Al Jazeera News :
Republican politicians in the US have joined the Democrats and intelligence officials in denouncing President Donald Trump’s failure to challenge Russian President Vladimir Putin over interference in the US elections, calling his response as “shameful” and “disgraceful”.
John McCain, the senior Republican senator, said Trump’s seeming acceptance of Putin’s denial was a historical “low point” for the US presidency and the Helsinki summit between the two leaders a “tragic mistake”. McCain said the joint press conference between Trump and Putin in Helsinki “was one of the most disgraceful performances by an American president in memory”.
“The damage inflicted by President Trump’s naivete, egotism, false equivalence, and sympathy for autocrats is difficult to calculate,” McCain said in a blistering statement. “No prior president has ever abased himself more abjectly before a tyrant.” Al Jazeera’s Kimberly Halkett, reporting from Washington DC, said there was “nearly universal” criticism of Trump’s actions in Helsinki. Taking direct issue with the president who appointed him, Director of National Intelligence, Dan Coats said US spy agencies have been “clear” and “fact-based” in their assessment that Moscow interfered in the presidential race two years ago – an assessment that Trump refused to endorse in Helsinki.
Coats added that Russia remains behind “ongoing, pervasive efforts to undermine our democracy”.
Trump stunned US political allies and foes alike with his answer to a question about Russian
hacking and interference in the 2016 election which saw him defeat Democrat Hillary Clinton.
Putin “just said it is not Russia. I will say this: I don’t see any reason why it would be,” Trump said, adding that “President Putin was extremely strong in his denial today”.
That came three days after the US Justice Department indicted 12 Russians for hacking Democratic Party computers.
Trump also appeared to embrace Putin’s offer to have Russian investigators work together with US prosecutors on the case of the 12 just indicted. That prompted House Speaker Paul Ryan, of the ruling Republican Party, to say that the president “must appreciate that Russia is not our ally”.
“There is no moral equivalence between the United States and Russia, which remains hostile to our most basic values and ideals,” he said.
Senior Republican Senator Lindsey Graham said Trump’s answer on meddling “will be seen by Russia as a sign of weakness”. “This is shameful,” said Senator Jeff Flake, a fellow Republican and staunch critic of the president.
Mark Simakovsky, a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council’s Eurasia Center in Washington DC, told Al Jazeera that the summit in Helsinki has damaged Trump’s credibility.
“He failed on all accounts. In many ways he widened the gap between those who say they don’t feel he has the credibility and capability to follow through on US foreign policy,” he said.
Republican politicians in the US have joined the Democrats and intelligence officials in denouncing President Donald Trump’s failure to challenge Russian President Vladimir Putin over interference in the US elections, calling his response as “shameful” and “disgraceful”.
John McCain, the senior Republican senator, said Trump’s seeming acceptance of Putin’s denial was a historical “low point” for the US presidency and the Helsinki summit between the two leaders a “tragic mistake”. McCain said the joint press conference between Trump and Putin in Helsinki “was one of the most disgraceful performances by an American president in memory”.
“The damage inflicted by President Trump’s naivete, egotism, false equivalence, and sympathy for autocrats is difficult to calculate,” McCain said in a blistering statement. “No prior president has ever abased himself more abjectly before a tyrant.” Al Jazeera’s Kimberly Halkett, reporting from Washington DC, said there was “nearly universal” criticism of Trump’s actions in Helsinki. Taking direct issue with the president who appointed him, Director of National Intelligence, Dan Coats said US spy agencies have been “clear” and “fact-based” in their assessment that Moscow interfered in the presidential race two years ago – an assessment that Trump refused to endorse in Helsinki.
Coats added that Russia remains behind “ongoing, pervasive efforts to undermine our democracy”.
Trump stunned US political allies and foes alike with his answer to a question about Russian
hacking and interference in the 2016 election which saw him defeat Democrat Hillary Clinton.
Putin “just said it is not Russia. I will say this: I don’t see any reason why it would be,” Trump said, adding that “President Putin was extremely strong in his denial today”.
That came three days after the US Justice Department indicted 12 Russians for hacking Democratic Party computers.
Trump also appeared to embrace Putin’s offer to have Russian investigators work together with US prosecutors on the case of the 12 just indicted. That prompted House Speaker Paul Ryan, of the ruling Republican Party, to say that the president “must appreciate that Russia is not our ally”.
“There is no moral equivalence between the United States and Russia, which remains hostile to our most basic values and ideals,” he said.
Senior Republican Senator Lindsey Graham said Trump’s answer on meddling “will be seen by Russia as a sign of weakness”. “This is shameful,” said Senator Jeff Flake, a fellow Republican and staunch critic of the president.
Mark Simakovsky, a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council’s Eurasia Center in Washington DC, told Al Jazeera that the summit in Helsinki has damaged Trump’s credibility.
“He failed on all accounts. In many ways he widened the gap between those who say they don’t feel he has the credibility and capability to follow through on US foreign policy,” he said.
