Washington: President Donald Trump Tuesday faced political outrage in the US for not backing the American intelligence community’s claim that Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential election, following the Helsinki summit with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin.
From describing his comments at the joint press conference as ‘disgraceful’, ‘shameful’ to ‘treacherous’, even some of his closest supporters described Trump’s statements as the most serious mistake of his presidency.
Trump, who arrived at the White House after his week-long trip to Europe, has defended his comments.
“I would rather take a political risk in pursuit of peace, than to risk peace in pursuit of politics,” he said, adding that a productive dialogue is not only good for the US and Russia, but is also good for the world.
US analysts said Trump refused to convincingly state that the Russians interfered in the 2016 presidential election at his press conference with Putin after their first summit meeting.
“Today’s press conference in Helsinki was one of the most disgraceful performances by an American president in memory. The damage inflicted by President Trump’s naiveté, egotism, false equivalence, and sympathy for autocrats is difficult to calculate. But it is clear that the summit in Helsinki was a tragic mistake,” said Republican Senator John McCain, who chairs the powerful Senate Armed Services Committee.
“President Trump proved not only unable, but unwilling to stand up to Putin. He and Putin seemed to be speaking from the same script as the president made a conscious choice to defend a tyrant against the fair questions of a free press, and to grant Putin an uncontested platform to spew propaganda and lies to the world,” he said.
Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and one of the president’s closest supporters too criticised him.
“President Trump must clarify his statements in Helsinki on our intelligence system and Putin. It is the most serious mistake of his presidency and must be corrected – immediately,” Gingrich tweeted.
Soon the head of the US intelligence agencies and a Trump appointee issued a statement reiterating that Russians interfered in the 2016 presidential elections.
“Today, in a disgusting, disturbing and deeply dangerous appearance seen around the world, Donald Trump sided with an authoritarian leader of another country over our own intelligence agencies,” said Indian American Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal.
Indian American Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi said Trump failed to confront Putin on Russian interference in US elections and placed more trust in the Russian dictator’s denials than in the assessments of US intelligence.
The mainstream US media also expressed outrage. “Putin’s poodle: Trump sells out US intelligence agencies with the world watching,” said The New York Daily News.
“Why Won’t Donald Trump Speak for America? The president lays himself at Vladimir Putin’s feet,” The New York Times said in an editorial.
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