On Monday's edition of CNN's "OutFront," White House correspondent and American Urban Radio Network Washington bureau chief April Ryan scorned President Donald Trump's attempt to blame Obama for Russia seizing control of Ukraine — a sentiment the president made while appearing to suggest that Russia should be allowed back into the G7 with no consequences for that invasion.
"April, if I can begin with you, we know, of course, the circumstances under which Russia was kicked out," said host Jim Sciutto. "It annexed Crimea illegally. It is still in Crimea, and since then, it's escalated by putting troops and forces into eastern Ukraine. Why does the president repeat the focus on Obama here?"
"Oh, well, Jim, this president has an uncanny knack for blaming President Obama," said Ryan derisively. "If it's raining, blame President Obama. If he doesn't get a hole-in-one at his golf course, blame President Obama. The only thing that he has not blamed former President Obama for is the great economy that he inherited that is now going sour."
"I will tell you this, Jim," added Ryan. "The only thing that President Obama did that could cause a discourse with Obama and Putin, that President Trump would probably really not want to talk about, is the fact that President Obama, then-President Obama, got in Vladimir Putin's face and said, knock it off. And even warned him, with other sanctions or things of that nature, when it came to the dealings in our U.S. election system. President Obama then told him to stop it. This president is welcoming him with open arms and trying to bring him back into the G7 to make a G8."
"So there is a disconnect," said Ryan. "There is a problem, but there is a blame Obama philosophy for this president."
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