‘Hopefully there’s a grand plan’: Fox & Friends excuses Trump’s congratulatory call to Putin -- and blames Obama

The hosts of "Fox & Friends" reacted to President Donald Trump's congratulatory call to Russian president Vladimir Putin by attacking former President Barack Obama.

The U.S. president congratulated his Russian counterpart against the warnings of his national security staff, and his Fox News allies amplified Trump's tweeted explanation hours later.

"The thing about the president he actually is a significantly tougher than the other prior president on Russia," said co-host Brian Kilmeade. "Look, he he has armed the Ukrainians and hit the oligarch list, he went along with sanctions. Three days ago he condemned them for the poison attacks in Britain. Look at his actions, not past his words. Hopefully there is a grand plan."

Co-host Steve Doocy then turned the focus to Obama.

"He did exactly the same thing," Doocy claimed. "He also, if the mainstream media is going to call President Trump and say, 'Hey, I can't believe you picked up the phone to say, congratulations you won.' Look at the things that the president of the United States by the name of Barack Obama did in 2012 -- he congratulated him."

Then co-host Ainsley Earhardt listed all the Muslim leaders Obama had congratulated as president.

"He congratulated also the Islamic Brotherhood candidate when he won Egypt's presidential election in 2012," she said. "He broke three decades of precedent in 2013 when he congratulated the winner of the Iranian presidential election, and then congratulated Turkey's President Erdogan in 2014 -- the guy who said there is no such thing as moderate Islam."

Kilmeade harshly criticized Erdogan, but neglected to mention Trump's praise for the Turkish autocrat.

"Erdogan has done despicable things with that country as a NATO ally -- consolidated power and jailed the media," Kilmeade said. "For (Obama) to call him, says he gets along with great -- that was abhorrent."