President Joe Biden "gave a very big stage" to Russia's Vladimir Putin and went home empty handed, according to former President Donald Trump.
"Well, I guess the overall is we did not get anything," Trump told Fox News' "Hannity" in a phone interview Wednesday night. "We gave a very big stage to Russia, and we got nothing."
"I think it was a good day for Russia," Trump added to host Sean Hannity. "I don't think we got anything out of it."
Trump noted the giveaways started with Biden permitting the Nord Stream 2 Pipeline in Europe that delivers oil to Germany and enriches Russia and Putin.
"We gave up something that was unbelievably valuable," Trump told Hannity. "I stopped the pipeline, Nord Stream 2, and the pipeline was stopped, and it was given back, and nothing was gotten for it."
Trump encouraged Americans to watch the Biden and Putin press conferences Wednesday as "performance art" and "form your own judgment."
Trump also recalled how he stopped the Nord Stream 2 Pipeline by putting a direct challenge to Germany Chancellor Angela Merkel.
"'Wait a minute, the pipeline is going to Germany and Europe, why are we protecting you people?' Again, it just unbelievable," Trump said, lamenting Biden gave away Trump's efforts in stopping the payoff to Russia.
Trump also noted Germany was being protected by American military through NATO, while paying less than their fair share, while turning around and paying Russia for oil through the pipeline.
"I got NATO to pay $430 billion more than they were paying, because the United States was paying for almost all of it," Trump said. "I mean, think of it. We pay for their protection, and they, excuse the word, they screw us on trade, that is the only word that is descriptive enough, because they are in many ways worse than China – or as bad as China on trade.
"How many Chevrolets are being sold in Berlin? Not too many. How many Chevrolets are being sold in Paris? Not too many. Maybe none. And yet, we sell their products, their wines and cars and Mercedes and BMWs and everything else. We sell it all over our country."
Back to Biden, Trump lamented the awkward, meandering non-answer to a reporter's question Tuesday about whether Biden still sees Putin as a "killer," but Trump noted Biden's age is not an excuse for his public speaking troubles.
"So, you know, his age is not the problem, and look, I hope he has no problems," Trump said. "I want him to do well. I want him to go out and do well. I think the election was unbelievably unfair, but I want this guy to go out and do well for our country.
"I don't want to see a scene like that. I watch that [Tuesday], I thought it was terrible. It was terrible. Nobody knew what was happening. He didn't know what was happening."
Trump also lamented Biden's unwinding America's energy independence – to the benefit of Putin and Russia.
"Within a matter of weeks, we will no longer be energy independent, and we are going to be relying again on the Middle East and Russia and all of these other people because we are being led very, very stupidly," Trump said.
Ultimately, while Trump refused to commit to any official future campaign, Biden's inadequacies are going to buoy Trump's own future prospects.
"If you look at the numbers, people are liking me more than ever before, but I think the reason is they're watching what is happening with our country," Trump said. "They are watching no energy independence," "death and criminals pouring into our country," "inflation," "interest rates, and gasoline prices.
"And I guess it is making me very popular," Trump concluded.
Eric Mack ✉
Eric Mack has been a writer and editor at Newsmax since 2016. He is a 1998 Syracuse University journalism graduate and a New York Press Association award-winning writer.
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