- President Donald Trump refused to back the US intelligence community’s assessment on Russia’s 2016 US Presidential election interference and was met with a wave of criticism.
- Trump’s closest advisers, including Vice President Mike Pence and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, reportedly urged him to issue a correction.
- White House Chief of Staff John Kelly reportedly called Republican leaders and gave permission for them to denounce Trump’s remarks.
- National Security Adviser John Bolton, who tends to hold hawkish views against the US’s adversaries, also expressed concern but stopped short of pushing for a correction because it would make the president appear weak.
As the fallout from President Donald Trump’s controversial joint press conference with Russian President Vladimir Putin spread on Capitol Hill, Trump’s closest advisers were reportedly conflicted and scrambled to control the backlash.
Shortly after refusing to condemn Putin and back the US intelligence community’s assessment that Russia had interfered with the 2016 US Presidential election, Trump was met with a wave of criticism from both parties.See the rest of the story at Business Insider
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