John Kelly Tells CNN’s Jake Tapper He Was In ‘Distrust’ As GOPers Milked Putin Amid Invasion Of Ukraine

On Thursday, Trump’s former White House chief of staff, John Kelly, was asked why Republicans have had kind words for Russian President Vladimir Putin recently. His response: “I don’t understand.”

CNN host Jake Tapper questioned Kelly about far-right figures who flattered? Putin when he fired President Joe Biden. “What was your reaction when you heard that?” Tapper asked.

“Don’t believe it,” Kelly replied. “[Putin] is a tyrant. He is a killer. He attacked an innocent country whose only crime is that they want freedom and democracy and they are working in that direction and have been working in that direction.”

Putin ordered an attack on Ukraine early Wednesday in the largest-scale invasion of Europe since the Second World War.

“Is Putin smart?” Kelly said. “Yes. I mean, tyrants are smart. They know what they’re doing. But… I can’t imagine why anyone would look at what’s going on there and see it. [as] anything other than a criminal act. I don’t understand, Jake. ”

Although neither Tapper nor Kelly mentioned him by name, former President Donald Trump was the worst offender. On a Tuesday radio showTrump describes his reaction to the news that Putin is laying the groundwork for an attack on Ukraine.

“Yesterday I went in and there was a television screen, and I said this is genius,” Trump recalled. “Putin claims a large part of Ukraine – of Ukraine – Putin declares the country independent. Oh, that’s great. He uses the words ‘independence’ and ‘we will go out and we will go in and we will help keep the peace.’ You have to say that’s pretty savvy. “

Trump praises the Russian leader was opposed among some of his advisors and associates. However, the former president may feel encouraged to make such remarks after seeing A recent poll showed that that Republicans actually view Putin more favorably than their own commander-in-chief.