"I called President Putin of Russia to congratulate him on his election victory (in past, Obama called him also). The fake news media is crazed because they wanted me to excoriate him. They are wrong! Getting along with Russia (and others) is a good thing, not a bad thing," Trump said via Twitter.
I called President Putin of Russia to congratulate him on his election victory (in past, Obama called him also). The Fake News Media is crazed because they wanted me to excoriate him. They are wrong! Getting along with Russia (and others) is a good thing, not a bad thing…….
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 21, 2018
In a second post, Trump said Russia can help solve problems with North Korea, Syria, Ukraine, the Islamic State* terrorist group, and Iran.
Trump added that former President George W. Bush did not have the "smarts" to get along with Russia, and former President Barack Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton tried but did not have the chemistry or energy.
Earlier, several US media reported that the US President congratulated Putin on Tuesday despite the warnings of multiple advisers and a note in his briefing telling him not to congratulate his Russian counterpart.
Several members of Congress also have criticized Trump's offer of congratulations to Putin. Senator John McCain has lambasted Donald Trump over congratulating Russian President, saying that "an American president does not lead the Free World by congratulating dictators".
*Daesh terrorist group, also known as IS, ISIS, ISIL. Banned in Russia.
