It seems that Donald Trump agrees with Russian President Vladimir Putin on one thing: President Obama is not getting the job done against the Islamic State.
Putin took Obama to task over failing to destroy ISIS in Syria—something that the Russian president intends to help Syria do itself—and Trump said let him do it.
In a “60 Minutes” interview airing on CBS Sunday, host Charlie Rose asked Putin if he would like to join the United States in the fight against ISIS.
“Well, you’re right. We support the legitimate government of Syria,” Putin said. “And it’s my deep belief that any actions to the contrary in order to destroy the legitimate government will create a situation which you can witness now in the other countries of the region or in other regions, for instance in Libya where all the state institutions are disintegrated.”
Asked if he would allow Russian troops to directly fight ISIS in Syria, Putin said, “Well, at least we don’t plan on it right now.” He added, “But we are considering intensifying our work with both President Assad and with our partners in other countries.”
Trump had no problem with Putin taking on ISIS in Syria—or anywhere else.
Before a cheering crowd at The Great State Fair of Oklahoma Friday, Trump mockingly spoke of his rivals, intoning in a serious voice, “If I’m president, I will engage the sixth fleet. I will do this, I will do that, I will attack Russia and Syria.”
“This is what they say,” Trump continued.
“They want to start World War III over Syria. Give me a break. You know, Russia wants to get ISIS, right? We want to get ISIS. Russia is in Syria — maybe we should let them do it? Let them do it.”
Trump said, during the Republican presidential debate on September 16, that he thinks he “would get along very well with Vladimir Putin.” On this issue, they definitely concur.
Watch the interview below: