Nothing like a good old-fashioned display of Russian military might to get President Donald Trump hyped.
Out of the blue, Trump floated the idea of accepting an invitation from President Vladimir Putin to attend the annual Victory Day parade in Red Square in Moscow.
"It's a very big deal, celebrating the end of (World War II)," Trump told reporters. "I appreciate the invitation; it's right in the middle of the political season.
"I would love to go if I could," he added.
The comments, which seemed designed to help Trump stay in Putin's good graces, drew a rapid clap-back from Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris. She trolled Trump for backing up his allies in the Kremlin.
"Always nice to spend time with supporters on the campaign trail," Harris wrote on Twitter.
The Victory Day parade is an annual event in Moscow. No American president has ever attended. Putin apparently hopes to use the round figure of the 75th anniversary to boost the event's prestige.
Trump raised the idea of attending the parade at a time when his cozy ties with Putin are under even more scrutiny than usual. The heart of the impeachment scandal involves Trump's decision to suspend military aid to Ukraine, which is locked in a war with Russian-backed separatists.
Australian Associated Press
