Trump says he would invite Putin to White House "at the right time"
President Trump says he would be willing to invite President Vladimir Putin to the White House, but at the "right time", according to excerpts released of an exchange with reporters aboard Air Force One en route to Paris.
"I don't think this is the right time, but the answer is yes, I would," said Mr. Trump.
He added, "Look, it's very easy for me to say absolutely, I won't. That's the easy thing for me to do, but that's the stupid thing to do. Let's be the smart people, not the stupid people."
Mr. Trump went on to say that it would be the "easiest" thing not to invite him or to never talk to Russia, but he favors having open communication with Russia, calling it the second most powerful nuclear country in the world.
"If you don't have dialogue, you have to be fools. Fools. It would be the easiest thing for me to say to Maggie and all of you, I will never speak to him, and everybody would love me. But I have to do what's right."
Mr. Trump also said if given the chance, he'd press Putin on just who he supported during the 2016 election.
"The next time I'm with Putin, I'm going to ask him, 'Who were you really for?' Because I can't believe that he would have been for me. Me. Strong military, strong borders -- but he cares less about the borders -- but strong military, tremendous."
Mr. Trump's comments come as he once again defended his son, Donald Trump Jr., and his meeting with a Russian government attorney to collect damaging information on Hillary Clinton.
When asked if as a father, if he supported his son's willingness to testify before Congress on the meeting in question, Mr. Trump replied, "I think if he wants to."
Speaking in a joint press availability with French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday, Mr. Trump lauded his son as a "wonderful young man" adding that the press had "made a big deal" out of the meeting.
Before his visit to France, Mr. Trump spoke to Christian Broadcasting Network's Pat Robertson, where he he described his discussion with the Russian leader during the G-20 summit in Hamburg, Germany last week as "a good meeting."
"I think we get along very well and I think that's a good thing, that's not a bad thing. People said oh they shouldn't get along, well, who are the people that are saying that? I think we get along very, very well."
CBS News' Jacqueline Alemany contributed to this report