Two officials said Trump told Putin during a phone call last week after Putin's re-election: "If you want to have an arms race we can do that, but I'll win." Trump added that he hoped that Putin’s comments were just election rhetoric and bragged that he’d just secured a $700 billion defense budget, the largest the U.S. has ever had, he said, according to one of the officials.
So, he makes this call on the 20th, bragging about the defense money, knowing it is included with the upcoming Omnibus Bill. Two days later, he tries to say he seriously considered vetoing it? Doubtful.