Mitch McConnell adviser jumps to Biden's defense over Putin 'gaffe'

During a CNN "State of the Union" panel discussion on President Joe Biden's speech in Poland on Saturday, where he harshly criticized Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, a longtime adviser to Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) rushed to the president's defense for implying Russia needs to undergo "regime change."

While Biden has been criticized from both sides of the aisle for stating Putin "cannot remain in power," GOP strategist Scott Jennings praised Biden for stating an obvious truth.

According to Jennings, the White House should not have "walked it back."

"I hated it that they walked him back, because it's what we all believe," Jennings asserted. "Nobody in the United States wants Vladimir Putin to continue to run Russia, and nobody thinks and nobody should think that when this is over we can go back to like this never happened."

"I don't know how it's going to end," he conceded. "We can't go back to treating this guy like a legitimate world leader. The president said what's in all of our hearts. I do think it was a message for the Russian people. When they came and said in the walk-back what he meant was -- that's not what he meant, that's not what he meant at all. What he meant is what's in our hearts."

"I understand the geopolitical ramifications -- I get it," he continued. " But at some point how do you look at what's happening, the slaughter and say anything other than this man cannot be the world leader the way he is in this format? We cannot allow it."

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CNN 03 27 2022 09 38 35 youtu.be