After Calling Putin “Genius”, Trump Condemns Russian Attack on Ukraine: “But This Wouldn’t Have Happened If I Was President” | War Ukraine and Russia

“We pray for the proud people of Ukraine. God bless them all,” Trump said at the gathering of leading conservatives.

Earlier this week, the former head of state received a lot of criticism from a number of Republican party members and President Joe Biden, after he called President Vladimir Putin’s military actions in Ukraine “genius” and “pretty smart”.

See also: Trump: “Putin is smart, NATO countries are not”

In his speech Sunday night, Trump expressed support for the Ukrainian people and praised “brave” President Volodimir Zelensky, who refuses to leave the capital Kiev. The American also lashed out at his successor Joe Biden. Trump says the current president is “weak” and Putin took advantage of that by attacking Ukraine.

“As everyone understands, this horrific disaster would not have happened if our elections had not been rigged and I had been president,” said Trump, who continues to insist despite a lack of evidence that his rival won the past presidential election through rigging.

The ex-president emphasized once again that such a confrontation never came under his rule. He also said he got on well with Putin during his tenure. “The problem is not that Putin is smart, because of course he is smart. The real problem is that our leaders are stupid, so stupid,” Trump said.

At the conference in Florida, meanwhile, there is not only conservative consensus, but also rivalry. Trump is still wildly popular in his party. In a recent poll, more than half of Republicans supported Trump as the leader and future presidential candidate.

At CPAC, he again hinted at running for the next election in 2024. Trump said Democrats will “find it out like never before” that year. “We’ve done it twice, and we’re going to do it again.”

But at the conference he also has to deal with an increasingly popular party member, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. It owes its popularity, especially among young Republicans, to his fierce opposition to corona measures in his state.

The event — previously jokingly dubbed the “Super Bowl” for Republican politicians — takes place eight months before pivotal US Congressional midterm elections.