In late February, former U.S. President Donald Trump had nothing but praise for Russian President Vladimir Putin. Russia was preparing to invade and declare war on its neighbor state Ukraine, as NATO scrambled to formulate a defense of Ukraine.
At a fundraiser in Florida Feb. 23, the former president had all compliments for the Russian dictator, stating that Putin was “very smart” adding that, “he has taken over a country for $2 worth of sanctions,” according to Yahoo News. He added “taking over a country – really a vast, vast location, a great piece of land a with a lot of people – just walking right in” as if it were simply one of Trump’s real estate deals.
Trump has stated that “the real problem is not that Putin is smart, the real problem is that out leaders are dumb” according to Yahoo News.
Trump has long expressed his admiration for Putin. In February Trump described Putin’s war strategy as “wonderful” and “genius,” according to news reports.
Historians were appalled at unprecedented remarks of a former U.S. president praising Putin.
Maureen Perry, of Bradford, a NECC alumni, was not surprised by Trump’s remarks and believes that Trump has been undermining Ukraine ever since he won the presidency in 2016.
“Once Trump was in office, he did everything he could to undermine NATO,” Perry continued. “Putin thought he could get away with whatever he wanted to because, he did not think Ukraine was strong enough, and NATO was not united enough.
“Surprise, much like Trump, Putin has let his ego get in the way,” she added.
After Russia has officially invaded Ukraine from land, air, and sea Trump has changed his tune on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine calling it an “atrocity.”
Trump blamed current U.S. President Joe Biden and the “not so smart” North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) nations.
Trump went on to say “the attack on Ukraine is appalling, an outrage and atrocity that never should have been allowed to occur. We are praying for the proud people of Ukraine. God bless them all,” according to CNN.
Trump was not the only right-wing influencer who has had warm feelings for Putin.
Fox News host Tucker Carlson has also been pro-Putin. Carlson said on his show recently “it’s not ‘un-American’ to support Putin” adding that “Democrats will find you guilty of treason if you don’t hate Putin,” according to Vanity Fair.
Carlson was looking at the Russian invasion of Ukraine as just a “border dispute” and that Ukraine “is not a democracy,” according to Vanity Fair. One of the more absurd things that Carlson had said is that “unless Vladimir Putin has personally had you or a member of your family murdered, you really don’t have a right to criticize the guy” according to The New York Times.
Feb. 23, just hours before Putin ordered the attack on Ukraine to begin, two excerpts from Carlson’s most recent programs were featured on Russian state television during their 8 p.m. and 9 p.m. news broadcasts, according to The Intercept.
Carlson’s comments had been welcomed in Moscow. Carlson’s words had been used as a literal tool for Russian propaganda, according to Yahoo News.
On Feb. 24, like Trump, Carlson back peddled his statements regarding his fondness for Putin as he said he came to the realization that this is a “big deal” after war broke out and that Russia’s activities were wrong after the shelling of a kindergarten, according to Vanity Fair.
Carlson’s change of heart noted “It’s a tragedy because war is always a tragedy and the closer you get to it, the more horrifying it seems,” he told his viewers. Russian president “Vladimir Putin started this war, so whatever context of the decision that he made, he did it. He fired the first shot. He is to blame for what we are seeing in Ukraine right now,” Carlson stated on his show.
Former Secretary of State and CIA chief under the Trump administration, Mike Pompeo appeared to fall in line with the former president and Carlson at first saying that Putin was “an elegant, sophisticated counterpart” and that Putin was “very shrewd,” according to the Seattle Times. As the Russians were moving their tanks into Ukraine, and civilian casualties were rising, P
Pompeo changed his views on Putin and called him “evil” and that he “should be crushed” he told the Des Moines Register on a visit to Iowa last Wednesday.
Some conservative congressional leaders on Feb. 24 also repudiated the Putin friendly views that the former president had before he condemned Putin.
Senate Minority Leader from Kentucky, Mitch McConnell denounced Putin at length and was urging President Joe Biden’s administration to provide more aid to the Ukraine to help the Ukrainians fight back against Russia’s invasion, according to news reports.
Some of those who will fight for their country are civilians with no military training but are willing to put their lives on the line for the love of their country. When McConnell was asked at a news conference in Louisville about how he felt about the former president’s original response to Russia’s invasion of the Ukraine, the senator responded with silence, according to The New York Times.
