Trump defends Putin as Biden visits war-torn Ukraine – Rolling Stone

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Donald Trump on Tuesday night touted his excellent relationship with Russian autocrat Vladimir Putin and defended his previous assertion that he trusted the foreign leader in his own intelligence community.

“Putin will never, ever go to Ukraine if I’m president,” Trump told supporters at a rally in Florida. “I really had a very good relationship” with Putin.

The former president spoke to a crowd of fans for a Club 45 event thrown at the Hilton Palm Beach Airport hotel on Presidents Day night.

“Remember when [the media] a question struck me: ‘Who do you trust: … your intelligence people, Comey, McCabe, Strzok, Lisa Page (how about Lisa)? Or Putin?’ And I said: You know, that might be the hardest question I’ve ever been asked as a politician. And then when I really couldn’t give them a very good answer in terms of accuracy … oh, all hell broke loose. But it’s okay, you know, it’s okay. And I was right. I was right about that too.”

Trump was asked in 2018 whether he believed the intelligence community’s assessment that Russia interfered in the 2016 election or Putin’s denial that he had. Trump equivocated and seemed to suggest that he believed Putin. “I have a lot of confidence in my intelligence people, but I will tell you that President Putin is very strong and powerful in his denial today,” Trump said.

Trump’s praise of Putin came as President Biden on Monday made a surprise visit to Ukraine, as Rolling Stone first reported. Biden arrived in Kyiv early in the morning to meet with President Volodymyr Zelensky days before the anniversary of the Russian invasion. Trending

“One year later, Kyiv stands. And Ukraine stands. Democracy stands,” Biden said.

Trump’s riff on Putin came as he rambled through his usual rally material. He claimed that on Biden’s watch, America drifted in a “communist” and “Marxist” direction. He blasted immigrants as “bad” who he still wants to throw out of the country en masse. He indicated that Nikki Haley, who previously served in his administration and recently reneged on her promise not to run against him for 2024, is at a stunning “no percent” in GOP primary polls today. And he, of course, continues to go after his “nemesis,” Florida governor and likely 2024 GOP rival, Ron DeSantis. “I still got 1.2 million [Floridian] votes than Ron — 1.2 million more votes!” Trump said, ignoring that the turnout of the presidential election cycle almost always exceeds the midterms. “Ron was good in Florida, but I did well.”

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