Dear Commons Community,
The media and political establishment are coming out with guns ablaze and criticizing President Trump’s Press Conference with President Putin. President Donald Trump’s performance left critics of all stripes howling. Here are samples as reported by CNN and the Huffington Post. The full press conference can be viewed above.
Trump refused to blame Putin for Moscow’s interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election and told reporters that “both countries” were responsible for the poor state of their relations.
“I think we’ve all been foolish. I think we’re all to blame,” Trump said.
He reiterated that there was no collusion between his presidential campaign and Russia, slammed special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation of Russian interference in the election as a “disaster” and shared conspiracy theories about why it’s important for the FBI to take the Democratic National Committee’s computer server.
Putin agreed with Trump on many points, and Trump’s comments drew fierce criticism from Republicans and Democrats alike.
John Brennan, a CIA director under Barack Obama, called Trump’s performance “treasonous.”
Moments after the press conference, CNN’s Anderson Cooper said it was “one of the most disgraceful performances by an American president at a summit in front of a Russian leader.”
On Fox News Business, several guests reacted by saying that Putin outmaneuvered Trump during the summit. On the channel, the network’s Neil Cavuto termed Trump’s performance “disgusting.”
George W. Bush’s press secretary Ari Fleischer, who often defends Trump, said he can understand why some Democrats believe Putin must have compromising information on Trump.
Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) called Trump’s trip to Europe, which included contentious stops in the U.K. and Belgium, as “one giant middle finger” to the U.S.
Meghan McCain, a co-host of ABC’s “The View” and a daughter of Sen. John
McCain (R-Ariz.), tweeted that: “I don’t have anything quippy to tweet. I’m horrified – and have never been more proud of the fact that Putin hates my father so much he personally sanctioned him on Russia’s enemies list.”
Former Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel, a Republican, said Trump
“failed America today.”
“It’s a sad day for America,” Hagel said Monday during an appearance
on CNN. “Sad day for the world.”
Sad day indeed.
Tony
