WASHINGTON DC – President Trump is facing harsh criticism after comments he made at a press conference Monday, following a meeting the two held in Helsinki, Finland. Critics from both sides of the aisle are pouring it on the president for not being tougher on Vladimir Putin, the president of Russia.
The President, his accusers said, appeared to side with Putin over the FBI's accusations that 12 Russian military operators had hacked into several American voting systems in the 2016 elections.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer led the conversation via Twitter,"In the entire history of our country, Americans have never seen a president of the United States support an American adversary the way @realDonaldTrump has supported President Putin."
He went on to suggest the Russians may have some dirt on Trump or his family.
Republican Senator John McCain was equally harsh,"Today’s press conference in Helsinki was one of the most disgraceful performances by an American president in memory. The damage inflicted by President Trump’s naiveté, egotism, false equivalence, and sympathy for autocrats is difficult to calculate. But it is clear that the summit in Helsinki was a tragic mistake.
“President Trump proved not only unable, but unwilling to stand up to Putin. He and Putin seemed to be speaking from the same script as the president made a conscious choice to defend a tyrant against the fair questions of a free press, and to grant Putin an uncontested platform to spew propaganda and lies to the world," McCain said.
Illinois Congressman Peter Roskam issued the following statement:
Russia’s interference with our democratic process is appalling and undeniable. The President has a responsibility to not only confront Vladimir Putin for attacking our democracy, but to use all tools available to prevent future acts of aggression that could undermine the cornerstone of our republic – free and fair elections. Vladimir Putin is not our ally – he is a brutal dictator who has undermined our democratic institutions; invaded and continues to illegally occupy the territory of our allies Ukraine and Georgia; and continues to support the massacre of hundreds of thousands in Syria. We must maintain a united front with our partners around the world to confront Russian aggression. Today’s press conference was an affront to American democracy and the Intelligence Community and a victory for Russian propaganda. The President has a duty to hold Vladimir Putin to account.
And provocateur radio host former Congressman Joe Walsh turned up the heat, saying "This is a crisis,
