The Atlantic

Trump’s Weak Defense of His Meeting With Putin

The notion that America can simply move beyond Russia’s electoral interference is fantasy.
Source: Kevin Lamarque / Reuters

Even many Republicans who normally support or silently abide Donald Trump criticized the president Monday after his press conference with Vladimir Putin.

The Associated Press reporter Jonathan Lemire prompted the most controversial exchange by asking, “Just now President Putin denied having anything to do with the election interference in 2016. Every U.S. intelligence agency has concluded that Russia did. My first question, sir, is who do you believe? My second question is 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

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