Trump attempts to fix his Putin problem

You had somebody to talk to him with me; no one was ever tougher on Russia than me,” Trump said in South Carolina on Saturday, per NBC’s Vaughn Hillyard.Trump added, “The U.S. must make clear to Putin that he has two choices: To negotiate peace right now or face blistering consequences, including a push to permanently eliminate dependence on Russian energy.” (In fact, Biden has already banned Russian oil imports.)And the former president also said this of Putin: "It happens to be a man that is just driven, he’s driven to put it together.”As NBC’s Jonathan Allen writes, the war in Ukraine has produced a break between Trump and Republican elites when it comes to Putin.It’s also split voters in Trump Country, who want the United States to do more for Ukraine, NBC’s Henry Gomez writes.“I don’t think we’re doing enough,” Republican Mary King said in Steubenville, Ohio. One percent of the state is registered as Libertarian.Other numbers you need to know today:59 percent: That’s the portion of U.S adults who say they back a no-fly zone over Ukraine in the new CBS News/YouGov poll.38 percent: The portion who back a no-fly zone if told it may lead to confrontations with Russian aircraft and be viewed as an act of war by the global superpower, a significant decrease given that new perspective.$1.6 million: That’s how much Missouri Attorney Gen. Eric Schmitt raised at a recent Mar-a-Lago fundraiser supporting his Senate bid, per Fox News (Trump hasn’t endorsed yet in this race).Trump’s South Carolina rally on Saturday featured two candidates the former president has endorsed against GOP lawmakers whom Trump called “atrocious RINOs,” per NBC’s Vaughn Hillyard — Katie Arrington, who’s challenging Rep. Nancy Mace, and state Rep. Russell Fry, who’s challenging Rep. Tom Rice.Mace’s campaign responded with a statement focusing on Arrington, while Rice, who voted to impeach Trump after the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, said Trump was “consumed by spite.” The pair have taken different approaches to their primaries, per the AP.Elsewhere on the campaign trail:Politico caught up with Wyoming voters to explore how GOP Rep. Liz Cheney needs support from Democrats and independents to fend off her Trump-backed primary challenger.Pennsylvania Rep. Conor Lamb released a new version of his first TV ad in the Democratic Senate primary, removing footage of Lamb speaking on the House floor that appeared to violate ethics rules.And Disney says it is pausing political donations in Florida after criticism related to a new, controversial bill limiting teaching about sexual orientation and gender identity in lower grade levels.