Fox columnist speculates that Trump's weak press conference with Putin was to “protect some agreements”

Liz Peek: “We don't know whether he was trying to protect some agreements that had been made in that very long two-hour, one-on-one confab”

From the July 17 edition of Fox Business' Mornings with Maria Bartiromo:

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MARIA BARTIROMO (HOST): So what do you think, Liz? Does the president need to work with Russia to solve issues like this? What did you think of the post-summit press conference that we've been talking about this morning?

LIZ PEEK (FOX NEWS COLUMNIST): OK, so I think I'm the only person that didn't just completely bash President Trump for his performance in the press conference. Let us agree he did not do well. He said some things he should not have said. But I think one of the great failings was he did not explain why it was that we have Syria in common, why it was it's important to meet with Russia. We don't know what they talked about for two hours.

BARTIROMO: That's right.

PEEK: And when he came out and made conciliatory, and some people would say obsequious, gestures to President Trump -- I mean President Putin -- we don't know whether he was trying to protect some agreements that had been made in that very long two-hour, one-on-one confab. The point is there are issues that we have in common. Obviously Syria. Trump wants to get out of Syria. He needs to have Russia step in and make Iran go home. So they then with Israel can protect Israel's borders. There's no surprise to me that Netanyahu talked to Trump the day before the summit and visited with Putin three days before the summit. There are lots of things -- North Korea, we need to work with Russia on North Korea. The point is, Trump never really -- he's not the most articulate man in the world, heaven knows. He did not really make the case why we need any kind of partnership at all with Russia. And I think that was a grave issue.

I personally do not think that you come to a summit with all the arrangements, all that's at stake, walk out on a global stage, and call the other person a liar to his face. I think that would have been a ridiculous thing. And I'm really -- I was shocked that everybody expected him to do that.

Previously:

Fox Business attacks Parkland survivors for pushing to defund gun manufacturers

Laura Ingraham excuses Trump's disastrous press conference: Foreign policy is “complex,” and Trump is “new to it”

Hannity praises Trump during interview for being “very strong at the end of the press conference”