You won’t believe what Hillary said.
During an appearance on “Morning Joe” on MSNBC, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton repeatedly suggested that former President Donald Trump and the GOP had enabled Russian President Vladimir Putin in his aggression against Ukraine.
In the interview on Friday, Clinton accused Trump of giving Putin “aid and comfort” during the invasion of Ukraine. She said Republicans had played into Putin’s determination to “undermine democracy” by claiming Putin was a strong leader who aligned with the GOP’s values.
She told host Mika Brzezinski, that the U.S. had to ensure “that within our own country we are calling out those people who are giving aid and comfort to Vladimir Putin, who are talking about what a genius he is, what a smart move it is.” Clinton also added that these statements were “unfortunately being broadcast” by Russian and European media, and demonstrated “the division within our own country.”
Clinton’s remarks refer to statements Trump made regarding Putin’s handling of the Ukraine crisis, saying it was “genius” and “very savvy” but that it would not have happened had Trump been President.
Clinton went on to say that Trump’s comments were “heartbreaking and dangerous,” saying that she believes “what’s left of the Republican Party that has any common sense” should not only talk about defending Ukraine against Putin, but “stand against those people in politics and government who are literally giving aid and comfort to an enemy of freedom and democracy.”
She said that such statements “couldn’t continue” as they play into Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping’s ambitions to “undermine democracy” by dividing and conquering “the West without ever invading us.”
Clinton later expressed her belief that Trump’s administration would not have worked to unite allies against Russia’s aggression to Ukraine, saying instead that beginning with Trump’s “ascent” Republicans lost their “spine” on Putin.
Yet in the interview, Clinton never addressed presenting Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov with a “reset” button prop in 2009. A button she said signified a renewed relationship between the U.S. and Russia.
