President Trump in a tweet Sunday morning pushed back on criticism from presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden over reported Russian bounties on U.S. troops in Afghanistan, saying Russia “ate his and Obama’s lunch during their time in office.”
“Funny to see Corrupt Joe Biden reading a statement on Russia, which was obviously written by his handlers,” the president said.
“Russia ate his and Obama’s lunch during their time in office, so badly that Obama wanted them out of the then G-8. U.S. was weak on everything, but especially Russia!” he added.
During a virtual town hall Saturday, Biden said a Friday report from The New York Times that a U.S. intelligence assessment found that Russian military operatives offered payments to Taliban-linked militants to kill coalition forces in Afghanistan, including U.S. troops, amid peace talks represented a “truly shocking revelation” if true.
The former vice president also bashed Trump for not sanctioning Moscow.
“Not only has he failed to sanction or impose any kind of consequences on Russia for this egregious violation of international law. Donald Trump has continued his embarrassing campaign of deference and debasing himself before Vladimir Putin,” Biden said.
Biden also said he was “outraged” by the report and added that Trump’s “entire presence has been a gift to Putin.”
“This is beyond the pale. It’s a betrayal of the most sacred duty in the nation: to protect our troops when we send them into harm’s way,” Biden said.
Trump early Sunday denied that he had been briefed on the reported bounties and called for The New York Times to identify its source.
“Nobody briefed or told me, @VP Pence, or Chief of Staff @MarkMeadows about the so-called attacks on our troops in Afghanistan by Russians, as reported through an ‘anonymous source’ by the Fake News @nytimes,” Trump tweeted.
“Everybody is denying it & there have not been many attacks on us. Nobody’s been tougher on Russia than the Trump Administration. With Corrupt Joe Biden & Obama, Russia had a field day, taking over important parts of Ukraine – Where’s Hunter? Probably just another phony Times hit job, just like their failed Russia Hoax. Who is their ‘source’?” he added.
A New York Times spokesperson on Sunday said the newspaper stands “by our story, the details of which have not been denied by the President’s own National Security agencies.”