Social media reaction was swift and furious Tuesday after President Donald Trump posted a Truth Social message telling Vladimir Putin he has protected the Russian president from "really bad things."
"What Vladimir Putin doesn’t realize is that if it weren’t for me, lots of really bad things would have already happened to Russia, and I mean REALLY BAD," Trump wrote. "He’s playing with fire!"
The Bulwark's Sam Stein expressed his incredulity on X, posting, "Trump just casually telling everyone he's been helping out Putin?" while anti-Trump Republican group The Lincoln Project declared, "There it is. Trump confirms what we've said all along - he's been protecting Putin this entire time."
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"I didn't exactly need a social media post to tell me Trump is protecting Russia, but here's one anyway," wrote journalist Michael Weiss.
Former GOP Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-IL) wrote, "Nothing sadder than a tough guy who needs to remind you he's tough, right after admitting to shielding Russia."
Computer hacking collective Anonymous wrote, "Trump has admitted he has been protecting Putin," while progressive commentator Alex Cole posted, "Traitor Donald Trump just confirmed what we all suspected since Helsinki — he's been shielding Putin for years. Vladimir knows you won't do s--t! Weak a--.
"Trump finally admits it's him alone protecting Putin," wrote Russia-Ukraine commentator @P_Kallioniemi to his nearly 195,000 followers.
Commentator Marlene Robinson did not hold back in her assessment: "This unredeemable, sick, deranged f--- is literally confessing that without Trump’s complicity, Putin would never have been able to slaughter, rape, torture and kidnap so many innocent Ukrainian citizens."