Trump says 'dumb' and 'weak' Biden is to blame for Putin's military actions in Ukraine

Former US President Donald Trump says American leaders are very "dumb" while Russian President Vladimir Putin is “smart,” doubling down on his praise for the Russian leader earlier this week.

Trump earlier this week praised Putin and called his actions in Ukraine "genius" and "pretty savvy."

Trump went on to blame the Biden administration for Russia’s decision to launch military actions in Ukraine.

Speaking at the annual Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC)  in Florida on Saturday, Trump said that Putin took advantage of Biden's being "weak" to attack Ukraine.

"The real problem is that our leaders are dumb," Trump said, adding that the Russian leader "is playing Biden like a drum, and it's not a pretty thing to watch."

He also linked Russia’s military operation in Ukraine to the disputed US 2020 presidential election, saying that fraud and rigging were to blame for Biden's victory.

“We are praying for the proud people of Ukraine. God bless them all,” Trump told the audience in Orlando, Florida  “They are indeed brave. As everyone understands, this horrific disaster would never have happened if our elections were not rigged and if I was the president.”

Trump also cited Russia's incursions of Georgia under George W. Bush and Crimea under Barack Obama before declaring: "I stand as the only president of the 21st century on whose watch Russia did not invade another country."

Trump said he was right that Putin was smart because he outfoxed world leaders and NATO. "The real problem is that our leaders are dumb, dumb. So dumb," he said.

'We’re going to kick the Biden crime family out of the White House'

Elsewhere in his remarks, Trump also hinted that he will run for the White House again in 2024.

"On November 2024, they (Democrats) will find out like never before. We did it twice, and we'll do it again. We're going to be doing it again, a third time," Trump said.

“We’re going to kick the Biden crime family out of the White House in 2024,” he said.

For months, Trump has floated the idea of a 2024 rematch against Biden. But in recent weeks, he has signaled strongly that he may be more likely to run again than not.

Trump believes that the election was rigged by the Washington establishment in favor of Biden. He alleges that the 2020 election was “the greatest Election Hoax in history.”

Recent opinion polls have depicted a gloomy landscape for Democrats as they gear up for the November 2022 midterm elections.

A recent USA TODAY/Suffolk University Poll found that Republicans maintain a clear lead on the congressional ballot over Democrats as Biden's approval rating plunges to a new low of 38 percent.

Nearly two-thirds of Americans, 64 percent, say they do not want Biden to run for a second term in 2024, including a troubling 28 percent of Democrats.

Trump says only a doctor's call could prevent him from running in 2024

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Biden has proven a disappointment for many who voted him into office last year, with 16 percent of those surveyed saying he has done a worse job as president than they expected. Overall, 46 percent of Americans hold that view.

More worrying for Biden, another new survey by the Emerson College has found that Trump would beat the incumbent by two points – 45 to 43 percent - if the election was held today.

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