If I’d never been to Ukraine, I’d probably oppose it.
From afar, to those quite tired of Washington's games, Ukraine might look like another endless U.S. war—pushed by media spin, the defense industry, and Hunter Biden’s Burisma connections. Even Hollywood seemed in on it until they got bored.
And I’d think the 2014 Maidan Revolution was staged by some State Department lady handing out cookies.
But up close? The truth isn’t what you’d expect. 🧵[1]⤵️
From afar, to those quite tired of Washington's games, Ukraine might look like another endless U.S. war—pushed by media spin, the defense industry, and Hunter Biden’s Burisma connections. Even Hollywood seemed in on it until they got bored.
And I’d think the 2014 Maidan Revolution was staged by some State Department lady handing out cookies.
But up close? The truth isn’t what you’d expect. 🧵[1]⤵️
2/ On Trump’s Inauguration Day, 2025, I made a deliberate choice—not to join gatherings in Washington, but to take a train to Kharkiv, 30 miles from Russia.
It felt worlds away from Inauguration Day 2009, when a call from Rupert Murdoch’s consigliere sent me into the manufactured, manipulative world of media power.
Now, I’m in the actual, factual world—where freedom is fought for daily. ⤵️
It felt worlds away from Inauguration Day 2009, when a call from Rupert Murdoch’s consigliere sent me into the manufactured, manipulative world of media power.
Now, I’m in the actual, factual world—where freedom is fought for daily. ⤵️
3/ Back in 2009, while watching Obama's speech, I was summoned to New York to meet Roger Ailes, the creator of Fox News and kingmaker of presidents.
“You’re going to run this place,” he told me. I had access to the corridors of power, the resources to investigate anything, to uncover truth.
But truth wasn’t welcome. So two years later, I fled.⤵️
“You’re going to run this place,” he told me. I had access to the corridors of power, the resources to investigate anything, to uncover truth.
But truth wasn’t welcome. So two years later, I fled.⤵️
4/ Much has happened since.
In 2020, I found myself stuck in Ukraine during the pandemic. What was supposed to be a short stay turned into something much bigger.
I discovered a fiercely free, safe, innovative, pleasant country, where thanks to natural food my health flourished despite the pandemic. It was a free time: Ukrainians could not be locked away!
And so when Russia invaded, I knew I had to return to journalism. ⤵️
In 2020, I found myself stuck in Ukraine during the pandemic. What was supposed to be a short stay turned into something much bigger.
I discovered a fiercely free, safe, innovative, pleasant country, where thanks to natural food my health flourished despite the pandemic. It was a free time: Ukrainians could not be locked away!
And so when Russia invaded, I knew I had to return to journalism. ⤵️
5/ For three years, I reported live from Ukraine on Chicago’s WGN Radio—10 minutes every weekday.
Through missile strikes, power outages, and sleepless nights, I always found a way to share what I was seeing and hearing. Listeners wrote in saying they could hear the war in my voice—hope, fear, exhaustion.
It brought them to the war, with a rigorous empathy, every damn day. ⤵️
Through missile strikes, power outages, and sleepless nights, I always found a way to share what I was seeing and hearing. Listeners wrote in saying they could hear the war in my voice—hope, fear, exhaustion.
It brought them to the war, with a rigorous empathy, every damn day. ⤵️
6/ The Chicago Sun-Times called my reports "something rare in the world of corporate media: real, regular humanity."
And somehow, despite pro-Russian hate campaigns, those daily broadcasts continued for three years—without interference from corporate overlords.
Until they pulled the plug just before last Christmas. Gone in an instant, just as things were getting super interesting. ⤵️
And somehow, despite pro-Russian hate campaigns, those daily broadcasts continued for three years—without interference from corporate overlords.
Until they pulled the plug just before last Christmas. Gone in an instant, just as things were getting super interesting. ⤵️
7/ The timing was strange.
My report was canceled just as Ukraine’s fight for freedom reached a critical moment—and right before Trump’s inauguration.
The station knew I had sources in Washington that could’ve shed light on what’s really happening with Ukraine. But instead, silence.
It made me reflect on why I left Fox News in the first place. ⤵️
My report was canceled just as Ukraine’s fight for freedom reached a critical moment—and right before Trump’s inauguration.
The station knew I had sources in Washington that could’ve shed light on what’s really happening with Ukraine. But instead, silence.
It made me reflect on why I left Fox News in the first place. ⤵️
8/ I left Fox News not just to escape the control of the media manipulators.
I wanted to understand the world, not from inside towers of paranoia and power, but by living in it.
That’s why I’m here now, in Kharkiv—a city of resilient people who face missiles daily—even now at this very moment--yet refuse to surrender their freedom. ⤵️
I wanted to understand the world, not from inside towers of paranoia and power, but by living in it.
That’s why I’m here now, in Kharkiv—a city of resilient people who face missiles daily—even now at this very moment--yet refuse to surrender their freedom. ⤵️
9/ Many Americans are skeptical of Ukraine, and I get it.
1️⃣ You think this is just another endless U.S. war. But the war machine actually opposes a quick Ukrainian victory—because long wars sell weapons. 2023 was a record year for U.S. defense sales.
2️⃣ You think Biden’s support is about Hunter’s Burisma money. But Burisma isn’t Ukrainian—it’s part of a pro-Kremlin cartel working to undermine Ukraine’s independence.
3️⃣ You think the 2014 Revolution was staged by the U.S. But I’ve met Ukrainians who were there. Victoria Nuland handed out cookies, yes—but she urged them to cut a deal with a pro-Putin regime.
The truth flips these narratives on their head. ⤵️
1️⃣ You think this is just another endless U.S. war. But the war machine actually opposes a quick Ukrainian victory—because long wars sell weapons. 2023 was a record year for U.S. defense sales.
2️⃣ You think Biden’s support is about Hunter’s Burisma money. But Burisma isn’t Ukrainian—it’s part of a pro-Kremlin cartel working to undermine Ukraine’s independence.
3️⃣ You think the 2014 Revolution was staged by the U.S. But I’ve met Ukrainians who were there. Victoria Nuland handed out cookies, yes—but she urged them to cut a deal with a pro-Putin regime.
The truth flips these narratives on their head. ⤵️
10/ That’s why I’m still here, 30 miles from Russia, without my daily radio outlet but still committed to bringing you the truth—raw, real, and unfiltered.
Kharkiv is the center of the fight for freedom. The people here face missiles and drones daily yet insist on living free.
The resilient people of Kharkiv—so often bombed and so close to Russia—prove that Ukraine can win. And America can too, if we learn from their fight. Join the journey. ✊ 🎬
Kharkiv is the center of the fight for freedom. The people here face missiles and drones daily yet insist on living free.
The resilient people of Kharkiv—so often bombed and so close to Russia—prove that Ukraine can win. And America can too, if we learn from their fight. Join the journey. ✊ 🎬
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