Not helping: Trump jokes US should 'put the Chinese flag' on F-22 fighter jets and 'bomb the s---' out of Russia

Mychael Schnell
The HIll
Sun, 06 Mar 2022 21:52 UTC

© Leah Mills/Reuters

Former US President Donald Trump

Former President Trump reportedly joked on Saturday that the U.S. should "put the Chinese flag" on F-22 fighter jets and "bomb the shit" out of Russia.

Trump made the comment to top Republican National Committee donors at a retreat in New Orleans, according to CBS News.

The network reported that the former president suggested that the U.S. should blame China for the offensive and then watch as the two countries engage in a conflict.

"And then we say, 'China did it,'" Trump said, which, according to an unidentified source cited by CBS News, elicited laughs in the room. "Then they start fighting with each other, and we sit back and watch."

The Washington Post also reported on Trump's comments.

Trump sparked criticism last month for calling Russian President Vladimir Putin "smart" and "pretty savvy" as Russia began its invasion of Ukraine. A number of GOP figures pushed back on those comments, including Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.).

Days later, the former president appeared to shift his tone, calling the conflict in Ukraine "a Holocaust" during a wide-ranging interview with Fox Business's Maria Bartiromo and urging Russia to stop fighting. He said Moscow had "to stop killing these people" and suggested that a deal could be reached to end the conflict.

During that same interview, Trump said he believed China would invade Taiwan sooner rather than later.

He said such an offensive would occur on a faster timeline "because they're seeing how stupid the United States is run."

"They're seeing that our leaders are incompetent, and of course they're going to do — this is their time," he added.

Comment: Meanwhile, the Empire green-lights NATO members to supply jets to Ukraine, but wisely, Poland and Slovakia won't go along:

Asked whether NATO members could begin sending planes to Ukraine, Blinken said "that gets a green light." The US' top diplomat then said that Washington was already working with Polish officials to "backfill" any aircraft they send to Ukraine - meaning the US would replace every Polish aircraft given to Kiev with an American one.

The US and NATO have ruled out a no-fly zone, and repeatedly stated that they would not send troops to Ukraine.

However, delivering fighter jets to the Ukrainians has not proven simple thus far. The European Union pledged warplanes to Ukraine late last month, but faced two significant hurdles: first finding jets that Ukrainian pilots could fly, and then finding countries willing to deliver them from their airports.

The Ukrainian Air Force uses Soviet-designed MiG-29 and Sukhoi Su-24, Su-25, and Su-27 jets in combat roles, and with the Su-25 used by Bulgaria and the MiG-29 used by Poland, Bulgaria and Slovakia, the jets would need to be sourced from these countries.

Shortly after the EU's announcement, Poland stated that it wouldn't send jets to Ukraine nor allow its airports to be used for deliveries. Bulgaria and Slovakia then stated that they wouldn't take part in any deal, effectively killing off the EU's arms supply plans.