Why Donald Trump’s gushing praise for Vladimir Putin matters
Donald Trump didn’t just offer gushing praise for Vladimir Putin, he also called Russia’s invasion of Ukraine a “genius” and "wonderful" move.
By Steve Benen
Russia’s Vladimir Putin has sparked an important global crisis, which has drawn condemnations from leaders around the world. As NBC News noted, however, Donald Trump decided yesterday that the Russian autocrat’s indifference to international law is worthy of great praise.
Former President Donald Trump praised Putin’s aggressive moves against Ukraine as “genius” and “very savvy” in a podcast interview Tuesday. "I went in yesterday and there was a television screen, and I said, ‘This is genius.’ Putin declares a big portion of the Ukraine — of Ukraine — Putin declares it as independent. Oh, that’s wonderful,” Trump told conservative podcaster Buck s*xton.
The former president seemed quite animated on this point. Reflecting on how impressed he was while watching coverage of Putin’s invasion of a neighboring country, the Republican added, “I said, ‘How smart is that?’ And he’s gonna go in and be a peacekeeper. That’s strongest peace force.... We could use that on our southern border. That’s the strongest peace force I’ve ever seen. There were more army tanks than I’ve ever seen. They’re gonna keep peace all right. Here’s a guy who’s very savvy... I know him very well. Very, very well.”
Trump went on to praise Putin as “a tough cookie” who has “great charm.”
READ MORE: Why Donald Trump’s gushing praise for Vladimir Putin matters https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/m...

Can you believe what Trump has done, by gushing praise on Vladimir Putin at the beginning of an invasion to the biggest war since World War II?
You have some people who still want Trump to run for President, WOW!!!