Trump Repeatedly Praised Putin At The Beginning Of Russia’s Invasion Of Ukraine
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]
Trump Bragged, “I Got Along With Putin Great.” According to Politico Europe, “‘I got along with Putin great,’ Trump told Farage — as he once again talked up his negotiation chops with the Russian leader. Trump drew criticism during his presidency for at times cosying up to Vladimir Putin, who recently claimed another six year term as president following phony elections across Russia. Asked if Putin is a person the West can negotiate with, Trump answered in the affirmative — before returning to self-congratulation, his favorite topic. ‘Yeah, I think he is. We did very well with him,’ Trump said.” [Politico Europe, 3/19/24]
Trump Said He Did Not Know If Putin Was Involved In The Death Of Russian Opposition Leader Alexei Navalny. According to Politico Europe, “‘I don’t know, but perhaps, I mean possibly, I could say probably, I don’t know,’ the U.S. Republican presidential candidate rambled in an interview with Fox News, when asked whether Putin bears responsibility for Navalny’s death. ‘He’s a young man, so statistically he’d be alive for a long time … so something happened that was unusual,’ Trump added. Navalny, the leading figure in Russia’s beleaguered opposition, died Feb. 16 in a penal colony.” [Politico Europe, 3/18/24]
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]
Former Australian Prime Minister Malcom Turnbull Described Trump’s Interactions With Putin As Being In “Awe” Of Him. According to The Hill, “Former Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull described former President Trump’s rhetoric around Russian President Vladimir Putin as that of an admiring ‘12-year-old boy.’ Speaking on Australian ABC’s ‘Q+A’ show, Turnbull spoke about Trump’s interactions with Putin, saying they show the former president in ‘awe’ of Putin. ‘When you see Trump with Putin, as I have on a few occasions, he’s like the 12-year-old boy who goes to high school and meets the captain of the football team. ‘My hero,'’ Turnbull said Monday. ‘It’s really creepy.’” [The Hill, 2/27/24]