Fact Check: Trump Claims He Was 'Very Loud' About Russia's Exclusion from the G8
What We Know
During a recent press conference, former President Donald Trump stated that he had been "very loud" about the mistake of excluding Russia from the G8, despite not being in politics at the time of that decision. The G8, which included Russia, was effectively reduced to the G7 in 2014 after Russia's annexation of Crimea, leading to its expulsion from the group. Trump has publicly criticized this decision multiple times, asserting that if Russia had remained in the G8, the ongoing conflict in Ukraine might have been avoided. He remarked, "I think it was a mistake to throw them out" and suggested that discussions involving Russia would be beneficial for global stability (BBC, Pravda).
Analysis
Trump's assertion that he was vocal about the exclusion of Russia from the G8, despite not being in politics at the time, raises questions about the timeline and context of his statements. Trump was not in a political office during the 2014 decision; he was a private citizen and a businessman. His first significant political campaign began in 2015 when he announced his candidacy for the presidency. Therefore, while he may have expressed opinions about Russia's exclusion after entering politics, he did not have a platform to voice these opinions at the time of the actual decision.
Several sources confirm Trump's repeated statements regarding the exclusion of Russia being a mistake. For instance, he emphasized this point during a recent G7 summit, indicating that he believes Russia's presence could have mitigated current geopolitical tensions (Reuters, Fox News). However, the claim that he was "very loud" about it before entering politics lacks substantiation, as there are no records of him making such statements prior to 2015.
The reliability of the sources reporting on Trump's comments varies. Major news outlets like the BBC and Reuters are generally considered credible, while less established outlets may have biases that affect their reporting. However, the consistency across multiple credible sources lends weight to the accuracy of Trump's statements regarding his views on Russia's exclusion.
Conclusion
The claim that Trump was "very loud" about the mistake of excluding Russia from the G8 is Partially True. While he has indeed criticized the decision and expressed his belief that it was a mistake, his assertion that he was vocal about it before entering politics is misleading. He did not have a political platform to voice such opinions until after he began his presidential campaign in 2015.
Sources
- Trump says expelling Russia from G7 was a 'mistake' as he ...
- G7 leaders struggle for unity as Trump says removing ...
- Trump Calls Russia's Expulsion From G8 Mistake - Pravda EN
- Trump Says It Was A Mistake To Throw Russia Out Of G8
- Trump stirs backlash with comments on Russia and G7 - MSN
- Trump at G7: Russia's removal from G8 was 'very big mistake'
