Politi writes: "President Donald Trump thinks it's time to move on from the pesky fact that Russia tried to meddle in the U.S. presidential elections."
President Donald Trump and Russia's President Vladimir Putin speak during their meeting on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Hamburg, Germany, on July 7, 2017. (photo: AFP/Getty Images)
Trump Wants to Partner With Russia on "Cyber Security Unit" to Safeguard Elections
09 July 17
resident Donald Trump thinks it’s time to move on from the pesky fact that Russia tried to meddle in the U.S. presidential elections. In a series of Sunday morning tweets about his first face-to-face meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Trump said it’s “time to move forward in working constructively with Russia.” The president said he “strongly pressed” Putin twice over Russian meddling in the election and “he vehemently denied it.” Trump didn’t specify whether he accepts the denial, only noting that “I’ve already given my opinion.”
I strongly pressed President Putin twice about Russian meddling in our election. He vehemently denied it. I've already given my opinion.....
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 9, 2017
...We negotiated a ceasefire in parts of Syria which will save lives. Now it is time to move forward in working constructively with Russia!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 9, 2017
Trump did not explicitly say whether he actually believed Putin, but his Sunday morning tweets suggest the Kremlin may have been correct in its evaluation of the meeting in Germany. “He asked questions, I replied. It seemed to me that he was satisfied with the answers,” Putin said. U.S. officials have not directly disputed that account.
The president has said he believes Russia likely interfered in the electionn but noted it was impossible to know for sure and other countries were likely involved in the hacking as well.
As part of the effort to “move on” in the bilateral relationship, Putin and Trump “discussed forming an impenetrable Cyber Security unit so that election hacking, & many other negative things, will be guarded.” Trump also said sanctions weren’t discussed with Putin because “nothing will be done until the Ukrainian & Syrian problems are solved.”
Putin & I discussed forming an impenetrable Cyber Security unit so that election hacking, & many other negative things, will be guarded..
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 9, 2017
...and safe. Questions were asked about why the CIA & FBI had to ask the DNC 13 times for their SERVER, and were rejected, still don't....
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 9, 2017
...have it. Fake News said 17 intel agencies when actually 4 (had to apologize). Why did Obama do NOTHING when he had info before election?
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 9, 2017
Sanctions were not discussed at my meeting with President Putin. Nothing will be done until the Ukrainian & Syrian problems are solved!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 9, 2017
That plan immediately received pushback from Trump’s own party with Republican Sen. Marco Rubio also taking to Twitter to mock the suggestion that the United States could partner with Russia on cyber security. “Partnering with Putin on a ‘Cyber Security Unit’ is akin to partnering with Assad on a ‘Chemical Weapons Unit’,” Rubio wrote.
While reality & pragmatism requires that we engage Vladimir Putin, he will never be a trusted ally or a reliable constructive partner. 1/3
— Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) July 9, 2017
Partnering with Putin on a "Cyber Security Unit" is akin to partnering with Assad on a "Chemical Weapons Unit". 2/3
— Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) July 9, 2017
Sen. Lindsey Graham also mocked the partnership suggestion. “It’s not the dumbest idea I’ve ever heard, but it’s pretty close,” Graham said on NBC’s Meet the Press.
WATCH: Sen. @LindseyGrahamSC responds to Trump's call to work with Russia, saying it's not the dumbest idea "but it's pretty close." #MTP pic.twitter.com/8eK1y7A25a
— Meet the Press (@MeetThePress) July 9, 2017
Trump also used his Sunday morning tweetstorm to again blast one of his favorite targets: the Democratic National Committee. “Questions were asked about why the CIA & FBI had to ask the DNC 13 times for their SERVER, and were rejected, still don’t have it,” Trump wrote. “Fake News said 17 intel agencies when actually 4 (had to apologize). Why did Obama do NOTHING when he had info before election?” In other words, Trump is saying both that the intelligence that Russia meddled in the election isn’t as reliable as has been reported and also that his predecessor had the intelligence and didn’t act on it.
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