A shocking discovery at an Anchorage hotel printer has the media in a frenzy after a confidential White House briefing packet — detailing President Donald Trump’s symbolic gift for Vladimir Putin and even the summit lunch menu — was left behind just hours before the high-stakes Ukraine peace talks.
The eight-page document, found at the luxury Hotel Captain Cook, revealed no major security secrets. Yet liberal outlets like NPR pounced on the story in an effort to embarrass Trump. Inside the packet were details of a planned (but later scrapped) lunch featuring filet mignon with brandy peppercorn sauce, a champagne vinaigrette salad, and a seating chart showing Trump and Putin side-by-side at the head of the table.
Most strikingly, the papers confirmed Trump’s plan to give Putin a powerful patriotic gift: a statue of the American bald eagle — a symbol of strength, freedom, and America’s unmatched resolve. The notes even included a pronunciation guide for Putin’s name (“POO-tihn”) and staff contact numbers for event coordination.
The White House had already made much of the summit schedule public, though several events were shortened as President Trump pivoted away from an immediate ceasefire proposal. Instead, he returned to Washington determined to pursue a more durable peace deal — one that puts American strength first and protects Ukraine from future aggression.
Now, all eyes turn to Monday, when Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky meets with Trump at the White House. Putin’s demand? That Ukraine hand over the last portion of Donetsk province in exchange for an international peacekeeping force — with British and French troops potentially standing guard.
For everyday Americans, the real takeaway isn’t the menu or the misplaced paperwork. It’s the reminder that President Trump negotiates from a position of strength, unlike weak Democratic leaders of the past who allowed Russia to expand unchecked. The bald eagle gift underscored that message perfectly: America stands tall, and under Trump, it will never bow.