Schiff mocks Trump: Obama, Bush didn’t need staff warning ‘do not congratulate’ Putin

Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) mocked President Trump for reportedly ignoring his staff’s warning not to congratulate Russian President Vladimir Putin for his recent electoral victory.

After Trump tweeted a defense of his congratulatory phone call with Putin that included digs at his White House predecessors, Schiff tweeted that the previous three presidents did not need their staff to tell them to not congratulate Putin.

Bush, Obama and Clinton may lack your “smarts,” but they didn’t need their staff to tell them DO NOT CONGRATULATE a man who helps North Korea evade sanctions, props up a murderer in Syria, invades his neighbors, and who just used nerve agent in Britain. https://t.co/PIyrthKydu

— Adam Schiff (@RepAdamSchiff) March 21, 2018

Former President Obama did congratulate Putin for his 2012 victory in a phone call.

Trump congratulated Putin on Tuesday even though, The Washington Post reported, his national security team had a section in his briefing materials that read “DO NOT CONGRATULATE” in capital letters.

{mosads}

The president also failed to follow his aides’ instructions to condemn Putin for the recent poisoning of a former Russian spy and his daughter in the U.K.

A number of politicians, including Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) criticized the president for his remarks.

“An American president does not lead the Free World by congratulating dictators on winning sham elections,” McCain said.

Trump defended his congratulatory call by pointing out that Obama had done the same and arguing that “getting along with Russia (and others) is a good thing, not a bad thing.”

I called President Putin of Russia to congratulate him on his election victory (in past, Obama called him also). The Fake News Media is crazed because they wanted me to excoriate him. They are wrong! Getting along with Russia (and others) is a good thing, not a bad thing…….

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 21, 2018

…..They can help solve problems with North Korea, Syria, Ukraine, ISIS, Iran and even the coming Arms Race. Bush tried to get along, but didn’t have the “smarts.” Obama and Clinton tried, but didn’t have the energy or chemistry (remember RESET). PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 21, 2018

Putin won his fourth term as president on Saturday with nearly 77 percent of the vote.

One of Putin’s biggest critics, Alexei Navalny, was barred from running due to a criminal conviction that many believe to have been politically motivated, and international election-watchers said the contest was tainted by ballot-stuffing and other irregularities.