With the President again praising Russian President Putin in an interview with FOX TV Reporter Bill O'Reilly recently, it prompted me to go back in my memory to what Trump has said about Putin and Russia from the beginning of his campaign.
1. With widespread rumors about Trump's financial ties to Russia at the start of the 2016 campaign, the President refused (and still refuses) to release his tax returns. Trump said he did not know Putin, even though he was recorded in a television interview saying he knows him and accepted a "very nice" present from Putin. He further said he has no business relationships, including loans with anyone in Russia, while his son was quoted in U. S. Today, "Russians make up a pretty disproportionate cross-section of a lot of our [Trump] assets," in 2008.
2. Trump Campaign Manager Paul Manafort resigned from the Trump Campaign with evidence that he had accepted millions from the Russians for political work. Trump said he was unclear about the work Manafort had done in Russia.
3. Trump says he respects Putin, but not U. S. President Obama.
4. Trump said no one knows if Putin and Russia were involved in cyber attacks to his favor in the election. After briefing by the CIA, Trump then said Putin and Russia were responsible for the cyber attacks in the election.
5. Trump refused to release any information on his highly publicized recent phone conversation with Putin.
6. Trump's children have been seen often in Russia, said to be negotiating business deals.
7. When told by FOX News that Putin is a killer, Trump ignored the assertion and said that America has lots of killers.
8. With U S Intelligence Agencies and NATO identity of Russia as a serious enemy, Trump criticizes those same agencies and NATO for their work.
9. With bi-partisan and NATO support of sanctions against Russia for the brutal annexation of Crimea and attacks against independence for Ukraine, Trump suggests he will personally lift the sanctions, if elected. He said he gave General Flynn the job to confer with the Russians about lifting the sanctions the day President Obama expelled 35 Russians diplomats from the U. S.--a possible act of treason against our country. Yesterday, the New York Times reported two Trump business associates (one former) delivered a document to the White House from a Ukraine member of Parliament on lifting Russian sanctions.
10. Russia has a military naval vessel off our U. S. coast and has fired test weapons in violation of treaties. Trump's response: "Not good."
Does this pass your smell test for President Trump and Putin/Russia? If not, maybe it is time to put him under oath. Americans are entitled to truth from their President..