Russia and Putin · 2016 campaign · № 22
Released Putin's holiday letter, saying 'his thoughts are so correct', then tweeted Putin's jab at Democrats: 'So true!'
“A very nice letter from Vladimir Putin; his thoughts are so correct. I hope both sides are able to live up to these thoughts, and we do not have to travel an alternate path.”
- Said
- , Statement released by the presidential transition, Palm Beach, Florida
- Subject
- Putin's Christmas letter
- Type
- Praise and deference
- Topic
- Foreign policy
- Era
- 2016 campaign
What happened
The transition released Putin's letter, dated December 15, in which Putin wrote that he hoped 'to take real steps to restore the framework of bilateral cooperation' once Trump took office; Moscow confirmed the letter was authentic. That evening Trump tweeted a remark he attributed to Putin about Clinton and the Democrats, 'In my opinion, it is humiliating. One must be able to lose with dignity,' and added: 'So true!' The exchange came two weeks after reports of the CIA's assessment that Russia had intervened in the election to help him, and six days before the Obama administration announced sanctions and expulsions over the interference.
Sources
- Statement from President-Elect Donald J. Trump on Receiving Christmas Greetings from Russian President Vladimir Putin
- Trump receives 'very nice' Christmas letter from Putin
- Tweets of December 24, 2016 (UTC; posted the evening of December 23 U.S. Eastern time)
- Statement by the President on Actions in Response to Russian Malicious Cyber Activity and Harassment