Trump says US not innocent, denouncing Putin as killer

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Speaking to Fox News, in an interview broadcast on Sunday during Fox Channel's Super Bowl pre-game show, the president appeared to place the US and Russia on the same moral plane. ‍

Asked by host Bill O’Reilly if he respected Putin, Trump replied: “I do respect Putin.”

"But he's a killer," O'Reilly said.

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"We've got a lot of killers...You think our country's so innocent? You think our country's so innocent?" Trump said, citing the 2003 war in Iraq.

The president’s comments caused consternation among opponents and some in his own party.

Three Republican senators and several other conservatives were quick to condemn or distance themselves from the president seeming to put Putin on equal standing with the United States when it comes to killing.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said in a recent interview with CNN that he’s thug said of Putin. “The Russians annexed Crimea, invaded Ukraine and messed around in our elections,” the Senate leader said.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Republican from Kentucky, left. /VCG Photo

Asked by host Bill O’Reilly if he respected Putin, Trump replied: “I do respect Putin.” "But he's a killer," O'Reilly said.

But he said: “I don’t think there’s any equivalency between the way the Russians conduct themselves and the way the United States does.”

“I’m not going to critique the president’s every utterance,” he added.

It was unusual assertion coming from the president of the US, but Trump has repeatedly expressed his respect for and willingness to work with Putin during the election time.

The two presidents spoke by phone last weekend, a conversation reportedly much smoother than calls with leaders of allies such as Australia. A summit meeting has been mooted by both governments.

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Trump told O'Reilly: “I respect a lot of people, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to get along with them. He is a leader of his country. I say it’s better to get along with Russia than not and if Russia helps us in the fight against Isis which is a major fight, and Islamic terrorism all over the world, major fight, that’s a good thing.

“Will I get along with him? I have no idea. It’s very possible I won’t.”

“Take a look at what we’ve done too. We’ve made a lot of mistakes,” he said, adding, falsely, that he that he opposed invasion. “I’ve been against the war in Iraq from the beginning.”

“A lot of mistakes,” Trump continued, “OK, but a lot of people were killed. So a lot of killers around, believe me.”

(Story with inputs from Reuters)