President Donald Trump launched a scathing attack against MSNBC host Nicolle Wallace on Sunday morning, August 17, declaring on Truth Social that she would soon lose her job and describing the network as dead.
The confrontation began when Trump posted the cryptic word “Bela” on his social media platform, prompting various interpretations from users. In the replies, a commenter shared a doctored image of Wallace featuring a “Karen” haircut and red nose, accompanied by captions labeling her show as “Clown news” and suggesting she feared unemployment.
Trump responded directly to the manipulated image, writing that Wallace was “a loser, with bad ratings, who was already thrown off of The View.” The 79-year-old President concluded his post by stating, “She will be fired soon! MSNBC IS DEAD!”
Wallace, who currently hosts “Deadline: White House” on MSNBC, previously served as White House Communications Director during the second term of President George W. Bush’s administration. She also co-hosted ABC’s “The View” for one season after joining in September 2014 before departing the daytime talk show.
The social media tirade appeared to be retaliation for Wallace’s critical coverage of Trump’s recent meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Friday, August 15. The summit failed to produce the ceasefire Trump had promised, despite his earlier warnings to Putin about severe consequences if peace negotiations stalled.
On her Friday, August 15 broadcast, Wallace condemned Trump’s meeting with the Russian leader, describing it as heinous to watch the American president stand with someone she characterized as responsible for Ukrainian suffering and death. She argued that Trump demonstrated no concern for democracy, American allies, or the sovereignty of democratic nations.
Wallace also made pointed observations about the physical interactions between the two leaders during their photo opportunity, noting extensive handshaking and touching between Trump and Putin. She suggested the American president appeared more physically affectionate with the Russian leader than he typically did with his own wife.
Before targeting Wallace specifically, Trump had expressed broader frustration with media coverage of the Alaska meeting. He indicated that news outlets violently distorted the truth about him and claimed nothing he could say or do would lead to honest reporting about his actions.
The president defended the Putin meeting as successful, characterizing the Ukraine conflict as a war initiated by his predecessor that should never have occurred. He suggested that even if Russia made significant territorial concessions, media outlets and Democratic opponents would still criticize any resulting agreement.
Trump supporters amplified his criticism in the comment section below his Truth Social post, referring to Wallace with derogatory nicknames and dismissing her program as illegitimate news. One user suggested she needed emergency assistance for her supposed job insecurity.
Wallace addressed Trump’s attack during her Monday, August 18 broadcast, acknowledging that she had witnessed his anger firsthand. She indicated that the president becomes furious with anyone who reports truthfully about his diplomatic meetings and other activities.
During the same Monday show, Wallace fact-checked Trump’s separate claims about mail-in voting, cutting short a clip of his Oval Office remarks to correct what she described as completely false statements. She noted that multiple countries, including Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany, Australia, and Switzerland, utilize mail-in voting systems.
Wallace emphasized that no evidence supports claims of widespread voter fraud, despite Trump’s continued assertions. She pointed out the irony that Trump himself has utilized mail-in voting while simultaneously attacking the practice, characterizing his position as one of his most dangerous and unfounded delusions regarding the 2020 presidential election.
Despite Trump’s claims about poor ratings, Wallace’s “Deadline: White House” program consistently ranks among MSNBC’s top-performing shows. The program regularly attracts over one million viewers and significantly outperforms CNN’s competing time slot, though it trails Fox News programming in the same hours.
The exchange represents the latest escalation in Trump’s ongoing conflict with MSNBC personalities, which has previously included attacks on “Morning Joe” hosts Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski, as well as demands for the firing of other network hosts.
