CNN’s Tapper: Trump ‘Has Said Nastier Things’ About Me, Don Lemon, Chuck Todd than Putin
RUSH TRANSCRIPT:
TAPPER: "The president is infuriated, according to a source familiar with the president’s thinking. Over links to the “Washington Post” which is reporting the president’s briefing materials for his call with Vladimir Putin included an all caps warning, do not congratulate Putin on his election victory. Despite the president opening the call with just that. And then telling a room full of reporters with the cameras on that he had done that. The news breaking that the president defying, ignoring, maybe not even reading the advice of his national security aides, sent the president fuming. And according to the source, it has only reinforced the belief that there are people in the administration who are actively working to undermine him. This is a point we heard from Marco Rubio today. Rubio wasn’t supportive of the president’s he congratulatory call but —"
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RUBIO: "I don’t like what did he but I really hate that there’s someone in the inner circle willing to leak the stuff. If you don’t like working for the president, you should resign your job."
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TAPPER: "We don’t know the source of the leak. The Washington story is linked to officials involved with the call. For all we know, they are upset about the news, phoned the white House for an explanation, and were given that information confidentially and they’re the ones who leaked it. We don’t know where it came from but the president is not being unreasonable in wanting those working him in not sharing something so sensitive. The sleek a legitimate reason for the chief executive to be upset. One also might imagine whoever leaked the perhaps might also be upset. Whether he or she was upset because the president didn’t read the briefing materials or because he didn’t lead them or the larger issue that president Trump to this day has said nastier things publicly about me, don lemon, Chuck Todd, Meryl Streep and he the cast Hamilton than he has of the kgb operative Vladimir Putin. And while it is true that Russia hawks point to the records of both President Trump’s immediate predecessors, George W. Bush and Barack Obama, and see much to criticize when it comes to not sufficiently standing up to Putin for invading other countries, suppressing human rights, repressing his own people, and much worse, we are also now in a moment where Putin is bolder than ever before. According to the U.S. Intelligence community, Russia is interfering in democracies all over the world including again right here in the united States. And Putin’s points, well, they have a way of findings themselves in jail or in the morgue. The “Washington Post” reporting that President Trump chose to not lead talking points from his national security aides instructing him with Putin to condemn the recent poisoning of a former Russian spy and his daughter on British soil. The poisoning for which both the U.K. And British governments have blamed Russia. So by all means, be outraged by the leaking and the inability of a president to trust his team but also ask yourself. When it comes to this story, to Russian behavior and u.s./russian behavior, and Russian cyber attacks against the American people and the inability of the millions of Russian people to have free and fair elections, or the attempted murder of a Putin critic on British soil, is the leaking really the most offensive thing going on here he? The president may be privately seething over the leak. But moments ago he publicly defended what we know about that phone call saying I called president Putin to congratulate him on his election victory. The fake news media is crazed because they wanted flow excoriate him. They’re wrong. Getting along with Russia is a good thing. Not a bad thing. They can help solve problems with North Korea, Syria, Ukraine, ISIS, Iran and even the coming arms race. Bush tried to get along but didn’t have the smarts. Obama and Clinton tried but didn’t have the energy or chemistry. He wrote, peace through strength."
