Both U.S. senators from Pennsylvania took issue with President Trump seeming to accept Russian President Vladimir Putin’s denials that Russia interfered with the 2016 presidential election.
“President Trump’s conduct during (Monday’s) press conference with Vladimir Putin was dangerous and reckless,” said U.S. Sen. Bob Casey, a Democrat, shortly after Trump met with Putin in Helsinki. “I have supported the administration’s engagement with North Korea and on other matters of foreign affairs because I believe that America is strongest when our foreign policy is bipartisan. However, what occurred today was a new low and a profound embarrassment for America.”
Casey said he firmly believes “Vladimir Putin is an adversary of America, who attacked our elections in 2016, illegally annexed Crimea, has backed the murderous Assad regime in Syria and works every day to undermine our country’s security.”
Republican Sen. Pat Toomey’s sentiments on the day’s events weren’t far from that of Casey.
“Putin insists that the Russian government has nothing to do with meddling in our elections,” Toomey said. “In that case, he should not object to the (Russian) hackers recently indicted being brought to justice. Absent his cooperation in achieving that justice, the United States should impose tough new sanctions on Russia.”
Both senators were unhappy with Trump for siding with Putin against U.S. intelligence agencies.
Casey said the president “attacked and diminished our law enforcement officers and intelligence agencies on foreign soil in front of a hostile dictator and on matters directly relating to an attack on our nation.”
Toomey expressed his faith in the intelligence agencies of the nartion when he followed up, saying, “American intelligence agencies have confirmed, unequivocally, that Russian actors, almost certainly at the direction of the Russian government and Vladimir Putin, meddled in our 2016 presidential election.”
Casey added, “Instead of holding Vladimir Putin accountable in Helsinki, President Trump embraced him and in doing so diminished America’s standing in the international community and shamed the office of the presidency.”
Meanwhile, Rep. Glenn Thompson, R-State College, also took issue with Trump’s stance regarding Russia.
“While I appreciate the president’s diplomatic efforts, I firmly believe the evidence presented to Congress shows that Russia attempted to undermine our democracy,” a Thompson statement reads. “Russia continues to pose a threat to our national security and should be viewed as an adversary. We must continue to empower our intelligence community to ensure there are safeguards against foreign influence or interference in our electoral system.”
