Vance says ‘nothing wrong’ with Trump ‘complimenting’ leaders like Xi, Putin

Republican vice presidential candidate Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio) brushed off concerns about former President Trump’s praise for world leaders such as Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin, arguing there is “nothing wrong” with such remarks.

Pointing to the former president’s comments about Xi and Putin at a Montana rally last Friday, CBS “Face the Nation” anchor Margaret Brennan pressed Vance on whether he agrees with the characterization that the two “were lovely individuals.”

“I think that President Trump gets along with world leaders,” Vance responded. “And there’s nothing wrong with him complimenting them as people, if it makes him more effective diplomatically.”

Brennan interjected, suggesting Trump’s comments are “different than walking in and laying down the law to Xi Jinping.”

“Oh no, it’s not actually, because you’re better able to lay down the law, like President Trump did, if you actually have a good relationship with people and they trust you to follow your word,” Vance said. “We have to remember that Democrats, including Kamala Harris, attacked Donald Trump for having a good relationship with Vladimir Putin”

Trump’s comments regarding Xi and other foreign leaders have been criticized at times by Democrats and even some Republicans as being too friendly toward authoritarian leadership.

The former president last year described Xi as “smart, brilliant, everything perfect,” and noted he runs China “with an iron first.”

Trump has spoken similarly about Putin and claimed last year he was the “apple of [Putin’s] eye” during his presidency.

Vance on Sunday repeated Trump’s common point that Putin did not invade another country under his term, attempting to contrast it with the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war that broke out under the Biden administration.

“Well, when Donald Trump was president, Vladimir Putin didn’t invade another country. When Kamala Harris was vice president, he did,” Vance said. “So maybe they should take a lesson from Trump’s … playbook about diplomatic legitimacy, because I think Donald Trump got a lot done because world leaders respected him.”