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| Republicans hesitate to hold Trump accountable over Putin summit | Republicans hesitate to hold Trump accountable over Putin summit |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Top Republicans scrambled on Tuesday to distance themselves from Donald Trump’s behavior during his meeting with Vladimir Putin in Helsinki. Concrete legal or political action, however, was conspicuous by its absence. | Top Republicans scrambled on Tuesday to distance themselves from Donald Trump’s behavior during his meeting with Vladimir Putin in Helsinki. Concrete legal or political action, however, was conspicuous by its absence. |
| On Monday, Trump met Putin with only interpreters in attendance for two hours then held a press briefing in which he sided with the Kremlin and against US intelligence services regarding Russian interference in the 2016 US election. | On Monday, Trump met Putin with only interpreters in attendance for two hours then held a press briefing in which he sided with the Kremlin and against US intelligence services regarding Russian interference in the 2016 US election. |
| Speaking to reporters on Capitol Hill, the House speaker, Paul Ryan, said: “They did interfere in our elections. It’s really clear. They should be no doubt about that. Russia is trying to undermine democracy itself. | Speaking to reporters on Capitol Hill, the House speaker, Paul Ryan, said: “They did interfere in our elections. It’s really clear. They should be no doubt about that. Russia is trying to undermine democracy itself. |
| “I understand the desire and the need to have good relations. That’s perfectly reasonable. But Russia is a menacing government that does not share our interests and it does not share our values.” | “I understand the desire and the need to have good relations. That’s perfectly reasonable. But Russia is a menacing government that does not share our interests and it does not share our values.” |
| Mitch McConnell, the Senate majority leader, said: “The Russians need to understand there are a lot of us who really understand what happened in 2016 and it really better not happen again in 2018.” | |
| Neither Ryan nor McConnell made any direct reference to Trump. | |
| The president showed no signs of backing down. Trump tweeted: “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 News is going Crazy!” | The president showed no signs of backing down. Trump tweeted: “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 News is going Crazy!” |
| Asked if he agreed with former CIA director John Brennan’s characterization of the president’s actions as “treasonous”, Ryan said: “I do not.” | |
| In Helsinki, Trump recorded two interviews with supportive Fox News hosts. Sean Hannity’s interview went out first, on Monday night, with Tucker Carlson to follow on Tuesday. In excerpts of the Carlson interview publicised by Fox, Trump lashed out at Brennan, who led the CIA under Barack Obama. | In Helsinki, Trump recorded two interviews with supportive Fox News hosts. Sean Hannity’s interview went out first, on Monday night, with Tucker Carlson to follow on Tuesday. In excerpts of the Carlson interview publicised by Fox, Trump lashed out at Brennan, who led the CIA under Barack Obama. |
| The debasement of American interests before a foreign adversary demands a response | The debasement of American interests before a foreign adversary demands a response |
| “I think Brennan is a very bad guy and if you look at it a lot of things happened under his watch,” Trump said. “I think he’s a very bad person.” | “I think Brennan is a very bad guy and if you look at it a lot of things happened under his watch,” Trump said. “I think he’s a very bad person.” |
| He also said the FBI agent Peter Strzok, former FBI lawyer Lisa Page, former FBI director James Comey and former deputy director Andrew McCabe, all targets of Republican fire over the Russia investigation, were “bad people, and they’re being exposed for what they are”. | He also said the FBI agent Peter Strzok, former FBI lawyer Lisa Page, former FBI director James Comey and former deputy director Andrew McCabe, all targets of Republican fire over the Russia investigation, were “bad people, and they’re being exposed for what they are”. |
| Democratic leaders escalated their criticism of Trump and insisted any response from Republicans would be insufficient without any attempt to hold him accountable for his actions. Chuck Schumer, the Senate minority leader, said the secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, and other members of the president’s national security team who travelled to Finland should testify before Congress about what went on in Helsinki. | Democratic leaders escalated their criticism of Trump and insisted any response from Republicans would be insufficient without any attempt to hold him accountable for his actions. Chuck Schumer, the Senate minority leader, said the secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, and other members of the president’s national security team who travelled to Finland should testify before Congress about what went on in Helsinki. |
| “The debasement of American interests before a foreign adversary demands a response,” the New Yorker said on the Senate floor. “Our Republican colleagues cannot just go, ‘Tsk, tsk, tsk’. They must act if they want to help America.” | “The debasement of American interests before a foreign adversary demands a response,” the New Yorker said on the Senate floor. “Our Republican colleagues cannot just go, ‘Tsk, tsk, tsk’. They must act if they want to help America.” |
| But in a sign that battle lines had already been drawn, Schumer’s request was denied by John Cornyn, the second-ranking Senate Republican. The Texan replied: “There have been a lot of hearings.” | But in a sign that battle lines had already been drawn, Schumer’s request was denied by John Cornyn, the second-ranking Senate Republican. The Texan replied: “There have been a lot of hearings.” |
| Cornyn told reporters he thought new sanctions might pass, saying: “We could find common ground to turn the screws on Russia.” Ryan and McConnell also suggested they would be open to new sanctions against Moscow. | |
| McConnell said there was a “possibility” for the Senate to take up bipartisan legislation that would levy further sanctions against Russia if it meddled in future elections. The bill, sponsored by Marco Rubio of Florida and Chris van Hollen of Maryland, would require the implementation of penalties within 10 days if the director of national intelligence determined interference took place. | |
| McConnell was also pressed on the president’s conduct and whether Republicans had faith in his approach to Nato and Russia. | |
| “I’m not here to critique anyone else,” he said. “I’m here to speak for myself.” | |
| Neither Ryan nor McConnell joined calls for Congress to pass bipartisan legislation aimed at protecting special counsel Robert Mueller, who is investigating Russian interference and links between Trump aides and Moscow. Trump denies collusion, as he did repeatedly from the podium in Helsinki. | |
| “I’ve been clear from day one,” Ryan said. “[Mueller] should be allowed to finish his investigation and carry out his work. Nothing’s changed.” | “I’ve been clear from day one,” Ryan said. “[Mueller] should be allowed to finish his investigation and carry out his work. Nothing’s changed.” |
| Some Republicans did concede it was time to send a clear message to Trump. Bob Corker, chairman of the Senate foreign relations committee, told reporters one appropriate course of action would be to pass legislation limiting the president’s authority on trade tariffs. A measure approved in the Senate last week was entirely symbolic. | Some Republicans did concede it was time to send a clear message to Trump. Bob Corker, chairman of the Senate foreign relations committee, told reporters one appropriate course of action would be to pass legislation limiting the president’s authority on trade tariffs. A measure approved in the Senate last week was entirely symbolic. |
| “It feels like the dam is breaking,” Corker said, regarding controversy over Trump’s approach to and possible links with Russia. But when asked if the Trump-Putin summit marked an actual turning point in US politics, he said he was “not sure”. | “It feels like the dam is breaking,” Corker said, regarding controversy over Trump’s approach to and possible links with Russia. But when asked if the Trump-Putin summit marked an actual turning point in US politics, he said he was “not sure”. |
| “Things change around here so rapidly,” Corker said. “This has become like a reality show on a daily basis.” | “Things change around here so rapidly,” Corker said. “This has become like a reality show on a daily basis.” |
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