During Sunday’s “Face the Nation” on CBS, former Secretary of Defense Robert Gates discussed the President Donald Trump administration’s relationship with Russia and its president Vladimir Putin.

Gates cautioned that the United States has not “reacted nearly strongly enough to Putin and to Russia for their blatant interference in 2016,” but later added that “in some respects” the Trump administration has been the toughest on Russia.

“[I]t’s a favorite talking point for the Trump administration to say that they’ve been the toughest on Russia of any administration,” Margaret Brennan pointed out to Gates.

Gated replied, “And in some respects, that’s true. … I think in terms of the magnitude of the sanctions that have been put on Russia, they are more significant than have been imposed in the past.”

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