Top Senate Democrats are doubling down on calls for President Donald Trump not to meet one-on-one with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday.
Their urging comes one day after the special counsel Robert Mueller indicted 12 Russian intelligence officers on hacking charges.
In a letter sent Saturday, the senators said there "must be other Americans in the room" at the meeting and that Russia's election interference must be the "top issue" of the two leaders' discussion.
Top Senate Democrats sent a letter to President Donald Trump urging him not to meet one-on-one with Russian President Vladimir Putin at a planned summit in Helsinki, Finland on Monday.
The senators wrote there "must be other Americans in the room" at the meeting, where they also stated "Russia's attack on our election" should be a "top issue."
"[Russian President Vladimir Putin] is a trained KGB intelligence veteran who will come to this meeting well-prepared," the letter said.
Sens. Chuck Schumer, Dick Durbin, Mark Warner, Robert Menendez, Dianne Feinstein, Patrick Leahy, Sherrod Brown, and Jack Reed signed the letter. The signers sit on the Senate Armed Services, Appropriations, Banking, Foreign Relations, Judiciary and Intelligence committees.
Saturday's letter comes just afterthe special counsel Robert Mueller indicted 12 Russian intelligence officers suspected of playing a role in the DNC before the election. The indictment was a monumental development in the ongoing Russia investigation because it marks the first time Mueller has directly pointed a finger at the Russian government for its efforts to meddle in the election.
"We hope that you will use the opportunity of a meeting with Mr. Putin to advance a well-coordinated US message, supported by senior leaders in your own administration, to hold Russia accountable for its unacceptable behavior," the letter said.
Lawmakers also urged Trump to act on the advice of other federal agencies, saying "you must rely on the expertise and the experts of the State Department Defense Department, CIA and other US government agencies — not wing it on your own."
This letter is the latest development in calls from lawmakers on both sides of the aisle for Trump to cancel the meeting.
Schumer, the top-ranking Senate Democrat, released a statement after the indictments were made public Friday, in which he said Trump's continuing friendliness with Putin "on the heels of these indictments would be an insult to our democracy."
Schumer's statement also took aim at Trump's refusal to acknowledge the special counsel's investigation, saying "these indictments are further proof of what everyone but the president seems to understand: President Putin is an adversary who interfered in our elections to help President Trump win."
Trump has repeatedly referred to the investigation as a "witch hunt" and sought to again discredit the proven Russian interference in the 2016 US presidential election in a Saturday morning tweet.
Arizona Sen. John McCain, a frequent Russia critic, also said in a Friday statement Trump should cancel the meeting if he "is not prepared to hold Putin accountable" for Russia's "ongoing aggression towards the United States and democracies around the world."
Despite the outcry from Congress, Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Friday the meeting would go on as planned .
Baby ,
ReplyDeletePutting Party before Country is obviously Anti-American. Putting our Adversaries before Country is blatantly 'Treasonous.' Sad to see the level of deliberate ignorance and anti-American sentiment...totally disgraceful. This is not a liberal or conservative issue this is an American issue. If we all roll over or quit, like so many republican representatives from the house and senate, America as we know it will be no more. Cancel the secret summit with Putin, we have nothing to gain and everything to lose! Mainly more of America's rapidly eroding credibility.
In America, the President dictates foreign policy, not the liberal leaders in Congress. Elections have consequences. Trump has no foreign policy except to line his own pockets and 'Make Russia Great Again.' He has no idea what to do next which is why he is meeting with Putin to get his instructions.
Because they are the ones that got caught having secret meetingt to overthrow the election. These meetings were held with Trump family members, Trump campaign aides, and in the real world (not Trumps) would be consider treason and result in the execution of said conspirators. Although Trump will pardon them all if they are convicted as he has said.
Democrats have not got one thing right in the last 10 years, if they had Trump would not be president now. 3 states switched from Democrat to Republican and a whole lot of people switched from the Democratic party to Republicans which help to make Trump the president.
Howdy Big Boy ,
ReplyDeleteI know the sitting president dictates foreign policy , he is also suppose to lead the people and their welfare ... not beat them down , we have no middle class Americans just poor , the rest is homeless .To be successful you have to to see that the people you are responsible for are not left behind .Why china isn't putting tariffs on Ivanka shoes and bags that's made there (China), Oh yes she is his daughter .I agree with you about the democrats , they seem to be making a move take the country back , we will see in November / 2020 .
Yeah tRUMP will pardon them because Putin will tell him too. I tink tRUMP's small group od people id running scared .
Those 3 stated is sorry they switched , they believed all that Cheeto lies ...giggling)
Love you and thanks BIG BOY
Baby