President Obama said Tuesday that Donald Trump’s admiration for Russian President Vladimir Putin is “out of step” with the rest of the Republican Party, and he questioned why GOP officials aren’t calling their nominee on it.
“Mr. Trump’s continued flattery of Mr. Putin and the degree to with he appears to model many of his policies … is unprecedented in American politics,” Mr. Obama said at a White House news conference.
He said Republican officials are noticeably quiet about Mr. Trump’s praise for Mr. Putin.
“Mr. Trump rarely surprises me these days,” Mr. Obama said. “I’m much more surprised by Republican officials. You’ll have to ask them how to explain it.”
Mr. Trump has said he might meet with Mr. Putin before taking office, if he’s elected in November. He has criticized Mr. Obama and Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton for failing to work with Russia effectively on a variety of challenges.
Mr. Obama rejected that criticism.
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“Any characterization that we have somehow improperly challenged Russian aggression or somehow tried to encroach on their legitimate interests is just wrong,” Mr. Obama said.
• Dave Boyer can be reached at dboyer@washingtontimes.com.
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