| | | | Donald Trump doesn't think Russia meddled in 2016 | | On Thursday morning, President Donald Trump woke up thinking about Russia.
"Russia continues to say they had nothing to do with Meddling in our Election!," Trump tweeted at 7:25 a.m. "Where is the DNC Server, and why didn't Shady James Comey and the now disgraced FBI agents take and closely examine it? Why isn't Hillary/Russia being looked at? So many questions, so much corruption!"
A half hour later, the White House announced that Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin would meet in Helsinki, Finland on July 16.
Coincidence? Probably.
But coincidence or not, the twin events of Thursday morning serve as a very important reminder: Donald Trump (still) appears to not believe that Russia not only actively interfered in the 2016 election but did so with the express goal of helping Trump and hurting Hillary Clinton.
That is, of course, the unanimous conclusion of the intelligence community. And of virtually every elected official -- Republican or Democrat -- in the country. "There should be no doubt that Russia perceives its past efforts as successful and views the 2018 US midterm elections as a potential target for Russian influence operations," Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats said at a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing in February.
And, kind of, Donald Trump too. "I never said Russia did not meddle in the election, I said 'it may be Russia, or China or another country or group, or it may be a 400 pound genius sitting in bed and playing with his computer,'" Trump tweeted in February. "The Russian 'hoax' was that the Trump campaign colluded with Russia - it never did!"
That isn't accurate. Not even close.
"Every time he sees me he says, 'I didn't do that, and I really believe that when he tells me that, he means it," Trump told reporters of Putin last fall.
"I said, 'Did you do it?' And he said, 'No, I did not. Absolutely not,'" Trump said of a conversation with Putin last summer. "I then asked him a second time in a totally different way. He said absolutely not."
Wrote CNN's Sara Murray and Jeremy Herb in February: "Trump has been skeptical about the intelligence assessment that Russia meddled ever since he was first briefed on the issue during the presidential transition. But that skepticism has endured even after Trump hand-selected his own intel chiefs and they reiterated the conclusions of their predecessors."
How? Why? The answer, I think, is simple: Trump conflates Russian interference in the 2016 election with the idea that his campaign colluded with the Russians. He cannot separate the two in his mind -- although they are quite clearly different things and one can easily understand that both need not be true. He is willing to accept Putin's denials, despite what the intelligence community has told him, because he wants to believe that the entire Russia story -- from meddling through collusion -- is, well, trumped up.
The Point: Trump's repeated assertions that he believes Putin's denial of involvement in the 2016 election are, on their face, hard to believe. There is ample evidence to suggest that Russia conducted a broad and deep campaign of disinformation and persuasion designed to aid Trump and hurt Clinton. And that they will seek to meddle in future elections. And yet, in the face of all of that evidence, Trump chooses to believe Putin's unsubstantiated denials.
-- Chris | | "I'm not a Democrat. And I'm not angry."
-- Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein while being grilled by lawmakers at a House Judiciary Committee hearing. Rosenstein was asked about access to Russia investigation documents and when special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation will come to an end. Watch video here. | | | FLOTUS TAKES SECOND TRIP TO IMMIGRATION FACILITIES | | | Photo courtesy: Twitter / Kate Bennett / Screengrab | | CNN's Kate Bennett is once again on the ground with First lady Melania Trump for her second trip to immigration facilities. This time, she toured Arizona's Tucson Center, which is an area responsible for 262 miles of border in region. From Kate's story:
"East Wing communications director Stephanie Grisham said the first lady's goal is to 'learn and educate herself' about issues at the border, firsthand, from those on the front lines and thank them for the sometimes dangerous work they do. After roundtable she will get a tour of the intake center, a short-term holding facility, where families are being separated. The first lady will also have a private briefing at an intelligence operation center at the facility."
Meanwhile, on the Hill: More than one thousand female activists marched through Washington, DC, Thursday and flooded a Senate office building to protest the Trump administration's "zero tolerance" immigration policy. About 100 people were arrested, CNN reported, including Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal. On Saturday, June 30, organizers will hold nationwide "Families Belong Together"protests. (The Cut has a guide to everything you need to know about the protest). | | "How saying #MeToo changed their lives," a New York Times interactive revisiting the courageous people who shared their experiences.
The Washington Examiner has a story abut the Trump campaign's newest merch: MAGA swimsuits.
A design has been selected for a new DC memorial dedicated to Native American veterans. The Washingtonian has an inside look at the memorial, which will be at the National Mall in 2020.
Check out images from the winners of the 2018 National Geographic Travel Photographer of the Year Contest. | | | The Point turns 1 today! To celebrate, here's The Beatles' "Happy Birthday." | | | Today's topic: ICYMI the House immigration bill didn't pass yesterday. In fact, it went down in flames. | | 🚨 POINT READERS: POLL 🚨 | | Point readers, we need your help! Chris is hosting CNN's first ever podcast game show, but we still need a name! Which one do you like best?
Click on the option you like best:
Sick of Winning
Is it Friday Yet?
The Cillizz' Quiz | | JOHN KELLY DEPARTURE RUMORS | | The Wall Street Journal on Thursday reported that President Donald Trump is "consulting with advisers about whom he should tap as his next chief of staff, with John Kelly expected to depart the administration as early as this summer, possibly even this week, according to people familiar with the matter."
Per White House pool reports, when asked about the WSJ story about Kelly's future, White House spokeswoman Lindsay Walters said: "I spoke to the President, who refuted this article. He said it is absolutely not true and that it is fake news." | | "The Terminator" has a message for President Donald Trump: Don't go back in time to "rescue the coal industry." In a video uploaded to Facebook by media company ATTN: on Thursday, former California Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger references a popular movie role he played to mock what he describes as efforts to "save an industry that is poisoning the environment."
"So President Trump, I know you really want to be an action hero, right?" Schwarzenegger says, while looking at a Trump bobblehead. "So take it from the Terminator, you're only supposed to go back in time to protect future generations. But your administration attempts to go back in time to rescue the coal industry, which is actually a threat to future generations."
Read more in Saba's story here. | | PUERTO RICO WANTS TO BE A STATE BY 2021 | | CNN's Veronica Stracqualursi reports: "In the wake of Hurricane Maria, the island territory of Puerto Rico is making a new push to become a state within the next three years. Puerto Rico's representative in the House, Resident Commissioner Jenniffer González-Colón, introduced the bill Wednesday that would make the territory a state "no later than January 1, 2021." This is the second time González-Colón, who has no voting power in the House except in committees, has pushed for statehood since elected resident commissioner.
"The catastrophe left behind by Hurricanes Irma and MarÃa unmasked the reality of the unequal treatment of the American living in Puerto Rico, forcing the Executive to approve waivers and Congress to make exceptions so that we could receive help," González-Colón said in a news release Wednesday.
Read more here. | | | From Brenna: "Today has been a garbage day, so here's something adorable to make you feel better. Sen. Tammy Duckworth brought her baby with her through the Hart building after visiting female activists. Look at how well-behaved she is! AWWWWWWW." Thanks for reading. Please tell other people you know to subscribe! | | We'd love to share our other newsletters with you. Follow this link for daily coverage of the world's top stories, savvy market insights, an insider's look into the media, and more. Our authors for The Point are Chris Cillizza and Saba Hamedy. Send your tips and thoughts via email to Chris or Saba. Follow on Twitter: Chris and Saba.
Sign up to get updates on your favorite CNN Original Series, special CNN news coverage and other newsletters. | | | | | | |
No comments:
Post a Comment