In the wake of Russian President Vladimir Putin's recent invasion of Ukraine, Republican elected officials and media personalities have insisted that the escalation in aggression never would've occurred under former President Donald Trump.
Trump's fondness for Putin generated headlines throughout his time in the White House. The former President sided with Putin over the findings of U.S. intelligence officials, believing Putin's lie that Russia didn't seek to interfere in the 2016 election to benefit Trump. Trump also delayed congressionally approved military aid to Ukraine back in 2019—a move that resulted in his first impeachment.
Even when Putin's invasion was imminent, Trump praised the authoritarian's strategy as "smart" and even "genius."
But don't mention any of this to far-right Fox News host Jeanine Pirro, who recently railed against co-host Geraldo Rivera for suggesting that Putin "played" Trump during the latter's presidency.
Watch below.
Jeanine Pirro says that Biden is a "wuss," "is responsible for the decline of the west" and that he's "destroying the west."
After Geraldo asks how she knows "Putin wasn't playing Trump," she absolutely loses it.
"Trump had everybody against the wall... [Putin] was a wuss!" pic.twitter.com/ddTLVy4AK0
— Justin Baragona (@justinbaragona) March 15, 2022
Pirro argued that Biden was responsible for the decline of the west and that Putin didn't invade Ukraine while Trump was President because he feared Trump's retaliation, prompting Rivera to respond, "How do you know Putin wasn't playing Trump?"
That didn't sit well with Pirro, who shouted as Rivera tried to interject:
"Oh, stop, he wasn't playing Trump! ... It's about the fact that Trump had everybody against the wall! And don't think there was anything different! I don't give a damn what Putin thinks, I only care what Putin did, and he was a wuss when Trump was President, and that's the end of it."
The spat generated a wealth of reactions from social media users.
Wow, someone is T-R-I-G-G-E-R-E-D. https://t.co/mLfgLSxgeM
— John William Schiffbauer (@JWSGOP) March 16, 2022
Such insightful analysis on Fox. https://t.co/qBlnidTbeG
— Kevin (@mcnamee_kevin) March 16, 2022
Pirro is one nutty off the wall woman who spews nothing but crap. She is so in love with Trump she can't see straight. No facts just scream. https://t.co/rfvL1Mvm6C
— Ms Peggy Lee 😎🌻💙⛳🎵☮ (@mspeggy50) March 16, 2022
Putin screwed the Trump Right so hard. It's almost like he planned it.. https://t.co/syfdIvLJZ2
— Joe 🇺🇦 (@JoeOfTheNorth) March 15, 2022
I guess that Helsinki summit a few years ago didn't happen. Or did it? https://t.co/PiWkPRvOqw
— d (@dennisUtley13) March 16, 2022
Some hoped that Cecily Strong, who sometimes plays Pirro on Saturday Night Live, would reenact the outburst this weekend.
Paging Cecily Strong...we are gonna need you Saturday night... https://t.co/ldpDtjcUzI
— Amee Vanderpool 🇺🇦 (@girlsreallyrule) March 16, 2022
It looks like Fox Noise is helping write SNL's Weekend Update again.The batcrap crazy Jeanine Pirro sure provides lots of comedy material for the hilarious Cecily Strong too. 😜🤦 pic.twitter.com/JUDCcZf4lV
— Cathy Fain (@blueIndycat) March 16, 2022
I cannot wait for Cecily Strong to get a hold of this on @nbcsnl https://t.co/9d5jgzClkQ
— Kurt Bardella (@kurtbardella) March 16, 2022
Paging Cecily Strong. Looking forward to Cecily's Jeannine Piro impersonation. https://t.co/Y4IRdbwlM8
— kathleenrmc Queen CAITLÍN bean álainn (@KathleenRMC1) March 16, 2022
Oof.
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