Donald Trump Donald John TrumpBubba Wallace to be driver of Michael Jordan, Denny Hamlin NASCAR team Graham: GOP will confirm Trump's Supreme Court nominee before the election Southwest Airlines, unions call for six-month extension of government aid MORE on Wednesday pushed back against claims that he is overly friendly toward Vladimir Putin, saying that he doesn’t feel strongly about the Russian president one way or the other.

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While talking about how countries like Russia and China “don’t respect” America, Trump veered off from his prepared remarks at a rally in Henderson, Nev., to address what he thinks of the Russian leader.

“They say, ‘Donald Trump loves Putin,’ ” the GOP presidential nominee said. “I don’t love, I don’t hate. We’ll see how it works, we’ll see.”

Trump said he would like to see the two countries work together to defeat the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS).

“Maybe we’ll have a good relationship, maybe we’ll have a horrible relationship, maybe we’ll have a relationship right in the middle,” he said.

“I can say this: If we got along with Russia, and Russia went out with us and knocked the hell out of ISIS, that’s OK with me, folks.”

Trump’s critics have repeatedly hit the real estate mogul for praising Putin in the past and having business interests in the country.

At Tuesday night’s vice presidential debate, Democrat Tim Kaine Timothy (Tim) Michael KaineTrump meets with potential Supreme Court pick Amy Coney Barrett at White House Names to watch as Trump picks Ginsburg replacement on Supreme Court Barrett seen as a front-runner for Trump Supreme Court pick MORE continued to raise such accusations with Trump's running mate, Mike Pence Michael (Mike) Richard PenceGardner signals support for taking up Supreme Court nominee this year Biden leads Trump by 12 points among Catholic voters: poll GOP brushes back charges of hypocrisy in Supreme Court fight MORE.

Pence diverged from Trump in his description of Putin, calling him a "small and bullying leader." Pence also knocked Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton Hillary Diane Rodham ClintonJoe Biden looks to expand election battleground into Trump country Biden leads Trump by 12 points among Catholic voters: poll The Hill's Campaign Report: Biden goes on offense MORE for the “Russian reset” she oversaw while serving as secretary of State.