Following criticism from his own party, US president Donald Trump acknowledged that Russia had interfered in US election 2016. “I accept conclusion of our intelligence services,” Trump said at White House in Washington. The day before he promised himself and meant opposite.
On Monday, Trump said at joint press conference with Russian President Vladimir Putin after Helsinki summit that he saw no reason why Russia should have interfered in US election. Trump argued that he didn’t forget a “not.” He sees no reason why Russia should not be responsible for meddling, he corrected himself.
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At summit with Russian head of state, Trump Putin’s rejection of accusation of having influenced US election of 2016 was called “extremely strong and powerful.” The US president was thus publicly opposed to assessment of his own intelligence agencies and investigative authorities, who believe that Russian interference is proven.
For his appearance, US president had been criticized by leading politicians of his Republican Party. The Republican chairman of house, Paul Ryan, had asked Trump to see that “Russia is not our ally.” There is no doubt that Russia has interfered in US elections. The prominent Republican U.S. Senator John McCain spoke of a “low point in history of American presidency.” No former US president has ever been so “humiliated by a tyrant himself.”
For Democrats, clarification comes “24 hours late”
Trump, in front of journalists, corrected his statement on Russia’s role in US election campaign. However, he once again denied that his own campaign team had been working with Russia. Moreover, Russian interference had no influence on outcome of presidential election he had won. Trump said that government will do everything it can to ensure that re will be no interference in interim elections to US Congress in November.
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The chief of opposition Democrats in Senate, Chuck Schumer, said, Trump tries to get out of his statements in Helsinki wriggle. Trump’s clarification comes “24 hours late and in wrong place”. If Trump cannot tell Putin in face that Russian president is wrong and that US intelligence services are correct, this is ineffective, Schumer said. That is anor sign of weakness that allows Putin to exploit Trump.
In United States, special investigator Robert Mueller has been investigating for months how Russian government has interfered in American election campaign and wher re have been illegal collusion between Trump’s campaign team and Russian officials. Trump had described investigation at summit with Putin as a “witch hunt.” However, a few hours after Helsinki meeting, it was announced that US judiciary detained a suspected Russian agent in Washington who, two years ago, attempted to arrange a meeting between Trump and Putin twice during election campaign.
