Trump Defies National Security Advisors to Congratulate Putin on Re-election

This weekend, Vladimir Putin won his fourth Presidential election with 76 percent of the Russian vote in what is widely believed to have been a rigged election. In response, Trump’s national security advisors specifically warned him about how to respond to the election results, very clearly writing (in all-capital letters) “DO NOT CONGRATULATE” on Trump’s briefing materials on Tuesday, the Washington Post reports. Of course, Trump either did not read the warning or did not care, and called Putin, a murderous dictator, to congratulate him on winning yet another six-year term as President.

Besides Putin’s repeated violations of human rights and total lack of concern for consequences, his respect for democracy—the supposed underpinning of America—is questionable at best. That’s best exemplified by Russia’s proven interference with the 2016 U.S. presidential election to help Donald Trump win, an assertion that is supported by the CIA, the FBI, and the Department of National Intelligence. That’s why it’s shocking that America’s president congratulated Putin on his sham election results. That’s of course not to mention more recent scandals, like Trump’s total inability to support the U.K., a major ally, in condemning Russia for the poisoning of former Russian spies in Salisbury, England. Trump’s undying devotion to Russia was at least one reason he fired his own Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson, who disagreed with him on his Russia stance.

Since the Post’s report that Trump actively went against his own national security advisor’s very simple orders to NOT CONGRATULATE, social media users, late night hosts, and rational people everywhere have been relishing in the daily opportunity to rip on the president.

Stephen Colbert focused on the total lack of validity of Russia’s election results. “You got to give Putin credit. He did win by the most made-up votes. I believe the final tally was 144 million to everyone else is dead,” he said.

The folks over at The Daily Show had some advice for Trump’s advisors if they really want their advice heard next time around.

Conan O’Brien made a direct comparison between Russia’s meddling in the U.S. election and how that benefited Trump, suggesting it’s not the first time Trump has called Putin to congratulate him on cooked election results. "I like that's not one people laugh at," O’Brien said about his joke. "You could see everyone doing the math and going, yes, it lines up, it's not very funny, but he's doing the work."

Many others decided to poke fun at the situation by recalling other situations in which congratulations would definitely not be in order, considering what happens next.