Trump Blames Russian Invasion on Biden and Zelensky Saying the Wrong Things — Admits Russia Did a ‘Bad Thing’
President Donald Trump reiterated his attacks on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenksy and threw former President Joe Biden under the bus, but still seemed to give Russian President Vladimir Putin a pass for his war crimes and invasion of Ukraine three years ago.
Trump’s comments came from a phone interview with Fox News host Brian Kilmeade, on The Brian Kilmeade Show on Fox News Radio , who repeatedly reminded the commander-in-chief that the responsibility for Ukraine being war-ravaged lies entirely at the feet of Putin.
Trump’s curious pivot to blame Zelenksy for an invasion of his country by the Russian military as directed by Putin sent shockwaves around the world for several striking reasons, not least of which is Trump’s unsettling promotion of Putin talking points. There is also the dramatic shift in US foreign policy in which the Trump administration appears to be looking to reward a bad actor, aggressor, and alleged “war criminal” responsible for atrocities, including the kidnapping of 20,000 Ukrainian children.
Trump labeling Zelensky a “dictator” has caused a significant rift in conservative circles, with a number of typically pro-MAGA voices, perhaps most notably Trump sycophant and Fox News host Mark Levin, who has criticized the White House in a manner heretofore unseen. Conservative outlets like the Wall Street Journal, the New York Post, and National Review have all piled on Trump. Fox News opinion hosts, however, have primarily avoided criticizing Trump on this, or any issue for that matter.
It is in this context that Kilmeade pressed Trump on the matter.
“You know, every time I say, oh, it’s not Russia’s fault, I always get slammed by the fake news,” Trump pushed back on criticism before blaming Biden and Zelenksy for “saying the wrong things” that led to the invasion.
“But I’m telling you, Biden said the wrong things. Zelensky said the wrong things. They got attacked by somebody that’s much bigger and much stronger, which is a bad thing to do, and you don’t do that. But Russia could have been talked out of that so easily. That should never have been a war.”
“Now Russia attacked,” Trump said again. “But they shouldn’t have let them attack because they wouldn’t have attacked if they — if you had people that knew what they were doing. Joe Biden is a very dumb man. You know that, and I know it. Joe Biden is a very dumb man who was dumber than ever before because, you know, things have happened to him. He had no idea what he was doing, and everything he said was wrong. ”
“And I said, you know what, I think this guy’s going to because of I think he’s going to cause a [bleep] war,” Trump concluded. “And that’s what happened. And I will tell you, Putin should have been talked into that so easily, but they didn’t know how to talk.”
It’s a curious position to blame the US president and the Ukrainian president for not talking Putin out of invading a sovereign nation, committing atrocities, and kidnapping children, and not, you know, blaming Putin for the illegal and deadly land grab to begin with.
Full transcript below:
Kilmeade: So I just saw the the Polish president just tweeted, and he essentially told Zelensky to to go back and do a deal with you and try to get to get to peace. And he just put that out a short while ago. So do you believe that the that the Russians want a deal. And even though they’re the aggressors in this situation, they want a deal because they’ve had about 700,000 casualties. They’re losing 46,000 a month, too. So do you believe they’re since they were sincere in, in Saudi Arabia?
Trump: Look Russia at who is the Polish you talking about Tuesday. Yeah. Was it Duda who put it out? Because you have different leaders involved. Very interesting but no. Look. You ready? Russia did not attack during my administration. But I will say he hates Zelensky. He hates him with a tremendous passion. You’re lucky you don’t hate people, Brian. You’re not anybody but you.
Kilmeade: But it’s mutual. I’ll give you the exact read. He said, I suggested President Zelensky remain committed to the course of calm, constructive cooperation with Donald Trump. I trust that goodwill and honesty from a former foundation of the U.S. negotiation strategy. I have no doubt that President Trump is guided by a deep sense of responsibility for global stability and peace. And he said he just spoke to Zelensky. So are you expecting a call from — would you accept a call from Zelensky today?
Trump: Yeah, of course I’m not playing games. I don’t accept or not accept calls. I guess I’ll take a call from him, but he’s been negotiating for three years. I just say, you know, when you say Russia was the attacker. Russia was attacked and Russia attacked, but there was no reason for them to attack. You could have talked him out — there was no reason that he should have attacked that whole thing was, was going, going for years. It was no reason he was going in. It should have never happened. That war should have never happened. And I’m telling you, the way they talked, I said, you know, these guys are going to go to a war. It’s it’s this is a, you know, every time I say, oh, it’s not Russia’s fault, I always get slammed by the fake news. But I’m telling you, Biden said the wrong things. Zelenskiy said the wrong things. They got attacked by somebody that’s much bigger and much stronger, which is a bad thing to do, and you don’t do that. But Russia could have been talked out of that so easily. That should never have been a war. And all those dead people shouldn’t be dead. And all those cities shouldn’t be demolished right now. So when Zelensky said, oh, he wasn’t invited to a meeting, I mean, it wasn’t a priority because he did such a bad job in negotiating. So for number one, you shouldn’t have had a war. And if you did, it should have been solved and settled immediately. It could have been. This war could have been settled three years ago.
Kilmeade: The president could have been 100% right. There’s two things. Two weeks ago, Zelensky made two mistakes in 2 or 3 days. He criticized you and then he criticized the meeting. And then he said, I’m walking away from the deal, which was, I think, 55% of their rare earth minerals. It would have allowed America to have a stake there, and nobody would attack Ukraine if America had business there. Having said that, I think if both sides could, do you think the Russians should be celebrating right now because they hear the rhetoric coming from the White House.
Trump: Now because of I got out, they I think they really want to make a deal. I do they they found it impossible to make a deal with Zelensky as his buildings came down. You know, the buildings came down all over there were just raining, raining down. And you got nothing, you know, take a look at what he’s going to. Let’s assume I make a deal. I’m getting him back. Many demolished cities and the bodies of many dead people. What kind of a deal is that? What kind of a what kind of a situation is that? There was no reason for that.
Kilmeade: No. I hear you.
Trump: Now Russia attacked. But they shouldn’t have let them attack because they wouldn’t have attacked if they if you had people that knew what they were doing. Joe Biden is a very dumb man. You know that, and I know it. Joe Biden is a very dumb man who was dumber than ever before because, you know, things have happened to him. He had no idea what he was doing and everything he said was wrong. And I said, you know what I think this guy’s going to because of I think he’s going to cause a [bleep] war. And that’s what happened. And I will tell you, Putin should have been talked into that so easy, but they didn’t know how to talk.
Kilmeade: So, Mr. President —
Trump: — Could have been talked out of that war so easy. But they didn’t know how to talk, but he said all the wrong things. And I’m not trying to make Putin like, nicer or better. I’m just telling you the fact that war should have never happened. Putin would have never gone in.
Kilmeade: And we’ll see where we go.
Watch above via Fox Radio.
