Reverses course to condemn Russia invasion after backlash over "genius" comments

After days of criticism for praising Putin's invasion as "genius" and "savvy," Trump attempted to walk back his comments at a GOP fundraiser. He condemned Russia's invasion and said he was "praying for the Ukrainian people," though he continued to claim the invasion wouldn't have happened if he were still president. The reversal came as Republicans tried to distance themselves from Trump's earlier Putin praise, which had become a political liability. Trump's flip-flop highlighted his pattern of making inflammatory statements then trying to soften them when facing backlash.

"I'm praying for the Ukrainian people. Nobody wants to see what's happening there." — Statement at GOP fundraiser, February 27, 2022