Texas lawmakers criticize president’s remarks,
Texas Republican and Democratic lawmakers reacted sharply to President Donald Trump’s remarks Monday challenging U.S. intelligence conclusions that Russia interfered in the 2016 election.
Trump made the comments at a news conference after a summit meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Helsinki, Finland.
U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, told reporters, “I don’t think we should be taking a former KGB colonel’s word for what their intelligence apparatus is doing or not doing. I believe our intelligence community.” Putin, a former Soviet intelligence official, denied Russia meddled in the election and Trump appeared to agree with him.
“I don’t believe Mr. Putin and I believe our intelligence officials who produced the intelligence community assessment and I believe the indictment that Robert Mueller has now presented,” Cornyn said, referring to 12 Russian intelligence officers indicted for cyberattacks intended to interfere in the presidential contest.
U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, told CNN: “I think we need to be acting vigorously to prevent Russian aggression. And I think it’s a mistake to be apologizing for Vladimir Putin.”
The sharpest response from a Texas Republican came from U.S. Rep. Will Hurd, R-Helotes, a former CIA operative and a member of the House Intelligence Committee, who tweeted: “I’ve seen Russian intelligence manipulate many people over my professional career and I never would have thought that the US President would become one of the ones getting played by old KGB hands.”
He added in a follow-up tweet: “To all our allies: there are still many of us in Congress that know Russia is not just an adversary to the United States but to freedom loving people everywhere.”
U.S. Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Austin, chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, said that “foreign interference in our electoral process cannot be tolerated.”
“I continue to stand with the U.S. intelligence community’s assessment that Russia meddled in our 2016 presidential election,” McCaul said. “Vladimir Putin’s long-standing goals are to undermine the credibility of our democracy and to sow discord among the American people.” McCaul said his committee held a hearing last week on local election security procedures. “It is critical that we ensure our systems are protected and we send a clear message to Putin that there are consequences for these illegal actions.”
Austin Democrat U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett, a longtime Trump critic, said, “Defying even the alert of his own Republican Director of National Intelligence regarding Russian aggression against us, Trump engages in a shameful and dangerous display in public with unknown appeasement in private. He appears totally impotent in the face of Putin.”
U.S. Rep. Bill Flores, R-Bryan, whose district includes parts of northern Travis County, was also critical. “I have personally reviewed the reports of our intelligence agencies’ work regarding Russia’s interference in the 2016 election. I have also reviewed the report issued by the House Intelligence Committee on this subject.”
Flores said the reports proved that the Russians meddled in the 2016 election, although they did not change the election outcome. “The president should understand that Russia cannot be trusted and that it must be held accountable for its attempted election disruptions against our nation and against our allies,” he said.
U.S. Rep. John Carter, R-Round Rock, said, “Both the intelligence community and the House Intelligence Committee have clearly stated that Russia interfered with our election process. While it did not impact the outcome of the election, it is clear by Russia’s aggression that they are not an ally and should not be trusted. Russia must be held accountable for their attempt to attack our democracy.”
U.S. Reps. Lamar Smith, R-San Antonio, and Roger Williams, R-Austin, did not respond to requests for comment. Newly sworn-in U.S. Rep. Michael Cloud, R-Victoria, whose district includes parts of Bastrop and Caldwell counties, said through a spokesman that he did not have a comment.