Donald Trump has been hitting the briefing books and provided a tour de force Monday on the history of why Russia was kicked out of the erstwhile Group of Eight, or G-8, which is now the G-7. It wasn't because Russian President Vladimir Putin forcibly annexed Crimea in 2014 in violation of international law; it was because President Obama was mad about getting outmaneuvered by Putin.
"President Obama was pure and simply outsmarted. They took Crimea during his term," Trump said Monday during a press conference at the G-7 meeting in Biarritz, France. Trump added that Russia was "thrown out, really by President Obama, and really because he got outsmarted." Oh, so Obama was just pissy that Putin made him look bad, and that was the impetus for Russia's ouster. Now, if Putin had taken Crimea while Trump was president, Trump would have put a stop to it.
"It could have been stopped, could have been stopped, with the right whatever," Trump explained. Really? "Whatever," you say? That must be Trumpian for I have a plan for that.
As host of the G-7 next year, Trump also said he would "certainly" invite Russia, the hostile power that attacked the U.S. elections in 2016 and 2018 and is currently taking aim again for 2020. "I think it'd be better to have Russia inside the tent than outside the tent," Trump said. Good thinking. Keep your friends close and your enemies closer—especially when your enemies hack elections on your behalf.
“I heard he was a good member of the G-8,” Trump said of Putin. Yeah, besides that hostile takeover of another country's territory, Putin was a real team player.
Apparently, the briefing books Trump’s been hitting were provided by Putin.
Watch Trump below.