Trump: ‘I Want to Thank Putin’ for Expelling U.S. Diplomats—Saves Us ‘a Lot of Money’

President Trump on Thursday said he’s thankful to Russian President Vladimir Putin for expelling U.S. diplomats because now the U.S. government can save money on that payroll. “I want to thank him because we’re trying to cut down our payroll and as far as I’m concerned I’m very thankful that he let go of a large number of people because now we have a smaller payroll,” the president said during a press availability at his New Jersey golf resort. “There’s no reason for them to go back. I greatly appreciate the fact that we’ve been able to cut our payroll of the United States. We’re going to save money.”