the future’ if it cut off support

‘Mr. President, with respect, I think it’s disrespectful for you to come into the Oval Office and try to litigate this in front of the American media,’ Vance told Zelensky. ‘You should be thanking the president for bringing an end to this conflict.’

The exchange became so heated that Zelensky was told to leave the White House, forcing the cancellation of a planned press conference and putting on hold a U.S.-Ukraine deal on rare minerals that had been widely anticipated.

Carlson’s bold assertion that the blow-up was ‘staged’ raises serious questions about Trump’s motivations, but she believes the president, himself a former reality TV star, deliberately engineered the confrontation for maximum public impact.

‘Trump and Vance know they’re playing to the American public more than anything else,’ Carlson remarked. 

‘I felt like it was completely planned, Abby,’ Carlson told CNN anchor Abby Phillip, left. ‘I mean, even Trump said this was great TV, and it’s sort of like he let the cat out of the bag.’

Carlson, once a loyal Fox News figurehead, has become one of the few high-profile conservative voices willing to challenge Trump’s actions head-on

The exchange became so heated that Zelensky was told to leave the White House, forcing the cancellation of a planned press conference and putting on hold a U.S.-Ukraine deal on rare minerals that had been widely anticipated

‘This is different than being tough on crime or tough at the border. This is like, okay, I guess we’re not going to give $350 million to Ukraine anymore. But what about U.S. security?’ 

If Carlson’s theory were to be true, it would mean the US president and vice president deliberately undermined an ally in wartime for political gain. 

The stakes of the meeting were monumental – with $350 million in US aid and a critical minerals deal hanging in the balance, yet as Carlson points out, Trump himself admitted that it was all just ‘great TV.’

Carlson, once a loyal Fox News figurehead, has become one of the few high-profile conservative voices willing to challenge Trump’s actions head-on.