Should Barack Obama's foreign policy legacy include his inaction on the 2014 Russian invasion and annexation of Crimea? It's a simple question that would appear to have a simple answer, but judging by the media's reaction over the past couple of days, anyone who says that it should is either a liar, a Putin fan, or both. MSNBC Live guest host Chris Jansing was the latest media personality to accuse President Trump of attempting to "rewrite history" on Tuesday.
During a panel segment, Jansing played a clip of Trump in France at the G7 summit where he was asked by PBS White House correspondent and MSNBC contributor Yamiche Alcindor where Alcindor used the "some people are saying" trick to not so much as ask a question, but to argue with the president, "Why do you make the misleading statement that Russia outsmarted President Obama ...When other countries have said the reason why Russia was kicked out was clearly because they annexed Crimea, why keep repeating what some people see as a clear lie?"
Trump responded by saying he can see that Yamiche is an Obama fan, but that "President Obama was pure and simply outsmarted."
Jansing went on the attack: " here he is again pushing for Putin, disparaging Obama in an attempt, I guess to rewrite history. But the real question here--" Kristol interjected before Jansing could ask the exact question, "Think about that, Chris. Just think about what-- an American president on foreign soil in a major conference with other heads of state, other heads of government attacks his predecessor, kind of ridiculously, but anyway attacks his predecessor and praises an adversary." Jansing concurred, adding that Trump was critcizing Obama "completely inaccurately."
Kristol agreed. "Right, and praises an adversary who's meddled in our elections, invaded a neighboring country, tried to kill friends, dissidents in other NATO allies, et cetera."
The only reason Trump was "disparaging Obama" "on foreign soil" was because an American reporter asked him a question about Crimea. Furthermore the media has purposely been conflating Trump's suggestion that Russia be allowed to rejoin the G7 with Obama's legacy on the Crimea. Before February 2014, Obama had Hillary Clinton deliver Sergei Lavrov that now infamous reset button and told Dmitri Medvedev that he would have more "flexibility" after he got re-elected, things that if Trump would have done would have led to MSNBC calling him a Russian agent. Even former Obama official and current CNN host Jim Sciutto has criticized Obama and John Kerry for their slow and inept reaction to the Russian annexation of Crimea.
Here is a transcript for the August 27 show:
MSNBC
MSNBC with Craig Melvin
11:17 AM ET
CHRIS JANSING: So, let me go back then to what he said about that at the G7, an exchange between the president and PBS News Hour correspondent Yamiche Alcindor.
BEGIN CLIPYAMICHE ALCINDOR: Why do you make the misleading statement that Russia outsmarted President Obama?
DONALD TRUMP: Well, he did.
ALCINDOR: When other countries have said the reason why Russia was kicked out was clearly because they annexed Crimea, why keep repeating what some people see as a clear lie?TRUMP: Well, it was annexed during -- I know you like President Obama, but it was annexed during President Obama's term. If it was annexed during my team I would say sorry, folks, I made a mistake or sorry, folks. President Obama was pure and simply outsmarted. They took Crimea during his term, that was not a good thing. It could’ve been stopped, could’ve been stopped with the right-- whatever, it could’ve been stopped, but President Obama was unable to stop it.
END CLIP
JANSING: So, Bill, you're right. There he is again pushing for Putin, disparaging Obama in an attempt, I guess to rewrite history. But the real question here --
BILL KRISTOL: Think about that, Chris. Just think about what-- an American president on foreign soil in a major conference with other heads of state, other heads of government attacks his predecessor, kind of ridiculously, but anyway attacks his predecessor and praises an adversary.
JANSING: Completely inaccurately
KRISTOL: Right, and praises an adversary who's meddled in our elections, invaded a neighboring country, tried to kill friends, dissidents in other NATO allies, et cetera. It really is extraordinary.
