"The problem is not that Putin is smart, he is certainly smart, but the real problem is that our leaders are stupid."
On the evening of Saturday (Feb. 26), former U.S. President Donald Trump attended a Conservative Political Action Conference and slammed Biden over Russia's invasion of Ukraine, saying there would be no deadly attack under his supervision.
Trump said: "I am the only U.S. president in the 21st century who has not let Russia invade other countries when he is in office." During Bush's tenure, Russia invaded Georgia. During Obama's presidency, Russia occupied Crimea. During Biden's tenure, Russia invaded Ukraine.
"Under our government, Russia respects the United States," he told the crowd.
"I have no doubt that Putin is determined to invade Ukraine mercilessly after seeing the sad withdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan." This summer, during the Biden administration's withdrawal from Afghanistan, an explosion at Kabul airport killed 13 U.S. servicemen.
According to capitol Hill, a new Harvard Center for American Political Research (CAPS)-Harris poll released Friday found that 62 percent of respondents believe Putin would not take action against Ukraine if Trump assumed the presidency. Among them, 85 percent of Republicans and 38 percent of Democrats agreed with this view. The majority of Americans surveyed (59 percent) also said they believe Russia's action against Ukraine was because Putin saw weaknesses. Polls also show that U.S. President Joe Biden's approval ratings continue to decline, hitting a new low of 38 percent.
Trump's speech comes as he draws attention from his praise for Putin this week. An invasion was imminent, and the former president on Wednesday called Putin "very smart" after Trump made similar comments earlier this week after Putin declared the "independence" of two regions of Ukraine.
Biden and many others have criticized this.
In an interview with political commentator Brian Tyler Cohen, Biden said: "I have the same view of Trump that Putin is a genius, as he called himself a genius. ”
Trump argued: "The problem is not that Putin is smart, he is certainly smart, but the real problem is that our leaders are stupid."
"The world is always safer when the United States has a strong president," he said. A weak U.S. president, the world is always in danger. ”
Trump said he "prayed for the proud Ukrainian people" and expressed admiration for Ukrainian President Zelenskiy, calling him a "brave man."
"God bless them, they are indeed brave because everyone understands that if our elections had not been manipulated, if I had been president, this terrible catastrophe would never have happened," he said.
Trump said he liked Zelenskiy "because in that ridiculous time-wasting impeachment, the Ukrainian president said he didn't do anything wrong." ”
"He doesn't have to do it," Trump said of Zelenskiy's comments.
Trump's first impeachment involved him calling the Ukrainian leader in July 2019. He is accused of shelving military aid to Ukraine to push Zelenskiy to announce an investigation into Biden and his son Hunter.
"I'm often with Putin, I spend a lot of time with him, and I get along well with him," Trump added, adding that "it's good, not a bad thing, to be able to get along with people."
Trump went on to say, "It's easy for me to stop this kind of satire from happening," "He knows me, he knows I don't play games."
Much of Trump's tenure has been spent investigating the FBI's investigation into Russia's interference in the 2020 election and whether it coordinates with Trump's campaign.
The former president slammed Biden as "very incompetent" and made fun of Biden's threats of sanctions. Trump claimed that the Biden administration responded to Putin's full-scale invasion of Ukraine with an export blockade and new sanctions on Russian banks and oligarchs, "without any impact."
"Putin is saying, 'Sanction me?' Well, they've been sanctioning me for the last 25 years," Trump said, calling Biden's response earlier this week a "rather weak statement."
"The world has never been so chaotic since World War II," Trump said.
Trump likened Russia's invasion of Ukraine to America's own border crisis.
"Ukraine is a major disaster, but it's interesting that there are so many Democratic politicians in Washington who seem to be making a big claim in Washington that Ukraine's borders are sacred and that Ukraine's sovereignty must be protected at all costs," he noted "even as they are destroying our own borders and our own sovereignty." ”
"The Biden administration has spent months thinking about how to stop an invasion of a country thousands of miles away," Trump said, and "I believe Americans should have a president who can stop the invasion of our country."
He added that Biden's White House is "more concerned with helping citizens of distant foreign countries than with our own citizens." ”
Trump also suggested that if Democrats are interested in fighting for democracy, "they should start with the threatened democracy next door — a place called Canada." ”
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's war against truck driver protesters has been called an "authoritarian" attack by Republicans.
"The tyranny we have witnessed in Canada in recent weeks should shock and frustrate people all over the world," Trump said. ”
Trump also touted his policy toward NATO — telling member states to "take out the check" and ridiculing NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg as "my biggest fan."
"I also warned NATO about the dangers of Russia and looked at the consequences," he said.
Trump rekindled familiar discontent with his speech, accusing Hillary of how he spied on him in 2016.
"Do you remember what I said a few years ago?" I think they spied on my campaign and everybody said.... How dare he say that? How dare he? Well, it turns out to be true. I want to thank John Durham for addressing this issue.
Court papers filed by special counsel Durham, which recently sparked excitement among conservatives, appeared to prove that Hillary Clinton had spied on Trump.
At that night's meeting, Trump also spoke about his movement and encouraged his supporters to vote for Republicans back in power, warning Democrats that it was a "sleeping giant who has woken up."
"In November 2024, they're going to find out like never before," he told the crowd.
"We won twice and we'll win again," he added, alluding to so-called "campaign lies."
Trump has repeated his complaints about the 2020 election, where votes in Georgia and other swing states were trafficked and sold on an unprecedented scale and in barbaric ways, and new evidence of his claims to be "explosive" will soon come out to prove it.
Trump has also suggested that Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg's donations to Democrats should be investigated.
"Let's do a full forensic audit of the $417 million that Zuckerberg provided, and he spent the money on taking over local election offices in key Democratic counties," Trump said. "And I'm sure you'll hear a lot."
"You know, if you're someone who wants to contribute, you can make a donation of less than $6,000 or they'll put you in jail." But he donated $417 million. What's going on here? ”
The money was used to support the electors' work, but conservatives say it was directed to Democratic counties where turnout has increased.
Trump interspersed his speech with laughter.
He also interacted with his former White House doctor, Rep. Ronny Jackson, who said, "He knows my body, and he thinks it's a very good state." ”
A statement issued after Trump's rally, issued after the Democratic National Committee, accused Republicans of continuing to make "shameless praise" to Putin.
"Tonight, Trump has amply demonstrated the Priorities of the Republican Party. After spending four years betraying Ukraine, the defeated former president doubled his shameless praise for Putin on stage, as innocent Ukrainians are dodging bombs in Russia's hands," the spokesman said. "It's been the go-to theme for Republicans all week, making it clear that their party is grateful to a failed former president who lost the White House, the House of Representatives and the Senate."
Prior to his speech, Trump appeared at his SAVES VIP reception, where he told attendees they would be very happy to know when he could announce his 2024 campaign, according to insiders.
Trump was also asked about a potential vice president. According to The New York Times, he said "I know who you don't want to be your vice president."
Source: Holy Land Ya GO
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