President Donald Trump on Thursday insisted he has been tough on Russia, describing former President Barack Obama as a "patsy" for the Kremlin.
"Obama didn't do it," Trump told CNBC in an interview at the White House. "Obama was a patsy for Russia.
"A total patsy."
Under continuing fire for his Helsinki, Finland, comments Monday that backed Russian President Vladimir Putin over U.S. intelligence agencies on election meddling, Trump told reporters Wednesday "there's been no president ever as tough as I have been on Russia."
Obama, however, sanctioned Moscow over its annexation of Crimea in 2014 and joined with other allies to kick Russia out of the G-8 industrialized powers in further retaliation for the move.
In his CNBC interview, Trump referenced Obama's March 2012 comment in South Korea which was caught on a live microphone.
Obama told then-Russian President Dmitri Medvedev he would "have more flexibility" after the 2012 election to negotiate with Putin, who would soon take office, on missile defense issues.
"Look at the statement he made," Trump said. "He thought the mics were turned off, OK.
"The stupid statement he made. No one makes a big deal of that."
Trump then told CNBC: "Getting along with President Putin getting along with Russia is positive not a negative.
'Now, with that being said, if that doesn't work out, I'll be the worst enemy he's ever had.
"The worst he's ever had."
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