Donald Trump Sides With Russia On 2016 Election Interference

Donald Trump

Donald Trump sided with Russia yet again today via Twitter when the president tweeted, "Russia continues to say they had nothing to do with Meddling in our Election!"

The Trumpster then immediately pivoted to - what else? - email servers and Hillary Clinton.

He continued, "Where is the DNC Server, and why didn’t Shady James Comey and the now disgraced FBI agents take and closely examine it? Why isn’t Hillary/Russia being looked at? So many questions, so much corruption!"

Russia continues to say they had nothing to do with Meddling in our Election! Where is the DNC Server, and why didn’t Shady James Comey and the now disgraced FBI agents take and closely examine it? Why isn’t Hillary/Russia being looked at? So many questions, so much corruption!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 28, 2018

Every law enforcement agency in the United States from the CIA to the FBI has confirmed that Russia did, indeed, interfere with the 2016 presidential election.

But Trump's ego is so fragile any and everything that might take away from his election is seen as a threat.

Meanwhile, those same agencies tell us Russia plans to again meddle in our upcoming mid-term elections, but Trump hasn't asked anyone to do anything about stopping the Russian interference.

It is truly ominous that @POTUS would take the word of Vladimir Putin over the unanimous conclusion of his OWN Intel chiefs and SecState—even as they report that Russia is STILL meddling in our elections!
It only heightens suspicion about just what this is all about. https://t.co/u09Sr9YhtC

— David Axelrod (@davidaxelrod) June 28, 2018

"Russia did meddle in our election, Russia meddles in elections all over the world," says Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz: "Vladimir Putin is a former KGB agent, of course he lies and of course Russia meddles" https://t.co/UVpCkfXx9m pic.twitter.com/VrXt8nsEyp

— New Day (@NewDay) June 28, 2018

We've been called "fake news" for reporting, accurately, that Trump still doubts that Russia interfered in the 2016 election. Hopefully this puts the issue to bed. Stunningly, Trump's rhetoric on this is closer to the Russian government position than the US government position. https://t.co/KgQ6hMe66K

— Marshall Cohen (@MarshallCohen) June 28, 2018

Trump appears to accept Putin’s claim that Russia did not interfere in the election. The U.S. intelligence community has concluded it did — definitively, no question, no doubt. https://t.co/4XCJNqcHb7

— Philip Rucker (@PhilipRucker) June 28, 2018

I know it makes no difference to Trump's base, and they believe that the intelligence community is a malicious conspiracy against the Donald, but every American intel agency agrees that Russia meddled in the elections. I just feel it's necessary to say that for the 5000th time.

— Rick Wilson (@TheRickWilson) June 28, 2018

Putin: Trump Was "Satisfied" With Denial Of Russian Interference In U.S. Elections

Russian President Vladimir Putin

Russian President Putin told the press today at the G20 summit that Donald Trump was "satisfied" with Putin's denial of interference in the 2016 presidential election.

From the New York Times:

There was a certain degree of exulting in the Russian capital on Saturday in the wake of the first meeting between President Vladimir V. Putin and President Trump, with Mr. Putin himself saying that the American president seemed satisfied with his answers on the hacking issue and that the talks had set the stage for improved relations.

Asked repeatedly about the two presidents’ conversation about accusations of Russian hacking during the 2016 American election, Mr. Putin said at a news conference in Hamburg, Germany, that Mr. Trump had paid a lot of attention to the issue, asking multiple questions.

“When possible, I answered his questions in detail,” Mr. Putin said, noting that he had reviewed previous exchanges that he had had with former President Barack Obama on the topic. “I got the impression that my answers satisfied him.”

And asked repeatedly whether Mr. Trump believed his denials about Russian interference, Mr. Putin said each time that the reporter should ask the American president.

The two accounts of the meeting — one from Sergey V. Lavrov, the Russian foreign minister, and the other by the American secretary of state, Rex W. Tillerson, the only two officials in the room besides the two presidents — differed in some important details.

Notably, Mr. Tillerson said that Mr. Trump had confronted the Mr. Putin about Russian interference in the 2016 election during a “robust and lengthy” discussion. In Mr. Lavrov’s account, Mr. Trump accepted Mr. Putin’s denial.

“Believe Lavrov,” Mr. Putin’s spokesman, Dmitri S. Peskov, told reporters on Saturday when asked about the divergent accounts. Some Russian officials expressed particular delight at that version.

While Putin advises asking Donald Trump about his take on the denial of interference, the fact is we can't because unlike other major world leaders Trump failed to hold a press conference at the end of the G20 summit.

The fact is Trump isn't really interested in finding out the truth. His own intelligence agencies have stated categorically that not only did Russia interfere in the 2016 elections, but they have gone so far as to say with confidence that it was by order of Putin.

For Trump to be "satisfied" with the denial of a Russian president over the word of the U.S. intelligence community is outrageous. It means the Donald would rather believe Putin than experienced U.S. intelligence agents.

And by the way, what did the Donald expect Putin to say when asked about the interference?

"Oops - you got me!" ???

Watch Putin's press conference below. His answers regarding the Trump meeting begin around the :39 mark.

Secretary Of State Says Trump Raised Issue Of Russian Interference In 2016 During Putin Meeting

Several sources are reporting that President Trump did bring up the subject of cyber-hacking by Russia during the 2016 campaign to Russian President Putin.

Secretary of State Tillerson says the two leaders had "lengthy discussion" on Russian interference in US election.

Putin reportedly denied such involvement. Again.

No reports yet on whether Trump thanked the Russian president.

Tillerson tells reporters Trump and Putin did discuss concern about "Russian interference" in last year's election adding "Putin denied" it.

— Jim Acosta (@Acosta) July 7, 2017

Breaking: Secretary of State Tillerson says President Trump & Putin had lengthy discussion on Russian interference in US election

— Jim Sciutto (@jimsciutto) July 7, 2017

The New York Times' Moscow bureau chief is reporting that Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov is telling Russian press that Trump "accepted" Putin's statement on interference.

Lavrov: #Trump said he accepted statements from #Putin that #Russia had not hacked election.

— Neil MacFarquhar (@NeilMacFarquhar) July 7, 2017