© REUTERS/Jonathan ErnstU.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi
Freshly reinstated as the third most powerful person in the US government, Pelosi assumed an undiplomatic tone as she spoke with MSNBC's Joy Reid about a range of topics, including the Special Counsel Robert Mueller investigation, that has failed to unearth any damning evidence of collusion despite sending an array of Trump associates to jail on unrelated charges.
Following up on the 'Russiagate' probe, Reid asked Pelosi what she makes of the relationship between Putin and Trump.
"I think that the President's relationship with thugs all over the world is appalling," Pelosi responded to a thunderous round of applause from the audience that muffled her next words. 'Vladimir Putin, really? Really? I think it's dangerous.'
The US and Russian leaders have met twice, first time in Helsinki in July and briefly on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Buenos Aires, Argentine, in early December. Both meetings attracted quite a lot of attention, re-stirring up anti-Russian sentiment and rumors of collusion between the Trump campaign and the Kremlin.
In the wake of the Helsinki summit, Democrats and even some hardline Republicans picked on Trump for cozying up to Putin, calling his behavior "nothing short of treasonous." Mainstream media, incensed over the fact that neither Putin nor Trump attacked each other during the final press conference, branded US leader's performance "disgraceful" and "a political victory for the Kremlin."
Awash in criticism following his first encounter with his Russian counterpart, Trump cancelled planned bilateral talks with Putin at the G20, citing a standoff between Ukrainian and Russian military ships in the Kerch Strait. They still had a brief conversation that lasted from 10 to 15 minutes.
Trump and the Kremlin have repeatedly denied any allegations of collusion, with both calling the protracted Russia probe a "witch hunt." Trump, who once said that he might end up in "good relationship" with Putin, blamed "fake news media" for pushing for a major confrontation between Washington and Moscow that could pave the way for an all-out war.
At the same time, Trump, whose administration has imposed additional sanctions on Russia, expelling 60 Russian diplomats and closing Russian consulate in Seattle, while giving Ukraine $10 million extra in military aid, also said that nobody has been "tougher" than him on Russia.
In July, Trump said that while "getting along with Putin is positive, not a negative," he can turn into Russia's "worst enemy" if the re-engagement with Moscow fails.
Comment: Pelosi is only one of many that are deluded and separated from the facts and practicalities of a real and complicated world. She would rather push it off a cliff to prove she is right.