Fareed Zakaria: Trump is a 'bulls--- artist'

Donald Trump's explanation of his latest remarks about handling Russian aggression in Ukraine shows a particular pattern, one of a "bulls--- artist," CNN's Fareed Zakaria said on live television Monday afternoon.

"Well, there’s a pattern here, Wolf. Every time it is demonstrated that Donald Trump is plainly ignorant about some basic public policy issues, some well-known fact, he comes back with the certain bravado and tries to explain it away with a tweet or statement," the host of "Fareed Zakaria GPS" told Wolf Blitzer.


Zakaria noted that Trump acted similarly with his past comments on Brexit, on his struggle to articulate the nuclear triad, on how U.S. debt markets work and his apparent confusion of Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine as a former governor of New Jersey.

"And it’s sort of amusing to watch. How he is going to pull it off this time? What is he going to argue? Usually he adds that the press hates him, but there is a term for this kind of thing," Zakaria said. "This is the mode of a bulls--- artist, and you know, it’s sometimes amusing. It’s entertaining if the guy is trying to sell you a condo or a car, but for a president of the United States, it’s deeply worrying."

Blitzer did not make note of Zakaria's on-air profanity as he followed up with another question about Trump remarking that people in Crimea prefer being a part of Russia rather than Ukraine.

Zakaria's comments came in reference to Trump's efforts to explain his remarks during an interview with ABC News host George Stephanopoulos that aired Sunday.

“When I said in an interview that Putin is ‘not going into Ukraine, you can mark it down,’ I am saying if I am President. Already in Crimea!” he tweeted Monday. He added: “So with all of the Obama tough talk on Russia and the Ukraine, they have already taken Crimea and continue to push. That’s what I said!”

In his interview with ABC, Trump said of Putin, “He’s not going to go into Ukraine, all right? You can mark it down and you can put it down, you can take it anywhere you want.”

“Well, he’s already there, isn’t he?” Stephanopoulos asked.

Putin is “there in a certain way, but I’m not there yet,” Trump responded, suggesting that he would sort things out as president.