So why, given all of those red flags -- not to mention the whole "DO NOT CONGRATULATE" thing -- would Trump offer up his kudos to Putin on a re-election "victory"? The Post notes that it's not clear Trump actually read the briefing papers. But the same reason "DO NOT CONGRATULATE" was written on the briefing documents is exactly why Trump decided to congratulate Putin. Putting "DO NOT CONGRATULATE" on a briefing document for Trump is like waving a red cape in front of a bull. The 2016 election, in Trump's mind, validated that long-held suspicion of the people who claim to know best.

Source: CNN March 21, 2018 01:41 UTC