News anchors on the left and right united in stunning condemnations of Trump's 'ugly,' 'horrible' press conference with Putin

Screenshot/Fox News

"Fox & Friends" hosts discuss Trump's tweet on Monday morning.

• Cable news hosts at every major network, including a few at President Donald Trump's favorite Fox News, condemned the president's press conference with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
• During the rare event in Helsinki, Finland, Trump appeared to undermine US intelligence agencies on the subject of Russia's meddling in the 2016 US presidential election, and slammed the special counsel's Russia investigation.

In a rare moment of bipartisan agreement, cable news hosts at every major network, including a few at President Donald Trump's favorite Fox News, condemned the president wild press conference with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Helsinki, Finland on Monday. 

At CNN, anchor Anderson Cooper called Trump's behavior at the rare joint press conference "perhaps one of the most disgraceful performances by an American president" at a summit with a Russian leader that he had ever seen.

His colleagues, including White House correspondent Jim Acosta and anchor Brooke Baldwin, echoed that sentiment. 

"Anderson Cooper nailed it," Baldwin tweeted.

Acosta said the two world leaders "came across as playmates on a soccer field more than they did international rivals."

During the press conference, Trump attacked the special counsel investigation into possible collusion between his presidential campaign and Russia, and appeared to side with the Kremlin over US intelligence agencies on the subject of Russia's meddling in the 2016 election. 

At Fox, Abby Huntsman, a co-host of "Fox and Friends" and the daughter of Trump's ambassador to Russia, Jon Huntsman, accused the president of "throwing [his] own people and country under the bus" by refusing to challenge Putin's claim that Russia was not involved in election meddling.  

Another daughter of a prominent Republican, Meghan McCain, a former Fox host and current co-host of ABC's "The View," excoriated the president. Her father, Arizona Sen. John McCain, later released an unusual, lengthy statement accusing Trump of abasing himself before a tyrant. 

"I don't have anything quippy to tweet," wrote the younger McCain. "I'm horrified - and have never been more proud of the fact that Putin hates my father so much he personally sanctioned him on Russia's enemies list."

At Fox Business Network, which has grown its audience with a long lineup of Trump-friendly personalities, several anchors voiced shock at the president's behavior.  

"Horrible performance from our President today. Pretty ugly when u give a pass to a nation that is undermining our democracy," Fox Business anchor Trish Regan tweeted.

Fox host Bret Baier called the press conference "almost surreal at points" and said it was "pretty interesting to watch" the president refuse to stand up to Putin. 

"Fox and Friends" host Brian Kilmeade, who is rarely even mildly critical of the president, lashed out at Trump over his Monday tweet in which he blamed poor relations between the US and Russia on American leaders and foreign policy. 

"Our relationship with Russia has NEVER been worse thanks to many years of U.S. foolishness and stupidity and now, the Rigged Witch Hunt!" Trump wrote. 

Kilmeade argued that Trump put the US at a disadvantage by criticizing his own government just hours before meeting alone with the Russian leader. 

"That's by far the most ridiculous tweet of late," Kilmeade said during Monday morning's show. "That is insulting to past administrations - he can't be saying that going into the Russian summit."

John Roberts, Fox's chief White House correspondent, reported on Monday that the summit with Putin will "cost the president dearly politically." 

"There is a growing consensus across the land that the president threw the United States under the bus," Roberts said.