Trump is OK with Putin’s denial
President’s words on election meddling prompt outrage among lawmakers
HELSINKI – President Donald Trump accepted denials by Russian President Vladimir Putin that Moscow interfered with the 2016 U.S. election Monday, bringing swift condemnation from members of Congress from both parties.
In siding with Putin, Trump took the word of a former KGB agent over the assessment of U.S. intelligence agencies under two administrations and the Republican-controlled Senate Intelligence Committee.
“I have great confidence in my intelligence people, but I will tell you that
“This ... will be seen by Russia as a sign of weakness and create far more problems than it solves.” Sen. Lindsey Graham R-South Carolina, on Twitter
President Putin was extremely strong and powerful in his denial today,” Trump said at a press conference concluding their summit in Helsinki.
“I have President Putin; he just said it’s not Russia,” Trump said. “I will say this: I don’t see any reason why it would be.”
Trump’s performance at the press conference followed a two-hour private meeting with Putin where only the two leaders and their translators were present. And it comes on the last day of a weeklong European trip in which he berated NATO allies over their defense spending and undercut British Prime Minister Theresa May in the tabloids.
“I never thought I would see the day when our American president would stand on the stage with the Russian president and place blame on the United States for Russian aggression,” Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., posted on Twitter.
“This is shameful,” he added.
Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said Trump had missed an opportunity to firmly hold Russia accountable for 2016 meddling and deliver a warning about any efforts to interfere in future U.S. elections.
Graham wrote on Twitter that “this answer by President Trump will be seen by Russia as a sign of weakness and create far more problems than it solves.”
On Friday, the Justice Department laid out details of what it said was a far-reaching hacking scheme in an indictment of 12 Russian agents whom it accused of trying to undermine the U.S. election.
Trump’s willingness to accept Putin’s denials puts him at odds, not only with his U.S. intelligence agencies and lawmakers from both parties, but also his own national security adviser, John Bolton, who said Sunday that after seeing the indictments, he found it “hard to believe” that Putin was unaware of election interference.
Putin told reporters that Moscow “will never interfere in internal American affairs.” He did not commit to allowing the extradition of the Russian agents. Putin also suggested that the two countries form a joint working group on cybersecurity that would look into the election issue, prompting Trump to say it was an “interesting idea.”
Ahead of Trump’s meeting with Putin, both Republican and Democratic lawmakers had urged the U.S. president to press for the extradition to the United States of the Russian agents.
As he has done before, Trump attacked the investigation led by special counsel Robert Mueller into Russian election interference.
Trump said he ran a clean campaign and beat Hillary Clinton soundly in 2016.
“Zero collusion,” Trump said. “And it has had a negative impact upon the relationship of the two largest nuclear powers in the world . ... It’s ridiculous what’s going on with the probe.”
Intelligence director reacts
Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats on Monday underscored the intelligence community’s assessment that Russia meddled in the 2016 U.S. presidential election, countering his boss, President Trump.
“The role of the Intelligence Community is to provide the best information and fact-based assessments possible for the President and policymakers,” Coats said in a statement. “We have been clear in our assessments of Russian meddling in the 2016 election and their ongoing, pervasive efforts to undermine our democracy, and we will continue to provide unvarnished and objective intelligence in support of our national security.”
Coats’ statement brought swift condemnation from Democrats and Republicans alike, with some suggesting Coats should step down to maintain his own integrity.