Schiff slams Trump over NATO remarks: ‘Putin must be absolutely thrilled’

Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) slammed former President Trump over his recent remarks on NATO, saying Russian President Vladimir Putin must be “thrilled” about the comments.

“Oh, Putin must be absolutely thrilled. If you look at it from Putin’s perspective, you know, the war isn’t going well in Ukraine for Russia. Russians keep coming back in body bags. NATO is enlarging around him with two new nations joining NATO. NATO is strengthening,” Schiff said on MSNBC’s “Inside with Jen Psaki.”

“And along comes Donald Trump there to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory for Russia and for the United States and our NATO allies,” he added.

Schiff was responding to remarks made by Trump during a rally in South Carolina on Saturday, where he said he warned a foreign leader that if that country didn’t contribute enough to the NATO alliance, then Russia can “do whatever the hell they want.”

“One of the presidents of a big country stood up, said, ‘Well, sir, if we don’t pay and we’re attacked by Russia, will you protect us?’” Trump said at the rally.

“You didn’t pay? You’re delinquent?” Trump said. “No I would not protect you. In fact, I would encourage them to do whatever the hell they want. You gotta pay. You gotta pay your bills.”

Schiff continued to criticize Trump for the remarks and pointed to Republican lawmakers in Congress who have voted against sending additional aid to Ukraine, which is nearing its two-year mark of fighting Russia.

“It couldn’t come at a worse time. Trump’s Republican Party is holding up aid for Ukraine. Trump is the gift that won’t stop giving to Vladimir Putin,” Schiff said.

“And, you know, he thinks I’m sure, Donald Trump thinks this makes him sound strong, but it just makes him look like an incredibly weak leader. Weak in not bolstering our alliances, weak in undermining our security.”