Trump Calls Putin a "Genius"... White House Advisor Calls Them "Two Disgusting Pigs"

Trump Praises Putin's "Great Decision" to Invade Ukraine
"Celebrating Loss of Lives" ... Backlash

On November 11, 2017, Vladimir Putin, President of Russia (left), and Donald Trump, former President of the United States, are seen meeting and conversing at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit held in Da Nang, Vietnam. / Photo by EPA Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Yoon Seul-gi] A White House official in the United States criticized Russian President Vladimir Putin, who launched the invasion of Ukraine, and former U.S. President Donald Trump as "disgusting pigs."

On the 24th (local time), according to the political media outlet The Hill, Andrew Bates, Deputy White House Press Secretary, posted on his Twitter, calling former President Trump and President Putin "two disgusting and terrible pigs," stating, "Their actions hate what America stands for, and all their behavior stems from their own weakness and insecurity. They rub snouts together and celebrate the loss of innocent lives."

Bates' remarks are interpreted as a backlash against former President Trump's praise of President Putin, who approved the independence of pro-Russian separatists in the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine, calling him a "genius Putin."

Former President Trump also appeared on a radio program hosted by conservative journalist Clay Travis on the 22nd, where he commented after watching a broadcast about Putin's approval of the independence of the Donbas region in eastern Ukraine, saying, "'This is genius,'" and "a great decision," which drew criticism.

Independent Senator Bernie Sanders also criticized Trump's remarks, saying, "It is not surprising but outrageous that Trump praised Putin's murderous invasion as a genius act," adding, "Putin is exactly the kind of leader Trump wants to be, and the fact that few in the Republican Party have the courage to say this out loud worries us all."

Meanwhile, on the second day of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the 25th (local time), U.S. CNN reported that Russian forces advanced to a point about 32 km from Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that 137 Ukrainians have died and 316 have been injured due to the Russian military attacks so far.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.