Kilmeade Defends Trump on Russian Bounties: ‘Not Big News That a Taliban Guy is Trying to Kill an American Soldier’

Fox News host Brian Kilmeade defended President Donald Trump over the intelligence regarding Russian bounties to Taliban militias, arguing “it is not big news” that militants in Afghanistan want to kill Americans, with or without a cash incentive.

On Thursday, Fox & Friends addressed the controversy surrounding whether or not Trump was briefed on the intel that Russia offered bounties for the killing of U.S. servicemen in Afghanistan. After the show aired a clip of Congressman Seth Moulton (D-MA) calling it “treason” for Trump to disregard the Russian intel, Kilmeade responded by touching on the questions about whether the information was verifiable.

“Before you take action against other nation, especially against Russia, you usually get more [intel], and it wasn’t briefed to him directly. It was kept below him,” Kilmeade said. While Trump claims to have not been briefed before, multiple reports have contradicted the president, citing anonymous officials who say he was actually informed months ago.

As Kilmeade continued to break down the Russian bounty controversy, he dismissed it as a partisan attack on the president: “Obviously, people once again can’t wait to get their claws into another Russian controversy.”

“If you ask me, if you tell me if it’s news that a Taliban fighter wants to kill an American, that’s called every day for the last 19 years,” Kilmeade continued. “If the Russians’ money is involved there, let’s find out. But it’s not big news that a Taliban guy is trying to kill an American soldier.”

Ainsley Earhardt wrapped up the segment by accepting the Trump administration’s claims: “Guess what? [Trump] didn’t know about it, he wasn’t briefed on it.”

While Kilmeade has a point on the armed conflict between the United States and the Taliban, much of the criticism Trump has faced regarding the intelligence centers on his repeated efforts to bring Russia back into the G7 despite the allegation that they paid for the killing of U.S. troops.

Watch above, via Fox News.