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| Donald Trump repeats respect for 'killer' Putin in Fox Super Bowl interview | Donald Trump repeats respect for 'killer' Putin in Fox Super Bowl interview |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| Donald Trump has once again said that he respects Vladimir Putin, even though the Russian president is “a killer”. | Donald Trump has once again said that he respects Vladimir Putin, even though the Russian president is “a killer”. |
| Speaking to Fox News, in an interview to be broadcast before the most American of sporting events, Super Bowl LI, kicks off in Houston on Sunday, the president appeared to place the US and Russia on the same moral plane. | |
| Asked by host Bill O’Reilly if he respected Putin, Trump replied: “I do respect Putin.” Told that Putin is a “killer”, Trump said: “We’ve got a lot of killers. What, do you think our country’s so innocent?” | |
| The president’s comments caused consternation among opponents and some in his own party. Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell issued a mild rebuke but Florida senator Marco Rubio, an opponent in the presidential primary, was harsher. | |
| ““When has a Democratic political activist been poisoned by the GOP or vice versa?” he said in a tweet. “We are not the same as Putin.” | |
| Trump’s respect for and willingness to work with Putin was a familiar trope during an election which the major US intelligence agencies believe Russian intelligence sought to influence on Trump’s behalf. Such beliefs prompted a fierce split between Trump and the intelligence community that has not yet healed. | Trump’s respect for and willingness to work with Putin was a familiar trope during an election which the major US intelligence agencies believe Russian intelligence sought to influence on Trump’s behalf. Such beliefs prompted a fierce split between Trump and the intelligence community that has not yet healed. |
| The two presidents spoke by phone last weekend, a conversation reportedly much smoother than calls with leaders of allies such as Australia. A summit meeting has been mooted by both governments. | The two presidents spoke by phone last weekend, a conversation reportedly much smoother than calls with leaders of allies such as Australia. A summit meeting has been mooted by both governments. |
| In his Fox News interview, Trump added: “I respect a lot of people, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to get along with them. He is a leader of his country. I say it’s better to get along with Russia than not and if Russia helps us in the fight against Isis which is a major fight, and Islamic terrorism all over the world, major fight, that’s a good thing. | |
| “Will I get along with him? I have no idea. It’s very possible I won’t.” | “Will I get along with him? I have no idea. It’s very possible I won’t.” |
| “He’s a killer, though,” O’Reilly said. “Putin’s a killer.” | “He’s a killer, though,” O’Reilly said. “Putin’s a killer.” |
| “There are a lot of killers,” Trump answered. “We’ve got a lot of killers. What, do you think our country’s so innocent?” | “There are a lot of killers,” Trump answered. “We’ve got a lot of killers. What, do you think our country’s so innocent?” |
| According to the Committee to Protect Journalists, 36 journalists have been murdered in Russia since 1992, 23 since Putin first became president in 2000. Most famously, Anna Politkovskaya was shot dead in 2006 while investigating torture in Chechnya. | According to the Committee to Protect Journalists, 36 journalists have been murdered in Russia since 1992, 23 since Putin first became president in 2000. Most famously, Anna Politkovskaya was shot dead in 2006 while investigating torture in Chechnya. |
| The subject has arisen before in connection with Trump’s view of the Russian president. In December 2015, MSNBC host Joe Scarborough told Trump: “He kills journalists that don’t agree with him.” | The subject has arisen before in connection with Trump’s view of the Russian president. In December 2015, MSNBC host Joe Scarborough told Trump: “He kills journalists that don’t agree with him.” |
| Trump answered: “Well, I think that our country does plenty of killing, too, Joe.” | Trump answered: “Well, I think that our country does plenty of killing, too, Joe.” |
| The same week, Trump told ABC News: “In all fairness to Putin, you’re saying he killed people. I haven’t seen that. I don’t know that he has.” | The same week, Trump told ABC News: “In all fairness to Putin, you’re saying he killed people. I haven’t seen that. I don’t know that he has.” |
| He added: “If he has killed reporters I think that’s terrible. But this isn’t like somebody that’s stood with a gun and he’s taken the blame or he’s admitted that he’s killed. He’s always denied it. | He added: “If he has killed reporters I think that’s terrible. But this isn’t like somebody that’s stood with a gun and he’s taken the blame or he’s admitted that he’s killed. He’s always denied it. |
| “It’s never been proven that he’s killed anybody, so you know you’re supposed to be innocent until proven guilty at least in our country he has not been proven that he’s killed reporters.” | “It’s never been proven that he’s killed anybody, so you know you’re supposed to be innocent until proven guilty at least in our country he has not been proven that he’s killed reporters.” |
| Trump has said he accepts reports that Russia was behind hacks against his Democratic opponent, Hillary Clinton, but rejected the notion that he could not have won the White House without Russian help. Investigations into links between Trump aides and Russian actors are ongoing. | Trump has said he accepts reports that Russia was behind hacks against his Democratic opponent, Hillary Clinton, but rejected the notion that he could not have won the White House without Russian help. Investigations into links between Trump aides and Russian actors are ongoing. |
| Critics of Trump have often raised the subject of Putin’s murderousness. The Arizona senator John McCain, a fierce opponent of lifting sanctions on Russia, a prospect with which Trump has flirted, has said the Russian president is “a murderer and a thug”. | Critics of Trump have often raised the subject of Putin’s murderousness. The Arizona senator John McCain, a fierce opponent of lifting sanctions on Russia, a prospect with which Trump has flirted, has said the Russian president is “a murderer and a thug”. |
| On Sunday, McConnell was asked what his response would have been if President Obama had compared the US to Russia under Putin. | |
| He said Putin was a “former KGB agent and a thug” and added: “I don’t think there’s any equivalency between the way Russians conduct themselves and the way the United States does. | |
| “I’m not going to critique the president’s every utterance, but I do think that America is exceptional, America is different, we don’t operate in any way the way the Russians do. There’s a clear distinction here that all Americans understand and I would not have characterised it that way.” | “I’m not going to critique the president’s every utterance, but I do think that America is exceptional, America is different, we don’t operate in any way the way the Russians do. There’s a clear distinction here that all Americans understand and I would not have characterised it that way.” |
| Are you confident the president understands such a distinction, host Jake Tapper asked. | |
| “I’m not going to critique every utterance of the president,” McConnell repeated, before adding: “I obviously don’t see this issue the same way he does.” | “I’m not going to critique every utterance of the president,” McConnell repeated, before adding: “I obviously don’t see this issue the same way he does.” |
| Fox also said Trump answered a question from O’Reilly about his oft-stated but never evidenced belief that his defeat by nearly 3m ballots in the popular vote was caused by massive voter fraud. | Fox also said Trump answered a question from O’Reilly about his oft-stated but never evidenced belief that his defeat by nearly 3m ballots in the popular vote was caused by massive voter fraud. |
| “When you see... people who are not citizens and they are [on] the registration rolls... it’s a really bad situation,” Trump was quoted as saying. | “When you see... people who are not citizens and they are [on] the registration rolls... it’s a really bad situation,” Trump was quoted as saying. |
| Following a telephone call with Ukrainian president Petro Poroshenko, meanwhile, Trump said he was willing to work with both Kiev and Moscow to resolve the separatist conflict in eastern Ukraine. | |
| The Saturday call was the first direct contact between the two leaders. Trump’s aim to improve relations with the Kremlin has alarmed Kiev as the nearly three-year-old conflict remains unresolved. | |
| The call followed fresh artillery attacks in Ukraine’s Donbass region, which broke a lull at a frontline hot-spot that had raised hopes the conflict’s worst escalation in months was waning. | |
| “We will work with Ukraine, Russia, and all other parties involved to help them restore peace along the border,” Trump said in a White House statement. |