Donald Trump praises Vladimir Putin as ‘a leader’, one day after Russian

Presidential candidate Donald Trump gestures during a visit to his Scottish golf course at Turnberry in Scotland, Aug. 1, 2015.

Republicans have frequently taken to bashing Putin and have used his rocky relationship with Democratic President Barack Obama as evidence that the administration lacks strength in global affairs.

It’s an annual event in Russia President Vladimir Putin’s year-end press conference.

On Thursday, Putin offered high praise for the billionaire businessman, saying “he is a bright and talented person without any doubt”, CNN reported.

But Thursday Putin did give a shout-out of sorts to Trump. “At least he’s a leader”, Trump said.

He also did not discount the suggestion that Turkey may have given the order to shoot down the Russian jet with the goal of pleasing the United States. We have such incompetent leadership that we’re going all over the place.

Russian Federation has supported Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, but the United States wants him removed.

The feeling between the two men appears to be mutual.

Putin assessed Trump as “the absolute leader in the American presidential race”, suggesting his comments could be an early attempt to curry favor with a man he may have to deal with.

On the other hand, Donald Trump was honored by the statement of Putin saying it is an honor to be complimented by a “highly respected” man. He added that the U.S. and Russian Federation can work well in overcoming terrorism and restore world peace.

Donald Trump’s role model for running a country is Vladimir Putin. But again, he kills journalists that don’t agree with him.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has ruled out rapprochement with Turkey after Ankara shot down a Russian warplane that violated its airspace last month. Marco Rubio (12.6 percent), retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson (12 percent) and, finally, Bush (4 percent).

Putin, a former KGB agent and avid outdoorsman, has built a reputation as a masculine leader who was once photographed topless on horseback.

Humorously, co-host Mika Brzezinski nodded her head imploringly while Scarborough asked that question, as if hoping that Trump would not hedge on the seemingly obvious answer.

Which made it, apparently, very hard for Trump to say anything negative about his new BFF Friday morning when he called into “Morning Joe”. “What the hell do we care?”

Republican analyst and Fox News contributor Mary Katharine Ham says Trump’s comments illustrate his lack of depth.