https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump" rel="nofollow">

https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump" rel="nofollow -

https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1019225830298456066" rel="nofollow -

While I had a great meeting with NATO, raising vast amounts of money, I had an even better meeting with Vladimir Putin of Russia. Sadly, it is not being reported that way - the Fake News is going Crazy!

https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1019225830298456066" rel="nofollow - 10:22 PM - Jul 17, 2018

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"I accept our intelligence community's conclusion that Russia's meddling in the 2016 election took place," Mr Trump said on Tuesday.

But he added: "It could be other people also. A lot of people out there. There was no collusion at all."

Moments earlier, Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell issued a public reassurance to US allies in NATO and Europe with whom Mr Trump clashed during his frenzied Europe trip last week.

"The European countries are our friends, and the Russians are not," Mr McConnell said.

Taking to Twitter, Mr Trump maintained the summit with Mr Putin went "even better" than his meeting with NATO allies.

He said his NATO meeting was "great" but he "had an even better meeting with Mr Putin".

"Sadly, it is not being reported that way — the Fake News is going Crazy!

Media player: "Space" to play, "M" to mute, "left" and "right" to seek.

 

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http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-07-17/us-president-says-the-russian-probe-kept-countries-separated/10001994" rel="nofollow -

In fact, the reaction back home has been immediate and visceral, among fellow Republicans as well as the usual critics of Mr Trump.

https://twitter.com/SenBobCorker" rel="nofollow">

https://twitter.com/SenBobCorker" rel="nofollow -

https://twitter.com/SenBobCorker/status/1019229187914289157" rel="nofollow -

As I said yesterday, the Helsinki press conference was saddening and disappointing, and I am glad people on both sides of the aisle condemned it strongly.

https://twitter.com/SenBobCorker/status/1019229187914289157" rel="nofollow - 10:35 PM - Jul 17, 2018

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Republican Senator Bob Corker of Tennessee said Mr Trump's comments were "saddening and disappointing".

On Capitol Hill, top Republican leaders said they were open to slapping fresh sanctions on Russia but showed no signs of acting any time soon.

"Let's be very clear, just so everybody knows: Russia did meddle with our elections," said House Speaker Paul Ryan.

"What we intend to do is make sure they don't get away with it again and also to help our allies."

Calls for transparency over Trump, Putin private meeting

In the Senate, Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York called for Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and other top officials to appear before Congress and tell exactly what happened during Mr Trump's two-hour private session with Mr Putin.

Mr Schumer also urged the Senate to take up legislation to boost security for US elections and to revive a measure passed earlier by the Judiciary Committee to protect Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russian election interference.

But minority Democrats have few tools to push their priorities.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-07-18/donald-trump-shakes-hands-with-vladimir-putin-in-helsinki,-july/10006480" rel="nofollow"> http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-07-18/donald-trump-shakes-hands-with-vladimir-putin-in-helsinki,-july/10006480" rel="nofollow -

In the House, Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi planned a vote on Tuesday in support of the intelligence committee's findings that Russia interfered in the 2016 election.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-07-17/top-five-moments-from-trump-putin-summit/10002230" rel="nofollow - Key moments from when Trump met Putin

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-07-17/top-five-moments-from-trump-putin-summit/10002230" rel="nofollow">
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-07-17/top-five-moments-from-trump-putin-summit/10002230" rel="nofollow - After meeting with the Russian President, Donald Trump faced a number of questions over the US probe into election interference. Here are the five key moments from their summit.

Senators had floated a similar idea earlier, but Senator John Cornyn of Texas said sanctions may be preferable to a non-binding resolution that amounts to "just some messaging exercise".

Mr Corker, the chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, said the first step was to get Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to appear, "hopefully" next week.

Mr Trump's meeting with Mr Putin in Helsinki was his first time sharing the international stage with a man he has described as an important US competitor — but whom he has also praised a strong, effective leader.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-07-15/donald-trump-vladimir-putin-relationship/9922260" rel="nofollow - The Trump-Putin 'relationship'

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-07-15/donald-trump-vladimir-putin-relationship/9922260" rel="nofollow">
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-07-15/donald-trump-vladimir-putin-relationship/9922260" rel="nofollow - From trading admirations to clashing on Syria and trade, Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin have formed what has been described as a unique "bromance". Take a look back at the hot-and-cold history between the two powerful leaders.

His remarks, siding with a foe on foreign soil over his own government, was a stark illustration of Mr Trump's willingness to upend decades of US foreign policy and rattle Western allies in service of his political concerns.

A wary and robust stance toward Russia has been a bedrock of his party's world view.

But Mr Trump made clear he feels that any acknowledgement of Russia's election involvement would undermine the legitimacy of his election.

Standing alongside Mr Putin, Mr Trump steered clear of any confrontation with the Russian, going so far as to question American intelligence and last week's federal indictments that accused 12 Russians of hacking into Democratic email accounts to hurt Hillary Clinton in 2016.

"I have great confidence in my intelligence people, but I will tell you that President Putin was extremely strong and powerful in his denial today.

"He just said it's not Russia. I will say this: I don't see any reason why it would be," Mr Trump said.

That's the part he corrected on Tuesday.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-07-18/protesters-outside-the-white-house-after-donald-trumps-summit/10006520" rel="nofollow"> http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-07-18/protesters-outside-the-white-house-after-donald-trumps-summit/10006520" rel="nofollow -

Mr Trump's statement on Monday drew a quick rebuttal from his director of national intelligence, Dan Coats.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-07-17/putins-number-one-enemy-slams-trump-meeting/10000652" rel="nofollow - Putin's 'No. 1 enemy' slams summit

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-07-17/putins-number-one-enemy-slams-trump-meeting/10000652" rel="nofollow">
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-07-17/putins-number-one-enemy-slams-trump-meeting/10000652" rel="nofollow - Speaking to the ABC from an undisclosed location, Bill Browder, who helped blow the whistle on rampant corruption in Russia, slams the Trump-Putin summit which has now put him in the middle of negotiations between the two leaders.

"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," Mr Coats said.

Fellow GOP politicians have generally stuck with Mr Trump during a year and a half of turmoil, but he was assailed as seldom before as he returned home on Monday night from what he had hoped would be a proud summit with Mr Putin.

Senator John McCain of Arizona was most outspoken, declaring that Mr Trump made a "conscious choice to defend a tyrant" and achieved "one of the most disgraceful performances by an American president in memory".

Senator Rand Paul defends Trump's comments

Kentucky Senator Rand Paul emerged as one of the president's few defenders from his own party.

He defended Mr Trump's skepticism to CBS News on Tuesday, citing the President's experience on the receiving end of "partisan investigations".

Back at the White House, Mr Paul's comments drew a presidential tweet of gratitude.

https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump" rel="nofollow">

https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump" rel="nofollow -

https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1019228676460773377" rel="nofollow -

Thank you https://twitter.com/RandPaul" rel="nofollow - - @ - RandPaul . “The President has gone through a year and a half of totally partisan investigations - what’s he supposed to think?”

https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1019228676460773377" rel="nofollow - 10:33 PM - Jul 17, 2018

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In all, Mr Trump's remarks amounted to an unprecedented embrace of a man who for years had been isolated by the US and Western allies for actions in Ukraine, Syria and beyond.

And it came at the end of an extraordinary trip to Europe in which Mr Trump had already berated allies, questioned the value of the NATO alliance and demeaned leaders including Germany's Angela Merkel and Britain's Theresa May.

In Helsinki, Mr Putin said he had indeed wanted Mr Trump to win the election — a revelation that might have made more headlines if not for Mr Trump's performance — but had taken no action to make it happen.

Reuters/AP

Topics:  http://www.abc.net.au/news/topic/donald-trump" rel="nofollow - donald-trump ,  http://www.abc.net.au/news/topic/world-politics" rel="nofollow - world-politics ,  http://www.abc.net.au/news/topic/government-and-politics" rel="nofollow - government-and-politics

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Everything we hear is an opinion, not a fact. Everything we see is a perspective, not the truth.🖖

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