Donald Trump slammed NBC’s “Today” co-host Matt Lauer’s questions Thursday over criticism of President Obama’s weak handling of Russia’sactions in Crimea.

Trump appeared on “Today” to promote his 2014 Miss USA pageant airing on NBC in June, when the conversation turned to Obama.

“You’ve been critical of the president and his handling of the situation with Ukraine and Crimea,” Lauer said. “I think you said, I’m paraphrasing here, but basically [Russian President Vladimir] Putin was playing with or toying with Obama. That is kind of a common refrain of yours, I should mention.”

Trump replied that others have said the same thing.

“But you always think that Obama is being weak,” Lauer said. “What would you have done differently than he did in the days before Russian troops went into Crimea?”

The incursion should have never happened, Trump said.

“If you’re the president, that doesn’t happen and it’s not a big surprise,” he said. “I mean, it should have worked so that a thing like that doesn’t happen.”

The United States should be strong in its reaction to Putin, Trump said.

“We should definitely do sanctions. And we have to show some strength. I mean, Putin has eaten Obama’s lunch, therefore our lunch, for a long period of time,” he said. “And I just hope that Obama, who’s not looking too good, doesn’t do something very foolish and very stupid to show his manhood. I just hope that doesn’t happen.”

Watch the clip here via NewsBusters:

Watch the entire interview, including a discussion about Trump running for governor of New York, via NBC:

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