Russia and Putin · First term · № 35
Thanked Putin for ordering a cut of 755 U.S. diplomatic staff in Russia
“I want to thank him, because we're trying to cut down on payroll. And as far as I'm concerned, I'm very thankful that he let go of a large number of people, because now we have a smaller payroll.”
- Said
- , Exchange with reporters, Bedminster, New Jersey
- Subject
- Expelled U.S. diplomats
- Type
- Praise and deference
- Topic
- Foreign policy
- Era
- First term
What happened
Putin ordered a cut of 755 staff at U.S. diplomatic missions in Russia in response to the sanctions law Trump signed on August 2, 2017. Asked on August 10 for his response, Trump thanked Putin and said there was 'no real reason for them to go back'. Former ambassador Nicholas Burns called it 'a shameful statement', and Representative Eliot Engel, the senior Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, also criticized the remark. The next day Trump said he had been sarcastic.