White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Wednesday that President Trump is open to letting Russian investigators come to the United States to question U.S. citizens, including a former American ambassador to Russia.
Sanders said during a White House press briefing Wednesday that Trump is “gonna meet with his team” and discuss the possibility of allowing Russian officials to question U.S. citizens like Michael McFaul, who was ambassador to Russia from January 2012 to February 2014.
“There was some conversation about it, but there wasn’t a commitment made on behalf of the United States,” Sanders said. “The president will work with his team and we’ll let you know if there’s an announcement on that front.”
NEW: Sanders says there was "some conversation" between Trump, Putin about possibility of Russia questioning U.S. figures, including former Amb. McFaul, "but there wasn't a commitment made…the president will work with his team and we'll let you know if there's an announcement." pic.twitter.com/UnubKsNmrr
— ABC News Politics (@ABCPolitics) July 18, 2018
Russian President Vladimir Putin said during a press conference with Trump on Monday that the Kremlin would permit special counsel Robert Mueller’s team to travel to Russia and attend the questioning of 12 Russian intelligence officers indicted in the probe, if Russia is allowed to help interrogate some people “who have something to do with illegal actions on the territory of Russia.”
Russia state-owned outlet RT reported that Russia wanted to question McFaul and Christopher Steele, author of the so-called Steele dossier, and others in its investigation into American financier Bill Browder. Browder is a prominent critic of Putin who lobbied on behalf of the Magnitsky Act, which imposed sanctions against Russia.
During Monday’s press conference, Putin alleged without evidence that Browder illegally transferred $1.5 billion out of Russia and had funneled $400 million toward Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign. The Russian prosecutor’s office later corrected that figure to $400,000.
Browder has denied the allegations.
McFaul denounced the possibility of being questioned by Russian officials, and he called on Trump to condemn the proposal.
Hey WH press Corps, can you confirm tomorrow with @PressSec that Putin discussed me personally in his one on one with Trump? Did he suggest that I was part of some alleged money laundering scheme? And did Trump push back on this completely invented , whacko idea?
— Michael McFaul (@McFaul) July 18, 2018
Exactly. Putin feels that he has an ally in @realDonaldTrump in going after me & the other US government officials on that list. President Trump could clear that up in one tweet or statement. https://t.co/utNAkKx5bG
— Michael McFaul (@McFaul) July 18, 2018
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White House: Trump open to letting Putin interrogate US citizenshttps://t.co/PY7RTXeiuM pic.twitter.com/8alXDuqkNo
— The Hill (@thehill) July 18, 2018
Don't let this question by @maggieNYT go unnoticed. Sanders says Trump will discuss allowing Russia to question American citizens pic.twitter.com/8Chl70Ryif
— Katy Tur (@KatyTurNBC) July 18, 2018
This is horrifying. There can be only one announcement: That Putin can go piss up a rope. The President must stand by @mcfaul – a former ambassador of the United States. This is not a partisan issue, this a threat against a fellow citizen from an enemy regime. https://t.co/um0ozmkGOQ
— Tom Nichols (@RadioFreeTom) July 18, 2018
The *instant* answer should have been: “The President told Putin that he cannot deflect from his own corruption and abuses of his people by threatening US citizens, and that we will consider any further mention of @mcfaul as a threat to the safety of an American diplomat.” https://t.co/KoOwFeGsds
— Tom Nichols (@RadioFreeTom) July 18, 2018
No. You are not overreacting. The entire country should be aware of this. If Putin can single out @mcfaul, he can single out anyone. The President’s job is to protect us, not to even *consider* handing any of us over to an enemy government. https://t.co/vNVocROhFn
— Tom Nichols (@RadioFreeTom) July 18, 2018
I warned that we are in increased danger because of the surrender in Helsinki, and that Putin would make more aggressive moves. I didn’t expect it so fast: It only took 72 hours for Putin to demand the handover of a US ambassador.
— Tom Nichols (@RadioFreeTom) July 18, 2018
Republicans in Congress need to draw a red line for Trump by telling him that any degree of 'cooperation' with persecution of @McFaul would be impeachable. This includes @SpeakerRyan & @SenateMajLdr. They would've said the same to Obama if he'd offered selling out an ambassador.
— Max Kennerly (@MaxKennerly) July 18, 2018
If a reflexive commitment to the protection of a citizen against an illegal request by a hostile power isn't part of your makeup, you should not be president, or frankly near the president.
— Roy Abrams (@RQA) July 18, 2018
Good point. The attack on McFaul and Browder was part of the secret conversation in Helsinki, as Sarah Sanders just admitted, so it happened immediately. Only took 72 hours for the WH to say they were working on it. https://t.co/lcGHoqFfoP
— Tom Nichols (@RadioFreeTom) July 18, 2018
Let's be perfectly clear. Not even Stalin asked DC to hand over people the Kremlin didn't like.
No US President in our history, 1-44, would have done something disgustingly shameful like this.
But here we are.
Stand up for @McFaul & for freedom, peeps.https://t.co/Xw2ANv0mzc
— John Schindler (@20committee) July 19, 2018
US congressional aides being put on a Kremlin legal hit list … and the White House seemingly willing to play along. Sickening. https://t.co/YQKkoYhvsF
— Patrick Chovanec (@prchovanec) July 19, 2018
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