Fighting Words: The Most Biting Attacks From Trump, Vance, and Zelensky During the Oval Office Meeting That Went Off the Rails
The extraordinary no-holds-barred session was filled with barbs, searing attacks, insults, raised voices, and much more.

President Trumpâs meeting with President Zelensky devolved into a shouting match and warnings that the Ukrainian leader is âgambling with World War III.â
The closely watched meeting was seen as an opportunity for Mr. Zelensky to win some security guarantees from America, but it ended with him leaving the White House earlier than expected after a contentious exchange in the Oval Office.
Here are some of the most dramatic lines from the contentious gathering.
âDisrespectfulâ
Things started to become contentious when Vice President Vance sparred with Mr. Zelensky over a diplomatic end to the war.
Mr. Vance suggested the âpath to prosperityâ is through diplomacy, which led Mr. Zelensky to recount Russiaâs history of aggression towards Ukraine and ask, âWhat kind of diplomacy, J.D., are you speaking about?â
âWith respect, I think itâs disrespectful for you to come to the Oval Office and try to litigate this in front of the American media,â Mr. Vance shot back. âYou should be thanking the president for trying to bring an end to this conflict.â
âYou have a nice oceanâ
Mr. Zelensky said, âDuring the war, everybody has problems, even you. But you have [a] nice ocean and donât feel now, but youâll feel it in the future.â
Mr. Trump shot back, âDonât tell us what weâre going to feel! Weâre trying to solve a problem. Donât tell us what weâre going to feel because youâre in no position to dictate that. Remember this here, youâre in no position to dictate what weâre going to feel.â
âYouâre gambling with World War IIIâ
Mr. Trump told Mr. Zelensky that he did not have the âcardsâ to dictate anything, saying, âWith us, you start having cards.â
âIâm not playing cards,â Mr. Zelensky said.
Mr. Trump shot back, âYouâre playing cards. Youâre gambling with the lives of millions of people. Youâre gambling with World War III. Youâre gambling with World War III. And what youâre doing is very disrespectful to this country thatâs backed you far more than a lot said they should have.â
âHave you said thank you?â
Mr. Vance asked, âHave you said âthank youâ once this entire meeting?â
The Ukrainian leader insisted he has said âthank youâ a lot.
However, Mr. Vance criticized him for touring a munitions factory in Pennsylvania in September alongside Governor Shapiro. The vice president claimed he âcampaigned for the opposition.â
âWhat are you speaking about?â Mr. Zelensky asked.
He said, âPlease, you think if you speak very loudly about the warâŠâ
âHeâs not speaking loudly,â Mr. Trump shot back.
âYouâre not winning thisâ
Mr. Trump delivered a pessimistic view of Ukraineâs chance of winning the war, saying, âYouâre country is in big trouble. Youâre not winning this. You have a damn good chance of coming out OK because of us!â
âFrom the very beginning of the war, weâve been alone,â Mr. Zelensky said.
Raising his voice, Mr. Trump said Ukraine has ânot been aloneâ because of âthe stupid president,â in reference to President Biden, and the aid America has given to Ukraine so far.
âThis war wouldâve been over in two weeksâ
Mr. Trump suggested that with Americaâs military assistance, the war would have been âoverâ in âtwo weeksâ and that Russia would have easily taken over Ukraine.
However, Mr. Zelensky dismissed the comment and said, âIn three days, I heard it from Putin.â
âA guy named Biden, who was not a smart personâ
Mr. Zelensky explained why he did not support a ceasefire without security guarantees from America, as he noted that in 2019, he signed onto a framework that was supposed to end Russiaâs aggression in Ukraine and pointed out that it did not stop President Putin from launching his full-scale invasion in 2022. He said, âAsk our people about a ceasefire [and] what they think.â
âThat wasnât with me, that was with a guy named Biden who was not a smart person,â Mr. Trump shot back. âThat was with Obama, who gave you sheets, and I gave you Javelins [missiles].â
He added, âYou gotta be more thankful.â
âWhat if a bomb drops on your head right now?â
Mr. Trump responded to a question about what would happen if Russia violated a hypothetical ceasefire deal by asking the journalist, âWhat if anything? What if a bomb drops on your head right now?â
He insisted Mr. Putin respects him and âwent through a hell of a lot with me,â such as the Russia investigation.
â[Putin] had to go through that. And he did go through it. We didnât end up in a war. And he went through it. He was accused of all that stuff. It came out of Hunter Bidenâs bathroom. It came out of Hunter Bidenâs bedroom. It was disgusting,â Mr. Trump said.
âMake a deal, or weâre outâ
At the end of the meeting, Mr. Trump offered a warning to Ukraine, saying, âYouâre either going to either make a deal, or weâre out. And if weâre out, youâll fight it out, I donât think itâs going to be pretty.â
âYouâre not acting at all thankful. And thatâs not a nice thing, Iâll be honest, thatâs not a nice thing,â he said.
Zelenskyâs outfit
Before the meeting, Mr. Trump greeted Mr. Zelensky and commented on his famous drab outfit, saying, âWow, look heâs all dressed up today!â
Mr. Zelensky responded, âI had to.â
A journalist asked him, âWhy donât you wear a suit? Youâre in the highest level of this countryâs office and you refuse to wear a suit. Do you own a suit?â
âDo you have problems?â Mr. Zelensky asked.
The journalist responded, âA lot of Americans have problems with you not respecting this office.â
âI will wear a costume after this war will finish,â Mr. Zelensky said.
During the explosive exchange, the Ukrainian ambassador to America was seen burying her face in her hand.
After the meeting, Fox Newsâ Jacqui Heinrich reported that Mr. Trump ordered Mr. Zelensky to leave the White House early because he felt âdisrespectedâ by Mr. Zelenskyâs body language during the exchange.
A press conference and a signing for a minerals deal were canceled.
In a statement posted on Truth Social, Mr. Trump said Mr. Zelensky âdisrespected the United States in its cherished Oval Officeâ and âcan come back when he is ready for peace.â
Mr. Zelensky posted on X, âThank you America, thank you for your support, thank you for this visit. Thank you @POTUS, Congress, and the American people. Ukraine needs just and lasting peace, and we are working exactly for that.â