At the NBC candidates forum on Wednesday, Trump once again refused to denounce Putin and suggested the Russian leader was more effective than President Barack Obama.
Trump has made no secret of his admiration for the Russian leader, who in turn has described the United States businessman as "oustanding" and "very talented".
"There was one thing that shocked me", Trump said. "If you were looking for competency, Donald Trump fell short", he said in a Facebook post.
Trump also brought up Putin's praising the GOP candidate earlier in the campaign, when he reportedly called Trump a "bright and talented person".
Putin is "very much of a leader", Trump said in a televised interview, where he and Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton were separately grilled over their national security and military credentials.
Trump and his running mate, Indiana Governor Mike Pence, defended the comment.
Earlier Wednesday, Trump pledged to increase USA military spending - already at levels far higher than any other nation - and to demand a plan to beat DAESH if he becomes president. The U.S. and its European allies imposed trade and economic sanctions over Russia's seizure of Crimea from Ukraine that have battered the Russian economy.
A Seattle Seahawks fan holds a sign suggesting quarterback Russell Wilson for president instead of Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump
The FBI has said it believes hackers linked to Russian intelligence services were behind recent breaches into the Democratic National Committee, as well as the theft and subsequent leaking of thousands of emails belonging to Clinton. "Vladimir Putin is violating the sovereignty of neighboring countries", Ryan said to reporters Thursday.
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"I have absolutely no opinion on that", he said, and later added that a Russian-led hack to sway the 2016 election "would not be appropriate at all". He feels Trump was merely describing a "sense that he got recently that in fact our president had not taken all of the counsel of our military advisers in confronting and defeating ISIS". "You're indefatigable", she said.
Clinton also lit into Trump over his statements about the intelligence briefing he received as the Republican Party's nominee.
"Trump is more popular than Clinton in Russia, because his political style is what Russians like: he is blunt, sometimes amusing and feeds the "anti-establishment" sentiment", said political analyst Konstanin Kalachev.
"Trump promises us a "very good relationship". "I love you Andrea..." "And people start thinking we should be grading on a curve".
On security, Clinton said she would focus on finding "Islamic State" leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.
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