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His summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Helsinki may have ended on Monday, but US President Donald Trump questioned himself on the question of whether he thought Russia would have interfered US elections in 2016. Invited to the summit when he believed the conclusion of the US intelligence community that Moscow interfered with the vote, Trump said: "I see no reason why this would be [Russia] .. but I have confidence in both parties. " 19659002] It was three days after Special Advocate Robert Mueller's lawyer indicted 12 Russian intelligence officers with election-related piracy offenses.
Trump also said that the treatment of the United States was "silly" before taking office. "the two countries responsible" for the decline of relations.
Trump has since offered different answers to the same question.
Watch: Donald Trump's Press Conference with Vladimir P utin
Monday
After his private meeting with Putin, Trump told the news conference:
"My people came to me – [U.S. Director of National Intelligence] Dan Coats came to me and others – and they said that they thought it was Russia – I have President Putin – he just said that it was not Russia. I see no reason for that … but I trust both parties. "
Later, Trump tweeted that he had" great confidence "in US intelligence agencies but stressed the need to build strong relations between the nuclear powers.
Reaction to his comments were quick and critical – even among his Republican party.
Sen. Ben Sbade, a Republican from Nebraska, called his comments "weird and downright wrong"; Jeff Flake of Arizona found them "shameful"; and Lindsey Graham, of South Carolina, said that they would be perceived as "a sign of weakness."
I never thought I would see the day our American president came on the scene with the Russian president and blame the United States for the Russian aggression.
Tuesday
The next day, Trump was back in Washington and said that he accepted the conclusion of the intelligence community, but he added, "This could also be from other people – Trump also stated that he was poorly expressed in Helsinki.
"The sentence should have been:" I see no reason why it would not be Russia, "he said. . He added that his administration will take "energetic measures" to secure the country's electoral process. He reiterated that there was no collusion between his campaign and Moscow, an allegation that weighed on his presidency from the beginning.
Watchful: Trump tries to clarify his remarks in Helsinki
Wednesday
The question surfaced on Wednesday, when Trump was asked by a reporter if Russia was still trying to meddle in the US elections, especially the upcoming midterms .
Trump seemed to answer, "No"
However, the White House spokeswoman, Sarah Sanders, later said that day that his remark was misunderstood and that he was answering "no "to other questions from journalists
Cecilia Vega, journalist of ABC News said on Twitter that she believed the president had it heard clearly and that Trump was looking directly at her when he spoke.
Watch: Trump denies that Russia continues to target the United States
"Well, I'll would, because he's in charge of the country, just as I consider myself responsible for what is happening in this country.So, certainly as a leader of a country, you have to hold him responsible yes, "Trump said.
The President was asked what he said to Putin, and he replied that he was "very strong about the fact that we"
But the election interference n & # 39; This was not the only question that came out of the summit, but there was also Putin's controversial suggestion that the United States could sit on the interrogation of the 12 accused Russians – but only if the United States United would allow Russia to question Americans that the Kremlin has accused of having committed "illegal activities."
Trump said that he would consider Putin's "incredible offer" that the State Department described as "utterly absurd." 19659036] On Thursday, as the president was trying to shift to domestic economic issues, the Russian question was still making headlines around the world.
The US Senate has reprimanded the president for not having outright rejected the proposal sition, mbadively pbading a non-bin Trump ends up rejecting the idea, with Sanders saying that Trump "does not agree with him."
But more news arrived more late that day when Sanders said Trump had led National Security Advisor John Bolton. to invite Putin to Washington for the fall.
In Helsinki, @POTUS accepted a permanent working dialogue between the two staffs of the Security Council. President Trump asked @ Ambjohnbolton to invite President Putin to Washington in the fall and these discussions are already underway.
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