MUST WATCH: Trump brags about Putin ties as Fox News shows dead Ukrainian bodies Russia massacred
For a channel that has done its best to elevate Donald Trump to the status of a right-wing demi-god, Fox News didn’t do the disgraced former president any favors during his interview with Sean Hannity last night.
It was only a month ago that Trump stuck his engorged foot in his all-consuming mouth in his last appearance on Hannity’s nightly propaganda-fest by calling Vladimir Putin’s strategy in the Russian invasion of Ukraine “genius,” leading to considerable backlash from Americans horrified by the genocidal tactics and war crimes being employed in the war that has violated international treaties and law.
Last night, Trump did little better in his remarks about the fellow authoritarian who is currently globally reviled — and by that we mean Putin, not Hannity, although it’s easy to understand any confusion.
“I knew Putin very well. Almost as well as I know you, Sean,” Trump told his host.
“I will tell you, we talked about it, we talked about it a lot, he did want Ukraine, but I said, ‘You’re not going into Ukraine.’ He would never, ever have gone into Ukraine,” Trump boldly claimed, knowing that it would be impossible to fact check a hypothetical scenario like that.
It is a comment that would have been bad enough on its own, but the producers at Hannity’s Fox News broadcast made Trump’s excursion into performative braggadocio infinitely worse by accompanying Trump’s disembodied voice — piped in via a phone line — with brutal images of body bags filled with the remains of what were presumably innocent Ukrainian citizens who had been slaughtered by vicious and immoral Russian soldiers.
The frightening contrast between Trump’s words of political opportunism and the tragic footage on the TV screen may have eluded those clueless folks who continue to support the twice-impeached former president, but the reaction to this latest attempt to use his servile relationship with the Russian dictator as a cudgel against his successor and as a campaign bragging point has been as poorly received as his “genius” comment had been.
How long are we going to have to hear reimagined recollections of 'back in the day' from this loser? The bloated exaggerations of his importance during his impeachment ridden one term are enough to make any sane person laugh in his face. He's boring.
— Betsy_Blue🌻🇺🇦🌻😷💉x7 🪨🪶🌊🔥 (@betsybblue) April 14, 2022
Its perfectly obvious that Trump & Putin laid the ground work for this in Helsinki. Everything Trump did after that summit re Ukraine was mutually beneficial to both of them & killed 2 birds with 1 stone #RussiaInvadedUkraine #StopRussianAggression 🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦
— jodi (@Jodi_LVK) February 25, 2022
Best clip ever! Gave me some small bit of joy for a long time.
— Chill Wind (@1Chillwind) April 14, 2022
— Treasonopoly (@treasonopoly) April 14, 2022
The only reason he is whining about Ukraine is thishttps://t.co/mvyAno7FAZ
— Badd Company (@BaddCompani) April 14, 2022
What do you expect from republicans? It’s always party first with them never country
— @TJTarheel (@tjinca82) April 14, 2022
If they talked about it a lot then somewhere there is a record of these conversations. What was discussed and when were they discussed. This seems to be an easy one but I’m sure we will never get a transcript of the “ talked about it a lot”
— TLW (@indycowboys) April 14, 2022
It's like God said, "Who said, I don't make mistakes… I'm a do it three times just to prove my point!"
— Prince KellyLynn (@PrinceKellyLynn) April 14, 2022
Underrated tweet
— Jess (@jnris4real) April 14, 2022
Buddies? Seems that one of these two is leading the other. The one who is leading is the one similing. pic.twitter.com/tXalpPiiac
— Keeping Them Honest (@jnltoy) April 14, 2022
https://twitter.com/Theresa44884332/status/1514427161662341123?s=20&t=QdjiTFj6yMTK1rYpOA3ctg
At least some people see through Trump’s insane rhetoric. A begrudging thanks to Fox News to illustrating the idiocy of Trump’s words with such appropriate footage showing the ultimate outcome of his relationship with Vladimir Putin.
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Original reporting by Meaghan Ellis at RawStory.
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Vinnie Longobardo is the Managing Editor of Occupy Democrats. He's a 35-year veteran of the TV, mobile & internet industries, specializing in start-ups and the international media business. His passions are politics, music, and art.