Trump returns home to a sea of criticism
President accused of defending ‘tyrant’ Putin
HELSINKI: In an embrace of a longtime US enemy, President Donald Trump openly questioned his own intelligence agencies’ firm finding that Russia meddled in the 2016 US election, 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 the usual critics of Mr Trump. “Shameful’’, “disgraceful’’, “weak’’, were a few of the comments. Makes the US “look like a pushover’’, said GOP Sen 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 leader.
His remarks, siding with a foe on foreign soil over his own government, was 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 acknowledgement of Russia’s i nvolvement 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 and last week’s federal indictments that accused 12 Russians of hacking into Democratic email accounts to hurt Hillary Clinton in 2016.
“I have great confidence in my intelligence people, but I will tell you that Mr 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.
Mr Trump’s scepticism drew a quick rebuttal from his director of National Intelligence, Dan Coats.
“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,’’ Mr Coats said.
Fellow GOP politicians have generally stuck with Mr Trump during a year and a half of turmoil, but he was assailed as seldom before as he returned home on Monday night from what he had hoped would be a proud summit with Mr Putin.
Sen John McCain of Arizona was most outspoken, declaring that Mr Trump made a “conscious choice to defend a tyrant” and achieved “one of the most disgraceful performances by an American president in memory’’. House Speaker Paul Ryan, who rarely criticises Mr Trump, stressed there was “no question’’ that Russia had interfered.
Even staunch backer of Mr Trump, Newt Gingrich, the former House speaker, called Mr Trump’s comments “the most serious mistake of his presidency” and said they “must be corrected — immediately”.
Former CIA Director John Brennan, who served under President Barack Obama, called Mr Trump’s words “nothing short of treasonous’’. Mr Brennan tweeted: “Not only were Mr Trump’s comments imbecilic, he is wholly in the pocket of Mr Putin. Republican Patriots: Where are you???’’
In a Fox News Channel interview after the summit, Mr Putin pronounced the meetings “the beginning of the path’’ back from the West’s efforts to isolate Russia. “I think you see for yourself that these efforts failed,’’ he said.
As he flew home to Washington aboard Air Force One, Mr Trump tried to clarify his position via tweet, saying: “As I said today and many times before, I have GREAT confidence in MY intelligence people. However, I also recognise that in order to build a brighter future, we cannot exclusively focus on the past — as the world’s two largest nuclear powers, we must get along!’’