Trump Bashes Obama After Reporter Confronts Him on ‘Clear Lie’ About Russia’s Removal From G7

During a joint presser with French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday, a reporter called out President Donald Trump for stating a “clear lie” after he claimed that Russia was removed from the Group of Seven for “outsmart[ing]” former President Barack Obama.

While the intergovernmental organization — previously referred to as the Group of Eight — actually removed Russia in 2014 for illegally annexing Crimea, Trump, who wishes to see the Kremlin readmitted into the group, has pushed the idea that President Vladimir Putin was blacklisted for embarrassing Obama.

“Why do you keep using the misleading statement that Russia outsmarted President Obama when other countries have said the reason Russia was kicked out was very clearly because they annexed Crimea?” asked PBS White House correspondent Yamiche Alcindor during the late afternoon press conference in Biarritz, France. “Why would you keep repeating what some people see as a clear lie?”

“I know you like President Obama,” Trump shot back, “but it was annexed during his term. If it was during my term, I would say, ‘Sorry, folks, I made a mistake.’ … Obama was pure and simply outsmarted.”

The PBS reporter’s first questioned focused on why Trump — who derailed a summit dinner on Saturday to argue for the Kremlin’s re-admittance in the group — believes it is “appropriate” to invite Russia to next year’s G7 gathering when they were caught tampering in the 2016 U.S. presidential elections.

“A lot of people say having Russia, which is a power, having them inside the room is better than having them outside the room … My inclination is to say yes, they should be in,” said Trump, before adding that a “certain section of Ukraine that you know very well was sort of taken away from President Obama. Not taken away from President Trump, taken away from President Obama. President Obama was not happy that this happened because it was embarrassing to him, right? It was very embarrassing to him. And he wanted Russia to be out of the what was called the G8.”

“President Putin outsmarted President Obama,” he continued. “And I can understand how President Obama would feel. He wasn’t happy. And they’re not in for that reason.”

Watch above, via CNN.

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