CBS host Margaret Brennan grilled Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R-TX) about whether he thought President Donald Trump was "winning" when he flattered Russian President Vladimir Putin, who she described as a "brutal dictator."
"Vladimir Putin, it sounds like you would agree, is an accused war criminal," Brennan told Crenshaw in a Sunday interview. "He is a dictator. There is a warrant out for his arrest, as you know."
"President Trump floated inviting him to the U.S. or even visiting Russia himself," she noted. "Do you think any of that is appropriate?"
"It's more appropriate than not talking to him for the last two years, which is what President Biden did," Crenshaw insisted.
"Talking is different than inviting him to the United States," Brennan pointed out.
"You can parse it out however you like," Crenshaw replied. "But the reality is, is you're going to have to get him to the table somehow."
The Texas Republican argued Trump was "good at flattering people in order to get them to the table."
"But flattering a very brutal dictator who's pretty cunning, frankly," Brennan pressed. "You really think that's a winning strategy?"
"He's not that cunning," Crenshaw shot back. "I think let Trump do his campaign promise and play this out. Look, nobody's going to take advantage of Donald Trump."
