Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

Former Trump Advisor Says Trump 'Barely Knew Where Ukraine Was' in Epic Takedown

Former Trump Advisor Says Trump 'Barely Knew Where Ukraine Was' in Epic Takedown
Newsmax

Since Russian President Vladimir Putin invaded Ukraine last week, upending decades of foreign relations in Europe, former President Donald Trump has leapt to say that the invasion never would've happened if he were President, citing his debunked conspiracy that the 2020 election was "rigged." Trump also repeatedly praised Putin's invasion as "genius."

During his presidency, Trump withheld congressionally approved military aid from Ukraine while urging its President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, to open an investigation into then-candidate Joe Biden's son, Hunter, in hopes of using findings against Biden in the 2020 campaign. In 2018, Trump sided with Putin over U.S. intelligence officials when the Russian President insisted the Kremlin didn't attempt to interfere with the 2016 election, though his interference was well documented.


Nevertheless, conservatives have eagerly cited the lack of Russian escalation against Ukraine during the Trump years as evidence that Trump was strong on Russia.

In an interview with the far-right disinformation outlet Newsmax, Trump's former National Security Advisor—John Bolton—insisted this was not the case.

Watch below.

After host Rob Schmitt cited sanctions against Russian oligarchs that the Trump administration imposed, Bolton said:

"In almost every case, the sanctions were imposed with Trump complaining about it and saying we were being too hard. The fact is that he barely knew where Ukraine was. He once asked John Kelly, his second chief of staff, if Finland were a part of Russia. It's just not accurate to say that Trump's behavior somehow deterred the Russians."

Once a staunch ally of Trump, Bolton left the administration after irreconcilable differences between him and the former President. Bolton was also a key player in the Ukraine scandal that led to Trump's first impeachment, with National Security Council director Fiona Hill testifying that Bolton distanced himself from Trump over fears that the former President was unlawfully pressuring Ukraine's leaders to conduct investigations of his political opponents.

Though Bolton isn't necessarily popular with Trump critics, his comments on Newsmax generated lots of discussion.






Bolton isn't the only one who's attempted to shut down claims that Trump would've prevented a Russian invasion of Ukraine.



Trump has yet to respond to Bolton's comments.

More from News

Donald Trump
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Trump Blasted For Announcing New Additions To The White House Lawn As Global Tensions Escalate

President Donald Trump was criticized after announcing that two new flagpoles would be added to the North and South Lawns of the White House—not the greatest look amid heightened global unease as tensions between Israel and Iran ramp up.

According to the Associated Press, Trump watched as a crane installed the newest flagpole on the South Lawn, remarking, “It’s such a beautiful pole.” He later returned to the site to salute as the American flag was raised for the first time.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshots of Donald Trump from CNN supercut
CNN

Trump Mocked For 'Two Weeks' Iran Deadline With Supercut Of All His 'Two Weeks' Promises

President Donald Trump has a history of promising to resolve problems within "two weeks," and a new viral supercut mocks him for all the times he's said as much—including right now with tensions in the Middle East higher than ever.

Trump said Thursday he will decide within two weeks whether to involve U.S. forces directly in the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran, citing what he called a “substantial chance” for renewed nuclear negotiations with Tehran.

Keep ReadingShow less
red flag with pole on seashore
Seoyeon Choi on Unsplash

People Break Down The 'Silent Red Flags' Folks Tend To Ignore In Relationships

A red flag has come to mean any warning sign in life, in addition to the literal red flags that are placed on beaches or industrial sites to warn people of danger.

People will respond to situations by saying, "That’s a red flag." But before that language evolved, they'd just call them "warning signs."

Keep ReadingShow less
Ted Cruz; Tucker Carlson
The Tucker Carlson Show

Tucker Carlson And Ted Cruz Get Into Shouting Match Over Iran In Bonkers Interview Clip

Texas Republican Senator Ted Cruz—a harsh Donald Trump critic-turned-MAGA minion—sat down with fired Fox News personality Tucker Carlson for the conservative influencer's self-produced online content,The Tucker Carlson Show, for the Tucker Carlson Network.

On Tuesday, Carlson shared a 1.5-minute clip revealing that things got contentious when the pair touched on the Trump administration's escalating tensions with Iran.

Keep ReadingShow less
Donald Trump; Barack Obama
Suzanne Plunkett-Pool/Getty Images; Scott Olson/Getty Images

Resurfaced Trump Tweet Criticizing Obama Over Iran Comes Back To Bite Him

Amid tensions with Iran, President Donald Trump was criticized for hypocrisy after social media users resurfaced a 2013 tweet in which he accused former President Barack Obama of planning an attack on Iran because of his "inability to negotiate properly."

Trump has declined to clarify whether the U.S. is edging closer to launching strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities, following a warning from Iran’s supreme leader against any attack and a rejection of Trump’s demand for surrender.

Keep ReadingShow less