The Republican nominee told a TV interviewer that the Russian president was “very much of a leader” who has “very strong control over his country”. “That is not acting in our interests”.
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Trump hasn’t responded to the criticism nor expressed any changes in his perspective.
During a televised forum Wednesday on national security, Trump complimented Putin for having “great control over his country”. Miller said Clinton “failed” at the forum, claiming she was unable to “answer for her awful foreign policy judgment”.
When King asked about reports that USA intelligence agencies are investigating whether Russian Federation is trying to disrupt the election, Trump said that he’s skeptical.
Meanwhile, Trump was harshly critical of the military, saying America’s generals have been “reduced to rubble” under Obama. Trump took some heat earlier in the election cycle when he said he knows more “than the generals do” about the Islamic State.
“It’s inarguable that Vladimir Putin has been a stronger leader in his country than Barack Obama has been in this country”, Mike Pence told CNN.
A foreign policy and defense hawk who was among 17 Repubilcan candidates for president a year ago, Graham said he might not agree with Obama on most issues, but suggesting he is weaker than Putin is a step too far.
“That’s how he talks about distinguished men and women who have spent their lives serving our country, sacrificing for us”, she said. “I find it frustrating, but it’s part of the landscape we live in”.
During the “Commander in Chief” forum broadcast Wednesday on NBC, Trump criticized Obama for his national security decisions, condemned his leadership and accused the president of damaging the USA military.
Graham was one of Trump’s 16 challengers for the GOP presidential nomination that was won by the billionaire NY real estate developer and reality TV star.
Their first head-to-head debate is scheduled for September 26th.
She reiterated that she had made mistakes in relying on a personal email account and private server as secretary of state and in voting for the 2003 invasion of Iraq as a senator. She said no US ground combat troops would go to Iraq or Syria.
“I think I would have a very, very good relationship with Putin and a very good relationship with Russian Federation”, he said.
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), a longtime Trump critic, appeared mystified that Trump would celebrate “a thug and an autocratic dictator”. And for the first time, he opened the door to granting legal status to people living in the USA illegally who join the military.
“What you want in a president, a commander-in-chief, is someone who listens, who evaluates what is being told to him or her, who is able to sort out the very hard options being presented, and then makes the decision”, she said. “And I saw, just two or three days ago, they looked like they were not exactly getting along, but I looked at President Obama and Putin staring at each other”.
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She also pushed back against Trump’s repeated assertions during the campaign that he opposed the US attack on Iraq. He replied, “Yeah, I guess so”.
