Sen. Daines warns Biden ahead of Putin meeting: 'If you go in with weakness, the bully comes out on top'
'Bullies understand one thing. If you go in a meeting with weakness, the bully comes out on top,' Danes warned
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}President Biden is facing strong warnings from Republicans about his upcoming meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Montana Republican Sen. Steve Daines, said in an interview on
"Your World with Neil Cavuto" Tuesday that Biden must approach the Wednesday meeting in Geneva from a position of "strength" or "the bully will come out on top."
"He’s showing weakness towards Russia and being tough on America. President Biden needs to go in with strength," Daines said. "Remember President Reagan? Peace through strength. Rather than being tough on Russia, we’re seeing the huge cyberattacks in America crippling our infrastructure. We’re seeing President Biden green lighting a natural gas pipeline from Russia to Germany. At the same time, he killed the keystone. He should move that meeting from Geneva, move to it the southern border. Bring Putin."
"We can talk about American energy and the out-of-control border crisis going on in our own country."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Biden was ripped for calling the Russian leader a "worthy adversary" at a press conference following a NATO summit in Brussels on Monday, where he also took shots at former President Trump and the Republican party.
BIDEN CALLS PUTIN A 'WORTHY ADVERSARY AHEAD OF WEDNESDAY MEETING IN GENEVA
"He's bright, he's tough, and I've found that he is — as they say when I used to play ball — a worthy adversary," Biden said of Putin.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Russian President Vladimir Putin takes part in a video link in Moscow, Russia, December 27, 2016. Sputnik/Alexei Druzhinin/Kremlin via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. EDITORIAL USE ONLY/File Photo ______ U.S. President Joe Biden sits as he meets Swiss President Guy Parmelin, one day ahead of a summit with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, in Geneva, Switzerland, June 15, 2021. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque (REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque)
Daines and other Republicans accused Biden of unabashedly appeasing the Russian leader—despite their alleged involvement in several high-profile cyberattacks targeting U.S. companies in recent weeks.
"Bullies understand one thing. If you go in a meeting with weakness, the bully comes out on top," Daines said. "We need President Biden to put an American first agenda forward. We need to hold him accountable. These ransomware attacks are very serious threats to our country, our economic security and national security.
"Biden will meet him with weakness. That doesn’t end well for our country," Danes continued. "You have to confront Russia head-on. He has to confront Putin about the cyber attacks. They all originate from Russia."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}As for Biden's overseas remark where he attacked Trump for "phony populism" and claimed Republican leadership is fractured. Critics noted his remarks violate the political norm of presidents not discussing domestic politics while traveling abroad, something Biden criticized his predecessor for during the 2020 election.
Daines told host Sandra Smith that Biden is dividing this country.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"He’s creating division here where he is driving inflation up, driving gas prices all, out of control southern border, proposing to race taxes to cripple the American economy and the American people. He needs to come back home and unite this country instead of launching bombs, figuratively speaking, from Europe back at his own country. That is wrong," he said. "We need a president to unite us, not divide us."