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Media personalities and pundits blew up social media, as lawmakers issued statements about President Donald Trump's performance and his comments during Monday's joint press conference with Russian President Vladimir Putin following their first meeting in Helsinki, Finland.
During a news conference reporters, Trump said members of his administration told him that Russia tried to interfere with the 2016 election, but he also said he had “confidence” in Putin’s denials and “did not see any reason” why Russia would have interfered.
Fox News' Neil Cavuto shared a clip of his discussion with former Deputy Assistant Attorney General Tom Dupree on Twitter and called Trump's behavior "disgusting."
Dupree said he wanted to see a "forceful condemnation of Russia's interference in 2016, " adding that he had hoped Trump would take the opportunity to "look him squarely in the eye and said you will be punished for what you did in 2016 and don't ever think about doing that again."
Cavuto said the president let "the guy [Putin] get away with this," adding that his lack of criticism of the Russian leader "sets us back a lot."
Neil Cavuto of Fox Business calls Trump's press conference "disgusting", "That sets us back a lot." https://t.co/R2ZIjyFyPR— Axios (@Axios)1531758185.0
And Cavuto wasn't alone in his critique:
So that was a disgrace. With that said, the real question is how seriously Putin takes Trump's verbiage. My guess:… https://t.co/tjzxCrCrX4— Ben Shapiro (@Ben Shapiro)1531758165.0
“Our relationship has never been worse than it is now...however, that changed, as of about 4 hours ago...I really b… https://t.co/3qj4YzJItE— Abby Huntsman (@Abby Huntsman)1531754717.0
POTUS had an opportunity to look #Putin in the eye and say ‘you are NOT going to mess with us again!’ But he didn’t… https://t.co/OYc99l2Z41— Trish Regan (@Trish Regan)1531774800.0
Trump, finally asked whom he believes on Russia interference, gives a vague and rambling non-answer, with renewed c… https://t.co/XAXo5znIBl— Brit Hume (@Brit Hume)1531756413.0
Whoa.... There is an avalanche of you-know-what rolling downhill at warp speed toward @realDonaldTrump over this s… https://t.co/tZxJ5e96BT— John Roberts (@John Roberts)1531766910.0
Appalling moral equivalence & equivocation — rooted in an embarrassing, juvenile, insecure, consuming obsession ove… https://t.co/z6QTixEsUm— Guy Benson (@Guy Benson)1531758034.0
trump blasts euro allies - praises putin - where is the rank and file GOP outrage— Tom Brokaw (@Tom Brokaw)1531766739.0
Today’s performance will be seen by some as circumstantial evidence.— Chuck Todd (@Chuck Todd)1531756382.0
Anderson Cooper calls the Trump-Putin press conference "one of the most disgraceful performances by an American pre… https://t.co/C7jqosSWPd— CNN Newsroom (@CNN Newsroom)1531758102.0
"My people came to me...they said they think it's Russia. I have President Putin. He just said it's not Russia. I w… https://t.co/OtL2V2KTjJ— Michael Steele (@Michael Steele)1531757246.0
I don’t have anything quippy to tweet. I’m horrified - and have never been more proud of the fact that Putin hates… https://t.co/sX7jcnEwK2— Meghan McCain (@Meghan McCain)1531757529.0
President Trump must clarify his statements in Helsinki on our intelligence system and Putin. It is the most seriou… https://t.co/KKZ5HIc2qZ— newtgingrich (@newtgingrich)1531775701.0
Something tells me Trump’s easy acceptance of Putin’s POV will send his critics into an even higher state of hyster… https://t.co/Krm40CvQu4— Ari Fleischer (@Ari Fleischer)1531757912.0
On CNN, @GloriaBorger is wondering aloud if some Trump aides or intel officials will consider resigning. "Everybody… https://t.co/c1YoN7K8wA— Brian Stelter (@Brian Stelter)1531759212.0
Putin won. America lost.— Bill Kristol (@Bill Kristol)1531759883.0
Look, I'm no big deal, but today is the final straw for me. I will never support Trump again. If that makes me a Ne… https://t.co/Ma26RgB4KK— Joe Walsh (@Joe Walsh)1531757571.0
Chairman Gowdy criticizes President Trump/Putin presser & says confident advisors “will be able to communicate to t… https://t.co/EAbqd6gUvt— Alex Moe (@Alex Moe)1531763600.0
Vladimir Putin is not our friend and never has been. Nor does he want to be our friend. His regime’s actions prove… https://t.co/eZYxpptVhz— Richard Burr (@Richard Burr)1531767875.0
Today’s press conference in #Helsinki was one of the most disgraceful performances by an American president in memo… https://t.co/CS9FXzjmjW— John McCain (@John McCain)1531764238.0
Missed opportunity by President Trump to firmly hold Russia accountable for 2016 meddling and deliver a strong warn… https://t.co/wTYJ9xmDyH— Lindsey Graham (@Lindsey Graham)1531757483.0
I never thought I would see the day when our American President would stand on the stage with the Russian President… https://t.co/qwqtrGT6pU— Jeff Flake (@Jeff Flake)1531757642.0
.@SpeakerRyan statement following the joint press conference with @POTUS and Russian President Putin https://t.co/CaAemVFvMo— Bret Baier (@Bret Baier)1531762650.0
This position is untenable and at odds with the forceful response this moment demands. Given that we are in an election year, the need to act now to prevent malicious attempts to influence our democracy is urgent. (3/3)
— Sen. Susan Collins (@SenatorCollins) July 16, 2018
