Trump calls panned Putin summit a success
Amid furor, president promises ‘big results’
WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump insisted Wednesday his meeting with Vladimir Putin was a success, despite bipartisan criticism from lawmakers who said he failed to confront the Russian president about Moscow’s meddling in the 2016 election.
“Some people HATE the fact that I got along well with President Putin of Russia,” Trump tweeted. “They would rather go to war than see this. It’s called Trump Derangement Syndrome!”
During a second day of damage control after his ill-fated news conference with Putin, Trump told CBS News he holds Putin personally responsible for Russian activity in the U.S. election “because he’s in charge of the country, just like I consider myself to be responsible for things that happen in this country.”
Trump said he told Putin, “We can’t have this. We’re not going to have it. And that’s the way it’s going to be.”
Trump suggested Russia no longer poses a cyberthreat to American elections – a conclusion at odds with U.S. intelligence officials.
Asked whether the Russians are still targeting the United States, Trump said, “No.” Spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said Trump meant no to answering reporters’ questions.
Trump did take the question and said no one has been tougher on Russia than he’s been in sanctioning bad behavior.
“Putin knows that better than anybody,” he said.
Dan Coats, director of national intelligence, said this week that Russia is engaged in “ongoing, pervasive efforts to undermine our democracy” before this year’s congressional elections.
The White House confirmed that Putin spoke with Trump at their summit in Helsinki about prosecuting former U.S. ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul and financier Bill Browder – and declined to rule out U.S. cooperation in such an effort.
Analysts said Trump should immediately reject the idea of Russian prosecution of McFaul and Browder, saying Putin is targeting them because they have spotlighted corruption within the Russian government.
Critics questioned Trump’s sincerity after his revised claim that he has faith in the U.S. intelligence community’s view that Russia interfered with the 2016 election, not Putin’s denials.
“Mr. President, it is time to stop taking the word of a KGB agent over that of your own intelligence officials,” said Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., the Senate’s top Democrat.
Taking to Twitter to defend his meeting with Putin, Trump said, “Russia has agreed to help with North Korea,” and the two leaders “discussed many important subjects” at their summit, without providing details.
“We got along well which truly bothered many haters who wanted to see a boxing match,” Trump said. “Big results will come!”
The president’s tweets did not address the reason the meeting triggered a furor: Trump’s suggestion he believed Putin’s denials of Russian election interference over the conclusions of U.S. intelligence officials who have pursued criminal charges against Russian nationals.
Trump walked back his comments Tuesday at the White House, saying, “I accept our intelligence community’s conclusion that Russia’s meddling in the 2016 election took place.”
He added there “could be other people also . ... A lot of people out there.”
Trump said he misspoke at the Putin news conference, saying he used “would” rather that “wouldn’t” in discussing Russian meddling.
Democrats scoffed at the notion that Russia is no longer targeting American elections.
“This is simply false,” said Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee.
He said, “I’ll take Dan Coats’ word over Putin’s any day.”