It has been a spectacular if short sequence of events. First came a flurry of indictments in the US against 12 Russian intelligence operatives, ostensibly on claims that they had tampered with the US political process. With that news niggling him, US President Donald Trump repaired to Helsinki for his first official meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
They then met with the smallest of entourages and a degree of informality, prompting the former CIA director John Brennan to wonder what might have been concealed from close advisors, not to mention 'the American public'.
Then came the joint press conference that sent press corps, commentators and representatives into an apoplectic meltdown. Trump, showing his traditional hostility to the US intelligence community, warmed to the account of the Russian president rejecting accusations that the Kremlin had interfered in the US elections. 'They said they think it's Russia. I have President Putin — he just said it's not Russia.' He also saw no reason why Russia would have been involved.
Within 24 hours, Trump attempted a reversal of his position, though the effort had more than a touch of the shambolic about it. On consulting his advisors, including the director of national intelligence Dan Coats, he claimed that he had misspoken. 'The sentence should have been ... "I don't see any reason why it wouldn't be Russia".'
Coats, for one, had taken the contrary view on purported Kremlin interference. 'We have been clear in our assessments of Russian meddling in the 2016 election and their ongoing, pervasive efforts to undermine our democracy, and we will continue to provide unvarnished and objective intelligence in support of our national security.'
Democrats and a clutch of high ranking members of the GOP were far from amused by the antics in Helsinki. Former House speaker, Newt Gingrich deemed it 'the most serious mistake of his presidency' which needed immediate correction. Brennan's assessment was graver, suggesting that Trump's words had exceeded 'the threshold of "high crimes and misdemeanours"'. Such conduct was 'nothing short of treasonous'.
Senator minority leader Chuck Schumer considered the incident an ignominious and singular chapter in the annals of presidential history: 'In the entire history of our country, Americans have never seen a president of the United States support an American adversary the way President Trump has supported President Putin.' Siding with Putin 'against American law enforcement, American defence officials, and American intelligence agencies is thoughtless, dangerous and weak'.
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