‘Disgraceful’ Trump on show

President contradicts US intelligence during Putin meeting

President Trump has openly questioned his own intelligence agencies’ finding that Russia meddled in the 2016 elections drawing fire from friends and foes.

IN an extraordinary embrace of a longtime US enemy, President Donald Trump on Monday openly questioned his own intelligence agencies’ firm finding that Russia meddled in the 2016 US election to his benefit, seeming to accept Russian President Vladimir Putin’s insistence that Moscow’s hands were clean.

The reaction back home was immediate and visceral, among fellow Republicans as well as usual Trump critics.

“Shameful”, “disgraceful” and “weak” were a few of the comments. Makes the US “look like a pushover”, said GOP Senator Bob Corker of Tennessee.

Mr Trump’s meeting with Mr Putin in Helsinki was his first time sharing the international stage with a man he has described as an important US competitor – but whom he has also praised as a strong, effective leader.

His remarks, siding with a foe on foreign soil over his own government, were a stark illustration of Mr Trump’s willingness to upend decades of US foreign policy and rattle Western allies in service of his political concerns.

A wary and robust stance toward Russia has been a bedrock of his party’s world view. But Mr Trump made clear he feels that any firm acknowledgment of Russia’s involvement would undermine the legitimacy of his election.

Standing alongside Mr Putin, Mr Trump steered clear of any confrontation with the Russian, going so far as to question American intelligence.

“I have great confidence in my intelligence people, but I will tell you that President Putin was extremely strong and powerful in his denial today. He just said it’s not Russia. I will say this: I don’t see any reason why it would be,” Mr Trump said.

Republican Senator John McCain called it “one of the most disgraceful performances by an American president in memory”.