In an extraordinary embrace of a longtime U.S. enemy, President Donald Trump openly questioned his own intelligence agencies鈥� firm finding that Russia meddled in the 2016 U.S. election to his benefit, seeming to accept Russian President Vladimir Putin鈥檚 insistence that Moscow鈥檚 hands were clean.
The reaction back home was immediate and visceral, among fellow Republicans as well as usual Trump critics. 鈥淪hameful,鈥� 鈥漝isgraceful,鈥� 鈥漺eak,鈥� were a few of the comments. Makes the U.S. 鈥渓ook like a pushover,鈥� said GOP Sen. Bob Corker of Tennessee.
Trump鈥檚 meeting with Putin in Helsinki was his first time sharing the international stage with a man he has described as an important U.S. competitor 鈥� but whom he has also praised a strong, effective leader.
While I had a great meeting with NATO, raising vast amounts of money, I had an even better meeting with Vladimir Putin of Russia. Sadly, it is not being reported that way - the Fake 亚洲天堂 is going Crazy!
鈥� Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump)
His remarks, siding with a foe on foreign soil over his own government, was a stark illustration of Trump鈥檚 willingness to upend decades of U.S. 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鈥檚 world view. But Trump made clear he feels that any firm acknowledgement of Russia鈥檚 involvement would undermine the legitimacy of his election.
Standing alongside Putin, Trump steered clear of any confrontation with the Russian, going so far as to question American intelligence and last week鈥檚 federal indictments that accused 12 Russians of hacking into Democratic email accounts to hurt Hillary Clinton in 2016.
鈥淚 have great confidence in my intelligence people, but I will tell you that President Putin was extremely strong and powerful in his denial today.
鈥淗e just said it鈥檚 not Russia. I will say this: I don鈥檛 see any reason why it would be,鈥� Trump said.
His skepticism drew a quick formal statement 鈥� almost a rebuttal 鈥� from Trump鈥檚 director of national Intelligence, Dan Coats.
鈥淲e 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,鈥� Coats said.
Joint Press Conference from Helsinki, Finland:
鈥� Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump)
Fellow GOP politicians have generally stuck with Trump during a year and a half of turmoil, but he was assailed as seldom before as he returned home Monday night from what he had hoped would be a proud summit with Putin.
Sen. John McCain of Arizona was most outspoken, declaring that Trump made a 鈥渃onscious choice to defend a tyrant鈥� and achieved 鈥渙ne of the most disgraceful performances by an American president in memory.鈥� House Speaker Paul Ryan, who rarely criticizes Trump, stressed there was 鈥渘o question鈥� that Russia had interfered.
Even staunch Trump backer Newt Gingrich, the former House speaker, called Trump鈥檚 comments 鈥渢he most serious mistake of his presidency鈥� and said they 鈥渕ust be corrected 鈥� immediately.鈥�
Former CIA Director John Brennan, who served under President Barack Obama, called Trump鈥檚 words 鈥渘othing short of treasonous.鈥� Brennan tweeted: 鈥淣ot only were Trump鈥檚 comments imbecilic, he is wholly in the pocket of Putin. Republican Patriots: Where are you???鈥�
In a Fox 亚洲天堂 Channel interview after the summit, Putin pronounced the meetings 鈥渢he beginning of the path鈥� back from the West鈥檚 past efforts to isolate Russia. 鈥淚 think you see for yourself that these efforts failed, and they were never bound to succeed,鈥� he said.
As he flew home to Washington aboard Air Force One, Trump tried to clarify his position via tweet, saying: 鈥淎s I said today and many times before, 鈥業 have GREAT confidence in MY intelligence people.鈥� However, I also recognize that in order to build a brighter future, we cannot exclusively focus on the past - as the world鈥檚 two largest nuclear powers, we must get along!鈥�
In an interview with Fox 亚洲天堂鈥� Sean Hannity that aired later Monday, Trump said 鈥渋t鈥檚 a shame鈥� that he and Putin were being asked questions about the Russia probe while they were trying to discuss issues like Syria and nuclear proliferation. 鈥淲e鈥檝e had a phoney witch hunt deal drive us apart,鈥� he said.
In their totality, Trump鈥檚 remarks amounted to an unprecedented embrace of a man who for years has been isolated by the U.S. and Western allies for actions in Ukraine, Syria and beyond. And it came at the end of an extraordinary trip to Europe in which Trump had already berated allies, questioned the value of the NATO alliance and demeaned leaders including Germany鈥檚 Angela Merkel and Britain鈥檚 Theresa May.
The two leaders鈥� long-awaited summit began with a private face-to-face sitdown 鈥� just the leaders and their interpreters 鈥� that lasted more than two hours, before additional meetings joined by senior aides.
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The pair had held lengthy talks before 鈥� on the sidelines of world leader meetings in Germany and Vietnam last year 鈥� but this was their first official summit and was being watched closely, especially following the announcement Friday of new indictments against 12 Russian intelligence officers accused of hacking Democratic emails to help Trump鈥檚 campaign.
Asked about the indictments, Putin suggested that Moscow and Washington could jointly conduct the investigation, inviting special counsel Robert Mueller鈥檚 investigators to come to Russia to interview the 12 people 鈥� an idea Trump hailed as an 鈥渋ncredible offer.鈥�
Putin said he鈥檇 expect the U.S. to return the favour and co-operate in the Russian probe against William Browder, a British investor charged with financial crimes in Russia. Browder, an outspoken Putin critic, was a driving force behind a U.S. law targeting Russian officials over human rights abuses.
The summit began just hours after Trump blamed the United States 鈥� and not Russian election meddling or its annexation of Crimea 鈥� for a low-point in U.S.-Russia relations.
鈥淥ur relationship with Russia has NEVER been worse,鈥� Trump tweeted Monday morning, blaming 鈥渕any years of U.S. foolishness and stupidity and now, the Rigged Witch Hunt!鈥�
The Russian foreign ministry responded by liking Trump鈥檚 tweet and then replying, 鈥淲e agree.鈥�
Asked whether Russia was responsible at all, Trump said 鈥渨e鈥檙e all to blame鈥� for the soured relations.
However, 鈥渢hat changed,鈥� he said, 鈥渁s of about four hours ago.鈥�
Putin ridiculed as 鈥渟heer nonsense鈥� allegations that Russian intelligence agencies had collected compromising information on Trump during his visit to Moscow years before the election, saying that he had no idea Trump was even visiting.
Trump also dismissed the idea in his interview with Hannity, adding, 鈥淚f they had it, it would have been out.鈥�
Still, Putin said he had indeed wanted Trump to win the election 鈥� a revelation that might have made more headlines if not for Trump鈥檚 performance 鈥� but had taken no action to make it happen.
鈥淵es, I wanted him to win because he spoke of normalization of Russian-U.S. ties,鈥� Putin said. 鈥淚sn鈥檛 it natural to feel sympathy to a person who wanted to develop relations with our country? It鈥檚 normal.鈥�
At the closing press conference, Putin, riding high after hosting a successful World Cup, unveiled a gift he鈥檇 brought for Trump: a red and white soccer ball, which he tossed to Trump at the neighbouring lectern. Trump passed it over to his wife, and said they鈥檇 give it to their soccer-loving 12-year-old son, Barron.
Out on the streets, the summit attracted a grab-bag of protesters, with abortion-rights activists wearing artificially bulging bellies and Trump masks, anti-fascist protesters bearing signs with expletive-laden insults, and free traders, anti-war Ukrainians and gay rights supporters making their voices heard.
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Associated Press writers Zeke Miller, Ken Thomas and Darlene Superville in Washington contributed to this report.
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Jonathan Lemire, Jill Colvin And Vladimir Isachenkov, The Associated Press
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