Former president Donald Trump spoke about the Russian military operation in Ukraine in a wild interview on Wednesday Fox Newswhich suggests that this would not happen under his administration and again makes allegations of rigged elections in 2020.
Trump talking to Laura Ingram of Fox as The Kremlin’s “special military operation” has begunclaims that the so-called “Russian fraud” has ruined his good relations with both Russian presidents Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi, claiming to have kept the two apart.
Ingram asked Trump about the continuing closeness between Putin and Xi.
“Well, I had a good relationship with both of them,” he said. “It simply came to our notice then. You see what happened to Durham and these reports and other reports, including Mueller. It was just a fabricated fraud and really hurt our country, but despite the fraud, I also had good relations with President XI of China, in addition to imposing duties and devilish taxes on him.
“As a young man growing up, I’ve always heard that the worst thing that can happen is to bring these two countries together. It really started with Obama and energy. He drove them together because one needed energy and the other needed money, “Trump added. “He drove them together and Biden – I kept them separate – and Biden is a great love holiday now, and that’s a very bad thing, and I think you can probably add Iran to it.”
Trump told Laura Ingraham that Putin did not invade Ukraine during his rule for “a very good reason, and I will explain that one day.” pic.twitter.com/SzwXTw1O4A
– Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) February 24, 2022
Former President Donald Trump, speaking during a fundraiser for the Super PAC in his Florida resort of Mar-a-Lago, spoke on the sidelines about the upcoming military action on Wednesday night
Trump then reiterated that Vladimir Putin was “smart,” as he was in interviews Tuesday.
Trump has again criticized President Joe Biden for his actions before the crisis
Earlier, in an interview in which Trump spoke on the phone with Ingram, Trump complained that this was happening at all.
“It simply came to our notice then. This would not have happened during my rule. In fact, some people say why hasn’t this happened in the last four years? It wasn’t for a very good reason, and I’ll explain it to you one day, but it wasn’t going to happen, and it’s not going to happen right now. This is a sad thing for the world and the country and many people who will be killed unnecessarily.
Trump says he used his good relations with Putin to prevent this.
“Well, I know him very well.” We had many, many times together. I got along with him fantastically, despite the fact that I closed Nord Stream 2, no one would have heard of Nord Stream 2 if it weren’t for me. I am the one who closed it.
He then went through a story about how he disagreed with former German Chancellor Angela Merkel on the Nord Stream 2 strategy.
Trump then linked the invasion to the failed withdrawal from Afghanistan by the Biden administration in 2021.
“It’s a terrible thing, the way it started, I don’t believe he originally wanted to do that,” Trump said. “I think he wanted to do something and negotiate it, and it got worse and worse. He saw the weakness, and you know, it really started with the weakness in Afghanistan. The way they got out of Afghanistan. I really believe that’s where he started thinking he could do it.
Ingram then asked Trump what he thought of President Biden’s approach, in which Ingram said Biden was “monitoring the situation” and would then speak with fellow G7 leaders on Thursday.
“I don’t think he’s watching, I think he’s probably asleep right now,” Trump said. “It’s a terrible thing that should never have happened. I really believe it was Afghanistan when he looked at this horrible, weak withdrawal.
Trump added that he believed Putin saw this as “the weakness, incompetence and stupidity of [the Biden] administration “.
“As an American, I am angry and sad,” he continued. “Everything happened because of rigged elections. This includes inflation, and this includes the millions of people who flock on a monthly basis – far more than three million people – and they come from 129 different countries. They are destroying our country. ”
Earlier on Thursday, Trump, speaking at a super PAC fundraiser at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Floridaspeaks sleevelessly about the upcoming military action on Wednesday night.
The former president spoke of America’s enemies during the crisis, saying: “Now they are laughing at us. That’s why you have Ukraine, that’s why you will have China. Taiwan is next and you will see the same.
Trump then reiterated that Vladimir Putin was “smart,” as he was in interviews Tuesday.
“He took over the country in exchange for $ 2 in sanctions, I would say that’s pretty smart. He conquers a country – a huge, vast location, a great piece of land with many people – just goes straight. This would never happen and I know him very well.
On Tuesday, Trump praised Putin’s move to declare Ukraine’s Donetsk and Luhansk regions “independent.”
“I came in yesterday and there was a TV screen and I said, ‘That’s brilliant,'” Trump said. “Putin declares a large part of Ukraine – from Ukraine – Putin declares it independent. Oh, that’s wonderful.
“I said, ‘How smart is that?'” The former US president said continue. “And he will come in and be a peacemaker.” This is the strongest peaceful force … We can use this on our southern border. This is the strongest peacekeeping force I have ever seen. There were more army tanks than I saw. They will keep the peace well.
“No, but think about it.” Here is a man who is very understanding, “Trump continued. “I know him very well.” Very, very, very good. If I were in office, even unthinkable, this would never have happened.
Trump added: “But here’s a man who says, you know, ‘I’m going to declare much of Ukraine independent,’ he uses the word ‘independent’ and ‘we’re going to go in and out.’ and we will help keep the peace. You have to say that it is quite understandable. And do you know what Biden’s response was? There was no answer. They didn’t have one for that. No, it’s very sad. Very sad.
Trump also called Biden “a man who has no idea what he’s doing.”