Russia flew warplanes out of Iran in an announced bombing mission against terrorist groups in Syria because President Vladimir Putin "recognizes that he has four or five months to deal" with President Barack Obama, former House Intelligence Committee Pete Hoekstra told Newsmax TV on Tuesday.
"He's going to exert his influence and his reach for Russia as far as he can for the next five months," Hoekstra, a Republican who represented Michigan in the House for nearly two decades, told "Newsmax Prime" host J.D. Hayworth.
"He realizes that when that's over, we're going to have a strong president in the White House that will actually respond to all of his provocative activities.
"This president has done absolutely nothing to rein in the Russian bear."
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Donald Trump receives his first classified intelligence briefing on Wednesday — and "there's only one criteria" in presenting that data to the Republican presidential nominee, Hoekstra said.
"Give him the best intelligence that you can. Give it all to him."
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