White House press secretary Sarah Sanders slammed reporters on Friday for questioning President Trump’s rhetoric on Russia, calling it “ridiculous” to suggest he’s deliberately avoided making tough statements about the regime’s behavior.
“It’s ridiculous that you guys say that,” Sanders responded when asked why Trump hasn’t “directly” addressed Russian aggression.
“To say that the president hasn’t addressed it directly, he did that while standing on stage with the leaders of the Baltic countries in front of, I believe, almost every single one of you earlier this week,” she said.
Trump told reporters during that press conference on Tuesday that he has been tougher on Russia than his two immediate predecessors. He simultaneously claimed it would be “a good thing” for the U.S. to develop a better relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
His comments came days after six dozen Russian diplomats were expelled from the U.S. following a nerve-agent attack in London that Moscow was believed to have carried out. Trump also approved a fresh round of sanctions earlier Friday against several Russian oligarchs with direct ties to Putin.
“The president has signed off and directed these actions,” Sanders said. “I think that speaks volumes … on how the president feels, and exactly underscores what he said earlier this week when he said nobody’s been tougher on Russia.”
Trump came under fire late last month for congratulating Putin by phone on his re-election victory and inviting the Russian leader to meet with him at the White House.
