Topline
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) said Wednesday he doesn’t believe Russian President Vladimir Putin is “savvy or genius,” distancing himself from former President Donald Trump’s praise of Putin’s decision to invade Ukraine.
U.S. House Minority Leader Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) speaks during his weekly news conference … [+]
Key Facts
McCarthy said at a press conference Wednesday that he believes “Putin is evil” and “murdering people right now.”
Last month, Trump lauded Putin’s attack on Ukraine in an interview on the conservative radio program The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show, calling the Russian strongman “a guy who’s very savvy” and a “genius.”
McCarthy previously called the Russian invasion of Ukraine “reckless and evil,” and said “Putin’s actions must be met with serious consequence.”
Key Background
Other top House Republicans have blasted Putin’s actions in Ukraine but have claimed the Biden administration failed to take “strong action” before the invasion. In an interview last month, President Joe Biden mocked Trump’s remarks, saying: “I put as much stock in Trump saying that Putin’s a genius as I do when he called himself a stable genius.” Some members of the Republican Party criticized Trump during his time in the Oval Office for appearing to have a cozy relationship with Putin.
Further Reading
‘This Is Genius’: Trump Praises Putin’s Move Into Ukraine–And Blasts Biden (Forbes)
Trump ‘admired’ Putin’s ability to ‘kill whoever’, says Stephanie Grisham (Guardian)
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/lisakim/2022/03/09/putin-is-not-a-genius-house-gop-leader-mccarthy-says-in-rebuke-to-trump/