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WASHINGTON – Republicans on the ideological spectrum reprimanded President Trump after Monday's extraordinary press conference with Russian President Vladimir V. Putin, President Paul D. Ryan having reprimanded Trump and said: There is no moral equivalence between the United States and Russia. "
Senator John McCain, Republican of Arizona, called it" one of the The most shameful representations by an American president in the memory. "
Mr. Ryan was joined by other Republican leaders – including Sen. Mitch McConnell, the majority leader – whose reactions were going to disappoint. to the way Mr. Trump had publicly rejected the conclusions of his own national director of intelligence blamed the United States and Russia for the bad relations between the two countries, and apparently invited Russia to cooperate with the enq led by Robert S. Mueller III, the special advocate.
Senator Ben Sbade, Republican of Nebraska, called it "Senator Jeff Flake, Republican of Arizona, said that it was" shameful ".
But the highest Republican leaders have toned down their response and avoided attaching Mr. Trump's name to their widespread statements that they believe intelligence agencies and still see Russia as an enemy. At least one Republican, Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky, delivered a full defense of the president: "I think it's a good idea to have a commitment, and I guess I do not understand everyone who is completely disturbed criticize the president. "
McConnell, who seldom gives interviews in the corridors of the Capitol, said three concise sentences:" The Russians are not our friends. I have said it many times, I repeat it today. And I have complete confidence in our intelligence community and the results they have announced. "He refused to answer questions.
No Republican in Congress promised a particular action to punish Mr. Trump, such as delaying his nominees, nor promising audiences or increased control.
He returns to the polls. Mr. McConnell's Democratic counterpart, Senator Chuck Schumer of New York, to demand concrete action from Congress
"In the entire history of our country, Americans have never seen a US president backs an American opponent as President Trump backed President Putin, "said Schumer in a statement that he later read to reporters and repeated in a speech in the Senate. [19659002] "One gloomy question now hangs over the White House: What could lead President Trump to put Russia's interests above those of the United States? Millions of Americans will continue to wonder if the only possible explanation for this dangerous behavior is the possibility that President Putin holds detrimental information about President Trump. "
Schumer described four specific actions that he said the Republicans should take: increase sanctions on Russia; demand that Mr. Trump's national security team testify before Congress; the Ministry of Justice and other intelligence agencies, and demand that Mr. Trump press Mr. Putin to extradite the 12 Russian secret service agents who were indicted on Friday by Mr. Mueller
" It's a shameful moment, "said John Kerry, former state secretary and Democratic senator." The president's party knows better. I know that they do it. I have served with a lot of them. America needs them to express itself with clarity and conviction not only in this news cycle, but until common sense rules US foreign policy.
But Republican leaders did not seem ready to change tactics. Senator John Cornyn of Texas, the No. 2 Republican in the Senate, told reporters that it was "wishful thinking" to wait for Putin to accept extradition. "A lot of what Senator Schumer is asking for, I think we have already done," he added.
As Republican leaders struggled to find ways to respond to a great press conference, some of their colleagues marked a moment. when Republicans could not defend their president.
McCain was probably the hardest.
"It is tempting to describe the press conference as a pathetic rout – as an illustration of the dangers of under-readiness and inexperience," said McCain, who battles brain cancer . "But it was not the wandering tweets of a novice politician.It is the deliberate choices of a president who seems determined to realize his illusions of a warm relationship with Putin's regime." irrespective of the true nature of his rule, his violent contempt for the sovereignty of his neighbors, his complicity in the mbadacre of the Syrian people, his violation of international treaties and his badault on democratic institutions around the world. "
McCain, the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, concluded, "No previous president has ever downgraded himself more abjectly before a tyrant." Not only did President Trump fail to tell the truth about An opponent but speaking for America to the world, our president has failed to defend everything that makes us what we are – a republic of free people dedicated to the cause of freedom here and elsewhere. "
His Arizona Republican colleague, Mr. Flake, issued his own reprimand:" I would never have thought that I would see the day our American president would come on the scene with the president. " Russian and blame the United States for aggression.
Beyond Capitol Hill, even some Fox News personalities reported that they had ended up defending the president's actions
Neil Cavuto, a Fox Business Network animator, called the performance of Mr. Trump's "disgusting". "I'm sorry, that's the only way I feel.It's not a right or left thing for me, it's just wrong," he said.
Brit Hume, senior political badyst at Fox News, wrote on Twitter: "Because Trump is unable to see himself, he sees Russia interfering"
Even though congressional Republicans were in the habit to dodge comments on the president's excesses, Trump's performance in Helsinki was hard to ignore Senator Bob Corker of Tennessee, outgoing chairman of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, said that he did not think it was a good time for our country.
It was, he added, a very good time for Mr. Putin
"It was almost an endorsement, if you want a public endorsement by the nation's largest land for it, "Corker told reporters." I guess he's got caviar right now. "
Mr. Sbade criticized the badimilation of US equities to those of Russia.
"It's weird and c false arrest, "he wrote in a statement. "The United States is not to blame.America wants a good relationship with the Russian people, but Vladimir Putin and his thugs are responsible for the Soviet aggression." Moral equivalence, it gives Putin a propaganda victory he desperately needs. "
In the House, Rep. Peter T. King, Republican of New York and former Chair of the Homeland Security Committee, said he was interviewed. It was "totally wrong" for the president to suggest "moral equivalence between the United States and Russia." Mr King, a strong voice on intelligence issues, says he was "disappointed" but "not flabbergasted" by the president's comments Regarding Trump's statement that Russia should cooperate with Mr. Mueller's investigation, Mr. King said, "It would be like bringing the Islamic State into a joint terrorist operational force."
statement, Mr. Ryan did not mention Mr. Trump by name. But it was clear that he intended to send a signal that he was troubled by the president's remarks at the morning press conference in Finland
"It does not no doubt Russia is interfering in our elections and continues to undermine democracy here and there, the world, "Ryan said. "This is not only the discovery of the US intelligence community, but also the House Committee on Intelligence.The President must understand that Russia is not our ally. There is no moral equivalence between the United States and Russia, which remains hostile to our most fundamental values and ideals, and the United States must focus on Russia's responsibility and put an end to its Infamous attacks on democracy. "
Democrats were not so cautious. Senator Edward J. Markey of Mbadachusetts called Mr. Trump's performance "national embarrbadment".
John O. Brennan, who served as CIA President Barack Obama's director said on Twitter that the press conference was an offense: "Donald Trump's press conference in Helsinki exceeds the threshold of" highs crimes and offenses. "Not only were Trump's comments foolish, but he is entirely in Putin's pocket Republican Patriots: Where are you ???"
Thomas Kaplan and Noah Weiland contributed to the report.
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