OK, if you haven’t been paying attention to this whole Trump/Putin thing, it’s time you start…
Fresh off the heels of his disastrous meeting with Queen Elizabeth last week, Donald Trump jetted off to Helsinki to meet with Vladimir Putin. After a two-hour, closed door meeting this morning, the pair held a joint press conference that Anderson Cooper called “one of the most disgraceful performances by an American president at a summit in front of a Russian leader certainly that I’ve ever seen.”
When asked whether he would condemn Russia for meddling in the 2016 election after Robert Mueller indicted a dozen Russian intelligence officers for hacking Democratic servers, Trump replied: “I don’t see any reason why it would be” Russia who did such a thing.
“I have President Putin,” Trump said. “He just said it’s not Russia. I don’t see any reason why it would be.”
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He then said it’s a real shame there has to be “a little bit of a cloud over” over his election victory, saying “I beat Hillary Clinton easily and frankly we beat her,” before adding that maybe the U.S. should work with Russia to get to the bottom of the whole thing, a suggestion given to him by Putin himself.
Related: Trump’s disastrous meeting with Queen Elizabeth has been immortalized in memes
“What he did is an incredible offer,” Mr. Trump said. “He offered to have the people working on the case come and work with their investigators with respect to the 12 people. I think that’s an incredible offer.”
Trump then insisted there was “no collusion at all” between his 2016 campaign and Russia, and that he believes the FBI hasn’t been doing a very good job in handling the matter.
“I think the United States has been foolish,” he says. “I think we’ve all been foolish.”
Asked specifically whether he believes U.S. intelligence agencies or Putin, Trump refused to say.
As expected, pretty much every Democrat condemned Trump’s behavior at the press conference. But it’s not just Democrats who are losing this sh*t over it. Republicans, too, are freaking out.
Former Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele tweeted that Trump sounded like an “asset” standing alongside his “handler” Vladimir Putin:
"My people came to me…they said they think it's Russia. I have President Putin. He just said it's not Russia. I will say this, I don't see any reason why it would be."
–TrumpThat's how a press conference sounds when an Asset stands next to his Handler.
— Michael Steele (@MichaelSteele) July 16, 2018
Sen. Jeff Flake took to Twitter to express his complete and utter disbelief over the whole thing:
I never thought I would see the day when our American President would stand on the stage with the Russian President and place blame on the United States for Russian aggression. This is shameful.
— Jeff Flake (@JeffFlake) July 16, 2018
And Sen. John McCain issued a press statement calling it “one of the most disgraceful performances by an American president in memory,” adding that it “marks a recent low point in the history of the Presidency.”
Today’s press conference in #Helsinki was one of the most disgraceful performances by an American president in memory.
My full statement on the #HelsinkiSummit: https://t.co/lApjctZyZl
— John McCain (@SenJohnMcCain) July 16, 2018
House Speaker Paul Ryan said: “There is no question that Russia interfered in our election and continues attempts to undermine democracy here and around the world. That is not just the finding of the American intelligence community but also the House Committee on Intelligence. The president must appreciate that Russia is not our ally.”
misterjack
Traitor tRump should face the hangman or a firing squad for his TREASON.
Juanjo
“I just spoke to Osama Bin Laden, he assured me he was not involved. What can I do? George W Bush.
Goforit
That’s the problem. W didn’t do jack about Bin Laden. It took President Obama and the Democrats to handle Bin Laden. W and the Republicans just lied us into an illegal war and destroyed the world economy.
Kangol
Traitor Trump got b!tched out by Putin today with the whole world watching. Instead of showing even a modicum of toughness, he wilted like a delicate flower, praising Putin, trashing the US, and endangering not only our country but our closes allies. As I wrote in another thread, Traitor Trump’s treasonous performance today in Helsinki will go down as one of the most disgraceful performances of toadying and subservience in the history of the US.
On top of all of it, Putin lied about the 2013 Miss American pageant in Russia, where Trump had previously said he met Putin and talked to him.
From FoxNews: ““When I went to Russia with the Miss Universe pageant, (Putin) contacted me and was so nice. I mean, the Russian people were so fantastic to us,” he said on “Fox and Friends.” “I’ll just say this, they are doing – they’re outsmarting us at many turns, as we all understand. I mean, their leaders are, whether you call them smarter or more cunning or whatever, but they’re outsmarting us. If you look at Syria or other places, they’re outsmarting us.”
So who’s lying, Putin or Trump? Putin also didn’t outright deny compromising material–including that alleged infamous “pee tape”–either!
Mick406
So, the headline says “EVERYONE is concerned”. Well, not me. I’m not concerned at all. That was a mighty big stretch.
Trump keeps his cards close to his vest. We don’t know what was said in the private meeting, but I believe Trump speaks candidly with people like Putin and he develops back-door channels to get things done. You watch and see how things improve with the US and Russia. Remember what Obama said after he met with Putin concerning Russian interference? He said he looked at Putin and said, “Cut it out.” Now, THAT was an effective meeting!!! Putin ate Obama’s lunch.
The only thing I saw treasonous was questions from American reporters asking Putin did they have anything on Trump that would embarrass him or help get him impeached. That reporter should have been bitch-slapped. That took some nerve!
Nice visit, Mr. President. Tell Vlad ‘hello’ for me next time you meet up.
MAGA!
Kieran
So you refuse to march in lock step with “free of an agenda” queerty? You stubbornly decide to think for yourself? Well don’t be surprised when they delete your comment sucker.
Bob LaBlah
@Mick406…”Trump keeps his cards close to his vest. We don’t know what was said in the private meeting, but I believe Trump speaks candidly with people like Putin and he develops back-door channels to get things done.”
The LEADER of the free world who spoke privately with a man who has the capability of annihilating the country with nuclear weapons looked and talked as though he was going to get bitch-slapped any second had he not stuck to the script Putin gave him, if you asked me. Trump is NOT worthy of occupying the office and sitting at the desk once held by Ronald Reagan and you know it. I do hope you are a paid troll instead or some one who makes comments for no other reason than to rile up other commentators for your amusement. Maybe you forgot that in a democracy the questions asked to Putin by the reporters where in step and Putin sounded like a statesman when he answered them, not a frizzled haired idiot what we have representing the U.S. Read the memo, dude, we are in trouble here. I mean BIG trouble if THAT (Trump) is what we sent to talk to Russia.
tham
I smell borscht.
Aires the Ram
@Mick406: I feel the same way. Trump does keeps his cards close to his vest, and nobody knows what went on behind closed doors when he & Putin talked. I think what we saw yesterday was indicative of what was being said, wasn’t exactly the whole story. The American media that asked Putin if he had anything on Trump was the only treasonous thing I saw in all of that. Think of how badly the head honchos of the FBI have been trying to disparage Trump. Did anybody bother to watch Strzok testimony a few days ago? That told a whole lot in regards to the FBI treatment of Trump. I notice the communist/leftist American press doesn’t like the fact that Trump didn’t do much to address the issue of Crimea & The Ukraine either. Does anybody remember when all that happened, how Obama went silent and didn’t do a damn thing? And what did the Obama worshiping press do? So many of you talk in a way that shows you know little about the issues, and only know one thing, that is: the election was stolen from Queen Hillary. Pity.
DCguy
Oh look, the same accounts that routinely come in to defend anti-LGBT bigotry are defending Trump’s behavior in Helsinki.
Even Tea Party Republicans are speaking out. You accounts should make what you’re trying to do FAR less obvious.
Mick406
Aires the Ram
Thank you for your brave and wise response.
To anyone reading, LGTB or whatever other initials you keep spouting off don’t concern me in the least bit. I’ve never been slighted by the government. Of course, I don’t ask for the ridiculous either. All these ‘slights’ of anti-gay or racist is just in your head. When you slap someone in the face with your crudely made placards you are bring down your own cause and making fools of yourself. I don’t march. I don’t carry placards. I live and let live and that sure has save on my emotions over the years. I suggest some of you get the chip off your shoulders and learn how to enjoy life without bitching all the time.
To Kangol . . . . when negotiating with a hostile enemy, if you go in with your hackles up, your adversary only gets more hostile and doesn’t listen to anything you say. The hostile challenging of Putin leads to nothing achieved. Trump takes a calmer and more conciliatory approach. This leads to a calmer dialogue and the letting the guard down. It can also lead to Putin softening up to LISTEN to the problems, and perhaps begin to at least meet Trump halfway. This is how BUSINESSMEN function.
If you want to make a sale, do you go into your client’s office bristling and displaying tough-nosed body language? No! You will never make a sale that way. You have to go into it with an attitude of I’m listening (shades of Frasier!) . . . and I have some offers that might be pleasing to you. I have never read Art of the Deal, but common sense tells you that you get nowhere by playing Mr. Tough guy right off the bat. Perhaps somewhere down the road you have no alternative than to resort to threats. But until then, I would do the same as Trump and cozy up to Putin to help take the edge off.
I never liked Trump before he won the Presidency. I thought he was a pompous windbag. But after watching the progress he’s made, I can now take a spoonful of his arrogance and get it down. He is accomplishing things few others before him have done. Maybe in a year or so, he might fall flat on his face, and we can see it was all a bluff. But until then, I’m going to ride this horse. If he fails time after time, then I won’t have remorse in “putting him down”. And I will be the first to get on here and say, “Hey! You won! You were right all along.”
I’m a realist. And right now, the left is very UNREAL!
MAGA!
Kangol
Mick406, OK, I read what you wrote. I am not going to insult you, but give you the benefit of the doubt that you sincerely believe what you wrote about Trump, his negotiating, Putin, etc. All I will say is this: if you ever check the factual record about Trump, you will see that he is a failed businessman. Repeatedly. Taxpayers in New Jersey are still on the hook for his bankrupt casinos. He could not get money from any US banks his record was such a disaster. Etc. So in terms of negotiation, I hear where you are coming from, but Trump is not the one capable of doing what you think he’s doing. Cf. North Korea, which is laughing all the way to its next nuclear testing site. But, having said all of that, I would just urge you to get ready for when the truth about all of the links between Trump and Russia, the GOP, the NRA, etc., are revealed. Try to do so with an open mind. Even if you worship Trump, try to pay attention to what’s revealed, and try not just to get the FoxNews version. It is going to be very, very bad. Trump’s disgraceful spectacle in Helsinki gave a sense of how much he’s being controlled; when the full truth comes out, it is going to be ugly, and you’ll have to ask yourself, which side am I on, America’s, or Trump’s/Russia’s.
am_psi
The press seems to change their position daily on whether Trump is a megalomaniacal dictator or a weak Russian toady. It’s almost like they want to vilify him, no matter the situation.
Kangol
He can be both. A wannabe dictator–and he is a pathologically lying megalomaniac–and a weak Russian toady. Why, as he President of the US, could he not at the very least publicly say to Vladimir Putin’s face that he was unhappy with Russia’s interference in the 2016 US election, and that he didn’t want him to do it again? The press fawn over him; they, like Putin, helped put him in office.
tham
The situation here is treason…so yeah.
DCguy
Deflection attempt.
Let me guess, next you’re going to scream “Hillary!”
Bob LaBlah
Has anyone taken not that in every pic (Putin and Trump) its Trump who is on the left? Coincidence? I am beginning to believe this guy really is a Manchurian Candidate.
SpacemanSpiff
That’s Sinophobic. Reporting you for your hate speech.
Xzamilloh
It’s not “the press” When even Fox News pundits come out against you, you know you’ve messed up. Of course Vice President Sean Hannity was going to amplify his boss’s words and have him on his show.
I don’t want to hear any of you right wing idiots on here ever talking the left’s echo chamber when you cheer for a man who is such a snowflake that he can’t even take questions from CNN or be interviewed by anyone who isn’t kissing his ass.
Kangol
Trump, the GOP and the vile NRA are linked to Russian spy Mariia Butina, who was indicted yesterday as a Russian agent by the Justice Department. She’s one of the many key links to all of this. Felix Sater, Roger Stone, etc. are others. In fact, the indictment even mentions that some American had created “a VERY private line of communication between the Kremlin” and what appears to be key people in the Republican Party.
Read the Butina indictment; it’s all there. Traitor Trump didn’t just embarrass himself in Helsinki, he publicly and shamelessly degraded the United States of America, our allies, and security and future. Maybe Putin has something horrifying he’s holding over his head, maybe not, but whatever the reason, Trump made his allegiances clear, and it ain’t with the USA. The GOP knows it; the question is, when will the untainted members of that party (Ben Sasse, Lisa Murkowski, etc) come forward to remove him and his whole rotten administration from office?
GeoffreyS
“Everyone concerned” is quite a misnomer. “President Trump tosses haters a bone” is more like it. If had scolded Putin right there on stage it still wouldn’t have been enough to please the liberal media. Let’s break it down. Did Trump loosen sanctions on Russia? No! Did Trump offer to recognize Crimea as a part of Russia? No! Has Trump offered to pull out of Syria like the Russians want? No! Has the Trump administration placed the strictest sanctions on Russia in history? Yes!
Insofar as the hacking goes. Did Russia try to hack into our systems? Most likely yeah. But uh why is it that no one wants to punish China who we KNOW (both parties acknowledge) steals our intellectual property AND major secrets from the Pentagon’s database? You want to talk about a big threat? Let’s talk about China! Oh but they give us cheap electronics so they’re untouchable apparently. All Obama’s administration was send them strongly worded letters threatening to take them off his Christmas card list if they didn’t clean up their act. President TRUMP is the first president that is UNAFRAID to STAND UP to China. How ironic that on one news cycle the left talks about how the President is isolating us but then when he tries to thaw relationships with the world’s second largest nuclear power he’s a traitor.
Get real liberals…
The rest of you join us in the The Conservative Diversity Project
dwes09
” Let’s break it down. Did Trump loosen sanctions on Russia? No! Did Trump offer to recognize Crimea as a part of Russia? No! Has Trump offered to pull out of Syria like the Russians want? No! Has the Trump administration placed the strictest sanctions on Russia in history? Yes!
Regarding the last claim:https://www.cnn.com/2018/04/17/politics/trump-russia-toughest/index.html
Apparently he had to forced to do what little he did, much as he clearly was forced to “retract” his borderline treasonous statements at the Helsinki press conference.
Regarding the other silly part of your post. Neither you nor anybody other than Trump, Putin, and the translators has any idea what issues were broached and how they were talked about. Are you so dull you do not understand that!? Are all you regressives that horrifyingly dull and lacking in critical thought capacity?
dwes09
“How ironic that on one news cycle the left talks about how the President is isolating us but then when he tries to thaw relationships with the world’s second largest nuclear power he’s a traitor.”
In 48 hours he has called our historic and proven allies “foes” publicly, and committed coarse and boorish breeches of long standing international protocol, then gone on to blame our own country for acknowledged cyber attacks by Russia! His own party (where i guess even those dullards are more intellectual;ly sound than you) forced him to change his tune (half heartedly and like a spoiled chils).
What is ironic is how people like you who would possible (and idiotically) refer to themselves as proud Americans applaud the undermining of our democratic republic by a corrupt and stupid failed businessman.
dwes09
“President TRUMP is the first president that is UNAFRAID to STAND UP to China.”
You will notice (or not because you seem not to really understand much outside of your own imagination) how he has exempted certain companies from which his family stands to gain financially. The corruption in the entire family runs so deep it is hard to fathom.
You really must hate this country, our constitution and our history to support this man and to lie even to yourself! You really must hate being homosexual (if you are, and if not…please go away) to support this administration.
pirovati54
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