Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.) said Monday on MS NOW’s “Deadline” that President Donald Trump “has always wanted Putin to win” and is now acting in support of Russian President Vladimir Putin, “against a democracy and in support of an authoritarian country.”
“I think it’s hard to overstate what President Trump did this week and what it means for the war in Ukraine, but also for the entire United States of America and our positioning in the world,” Slotkin said. She pointed to Trump’s long-described relationship with Putin, including what she called the president’s decision to “roll out the red carpet” for the Russian leader in Alaska last year while Russia was still attacking Ukraine. Slotkin said Trump’s apparent admiration for Putin has been visible to the public, even as he has avoided directly stating which side he wants to prevail in the Russia-Ukraine war.
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“At this point this week, he said the quiet part out loud,” Slotkin said, arguing that Trump wants Putin to prevail in Ukraine this winter. She claimed Trump, facing political pressure over high gas prices after the war in Iran, lifted sanctions in a way that could help Russia finance its military effort. Slotkin also accused the administration of slowing Starlink connections, potentially hindering Ukraine’s ability to defend itself against rockets, mortars and other incoming projectiles. She further said Trump would not follow through on the Lindsey Graham sanctions bill and urged the public to take the president’s actions as evidence that he favors Putin, an authoritarian leader whose government, she alleged, is providing intelligence to Iran’s military to help target American citizens and troops.
