‘Utterly ridiculous’: Putin denies USA election meddling in tense interview

“He was a rich person, but, well, there’s plenty of rich persons in the United States”, Putin added. “He has got to be celebrating on the way home to Moscow”.

U.S. President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Monday voiced their satisfaction with their first one-on-one meeting here, though acknowledged problems remain.

Senior Republican Senator John McCain called Trump’s press conference “disgraceful” and a “low point” for the USA presidency.

“Would you now, with the whole world watching, tell President Putin, would you denounce what happened in 2016, and would you warn him to never do it again?” John McCain, who charged that “no prior president has ever abased himself more abjectly before a tyrant”.

COSTER: What do you think of the fact that Trump took Putin’s side against the USA intelligence community?

“Business associates of Mr. Browder have earned over $1.5 billion in Russian Federation”, said Putin via an interpreter.

“[Russia] remains hostile to our most basic values and ideals”.

Other high-profile Republicans also expressed dismay. When Putin first mentioned it during his opening statement- “The Russian state has never interfered and is not going to interfere into internal American affairs” – there was an audible intake of breath as American reporters leaned forward in their seats and prepared to transcribe the translated words coming through their headsets. Contrast Trump’s reluctance in Helsinki to criticize Putin or any Russian misbehavior with his eager readiness to criticize allies [at last week’s North Atlantic Treaty Organisation summit] in Brussels, particularly Germany and German Chancellor Angela Merkel, over defense spending, plus his London interview in which he put the European Union at the top of his list of foes of the United States.

The day of the Trump-Putin summit began slowly.

As the newspaper notes in its press release, both Trump and Putin have had “contentious” relationships with the media.

Speaking to Fox News following his summit on Monday with Trump in Helsinki, Finland, the Russian president said: “Do you really believe that someone acting from the Russian territory could have influenced the United States and influenced the choice of millions of Americans?”

He resumed his criticism of Strzok, who testified before House lawmakers in an opening hearing last week, as a disgrace to the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

“A groveling President Trump said Monday that the way Vladimir Putin told him “nyet” about meddling in election was – wink, wink – persuasive”, the caption reads.

“We have not been getting along well for the last number of years”, Trump said after arriving at the Presidential Palace in Finland’s capital, where the leaders are meeting. This comes just several days after Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein announced that 12 Russian intelligence officers were being indicted for election interference as part of special counsel Robert Mueller’s probe.

“We have two thoughts”, Trump said. “I don’t see any reason why it should be”, he replied.

Democrats also sounded alarm. Why was the Federal Bureau of Investigation told to leave the office of the Democratic National Committee?

Putin said: “It is obvious to everyone that bilateral ties are going through a hard period”. Pingree says the President’s comments undercut the intelligence agencies, which he says he supports.

Much of the Republican rebuke came from politicians who have been willing to openly criticise the President, a group that remains a minority in the GOP.