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Former Trump ally and former New Jersey GOP Governor Chris Christie criticized former Republican President Donald Trump for praising Russian President Vladimir Putin even as the international community responded with outrage and issued sanctions in response to Putin's invasion of Ukraine.
Christie wrote an angry tweet decrying Trump for calling Putin's move to invade Ukraine "genius" and "savvy" as the world watches Putin "unite the rest of the world against Russia in nearly an instant."
Doesn't sound like a very savvy move to anyone but Trump and his acolytes.
How can anyone with any understanding of the world call Putin\u2019s decision to invade Ukraine \u201cgenius\u201d and \u201cvery savvy\u201d as we watch him unite the rest of the world against Russia in nearly an instant?— Governor Christie (@Governor Christie) 1646080327
Christie noted Putin can either choose to raze Ukraine and murder President Volodymyr Zelenskyy or retreat, which Christie acknowledged would be "humiliating."
Neither choice is a net positive, Christie noted, nor are they the options one would expect to see made by an actually "genius" leader.
Putin has two choices now: an unwinnable occupation of Ukraine after leveling the country and murdering its hero President (if that is even achievable) or a humiliating retreat. Yeah, that\u2019s \u201cgenius\u201d and \u201cvery savvy\u201d alright. No walking that back. History is watching.— Governor Christie (@Governor Christie) 1646080327
Trump had earlier called Putin "pretty smart" for the way he orchestrated the predawn invasion and approached criticisms from world leaders in the preceding weeks.
Speaking at a political fundraiser at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida Wednesday evening, Trump said:
“I mean, he’s taking over a country for $2 worth of sanctions."
"I’d say that’s pretty smart."
"He’s taking over a country—literally a vast, vast location, a great piece of land with a lot of people, and just walking right in."
Trump's remarks were the second time in a week he heaped praise on Putin for his intellect.
Trump had been criticized earlier for praising Putin's action, referring to him as a “genius” for moving troops to Ukraine’s eastern border.
Trump said Putin is “very savvy” and made a “genius” move when he signed a decree recognizing Luhansk and Donetsk, parts of Eastern Ukraine, as independent entities and claimed he was moving troops to regions held by Russian separatists in a bid to ensure “peace.”
Given Christie continued to publicly support Trump for years despite the misgivings he had about Trump's performance while in office, his claims have garnered a largely negative reaction.
You enabled that insanity, Chris.https://twitter.com/GovChristie/status/1498395610667536390\u00a0\u2026— Anand Giridharadas @ The.Ink (@Anand Giridharadas @ The.Ink) 1646153350
Chris Christie, for instance, is pretty good at sensing where the wind is blowing. He saw when it was blowing towards Trump, and went all-in. Now he thinks it's blowing away.https://twitter.com/GovChristie/status/1498395610667536390\u00a0\u2026— Ezra Klein (@Ezra Klein) 1646151151
Who is this \u201canyone\u201d you speak of? Hmm. Could it be the guy you helped get elected and supported for four years?https://twitter.com/govchristie/status/1498395610667536390\u00a0\u2026— Sean Kent (@Sean Kent) 1646141041
The prevailing winds blowing you around a bit, Christie? You worried about a specific donation source?https://twitter.com/GovChristie/status/1498395610667536390\u00a0\u2026— Trudy (@Trudy) 1646102448
Chris,\n\nYou coached that "anyone" in his debate with President Biden.\n\nYou supported that "Anyone" for years while he lied and Americans died from #Covid.\n\nYou helped elect that evil POS.\n\nStart with an apology for all of that BEFORE you try to rewrite history you soulless F.https://twitter.com/GovChristie/status/1498395610667536390\u00a0\u2026— Don Winslow (@Don Winslow) 1646119044
You knew what he was but you wanted the fame and fortune so you cozied up to him. We see you.https://twitter.com/govchristie/status/1498395610667536390\u00a0\u2026— Ginger (@Ginger) 1646135776
There's a myth that washing a skunked dog in tomato juice gets rid of the nauseating stench, @GovChristie. It doesn't really work. What does work is a mixture of H2O2, baking soda & Dawn dish soap. You might try that to wash the stench of Trump & Putin off you. Good luck!https://twitter.com/GovChristie/status/1498395610667536390\u00a0\u2026— john sundman (@john sundman) 1646137618
You mean #Trump? The corrupt sociopath traitor who\u2019s ass you kissed and enabled for years? Shame on you\u2026https://twitter.com/govchristie/status/1498395610667536390\u00a0\u2026— Andy Ostroy (@Andy Ostroy) 1646139048
Christie is only the latest individual to criticize Trump for his remarks.
Trump's statements were earlier criticized by Lieutenant General H.R. McMaster, his former national security adviser.
Speaking to reporters earlier this week, McMaster said Putin is "certainly not someone to be praised" and stressed that "what we ought to be encouraged by is the reaction across the free world."
McMaster has himself been highly critical of Trump for years and was ousted from the Trump administration after telling a forum in Germany that it is "incontrovertible" that Russians had meddled in the 2016 presidential election, a fact that Trump has openly rejected amid criticism of his ties to the Russian government.
Trump's former Chief of Staff John Kelly drew mockery for expressing his own "disbelief" that Trump would praise Putin at such a time.