Trump said if Russia helps fight against ISIS and "Islamic terrorists all over the world" then it's "a good thing." | Getty Trump defends Putin, says U.S. has 'a lot of killers'

President Donald Trump said the United States has "a lot of killers" while again defending Russian President Vladimir Putin.

In an excerpt of an interview set to run Sunday before the Super Bowl, Trump was asked by Fox News' Bill O'Reilly whether he "respects" Putin.


"I do respect him. I respect a lot of people, but that doesn't mean I'm going to get along with him," Trump replied. "He's a leader of his country. I say it's better to get along with Russia than not."

Trump added that if Russia helps fight against ISIS and "Islamic terrorists all over the world" then it's "a good thing."

O'Reilly followed up, saying that Putin "is a killer."

“You got a lot of killers,” Trump responded. “What, you think our country’s so innocent?”

Throughout the campaign and into his presidency, Trump has noted that he would be willing to work with Russia, and he has repeatedly praised Putin's authoritarian approach to governing.