Washington Free Beacon editor-in-chief Matthew Continetti said on Tuesday that President Donald Trump's actions against Russia speak louder than any words.
Continetti appeared on the Fox News program "Special Report," where host Bret Baier asked Continetti about Trump's meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Helsinki on July 16. Trump is currently attending a summit meeting in Brussels with other NATO leaders.
Continetti cited stepped-up military exercises by the U.S. in Eastern Europe as an example of how Trump is not bowing down to Russia and Putin as his critics have suggested.
"I think when looking at Trump and Putin, we have to recognize that actions speak louder than words. And so far, even though the president has allowed himself some room for some personal diplomacy in order to strike some grand bargain, the actions the administration have taken have been pretty tough, including stepped-up training exercises along the Eastern Front, if you will, in Europe," Continetti said.
Continetti said the Trump and Putin's meeting could hold a lot of promise as Putin wants many things from Trump and the U.S., but that Russia would have to provide concessions as well.
Continetti added that tough actions by the Trump administration in the face of Chinese aggression in the South China Sea and that the future of American-Chinese relations is "pretty dim," especially regarding the trade war with China.