The foreign policy debates, and the way in which once long-held Republican beliefs on America's role in the world dramatically evolved in the Trump era, will be on display at the Conservative Political Action Conference, an annual activist gathering that opened Thursday in Orlando, Florida. Still, the GOP's own muddled foreign policy stance has different blocs competing for political capital and sway with core party voters. The varied and at times conflicting Republican reactions, both on the campaign trail and on Capitol Hill, underscore how the party remains deeply influenced by Trump, who praised Vladimir Putin as "savvy" after the Russian president recognized the independence of two Russian separatist-controlled areas in Eastern Ukraine.Īs Russia began its full-scale invasion later Wednesday, Trump told Fox News that "This all happened because of a rigged election." At a Mar-a-Lago fundraiser Wednesday evening, he continued his praise of Putin, calling him "pretty smart" in "taking over a country for $2 worth of sanctions." ( Video of the remarks was circulated on Twitter by American Bridge, a national Democratic super PAC.)
Biden unveils new sanctions on Russia for "premeditated attack" on Ukraine.Republican lawmakers and candidates are largely united in their belief that President Biden's response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine has fallen short - in fact, it's former President Donald Trump's remarks on Vladimir Putin and Ukraine that are revealing fissures in the Republican Party over the scope of U.S.