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Donald Trump backs Vladimir Putin against US intelligence agencies over election meddling claims

Abdullah719

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Donald Trump is heading back to the US and into a furious storm of controversy after he suggested he trusts Vladimir Putin over his own intelligence services.

US intelligence agencies believe Russian hackers and propaganda experts intervened in the 2016 election, in which Mr Trump beat Democrat Hillary Clinton.

During a joint news conference at a summit with Russian president Vladimir Putin in Finland, Mr Trump told reporters: "I have great confidence in my intelligence people but I will tell you that President Putin was extremely strong and powerful in his denial today."

His comments were strongly criticised by a long list of American political figures, including many from his own party.

Mr Trump also criticised the probe into alleged meddling as "a disaster for our country", adding: "There was no collusion at all - everybody knows it."

Mr Putin added: "The Russian state has never interfered and is not planning to interfere in the USA's internal affairs, including the election process."

But he admitted he had wanted to see Mr Trump win the election, because "he talked about bringing the US-Russia relationship back to normal".

Mr Trump even blamed his own country's "foolishness and stupidity" for the state of the relationship between the two countries.

After the conference, he tweeted:

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">As I said today and many times before, “I have GREAT confidence in MY intelligence people.” However, I also recognize that in order to build a brighter future, we cannot exclusively focus on the past – as the world’s two largest nuclear powers, we must get along! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HELSINKI2018?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#HELSINKI2018</a></p>— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1018943446583668736?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 16, 2018</a></blockquote>
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The US president's pliable manner at the summit was a contrast to the combativeness he displayed towards NATO allies last week in Brussels.

Sky News US correspondent Mark Austin said: "These have been astonishing statements from Donald Trump, even by his standards.

"First of all, to say that America is as responsible as Russia for worsening relations between the two countries is quite simply to ignore the attack on Ukraine - the annexation of Crimea - the assassination of opponents on foreign soil, the backing of Bashar al Assad in Syria... Not to say, the meddling in the election.

"And then he follows it up in the news conference by saying that in effect he believes President Putin's denials rather than his own intelligence services.

"And this at a time when Russian interference in the 2016 election is becoming ever more conclusive."

Mr Trump's behaviour was also met with anger back in the US, with John Brennan, CIA director between 2013 and 2017, leading the charge.

He wrote on Twitter: "Donald Trump's press conference performance in Helsinki rises to and exceeds the threshold of high crimes and misdemeanours.

"It was nothing short of treasonous.

"Not only were Trump's comments imbecilic, he is wholly in the pocket of Putin."

Even some Republican politicians were critical.

Republican senator Jeff Flake said: "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."

Fellow Republican senator John McCain described the Helsinki summit as a "tragic mistake", adding: "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 naivety, egotism, false equivalence, and sympathy for autocrats is difficult to calculate."

House speaker and Republican Paul Ryan, who has been reluctant to criticise Mr Trump in recent months, said there was "no question" that Russia had interfered in the presidential election.

He said Mr Trump "must appreciate that Russia is not our ally", adding: "There is no moral equivalence between the United States and Russia, which remains hostile to our most basic values and ideals."

Director of national intelligence Dan Coats said: "We have been clear in our assessments of Russian meddling in the 2016 election and their ongoing, pervasive efforts to undermine our democracy."

https://news.sky.com/story/donald-t...encies-over-election-meddling-claims-11439065
 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">EXCLUSIVE: Putin, in Fox News interview, denies having dirt on Trump, calls meddling charge 'utterly ridiculous' <a href="https://t.co/FceDolLlVo">https://t.co/FceDolLlVo</a></p>— Fox News (@FoxNews) <a href="https://twitter.com/FoxNews/status/1018986464229634049?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 16, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Today’s press conference in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Helsinki?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Helsinki</a> was one of the most disgraceful performances by an American president in memory.<br><br>My full statement on the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HelsinkiSummit?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#HelsinkiSummit</a>: <a href="https://t.co/lApjctZyZl">https://t.co/lApjctZyZl</a></p>— John McCain (@SenJohnMcCain) <a href="https://twitter.com/SenJohnMcCain/status/1018919182904299520?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 16, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">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!</p>— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1019225830298456066?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 17, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Judging from the press conference it's clear that Putin has something on Trump.
 
Aesop’s fable of the vain and naive crow (Trump) who is flattered into singing and dropping the cheese by the wily fox (Putin) springs to mind.
 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">UPDATE: Trump says Russia actions had no impact on outcome of elections, accepts U.S. intelligence community's conclusion that Russia meddling took place <a href="https://t.co/GHA7cvMkhL">pic.twitter.com/GHA7cvMkhL</a></p>— Reuters Politics (@ReutersPolitics) <a href="https://twitter.com/ReutersPolitics/status/1019288124181139462?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 17, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-conversation="none" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">MORE: Trump says he meant to say in Helsinki that he saw no reason why it would not be Russia that interfered in elections</p>— Reuters Politics (@ReutersPolitics) <a href="https://twitter.com/ReutersPolitics/status/1019288604454129666?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 17, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-conversation="none" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">MORE: Trump says his administration will move aggressively to repel any efforts to interfere in 2018 election</p>— Reuters Politics (@ReutersPolitics) <a href="https://twitter.com/ReutersPolitics/status/1019288926886989824?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 17, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">“I said the word 'would' instead of 'wouldn’t’.”<br><br>President <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@realDonaldTrump</a> says he misspoke at the Helsinki summit and that he has “full faith and support for America's great intelligence agencies” <a href="https://t.co/kufKWz4UNa">pic.twitter.com/kufKWz4UNa</a></p>— Channel 4 News (@Channel4News) <a href="https://twitter.com/Channel4News/status/1019312177356988417?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 17, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Aesop’s fable of the vain and naive crow (Trump) who is flattered into singing and dropping the cheese by the wily fox (Putin) springs to mind.

Or Trump met Putin a decade ago and the former promised him that he'll make him POTUS...

Do you know about the book called https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foundations_of_Geopolitics

It's basically how Mama Russia will dominate the planet Earth.

You and your countrymen have already split up from EU :yk

American white male's already bought the whole race dogma... Etc etc. :yk

Trump is everything but naive, brothah.
 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">“I said the word 'would' instead of 'wouldn’t’.”<br><br>President <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@realDonaldTrump</a> says he misspoke at the Helsinki summit and that he has “full faith and support for America's great intelligence agencies” <a href="https://t.co/kufKWz4UNa">pic.twitter.com/kufKWz4UNa</a></p>— Channel 4 News (@Channel4News) <a href="https://twitter.com/Channel4News/status/1019312177356988417?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 17, 2018</a></blockquote>
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He emphasized the word "would" in his original statement. :46:
 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">So many people at the higher ends of intelligence loved my press conference performance in Helsinki. Putin and I discussed many important subjects at our earlier meeting. We got along well which truly bothered many haters who wanted to see a boxing match. Big results will come!</p>— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1019520574371123200?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 18, 2018</a></blockquote>
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