NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — Republican Presidential hopeful Donald Trump is agreeing with Russian President Vladimir Putin in his backing of Syrian President Bashar Assad.

Trump says in an interview on Fox News that he has no problem with Russia's recent military buildup in Syria. And he says he thinks Assad may be preferable to the kind of people the U.S. is "supposed to be backing."

The U.S. insists Syria's future cannot include Assad. But Putin has cast his longtime ally as the best defense against Islamic State militants.

Trump also says Putin is getting an "A'' in terms of leadership, while Obama isn't doing so well.

It was Trump's first appearance on Fox since he declared he'd be boycotting the network less than a week ago for alleged unfair treatment.