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Trump and other top conservatives rally to Putin's side as he threatens Ukraine
Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin
Then-President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin on July 16, 2018.Chris McGrath/Getty Images
  • During the Ukraine crisis, Trump and top conservatives showered Putin with praise.

  • The GOP is divided over what to do about Putin.

  • The party is united behind the idea that Biden is to blame for the crisis.

Donald Trump and many other conservatives have praised Russian President Vladimir Putin. Many are bashing President Joe Biden's attempts to deter Putin from an attack while trying to minimize the possibility of a direct combat between the nuclear powers.

It is not unusual for former presidents to disagree with their successors on policy, but it is unusual for them to shower a US adversary like Putin with flattery, especially since the Russian leader is poised to launch a major military offensive on a US ally.

This has not stopped Trump and his allies from expressing admiration for Putin. The Republican complaints seem to blame the Biden crisis on Putin.

Trump said that Putin's justification for invading Ukraine was smart and genius.

I went in yesterday and there was a television screen, and I said that it was genius. Trump said, "Oh, that's wonderful, I said, "How smart is that?" And he's going to go in and be a peacekeeper."

The former president claimed that the crisis would never have happened if he were in office, and 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266

Trump left out the fact that his first impeachment was due to the fact that he demanded an investigation into Biden and his son over bogus allegations of corruption. While fighting a war against Kremlin-backed rebels, Ukraine relied on US assistance, which Putin claims to now be entering on behalf of Russian speakers.

Even as Russia has gathered tens of thousands of troops on the border with Ukranian, the former secretary of state has praised Putin.

He is a great leader. During a Fox News interview in January, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that Putin had a lot of gifts. He knows how to use power. We should respect that.

In an interview with the Center for the National Interest last week, Pompeo described Putin as "very shrewd" and "very capable."

In regards to Putin, who has ruled over Russia for 20 years, the Secretary of State expressed enormous respect. The Russian leader is seen as an enemy to democracy because he has taken steps to be president for life. The opponents of Putin end up dead or imprisoned. He invaded Georgia and Ukraine in 2008 and 2014, and invaded again in 2022, threatening smaller countries that neighbor Russia. Russia has interfered in US elections under Putin, as he has sought to divide and weaken the country.

Trump, Pompeo, and other conservatives do not find these trends problematic.

Tucker Carlson, the most-watched cable-news host and perhaps the most influential voice on the right beyond Trump, has defended Putin on his show in recent months.

It may be worth asking yourself, since it is getting serious. Carlson said on his show that he hates Putin a lot. Has he threatened to fire me for disagreeing with him?

Carlson has called Ukraine a puppet of the US while bashing NATO.

—Acyn (@Acyn) February 23, 2022

The GOP's main position on the Ukraine crisis: It's Biden's fault

The way in which Trump has challenged the party's traditional stances on foreign policy is one of the reasons why the GOP has splintered over Ukraine.

It would have been unthinkable to see Republicans questioning NATO support a decade ago. Romney said in 2012 that Russia was the top foe of the US. While bashing NATO at times, Trump adopted an uncommonly friendly disposition toward Russia, raising concerns that the US was on the verge of leaving the alliance. This has opened the door for Republicans to follow in the footsteps of Trump in setting the standard.

Some congressional Republicans, like Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri, have called for the US to stay out of it. As Russia calls for it to be permanently banned from the NATO alliance, Hawley questioned whether the US should support Ukraine's bid to join. Ted Cruz of Texas has called on Biden to take a more aggressive stance.

Cruz told Fox News that Europe is on the verge of war because of the weakness of Joe Biden. The Texas Republican praised Biden on Wednesday, however, for moving to sanction the company behind Russia'sNord Stream 2 gas line.

Kinzinger ripped into his fellow House Republicans for their criticism of Biden after the president announced new sanctions against Russia. You can criticize policy but this is insane and feeds into Putin's narrative. But hey, likes amirite?

The only consistent position of the GOP on the Ukraine crisis so far has been to blame Biden. Putin could be on the verge of launching a major attack after Ukraine declared a state of emergency.

The original article is on Business Insider.

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