Trump attacks Republican senator and defends $1.8bn slush fund amid Blanche nomination standoff

Trump told reporters he wasn’t sure whether he should grant Patriot missiles to Ukraine, calling it a “big step”.

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy asked Trump for Patriot air defense interceptors to defend itself from Russian attacks when the two presidents met earlier this week.

“These weapons are incredible,” Trump said. “We have to be very careful about letting somebody build them. … You have to be very judicious, but you have to be very careful. … it’s a hard thing to give away that kind of technology, and I don’t think this would ever happen, but, you know, those people that you get that technology, they can someday turn on you. You know, that is possible.”