Schumer: GOP Would Be 'Howling at the Moon' If Dem Made Putin Remarks

If a Democrat had made positive remarks about Russian President Vladimir Putin and defended him as President Donald Trump did Sunday, the GOP would be "howling at the moon," Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., told the Senate floor Monday.

"Can you imagine if a Democrat had said that?" Schumer said, via C-SPAN 2. "Every one of these seats would be filled with people decrying that kind of moral equivalence."

Trump, in an interview that aired Sunday during the Fox Super Bowl pregame show, said he had respect for Putin and asked whether the U.S. was "so innocent," when Fox News' Bill O’Reilly called Putin a killer.

"There are a lot of killers. Lot of killers. You think our country's so innocent? You think our country is so innocent?" Trump said.

"I don't know of any government leaders that are killers," O'Reilly responded.

"Take a look at what we've done, too," Trump said. "We've made a lot of mistakes. I've been against the war in Iraq since the beginning. A lot of people were killed. A lot of killers around, believe me."

Some Republicans criticized Trump for his remarks, including Sens. Marco Rubio and Mitch McConnell and Reps. Liz Cheney and Steve King.

• Rubio Rebukes Trump Claim: 'We Are Not The Same as Putin'
• Lindsey Graham: I Won't Be Satisfied If Russia Goes Unpunished