The Story:
At a news conference on Sunday in Vietnam, President Trump clarified his stand on Saturday that, while he did not accept Russian President Vladimir Putin’s claims of Russia not meddling in last year’s U.S. presidential election, he was merely pointing out that Putin was being sincere when denying any involvement.
Why It Matters:
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For a long time, Trump has declined to be specific about his opinion on the matter.
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His lack of a decisive view was cause for controversy on Saturday when, in response to a direct question about whether or not he thought Russia was responsible, Trump said that he believed Putin was being sincere while denying being involved in the cyber activities targeting the elections.
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As with China, Trump seems to be backpedalling on major issues, vocally protesting against the actions of China and Russia while at home, but appearing to be conciliatory and even laudatory on matters when confronted with leaders of the errant nations in question.
The Nuts and Bolts:
The new statement was made in the Vietnamese capital on Sunday, a day after Trump’s response to reporters’ questions while aboard Air Force One.
In surprise response to Trump’s statement at the news conference, the CIA claimed in a statement of its own that Mike Pompeo, its current director, did believe the agency’s establishment that Russia was involved.
In regards to his conversation with Putin in Da Nang, Vietnam, Trump claimed that he did not want to “stand and start arguing with somebody when there are reporters all around and cameras recording and seeing our conversation.”
However, the meeting between the two leaders was a private conversation with no reporters present.
Trump recently tweeted from Hanoi, saying: “When will all the haters and fools out there realize that having a good relationship with Russia is a good thing, not a bad thing.”
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