President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that he believes that Russia will try to influence the U.S. midterm elections in November and push for the Democratic Party candidates victories, because “they don’t want Trump!”
I’m very concerned that Russia will be fighting very hard to have an impact on the upcoming Election. Based on the fact that no President has been tougher on Russia than me, they will be pushing very hard for the Democrats. They definitely don’t want Trump!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 24, 2018
President Trump tweeted:
“I’’m very concerned that Russia will be fighting very hard to have an impact on the upcoming Election. Based on the fact that no President has been tougher on Russia than me, they will be pushing very hard for the Democrats. They definitely don’t want Trump!”
Trump’s warning comes barely a week after he was condemned by both leading Republicans and Democrats for his performance with Putin in Helsinki , Finland.
Trump denied that there was any collusion and added that he had spent a great deal of time talking to Putin about the accusations of election meddling. He insisted that there was “no reason to believe” that Russia had interfered with the U.S. presidential campaign in 2016. He further called the probe a “disaster”.
Trump said “great confidence in the US intelligence community, but added that Putin “was extremely strong and powerful in his denial today”. He praised the Putin for offering to cooperate with the American investigation.
Trump later clarified that he misspoke on Russian meddling and believed election interference took place.
JUST IN: President Trump clarifies, saying he misspoke in Helsinki during joint presser with Vladimir Putin; he meant to say: "I don't see any reason why it WOULDN'T be Russia" vs "WOULD be Russia" regarding 2016 U.S. election interference: abcn.ws/2L0RzVv
Posted by Good Morning America on Tuesday, 17 July 2018
The White House has previously listed how the President has safeguarded the integrity of the American elections system from the malign activities of Russia.
Its statement reminded that in May 2017, Trump signed an Executive Order to strengthen and review the cybersecurity of the U.S. and its critical infrastructure, and that it took the lead in working with all 50 states, local governments, and private companies to improve election security and integrity.
Arnold Schwarzenegger lambastes Trump as President acknowledges that he misspoke on Russian meddling
The White House added that in March 2018, the Trump Administration imposed sanctions against 16 Russian entities and individuals for their roles in Russian interference in the 2016 Presidential election, and also ordered the expulsion of 48 Russian intelligence officers from the United States and ordered the closure of the Russian consulate in Seattle, Washington. He further expelled 12 Russian intelligence officers from the Russian Mission to the United Nations in New York for abusing their privilege of residence.
In saying how the Administration has reinforced a strong sanctions regime on Russia by imposing tough sanctions against the country to confront its destabilizing behavior, the White House statement read:
“In June 2018, President Trump’s Administration imposed sanctions against 5 Russian entities and 3 Russian individuals for enabling Russia’s military and intelligence units to increase Russia’s offensive cyber capabilities.
In April 2018, the Administration imposed sanctions against 7 Russian oligarchs and the 12 companies they own or control, 17 senior Russian government officials, and a state-owned Russian weapons trading company and a bank it owns.”
To confront the Russian aggression, the President is strengthening America’s alliances and standing up to Russia’s malign influence across the globe, the White House statement said.
President Donald Trump came under heavy fire in America from both Republicans and Democrats for his comments at the joint press conference with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Helsinki on July 17.
One American socio-political commentator has claimed that he has “no reason to doubt the allegations that a dozen Russian intelligence officers meddled in the U.S. elections of 2016, but this was equivalent of a fraternity prank compared to America’s longstanding efforts to intervene in Russian politics.”