Dem lawmaker on Trump calling on Russia to rejoin G-7: He’s ‘loyal’ to country that elected him

Rep. John Yarmuth (D-Ky.) on Friday mocked President Trump’s call for reinstating Russia into the Group of Seven, saying that Trump “sure is loyal to the country that elected him.”

In 2014, Russia was kicked out of what was then the Group of Eight as punishment for its illegal annexation of Crimea and supporting pro-Kremlin separatists in eastern Ukraine. Before leaving for the G-7 summit in Canada, Trump told reporters it should be let back in.

{mosads}“Whether you like it or not, and it may not be politically correct, but we have a world to run,” Trump said. “And in the G-7, which used be the G-8, they threw Russia out. They should let Russia come back in because we should have Russia at the negotiating table.”

Say what you will about Trump, he sure is loyal to the country that elected him. https://t.co/7Lw4gvLi3y

— Rep. John Yarmuth (@RepJohnYarmuth) June 8, 2018

Yarmuth’s tweet was a reference to Russia’s 2016 election interference, which the intelligence community believes was done with intention of helping get Trump in the White House.

Democratic and Republican lawmakers fiercely condemned Trump’s statement. Former Vice President Joe Biden tweeted that the comment made no sense and denounced Trump for wanting to “reward” Russian President Vladimir Putin while “alienating” key democratic U.S. allies.

Sen. Ben Sasse (R-Neb.) called the remark “weak” in a statement, and asserted that Putin is not America’s ally.