With a new video, the anti-Trump conservative group known as The Lincoln Project went directly after former President Trump for his flagrant capitulation to Vladimir Putin. A message displayed on-screen in the video asks why Republicans are “pretending Trump was tough on Russia” — which is certainly a relevant question, as Trump himself has proven. The video then shares a clip from an appearance that Trump made on MSNBC’s Morning Joe back when he was first running for president; during the televised exchange, Trump said during a discussion of Putin’s praise for him that he’s “running his country, and at least he’s a leader, unlike what we have in this country.” Pressed in the interview about Putin’s record of involvement in killings of political opponents, Trump dismissively added that the U.S. does “plenty of killing also.” Check out the video below:
It's clear where Trump's loyalty lies. pic.twitter.com/o2Y2x964fs
— The Lincoln Project (@ProjectLincoln) February 23, 2022
The video from The Lincoln Project also shows an interview moment when Trump offered tacit support for the annexation of the Crimean peninsula by Russia, one of the most recent precursors to the current conflict involving Russia and Ukraine, the latter of which previously controlled the area. In an interview that just recently took place, Trump characterized the Russian decision to recognize two regions of Ukraine as independent countries and send troops into the areas as “genius” — which, no matter Trump’s documented past of caving to dictatorial interests around the world, remains stunning to hear from a former president of the United States.
Putin’s invasion of Ukraine is heartbreaking. Closer to home, watching Fox News and former Trump administration officials cheering him should alarm everyone. It’s a reminder that we have a segment of our population hellbent on turning America into Russia. It also emboldens Putin.
— Walter Shaub (@waltshaub) February 23, 2022
Trump said that he “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. Oh, that’s wonderful. So, 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. That’s strongest peace force… We could use that on our southern border.” Trump also said, describing Putin, that “here’s a guy that says, you know, ‘I’m gonna declare a big portion of Ukraine independent’ — he used the word ‘independent’ — ‘and we’re gonna go out and we’re gonna go in and we’re gonna help keep peace.’.. You gotta say that’s pretty savvy. And you know what the response was from Biden? There was no response.” The Biden administration has, in fact, responded — at this point, sharp economic restrictions have been imposed on the areas recognized as independent countries, alongside sanctions targeting interests including large Russian banks. Biden also announced U.S. troop rearrangements in Europe, although there are no plans for a U.S. military presence in Ukraine to counter Russian aggression, just to be clear.
If Donald Trump and Mike Pompeo love Russia so much, they're welcome to move there
— Citizens for Ethics (@CREWcrew) February 23, 2022
