While Donald Trump has no problem bashing allies of the United States, it seems he’s always full of praise for the leaders of hostile foreign countries. His recent friendliness with those who have committed crimes against the U.S. at the G20 Summit was particularly striking, and Anderson Cooper called him out for it.
Trump's words at the summit with Putin were "solicitous towards the authoritarian leader of an expansionist regime," says @AndersonCooper.
They "struck many, regardless of their politics, as inappropriate … and frankly, unworthy of the office of President … myself included" pic.twitter.com/N1rjlQwPnV
— Anderson Cooper 360° (@AC360) July 17, 2018
Although Trump has shared jokes about “fake news” with the Russian president who has ordered the murders of journalist who criticize him and expose his corruption, he hadn’t yet joked openly about the undermining of American democracy in front of his friend, Putin. At the G20 Summit, Trump was asked by a reporter if he planned to tell Putin not to interfere in 2020, to which Trump smirked, turned to Putin, and told him not to. The two shared a big laugh.
With 2020 looming, the joke was not well-received.
‘Until today, the president has never actually shared a laugh with Putin about election interference, at least publicly.’
"You have been watching one of the most disgraceful performances by an American president at a summit in front of a Russian leader that I’ve ever seen."
Anderson Cooper and other TV anchors were left shocked after Trump's meeting with Putinhttps://t.co/9D9XXDb0qU— The New York Times (@nytimes) July 16, 2018
Cooper also said that when he was told about Trump’s tweet offering to meet with North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un just to “shake his hand” and “say hi,” he thought it was a joke. It wasn’t, unfortunately. Trump does truly seem to have an unprecedented affinity for cruel dictators.
‘When it comes to dictators, President Trump is all praise.’
"No prior president has ever abased himself more abjectly before a tyrant" – @AndersonCooper reads @SenJohnMcCain's powerful statement in the aftermath of the Trump-Putin summit https://t.co/R1KnUV9ne4 pic.twitter.com/jMFmhnLIe3
— Anderson Cooper 360° (@AC360) July 16, 2018
Perhaps most alarming, however, was Trump’s praise for Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who ordered the torture and murder of American resident and Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Trump has never sanctioned the country, and instead practically genuflected at the sight of the man, saying “you’ve done really a spectacular job.”
.@andersoncooper nailed it… what we just watched was indeed, in a word, “disgraceful.” #trump #putin ??
— Brooke Baldwin (@BrookeBCNN) July 16, 2018
Featured image via video
