Friday 21 January 2022

'That's not a normal situation': Trump launches attack on Biden's shambolic press conference and says he 'couldn't believe' he gave 'green light' to Putin's Ukraine ambitions: Slams his Afghan withdrawal, border crisis and rampant inflation

Donald Trump has slammed President Joe Biden once again, suggesting something is not 'normal' with his successor and listing perceived shortfalls exactly one year after Biden took office.

In a phone interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity on Thursday, Trump said of Biden 'I want him to do well,' but went on to reel off a litany of complaints about the Democrat's first year as president. 

Trump lashed out at Biden over mostly familiar topics, including the disastrous U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, soaring inflation, and a surge of illegal crossings at the Southern border.

He also slammed Biden's press conference on Wednesday, saying the president gave a 'green light' to Russia to invade Ukraine by pondering a limited response to a 'minor incursion,' remarks that the White House hastily walked back.  

Asked whether Biden seemed to be 'struggling cognitively,' Trump responded: 'When you watch the press conference, I don't want to be the one to say, but that's not a normal situation going on there.'

Donald Trump has slammed President Joe Biden once again, suggesting something is not 'normal' with his successor and reeling off a list of perceived shortfalls exactly one year after Biden took office

Donald Trump has slammed President Joe Biden once again, suggesting something is not 'normal' with his successor and reeling off a list of perceived shortfalls exactly one year after Biden took office

Trump's remarks come as speculation continues to swirl that he will launch a campaign to retake the White House in 2024

Trump's remarks come as speculation continues to swirl that he will launch a campaign to retake the White House in 2024

Trump lashed out at Biden over mostly familiar topics, including the disastrous US withdrawal from Afghanistan, soaring inflation, and a surge of illegal crossings at the southern border

Trump lashed out at Biden over mostly familiar topics, including the disastrous US withdrawal from Afghanistan, soaring inflation, and a surge of illegal crossings at the southern border

A satellite image shows Russian equipment at the Klimovo railyard, Russia on Wednesday. Tensions between Russia and Ukraine are at their highest in many years, as Russian troop build-up near the two nations borders raise fears that Russia could launch an invasion

A satellite image shows Russian equipment at the Klimovo railyard, Russia on Wednesday. Tensions between Russia and Ukraine are at their highest in many years, as Russian troop build-up near the two nations borders raise fears that Russia could launch an invasion


Biden's press conference, his first formal one in 10 months, immediately sparked controversy and concern over his comments on Russia.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was among those expressing concern about Biden's 'minor incursion' remark.

'We want to remind the great powers that there are no minor incursions and small nations. Just as there are no minor casualties and little grief from the loss of loved ones,' he tweeted.

Biden and top administration officials worked Thursday to clean up his comments. 

Reading from a script, Biden stressed that if 'any assembled Russian units move across the Ukrainian border, that is an invasion" and it would be met with a "severe and coordinated economic response.' 

Trump in his interview slammed Biden's performance in the press conference and zeroed in on his controversial remarks on Russia. 

'What he said last night, when he said "They may go in, they will go in," and he talks about a minor incursion. I said, I don't believe he said that,' said Trump.


Biden's press conference (above), his first formal one in 10 months, immediately sparked controversy and concern over his comments on Russia

Biden's press conference (above), his first formal one in 10 months, immediately sparked controversy and concern over his comments on Russia

Trump said the president gave a 'green light' to Russia to invade Ukraine by pondering a limited response to a 'minor incursion,' remarks that the White House hastily walked back

Trump said the president gave a 'green light' to Russia to invade Ukraine by pondering a limited response to a 'minor incursion,' remarks that the White House hastily walked back

Hundreds of people run alongside a U.S. Air Force C-17 transport plane as it moves down a runway of the international airport, in Kabul, Afghanistan on August 16, 2021

Hundreds of people run alongside a U.S. Air Force C-17 transport plane as it moves down a runway of the international airport, in Kabul, Afghanistan on August 16, 2021

Asylum-seeking migrants from Haiti walk near the border wall after crossing the Rio Bravo river to request asylum in El Paso, Texas on January 3

Asylum-seeking migrants from Haiti walk near the border wall after crossing the Rio Bravo river to request asylum in El Paso, Texas on January 3

A driver fills a tank at a gas station Friday, December 10, 2021, in Marysville, Washington. Prices for U.S. consumers jumped 7% in December compared with a year earlier

A driver fills a tank at a gas station Friday, December 10, 2021, in Marysville, Washington. Prices for U.S. consumers jumped 7% in December compared with a year earlier

'You're really telling them: "You might as well go in." You can't just talk in terms of sanctions. Sanctions don't mean too much to Russia,' said Trump. 

'If you want to stop somebody, you are not going to just be talking about sanctions. I think this is a whole different ball game right now,' he added.

'I think our country has never been so disrespected as it is right now by the rest of the world, the leaders of the rest of the world. I don't think we've ever been in this position,' he said. 

'Even I, I look at it and I feel ashamed at what has happened in the last year with our country,' added Trump.

Trump claimed that he had a 'very good relationship with Putin', but also argued that he 'stopped their pipeline', an apparent reference to the Nord Stream 2 natural gas pipeline from Russia to Western Europe, a key Putin initiative. 

Trump's remarks come as speculation continues to swirl that he will launch a campaign to retake the White House in 2024. 

They also come close on the heels of a Supreme Court ruling on Wednesday slapping down his attempt to block the release of White House documents to the House committee investigation the US Capitol riot.

The ruling will further the House select committee's probe, which is seeking to establish what role Trump himself played in fomenting the violence last January 6.

But Trump in the interview blamed Speaker Nancy Pelosi for security lapses at the Capitol, claiming it could have been 'an absolutely lovely day.' 

Trump claimed there was 'a lot of love' in the air at his rally (above) on the Ellipse just prior to the January 6 Capitol riot

Trump claimed there was 'a lot of love' in the air at his rally (above) on the Ellipse just prior to the January 6 Capitol riot

Trump claimed that Pelosi had turned down his offer to boost security at the Capitol ahead of January 6. Above, Trump loyalists are seen battling Capitol police

Trump claimed that Pelosi had turned down his offer to boost security at the Capitol ahead of January 6. Above, Trump loyalists are seen battling Capitol police

Trump claimed there was 'a lot of love' in the air at his rally on the Ellipse just prior to the riot. 

'Believe me, there was a lot of love and a lot of friendship and people that love our country. These are great people,' he said of the rally.

Following the rally, thousands of Trump's supporters marched to the nearby Capitol and stormed it, disrupting the certification of Biden's election.  

Trump claimed that Pelosi had turned down his offer to boost security at the Capitol ahead of January 6.

'If you have 5,000 soldiers wrapped around the Capitol, he would've had no January 6th as we know it. There would have been no problem whatsoever, but they turned it down,' he claimed.

'I wanted to have soldiers and/or National Guard, and Nancy Pelosi turned it down. If she didn't turn it down, you would not have had any problem. It would have been absolutely a lovely day,' Trump added. 

In the wide-ranging interview, Trump also defended his administration's handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, saying 'we haven’t been getting the credit we deserve.'

'We did such a great job,' Trump said, citing the rollout of vaccines to the public in record time. 

Trump maintains an iron grip on much of the Republican base, and is viewed as having a clear path to the nomination if he decides to run again.

Among likely primary challengers, only Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has emerged as a potential threat, refusing to say whether he would defer to Trump in a primary.

DeSantis' defiant stance has infuriated Trump, sparking a widening rift between the two figures, who are both popular with the Republican base. 

On Thursday, Trump remained coy when asked if he planned to run again in 2024, saying: 'I think you'll be happy, but we'll let you know at a little bit later date.' 

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