The Slatest

When Asked About Putin Being “a Killer,” Trump Responds, “What, You Think Our Country’s So Innocent?”

Fox News’ Bill O’Reilly sat down for the network’s second interview with President Trump, which will air on Sunday afternoon ahead of the Super Bowl. Fox News promoted a pretty astounding excerpt of the interview where O’Reilly asks Trump about Vladimir Putin. Trump says that he respects the Russian president, and when pressed about the dark, violent side of Vladimir Putin’s reign at the Kremlin, Trump responds: “What, you think our country’s so innocent?”

Here’s the back-and-forth between O’Reilly and Trump:

O’Reilly: Do you respect Putin?

Trump: I do respect him.

O’Reilly: Do you? Why?

Trump: Well, I respect a lot people, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to get along with him. He’s a leader of his country. I say it’s better to get along with Russia than not. And if Russia helps us in the fight against ISIS, which is a major fight, and Islamic terrorism all over the world—that’s a good thing. Will I get along with him? I have no idea. It’s very possible I don’t.

O’Reilly: He’s a killer though. Putin’s a killer.

Trump: There are a lot of killers. We’ve got a lot of killers. What, you think our country’s so innocent?