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| Will Republicans punish Trump for his performance with Putin? | Will Republicans punish Trump for his performance with Putin? |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| Air Force One departed Helsinki on Monday after a head-spinning week in which the US president attacked the postwar international order and sided with the Russian president Vladimir Putin over his own intelligence agencies about whether Moscow meddled in the US elections. The question that now looms before Republican lawmakers: how will they respond? | |
| Donald Trump’s conduct during the joint press conference with Putin drew a wave of condemnation from across the political spectrum, including from Republicans who have been previously wary of criticizing him. | Donald Trump’s conduct during the joint press conference with Putin drew a wave of condemnation from across the political spectrum, including from Republicans who have been previously wary of criticizing him. |
| Yet despite the deep disappointment and shock, leading Republicans lawmakers have so far failed to pledge any concrete action to punish Trump for his conduct next to Putin, which some panned as “shameful” and a “sign of weakness”. | Yet despite the deep disappointment and shock, leading Republicans lawmakers have so far failed to pledge any concrete action to punish Trump for his conduct next to Putin, which some panned as “shameful” and a “sign of weakness”. |
| “Some statements coming out from [Republicans] are OK,” senator Brian Schatz, a Democrat from Hawaii, said. “But the foundational question is whether or not a member of Congress will use their constitutional authorities to slow or stop this.” | |
| Republicans, who hold the majority in both chambers of Congress, could try to force Trump’s hand on Russia by holding up his nominees, demanding hearings or pushing for increased oversight. There is, as Democrats note, pending legislation that Congress could pass to protect the special counsel Robert Mueller, who is investigating whether Trump campaign associates colluded with Russia during the election. | Republicans, who hold the majority in both chambers of Congress, could try to force Trump’s hand on Russia by holding up his nominees, demanding hearings or pushing for increased oversight. There is, as Democrats note, pending legislation that Congress could pass to protect the special counsel Robert Mueller, who is investigating whether Trump campaign associates colluded with Russia during the election. |
| Late Monday evening, Senator John Cornyn told CNN that Republican lawmakers were considering a measure that would reaffirm support for the intelligence community conclusion on Russian meddling. Such action would follow the non-binding resolution in support of Nato, which the Senate passed last week before Trump landed in Brussels for a summit with America’s military allies. | |
| Several leading Republicans have rebuked Trump for appearing to disregard his own intelligence community and place trust in Putin, an adversary accused by of having attacked the very foundation of American democracy: its electoral system. | Several leading Republicans have rebuked Trump for appearing to disregard his own intelligence community and place trust in Putin, an adversary accused by of having attacked the very foundation of American democracy: its electoral system. |
| “They think it’s Russia,” Trump said during the press conference, referring to US intelligence officials and aides. “I have President Putin – he just said it’s not Russia. I don’t see any reason why it would be.” | “They think it’s Russia,” Trump said during the press conference, referring to US intelligence officials and aides. “I have President Putin – he just said it’s not Russia. I don’t see any reason why it would be.” |
| In a statement, the House speaker, Paul Ryan, pointedly reprimanded Trump: “There is no moral equivalence between the United States and Russia.” He also reasserted his view that there is “no question” Russia interfered in the US presidential election and continues to meddle in democracies around the world. | |
| Ryan was joined by other Republican lawmakers who expressed deep disappointment. John McCain, the ailing Arizona senator and one of the Republican party’s leading voices on national security, delivered perhaps the harshest rebuke, calling the press conference “one of the most disgraceful performances by an American president in memory”. | Ryan was joined by other Republican lawmakers who expressed deep disappointment. John McCain, the ailing Arizona senator and one of the Republican party’s leading voices on national security, delivered perhaps the harshest rebuke, calling the press conference “one of the most disgraceful performances by an American president in memory”. |
| Democrats have laid out four actions Republicans could take to hold Trump responsible. The Senate minority leader, Chuck Schumer, said Republicans should refuse to “water down” and instead should “ratchet up” sanctions against Russia. Secondly, Schumer asked Republicans to join him in calling on Trump’s national security team present for the summit with Putin to testify before Congress. | Democrats have laid out four actions Republicans could take to hold Trump responsible. The Senate minority leader, Chuck Schumer, said Republicans should refuse to “water down” and instead should “ratchet up” sanctions against Russia. Secondly, Schumer asked Republicans to join him in calling on Trump’s national security team present for the summit with Putin to testify before Congress. |
| He then called on Republicans to end their attacks on the Mueller investigation. Lastly, he said, Republicans should pressure the president to demand the extradition of the 12 Russian intelligence officers charged last week in the hacking of the Democratic National Committee and the Clinton presidential campaign. | He then called on Republicans to end their attacks on the Mueller investigation. Lastly, he said, Republicans should pressure the president to demand the extradition of the 12 Russian intelligence officers charged last week in the hacking of the Democratic National Committee and the Clinton presidential campaign. |
| “The president is doing grave harm to the standing of these United States while kowtowing to the number one enemy which we probably have on the globe, Vladimir Putin,” Schumer said. “He’ll continue to do so if he isn’t checked and the best people to check him are not Democrats, but his fellow Republicans.” | “The president is doing grave harm to the standing of these United States while kowtowing to the number one enemy which we probably have on the globe, Vladimir Putin,” Schumer said. “He’ll continue to do so if he isn’t checked and the best people to check him are not Democrats, but his fellow Republicans.” |
| At least one Republican senator, Patrick Toomey, of Pennsylvania, suggested that the US should threaten “tough, new sanctions” on Russia if it refuses to extradite the 12 Russian intelligences officers to the US to face trial. | At least one Republican senator, Patrick Toomey, of Pennsylvania, suggested that the US should threaten “tough, new sanctions” on Russia if it refuses to extradite the 12 Russian intelligences officers to the US to face trial. |
| And still there were some Republicans who stood by Trump. | And still there were some Republicans who stood by Trump. |
| Mark Meadows , the chair of the House Freedom Caucus, declined to criticize Trump for blaming the US for poor relations with Russia. The Senator Rand Paul, of Kentucky, dismissed the focus on Russian meddling as “Trump derangement syndrome”. | Mark Meadows , the chair of the House Freedom Caucus, declined to criticize Trump for blaming the US for poor relations with Russia. The Senator Rand Paul, of Kentucky, dismissed the focus on Russian meddling as “Trump derangement syndrome”. |
| Republicans may settle on a course of action as they meet collectively over the coming days. But as past episodes have shown, Republicans largely prefer to avoid open conflict with the president. | Republicans may settle on a course of action as they meet collectively over the coming days. But as past episodes have shown, Republicans largely prefer to avoid open conflict with the president. |
| And for now even Trump’s harshest Republican critics seem to place their hopes not in Congress but rather the president’s ability to change his behavior. | And for now even Trump’s harshest Republican critics seem to place their hopes not in Congress but rather the president’s ability to change his behavior. |
| “Americans are waiting and hoping for President Trump to embrace that sacred responsibility,” McCain said, concluding his statement. “One can only hope they are not waiting totally in vain.” | “Americans are waiting and hoping for President Trump to embrace that sacred responsibility,” McCain said, concluding his statement. “One can only hope they are not waiting totally in vain.” |
| Donald Trump | Donald Trump |
| Russia | Russia |
| Vladimir Putin | Vladimir Putin |
| Republicans | Republicans |
| US politics | US politics |
| US elections 2016 | US elections 2016 |
| analysis | analysis |
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