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Trump says Biden 'probably sleeping' as Russia invades Ukraine: 'I am angry and saddened'

Former US President Donald Trump discussed the Russian military incursion in Ukraine, claiming that it would not have happened under his government

In a bizarre interview with Fox News on Wednesday, former US President Donald Trump discussed the Russian military incursion in Ukraine, claiming that it would not have happened under his government and repeated his allegations of a rigged election in 2020.

As the Kremlin's "special military operation" began, Trump told Fox's Laura Ingraham that the so-called "Russia hoax" harmed his good relations with both Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping, claiming that he kept the two apart. Ingraham questioned Trump about Putin and Xi's continued friendship. "Well, I had a good relationship with both," he said. "It was hurt by the Russia hoax. You see what happened with Durham and those reports and other reports including Mueller. It was just a made up hoax and it really hurt our country but despite the hoax, I had a good relationship and with president XI of China, other than the fact that I was tariff-ing and taxing the hell out of him."

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"As a young man growing up, I always heard that the worst thing that could happen is drive those two countries together. It really started with Obama and energy. He drove them together because one needed the energy and the other needed the money," Trump added. "He drove them together and Biden -- I kept them apart - and Biden now it's a great love fest and that's a very bad thing and I think you can probably add Iran into it too."

Trump resented the fact that this was happening at all during the conversation with Ingraham over the phone. "This should have never happened. This would not have happened during my administration. In fact, some people are saying why didn't this take place over the last four years? It didn't for a very good reason and I'll explain that to you someday, but it wouldn't have taken place and it wouldn't have taken place right now. It's a sad thing for the world and the country and a lot of people that will be needlessly killed." 

Ingraham then asked Trump about President Biden's approach, to which Trump said that Biden was "monitoring the situation" and will speak with fellow G7 leaders on Thursday. "I don't think he's monitoring, I think he is probably sleeping right now," Trump retorted. "This is a terrible thing that should never have happened. I really believe that it was Afghanistan, when he looked at that horrible, weak pullout."

Trump added that he believes Putin sees this as "the weakness and the incompetence and the stupidity of [the Biden] administration. As an American I am angry and saddened," he continued. "It all happened because of a rigged election. That includes inflation and that includes millions of people pouring in on a monthly basis - far more than three million people - and they're coming from 129 different countries. They are destroying our country."

Trump spoke off the cuff about the imminent military strike on Wednesday night at a super PAC fundraiser at his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida on Thursday. During the crisis, the former president said of America's adversaries, "Now they laugh at us. That’s why you have Ukraine, that’s why you’re going to have China. Taiwan is next, and you’re going to see the same kind of thing."

Trump then repeated his characterization of Vladimir Putin as "smart", as he had done in other interviews on Tuesday. He hailed Putin's decision to declare Ukraine's Donetsk and Luhansk regions "independent" on Tuesday. "I went in yesterday and there was a television screen, and I said, 'This is genius'," Trump said. "Putin declares a big portion of the Ukraine - of Ukraine - Putin declares it as independent. Oh, that's wonderful."

"I said, 'How smart is that?'," the former US president continued. "And he's gonna go in and be a peacekeeper. That's the strongest peace force… We could use that on our southern border. That’s the strongest peace force I've ever seen. There were more army tanks than I’ve ever seen. They’re gonna keep peace all right."

"No, but think of it. Here’s a guy who’s very savvy," Trump went on. "I know him very well. Very, very, very well. Had I been in office, not even thinkable, this never would have happened."

Trump added, "But here’s a guy that says, you know, 'I'm gonna declare a big portion of Ukraine independent,' he used the word 'independent' and 'we’re gonna go out and we’re gonna go in and we’re gonna help keep peace.' You gotta say that’s pretty savvy. And you know what the response was from Biden? There was no response. They didn’t have one for that. No, it’s very sad. Very sad." Trump also called President Joe Biden "a man who has no concept of what he's doing."