Howard Stern has spoken out against former US president Donald Trump for praising Russia’s Vladimir Putin for the invasion of Ukraine.
During Monday’s episode of his SiriusXM radio show, the 68-year-old radio host launched into a tirade against Putin.
“I hate the Soviet Union,” he said. “I hate the Communist regime. I always hated Communism because it always turns into an autocratic situation like in China where they cut off your freedoms.”
He then spoke about how he “used to love Republicans”.
“I voted for many Republicans. I don’t see how I’ll ever get back to that,” Stern said. “They’ve just totally disappointed me and their support of Vladimir Putin, the praise they heap on him. Trump’s praise of Vladimir Putin. This guy’s a f****** animal. I wish he was dead like I wish Hitler was dead.”
Last week, Trump finally commented on the Ukraine-Russia conflict following days of silence.
In a conversation with two right-leaning interviewers, Trump heaped praise on Putin and claimed that the Biden administration had no response to the Russian aggression in the region.
Trump stuck to his strange, effusive praise of Putin that defined his presidency, and called the Russian leader’s moves “genius”.
“I went in yesterday and there was a television screen, and I said, ‘This is genius.’ Putin declares a big portion of the Ukraine – of Ukraine. Putin declares it as independent. Oh, that’s wonderful,” Trump said on 22 February, referring to Moscow’s recognition of two separatist nations in occupied Ukrainian Donbas.
In response to Trump’s “genius” comment, Stern said: “The man [Putin] is a human stain. I don’t care how much power he has. Don’t praise him.”
“Don’t say what a genius he is. He’s not a genius. He’s a thug. He’s a bully,” he added.
Stern also expressed sympathy for the people of Ukraine.
“I can’t imagine the horror of the life of the Ukrainian people. They’re living in a country – they decided to have free elections … and this scumbag who has more money than anybody, who has more power than anybody, who enslaves an entire country, who will kill you if you’re a journalist, will kill you if you speak out against him, who’s got everything a man could want if you’re truly a megalomaniac, and he didn’t have enough,” he said.
Putin “is an enemy of humanity”, Stern added. “He is a worthless human being, and I wish Republicans and Democrats would get together with that message.”
“It’s time for this country to at least have a unified message about democracy and freedom,” he said. “I’m sick and tired of the f****** nightmare that’s going on with people defending Vladimir Putin. I never thought I’d live long enough to see it.”
Follow the latest updates about the Russian invasion of Ukraine in our live blog here.
