Sen. Corker: Assad Is a ‘Sordid Monster’

‘I was very concerned in the beginning that there may be an attempt to do some cheap deal with Russia relative to Ukraine and Crimea and Syria’

TAPPER: “In terms of how clarifying this is, I just wonder if you still have any concerns given that I’ve heard you criticize Syria’s Assad’s patron, Putin, and Russia. I heard U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley criticize Russia. I have not heard President Trump hold Putin or Russia responsible in any way. He’s been far more critical of Barack Obama on this issue than Vladimir Putin. Why?”
CORKER: “Yeah, I don’t know. I have seen, by the way, an evolution even in Russia. I would like to see more. Look, I’m just being honest with you. I was very concerned in the beginning that there may be an attempt to do some cheap deal with Russia relative to Ukraine and Crimea and Syria. I don’t think there’s any chance of that now. I think the President, the longer he is in office, the more he has people coming in to see him from other countries, I think that he is developing a body of knowledge and experience that will keep anything like that from occurring. He will have an opportunity to see firsthand right now, is Putin going to stand behind this sordid monster? Is he going to do that? And I think this will be another one of those, as we’ve used in the past, one of those educational moments for him.
TAPPER: “All right. Senator Bob Corker, thank you so much. I appreciate your time.”

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