Vladimir Putin just did Donald Trump a big favor
- Vladimir Putin said he'd prefer President Joe Biden to win a second term over Donald Trump.
- Trump was quick to capitalize on Putin's remarks, saying that it was a "great compliment."
Getting the stamp of approval from eminent world leaders is usually a big boost for political candidates. But for President Joe Biden, who just got a stamp of approval from Russian President Vladimir Putin, it's a different story. And Biden's foremost opponent in the presidential race knows it.
On Wednesday, Putin told Russian state media he'd prefer a second Biden term over a win for Donald Trump. Putin said Biden was "more experienced" and "more predictable."
Trump was quick to jump on those comments.
"President Putin of Russia has just given me a great compliment, actually," he said at a rally in South Carolina on the same day, according to ABC News. "He just said that he would much rather have Joe Biden as president than Trump."
"Now that's a compliment. A lot of people said, 'Oh, gee, that's too bad.' No, no, that's a good thing. And, of course, he would say that," the former president continued.
Trump said Putin didn't want him back in the White House because he would pose a threat to Russia's interests.
"He doesn't want to have me. He wants Biden because he's going to be given everything he wants, including Ukraine," Trump told rally attendees.
"The only president in the last five that hasn't given Russia anything is a president known as Donald J. Trump," Trump said.
To be sure, there are some things Trump glossed over in his rally speech. For one, he neglected to mention the Biden administration's strong opposition to Russia's war in Ukraine. Nor did he mention how close the MAGA-leaning wing of the Republican Party is to blocking further military aid to Ukraine and affecting its chances of beating Russia. Under the Biden administration, Ukraine has received more than $44 billion in military assistance from the US since the full-scale invasion began in February 2022.
Nonetheless, Putin's remarks have given Trump a much-needed boost after what has been a tough week for him.
The GOP frontrunner on Monday asked the Supreme Court to pause a decision made by an appeals court, which essentially ruled that Trump wasn't immune to prosecution on charges related to efforts to overturn the 2020 election.
Biden hasn't been having a good time either. The 81-year-old president is fending off criticism about his age after a special counsel's report said he was grappling with memory issues.
The report, which centered on Biden's handling of classified documents, said the president presented himself during interviews "as a sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory."