Exiled Russian Journalist Mikhail Zygar Tells Fox News That Trump Is Echoing Putin’s Narratives

An exiled Russian journalist has delivered a pointed warning on Fox News, telling host Will Cain that former President Donald Trump’s recent rhetoric closely mirrors narratives promoted by Vladimir Putin. The journalist, Mikhail Zygar, spoke from a place of firsthand experience—having fled Russia after founding TV Rain, the country’s only independent television station, now outlawed by the Kremlin.

Zygar Draws a Troubling Parallel

Zygar explained that Trump’s remarks on NATO expansion, U.S. support for Ukraine, and distrust of Western alliances line up with the propaganda Moscovia pushes domestically:

“Trump’s recent portrayal of NATO and Ukraine feels lifted from the scripts we saw on Russian state television. It’s as though Moscow’s messaging has crossed the ocean and influenced the discourse here,” Zygar told Cain.

He continued, emphasizing that even if unintended, such alignment bolsters Putin’s narrative and weakens Western solidarity.

Who Is Mikhail Zygar?

A name respected among Russian dissidents, Mikhail Zygar is the founding editor of TV Rain, and a prominent critic of the Kremlin’s media control. Since fleeing Russia, Zygar has become a leading voice on Putin’s power consolidation and the war in Ukraine, drawing on deep journalistic roots and personal experience The Washington Post.

The U.S. Foreign Policy Angle

Trump has repeatedly expressed skepticism of NATO and questioned continued U.S. military and economic support for Ukraine. While supporters argue he's advocating American interests, critics warn that such rhetoric echoes Putin’s long-standing talking points—ones designed to sow distrust and erode Western unity.

Analysts at the Council on Foreign Relations observe that Moscow consistently frames NATO expansion as a threat—an argument now echoed by some U.S. political figures The New Yorker.

The Broader Implications

With global tensions high, Zygar’s remarks underscore how language matters. Western leaders employing Kremlin-aligned themes—consciously or not—can inadvertently advance Russian strategic narratives. This poses a challenge: distinguishing between legitimate policy critique and rhetoric that aligns with autocratic influence.

Political commentators are already responding. On social media, pro-Trump circles labeled Zygar’s warning as politically motivated, while critics called it a sobering reminder of how foreign narratives can permeate domestic debate.