webfact Posted July 17, 2018 Share Posted July 17, 2018 Trump tries to calm political storm over Putin summit, says he misspoke By Roberta Rampton and Susan Heavey U.S. President Donald Trump speaks about his summit meeting in Finland with Russia's President Vladimir Putin at the start of a meeting with members of the U.S. Congress at the White House in Washington, July 17, 2018. REUTERS/Leah Millis WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump tried on Tuesday to calm a storm over his failure to hold Russian President Vladimir Putin accountable for meddling in the 2016 U.S. election, saying he misspoke in a joint news conference in Helsinki. Trump stunned the world on Monday by shying away from criticizing the Russian leader for Moscow's actions to undermine the election and cast doubt on U.S. intelligence agencies, prompting calls by some U.S. lawmakers for tougher sanctions and other actions to punish Russia. "I said the word 'would' instead of 'wouldn't,'" Trump told reporters at the White House, more than 24 hours after his appearance with Putin. "The sentence should have been, 'I don't see any reason why it wouldn't be Russia.'" Trump, who was given numerous opportunities to publicly rebuke Putin during the news conference in Helsinki, instead praised the Russian leader for his "strong and powerful" denial of the conclusions of U.S. intelligence agencies that the Russian state meddled in the election. Standing alongside Putin in Helsinki, Trump told reporters he was not convinced it was Moscow. "I don't see any reason why it would be," Trump said. Although he faced pressure from critics, allied countries and even his own staff to take a tough line, Trump said not a single disparaging word in public about Moscow on any of the issues that have brought relations between the two nuclear powers to the lowest ebb since the Cold War. Republicans and Democrats accused him of siding with an adversary rather than his own country. Mainly reading from a prepared statement, Trump said on Tuesday he had complete faith in U.S. intelligence agencies and accepted their conclusions. But he appeared to veer from his script to also hedge on who was responsible for the election interference. "It could be other people also - there's a lot of people out there," he said. Democrats dismissed Trump's statement as political damage control. "This has to be recognised for what it is, which is simply an effort to clean up the mess he made yesterday, which is beyond the capacity of any short statement to repair," said Adam Schiff, the ranking Democrat on the House of Representatives Intelligence Committee. Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said Trump's comments on Tuesday were another sign of weakness, particularly his statement that it "could be other people" responsible for the election meddling. "He made a horrible statement, tried to back off, but couldn't even bring himself to back off," Schumer said on the Senate floor. "It shows the weakness of President Trump that he is afraid to confront Mr. Putin directly." The political firestorm over Trump's performance in Helsinki has engulfed the administration and spread to his fellow Republicans, eclipsing most of the frequent controversies that have erupted during Trump's turbulent 18 months in office. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell told reporters that Russia was not a friend of the United States and warned against a repeat of election meddling in November's congressional elections. "There are a lot of us who fully understand what happened in 2016 and it really better not happen again in 2018," McConnell said. TOUGHER SANCTIONS Some lawmakers said they would seek remedies against Russia in Congress. Several senators from both parties backed tougher sanctions on Russia. McConnell and House Speaker Paul Ryan, who called Russia's government "menacing," said their chambers could consider additional sanctions on Russia. Congress overwhelmingly passed a sanctions law last year targeting Moscow for election meddling. In April, the U.S. Treasury imposed sanctions on Russian officials and oligarchs in one of Washington's most aggressive moves to punish Moscow. Even before the allegations of Russian meddling, tensions were high over Moscow's concerns about NATO expansion, Russian annexation of the Crimea peninsula from Ukraine in 2014 and its military backing of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in the Syrian civil war. Some U.S. lawmakers have suggested passing resolutions voicing support for intelligence agencies, or spending more to enhance election security and prevent cyber attacks. Republican Senator Bob Corker, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said congressional leaders were searching for the most effective response. "We’re trying to figure out what would be an appropriate way to push back," Corker told reporters. "You know the president can do more damage in 15 minutes at a press conference than we can undo in six months of passing resolutions." Corker said "the first step" will be hearing from U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who will testify next Wednesday before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Senate Democrats said they want the American interpreter at the Helsinki meeting to testify to Congress on what was said during the private Trump-Putin session. U.S. intelligence agencies concluded last year that the Russian government interfered in the 2016 election campaign and sought to tilt the vote in Trump's favour, which Moscow has denied. Special Counsel Robert Mueller is investigating that allegation and any possible collusion by Trump's campaign. Trump has denied collusion and casts Mueller's probe as a witchhunt that aims to detract from his election victory. Not all Republicans were angry with Trump's conduct in Helsinki. "The president did a good thing by meeting with Putin," Senator Rand Paul told CBS "This Morning" programme, comments that won him public thanks from Trump on Twitter. Russia's political and media establishment heralded the summit as a victory for Putin in breaking down Western resolve to treat Russia as a pariah. "The West's attempts to isolate Russia failed," read the headline in state-run newspaper Rossiisskaya Gazeta. (Reporting by Roberta Rampton and Susan Heavey; Additional reporting by Richard Cowan, Amanda Becker, David Alexander; Writing by John Whitesides; Editing by Mary Milliken and Grant McCool) -- © Copyright Reuters 2018-07-18 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post sirineou Posted July 17, 2018 Popular Post Share Posted July 17, 2018 6 minutes ago, webfact said: "It could be other people also - there's a lot of people out there," he said Or not even people, It could be aliens from other planet, there are a lot of planets out there , whos to say it wasn't aliens, or intelligent monkeys . They say that a Thousand monkeys typing on a thousand typewriters would eventually write the bible. I they could write the bible why could they not hack the DNC? 4 1 1 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Carib Posted July 17, 2018 Popular Post Share Posted July 17, 2018 Backpedaling again, as usual. ? True statesman. Next time vote for Kim kardashian, it will not make any difference. 11 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post ezzra Posted July 17, 2018 Popular Post Share Posted July 17, 2018 (edited) The man crealy is a buffoon, he can't even read a cue card and simple notation correctly, if in the past i had a modicum of respect for this man seeing his wishy washy and feeble handling of such important affairs, he might be good in running mega companies but he's fumbling and dropping the ball in the face of real tests negotiating with high caliber leaders as Putin... Edited July 17, 2018 by ezzra 7 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Chomper Higgot Posted July 17, 2018 Popular Post Share Posted July 17, 2018 1 minute ago, ezzra said: The man crealy is a buffoon, if in the past i had a modicum of respect for this man seeing his wishy washy and feeble handling of such important affairs, he might be good in running mega companies but he's fumbling and dropping the ball in the face of real tests negotiating with high caliber leaders as Putin... There’s no evidence of him being good at running mega companies. 13 1 2 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Chomper Higgot Posted July 17, 2018 Popular Post Share Posted July 17, 2018 (edited) Trump a man who says it as it is. Except when he’s ‘mis-speaking’. Edited July 17, 2018 by Chomper Higgot 3 1 1 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mtls2005 Posted July 17, 2018 Share Posted July 17, 2018 (edited) If he "misspoke" during the presser one can only imagine what he said during the two-hour private meeting. Obviously, Putin has a transcript/recording. Edited July 17, 2018 by mtls2005 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post bristolboy Posted July 17, 2018 Popular Post Share Posted July 17, 2018 The headline should have read: Trump's Non-retraction Retraction “Let me be totally clear in saying that … I accept our intelligence community’s conclusion that Russia’s meddling in the 2016 election took place,” Trump said, reading from a prepared script. He then added: “It could be other people also. There’s a lot of people out there.” https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/jul/17/donald-trump-putin-summit-republicans 3 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bristolboy Posted July 18, 2018 Share Posted July 18, 2018 Trump second-guessed DNI Coats on cybersecurity before sit-down with Putin Even before his one-on-one with Russian President Vladimir Putin, President Donald Trump expressed skepticism of Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats' warnings about the cybersecurity threat from Russia... "I don't know if I agree with that," Trump said of the remarks in an interview with "CBS Evening News" anchor Jeff Glor that was taped Saturday in Scotland and released Monday. "I'd have to look." https://www.politico.com/story/2018/07/16/trump-putin-coats-russia-724375 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post mtls2005 Posted July 18, 2018 Popular Post Share Posted July 18, 2018 (edited) "Could be other people also, there's a lot of people out there" I'm starting to feel sorry for him - and all those who fell for his schtick, having to display his early-onset dementia for the world to see. He can't even read a simple statement. Hopefully, he doesn't confuse "would" and "wouldn't" as he approaches the "football". Edited July 18, 2018 by mtls2005 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FritsSikkink Posted July 18, 2018 Share Posted July 18, 2018 4 minutes ago, mtls2005 said: "Could be other people also, there's a lot of people out there" I'm starting to feel sorry for him - and all those who fell for his schtick, having to display his early-onset dementia for the world to see. He can't even read a simple statement. Hopefully, he doesn't confuse "would" and "wouldn't" as he approaches the "football". Don't feel sorry, most of his supporters still love him to bits. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post bluesofa Posted July 18, 2018 Popular Post Share Posted July 18, 2018 I'm just waiting for an American to claim they 'mis-voted'. 7 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post mtls2005 Posted July 18, 2018 Popular Post Share Posted July 18, 2018 I'm imagining the crack White House staff pulling an all-nighter to come up with an "excuse", and all they could muster is "would"/"wouldn't". 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post mtls2005 Posted July 18, 2018 Popular Post Share Posted July 18, 2018 Trump's handwritten addition to the statement. It's "collusion" you doofus. 1 1 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wayned Posted July 18, 2018 Share Posted July 18, 2018 5 minutes ago, mtls2005 said: I'm imagining the crack White House staff pulling an all-nighter to come up with an "excuse", and all they could muster is "would"/"wouldn't". The big problem that they had was that they could not delete any record, either video or audio, of the post meeting news conference. He said many other things that an apostrophe wouldn't fix! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Silurian Posted July 18, 2018 Popular Post Share Posted July 18, 2018 2 hours ago, webfact said: "I said the word 'would' instead of 'wouldn't,'" Trump told reporters at the White House, more than 24 hours after his appearance with Putin. "The sentence should have been, 'I don't see any reason why it wouldn't be Russia.'" Traitor Trump has declared that the day of the Helsinki summit was actually opposite day. Whatever he said wrong it was actually right. He was also crossing his fingers behind his back at that time which invalidates anything he might have said wrong or lied about. 4 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post attrayant Posted July 18, 2018 Popular Post Share Posted July 18, 2018 The problem with changing 'would' to 'wouldn't' is that this one sentence now stands at odds with all the other sentences in Trump's remarks at Helsinki. It's so obvious that he's lying. He said exactly what he meant to say. 12 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mtls2005 Posted July 18, 2018 Share Posted July 18, 2018 Wag the dog time. Trump to JCS, "So who can we lob missiles at today?" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Becker Posted July 18, 2018 Popular Post Share Posted July 18, 2018 Impeach the treacherous man-child immediately! If it wasn't clear he's a Putin lapdog before it is now - unwittingly or due to kompromat. PS. I see that BuaBS (TVF's undisputed champion of the "sad" reaction) has had another bad morning with 5 "sad" in the first 6 posts of this thread. What happened BuaBS, did you reach your daily allowed limit or did you run out of steam in the face of the universal condemnation of the traitor in the WH? 12 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post mamypoko Posted July 18, 2018 Popular Post Share Posted July 18, 2018 12 minutes ago, Becker said: Impeach the treacherous man-child immediately! If it wasn't clear he's a Putin lapdog before it is now - unwittingly or due to kompromat. PS. I see that BuaBS (TVF's undisputed champion of the "sad" reaction) has had another bad morning with 5 "sad" in the first 6 posts of this thread. What happened BuaBS, did you reach your daily allowed limit or did you run out of steam in the face of the universal condemnation of the traitor in the WH? Even a Soviet algorithm needs a coffee break 1 1 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
malt25 Posted July 18, 2018 Share Posted July 18, 2018 I wonder if Putin reads TV. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 18, 2018 Share Posted July 18, 2018 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post smedly Posted July 18, 2018 Popular Post Share Posted July 18, 2018 Trump is very obviously no diplomat, he needs to start listening to the skilled advisers he has around him instead of sacking them, he continues to make pure choices on the diplomatic stage but I guess he is learning the hard way. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post mtls2005 Posted July 18, 2018 Popular Post Share Posted July 18, 2018 4 minutes ago, smedly said: Trump is very obviously no diplomat, he needs to start listening to the skilled advisers he has around him instead of sacking them, he continues to make pure choices on the diplomatic stage but I guess he is learning the hard way. You can't teach an old dog new tricks. 'Counter to the plan': Trump ignored advisers' advice over press conference with Vladimir Putin, White House insiders say President Trump's freewheeling Helsinki press conference in which he slated US intelligence agencies has handed Russian president Vladimir Putin a diplomatic triumph, White House officials are privately admitting. Ahead of the meeting, staffers provided Mr Trump with some 100 pages of briefing materials aimed at laying out a tough posture towards Putin, but the president ignored most of it, according to one person familiar with the discussions, who spoke to the Washington Post on the condition of anonymity. Trump’s remarks were “very much counter to the plan,” the staffer said. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/trump-ignored-advice-putin-press-conference-helsinki-a8451111.html 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post alanrchase Posted July 18, 2018 Popular Post Share Posted July 18, 2018 I managed to get 7 minutes into his statement and it was 7 minutes of waffle. I had to give up. "The Queen reviewed her honour guard for the first time in 70 years"? After claiming he mispoke about Russian interference he didn't have the sense to get any facts checked before he gave today's drivel? 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post JAG Posted July 18, 2018 Popular Post Share Posted July 18, 2018 2 hours ago, ezzra said: The man crealy is a buffoon, he can't even read a cue card and simple notation correctly, if in the past i had a modicum of respect for this man seeing his wishy washy and feeble handling of such important affairs, he might be good in running mega companies but he's fumbling and dropping the ball in the face of real tests negotiating with high caliber leaders as Putin... 2 hours ago, Chomper Higgot said: There’s no evidence of him being good at running mega companies. In fact, CH, given his record of his various ventures going bust and otherwise failing to pay his creditors there is plenty of evidence to suggest that he is not very good at running companies. That same evidence does suggest that he is very good at lying, cheating, shafting the gullible, and generally being dishonourable. ( Or " misspeaking" as it is now known!) Practices which he rather seems to have carried over to his political life, and even into international diplomacy. What a venal man. 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post PatOngo Posted July 18, 2018 Popular Post Share Posted July 18, 2018 All this from a self proclaimed intellectual genius...……….is there something I'm missing? 1 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Tradewind777 Posted July 18, 2018 Popular Post Share Posted July 18, 2018 If you couldn’t get his confusing drift during his speech, you’d have even less chance when listening to his non-compus mentus rebuttle. The guy is clearly off his head. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mtls2005 Posted July 18, 2018 Share Posted July 18, 2018 7 minutes ago, alanrchase said: I managed to get 7 minutes into his statement and it was 7 minutes of waffle. I had to give up. Yes, the entire ~ 20 minutes is a staggering display of incompetence, babble, walk-backs, and idiocy. And the lights going out must be an omen. "I have full faith in our intelligence agencies...whoops." Even those who want to make america grape again would probably be aghast. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post sfokevin Posted July 18, 2018 Popular Post Share Posted July 18, 2018 1 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now