Highlights:
February 2022: Trump Praised Putin’s Strategy On Ukraine As “Genius” And “Wonderful.” According to CNN, “On Tuesday, in an interview with conservative radio hosts Clay Travis and Buck Sexton, Trump repeatedly praised Putin for his strategy on Ukraine. ‘I went in yesterday and there was a television screen, and I said, ‘This is genius.’ Putin declares a big portion of the Ukraine — of Ukraine. Putin declares it as independent,’ Trump said. ‘Oh, that’s wonderful.’” [CNN, 2/24/22]
February 2022: Trump Called Putin’s Strategy On Ukraine “Smart.” According to CNN, “Later in that same interview, Trump said this: ‘Putin is now saying, ‘It’s independent,’ a large section of Ukraine. I said, ‘How smart is that?’ And he’s gonna go in and be a peacekeeper.’” [CNN, 2/24/22]
Trump Defended Calling Putin Smart. According to CNN, “Then on Wednesday night, Trump sounded a very similar note while speaking during a fundraiser at Mar-a-Lago. ‘They say, ‘Trump said Putin’s smart.’ I mean, he’s taking over a country for two dollars’ worth of sanctions. I’d say that’s pretty smart. He’s taking over a country — really a vast, vast location, a great piece of land with a lot of people, and just walking right in,’ Trump told the crowd, according to a recording of the event.” [CNN, 2/24/22]
2016: Trump Praised Putin For Being A Leader. According to CNN, “And Trump has also praised Putin in the past for the iron grip with which he rules. ‘The man has very strong control over a country,’ Trump said of the Russian President in 2016. ‘Now, it’s a very different system and I don’t happen to like the system, but certainly in that system, he’s been a leader. Far more than our president has been a leader.’” [CNN, 2/24/22]