Sean Spicer says Trump's relationship with Russia and Putin comes from "an understanding of the role that Russia plays in our world right now." | AP Photo Spicer questions Obama's Russia hacking response

Incoming White House press secretary Sean Spicer questioned Sunday morning President Barack Obama imposing sanctions on Russia, asking “is that response in proportion to the actions taken?”

“I think one of the questions that we have is why the magnitude of this?” Spicer said on "This Week with George Stephanopoulos. “I mean you look at 35 people being expelled, two sites being closed down, the question is, is that response in proportion to the actions taken? Maybe it was; maybe it wasn't but you have to think about that.”


Spicer was responding to Obama announcing last week that the U.S. will impose sanctions on Russia and expel 35 Russian diplomats from America in retaliation for Russia’s election-related hacking of the U.S.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, however, stated that Russia wouldn’t reciprocate – a move Spicer said shows Trump’s early successes in international diplomacy.

Spicer told host Jonathan Karl that Trump's relationship with Russia and Putin comes from "an understanding of the role that Russia plays in our world right now."

Spicer continued to say that people should stop focusing on Trump's tweets and stop trying to undermine him because he has been "getting action, successes, and wins both abroad and here at home."

"He speaks with the head of Sprint gets 5,000 jobs moved from abroad. And everyone starts to mock him. Oh those jobs were already announced. They weren't. The sales jobs had been previously announced," Spicer said.

The job commitments by Sprint Corp., however, are in line with hiring and investment pledges that were already made by SoftBank.

"These jobs were coming from abroad to America. And instead of trying to mock him or undermine him, it's time that people started giving him credit for actually getting things done," Spicer said.