Sen. John McCain said Saturday that there is “nothing ‘America First'” about trusting the word of Russian President Vladimir Putin, following President Trump’s meeting with the leader and comments on Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election.
“There’s nothing ‘America First’ about taking the word of a KGB colonel over that of the American intelligence community,” McCain said in a statement, after Trump said he believed Putin when he denied Russia’s meddling efforts.
……
McCain also took issue with the president’s reportedly brief discussions with Putin on the civil war in Syria, in which Russia supports the Assad regime.
“There’s no ‘principled realism’ in cooperating with Russia to prop up the murderous Assad regime, which remains the greatest obstacle to a political solution that would bring an end to the bloodshed in Syria,” said McCain, the chairman of the Senate Armed Forces Committee.
Trump did not press the election issue with Putin despite a report from the U.S. intelligence community confirming that Russia had deliberately tried to swing the 2016 outcome in favor of Trump. The president maintained that he and his campaign did not collude with Russia in the effort.
“Vladimir Putin does not have America’s interests at heart. To believe otherwise is not only naive but also places our national security at risk,” McCain said.
- Discussion
-
McCain fires back at Trump: There's nothing "America First" about believing Putin over US intel https://t.co/uV4ojCimHn pic.twitter.com/UmCozxgxQ9
— The Hill (@thehill) November 12, 2017
There's nothing "America First" about taking the word of KGB colonel over US intelligence community. There's no "principled realism" in cooperating w/ Russia to prop up murderous Assad regime. To believe otherwise is naive & places nat'l security at risk. https://t.co/SYiVHtHXPX
— John McCain (@SenJohnMcCain) November 11, 2017
You must be logged in to reply to this topic.