Chuck Todd Goes After Biden For Calling Putin 'War Criminal'

Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT) disputed NBC host Chuck Todd on Sunday over the suggestion that President Joe Biden miscalculated when he called Russian President Vladimir Putin a "war criminal."

"President Biden called Putin a war criminal this week," Todd told Murphy. "There are a lot of people who agree with that assessment but question whether the president himself should have personalized it. Where are you in this?"

"I don't think you can do anything other than call Vladimir Putin a war criminal," Murphy replied. "He is! I mean, what he's doing right now as we speak, targeting children, maternity wards, schools inside Ukraine clearly crosses a line."

"We're going to negotiate with a war criminal?" Todd pressed. "That is what's difficult here, right? We didn't negotiate with [former Serbian President Slobodan Milošević]."

Murphy pointed out that the decision of whether or not to negotiate with Putin will be made by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

"President Biden is showing moral leadership just like President Zelenskyy is showing moral leadership," Murphy pointed out. "There are a lot of Republican colleagues now who are using their time to criticize President Biden, vote against Ukraine aid on the floor of the House and the Senate while President Biden is standing up there saying and doing the right thing."

"So I'm proud of President Biden for drawing a moral line against Vladimir Putin," he added. "I'd rather have my Republican colleagues supporting him rather than attacking him."

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