‘Traitor’ Trump under fire for siding with Putin over the US
US President rebuked by lawmakers for siding with Putin over Russian meddling in 2016 election
WASHINGTON: Any doubt of US President Donald Trump's bromance with Russian President Vladimir Putin was put to rest after their first summit meeting in Helsinki, Finland, on Monday.
In a stunning rebuke of the US intelligence community, which determined that Russia had interfered in the 2016 presidential election, Mr Trump said he did not "see any reason why" Russia would be responsible, reported CNN.
"I have great confidence in my intelligence people, but I will tell you that President Putin was extremely strong and powerful in his denial today," Mr Trump said during a joint news conference after their two-hour meeting.
His decision to take Mr Putin's denial over his own people's assessment sparked a chorus of condemnation from intelligence officials and lawmakers from the Democratic Party as well as his own Republican Party, AFP reported.
Among the words bandied in denouncing him were "disgraceful", "shameful", "weak", "co-wardly" and "treasonous". Some media commentators also called him a "traitor".
Calling the summit "a tragic mistake", Republican Senator John McCain said: "The damage inflicted by President Trump's naivete, egotism, false equivalence and sympathy for autocrats is difficult to calculate. No prior president has ever abased himself more abjectly before a tyrant."
Taking issue with the president who appointed him, US director of national intelligence Dan Coats said US spy agencies have been "clear" and "fact-based" in their assessment that Moscow interfered in the presidential race two years ago.
Mr Coats added that Russia remains behind "ongoing, pervasive efforts to undermine our democracy".
Retired spy chiefs were more direct. Mr Coat's predecessor, Mr James Clapper, called Mr Trump's acquiescence to Mr Putin "an incredible capitulation", while former CIA chief John Brennan labelled it "nothing short of treasonous".
Mr Putin's denial came three days after the US Justice Department indicted 12 Russians for hacking Democratic Party computers, the latest in a series of actions since the presidential election.
He also appeared to embrace Mr Putin's offer to have Russian investigators work together with US prosecutors on the case of the 12 just indicted.
"I think that is an incredible offer," he said.
Republican House Speaker Paul Ryan said: "The President must appreciate that Russia is not our ally.
"There is no moral equivalence between the US and Russia, which remains hostile to our most basic values and ideals."
The language used by Democrats was much harsher.
Democratic California Representative Jimmy Gomez said: "To side with Putin over US intelligence is disgusting; to fail to defend the US is on the verge of treason."
Democratic Senator Chris Murphy wrote on Twitter: "This entire trip has just been one giant middle finger from President Trump to his own country. Just jaw-dropping."
Even Trump-friendly Fox News was scathing, with Fox & Friends weekend anchor Abby Huntsman, whose father is the US ambassador to Russia, accusing Mr Trump of "throwing your own people and country under the bus".
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