Trump backs Putin over FBI in election meddling row

DONALD TRUMP sided with Vladimir Putin over his own intelligence officials yesterday as he praised the Russian leader’s “extremely strong and powerful” denial over election meddling.

At a joint press conference in Helsinki, the US president said: “I don’t see any reason why” the Kremlin would have interfered in the 2016 presidential race.

The comments chimed with Mr Putin, who said claims the Kremlin worked with the Trump campaign were “utter nonsense”. However, he added he did want Mr Trump to win “because he spoke of the normalisation of Russian-us ties”.

A former CIA director called the US president’s remarks “treasonous”, while John Kerry, Barack Obama’s secretary of state, described them as “insanity” and “indefensible” in what was “a disgraceful moment”.

Mr Trump and Mr Putin pledged a new era of co-operation, but questions about election meddling were repeatedly asked. Last week, 12 Russian intelligence officials were charged with hacking into Democrat computers in a bid to sabotage the 2016 election.

Mr Trump said: “My people came to me… they said they think it’s Russia. 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.”

The leaders also agreed to co-operate on North Korea and trade. However, they clashed on Crimea, which Russia annexed in 2014.