Stern: Trump shouldn't praise 'f---ing animal' Putin

Howard Stern is ripping former President Trump for his praise of Russian President Vladimir Putin amid the Ukrainian invasion, saying Republicans should never commend such an "enemy of humanity."

"I used to love the Republicans, and their stance was firmly pro-capitalist, anti-communist, and certainly a staunch defender of free people and free elections," the SiriusXM host told listeners on his eponymous show on Monday.

"They've just totally disappointed me in their support of Vladimir Putin - the praise they heap on him, Trump's praise of Vladimir Putin," Stern continued.

In an interview last week ahead of the Putin-ordered invasion of Ukraine, Trump called the Kremlin leader's recognition of the Donetsk and Luhansk people's republics in eastern Ukraine "smart" and "pretty savvy."

"I went in yesterday, and there was a television screen, and I said, 'This is genius,'" Trump said. "Putin declares a big portion of the Ukraine - of Ukraine - Putin declares it as independent. Oh, that's wonderful," the 45th president added.

In comments on his show, Stern shredded Putin, saying, "This guy's a f---ing animal, and I wish he was dead like I wish [Adolf] Hitler was dead."

"The man is a human stain. I don't care how much power he has. Don't praise him," he added. "Don't say what a genius he is. He's not a genius. ... He's a thug. He's a bully."

"I can't imagine the horror of the life of the Ukrainian people. They're living in a country - they decided to have free elections ... and this scumbag who has more money than anybody, who has more power than anybody, who enslaves an entire country, who will kill you if you're a journalist, will kill you if you speak out against him, who's got everything a man could want if you're truly a megalomaniac, and he didn't have enough," Stern, 68, said of Putin.

"I voted for many Republicans. I don't see how I'll ever get back to that," said Stern, a friend of former frequent guest Trump before becoming critical of the New York real estate developer amid his handling of the coronavirus pandemic as commander in chief.

Stern said Putin "is an enemy of humanity. He is a worthless human being, and I wish Republicans and Democrats would get together with that message."

"It's time for this country to at least have a unified message about democracy and freedom," he added. "I'm sick and tired of the f---ing nightmare that's going on with people defending Vladimir Putin. I never thought I'd live long enough to see it."