Posted on 07/17/2018 2:49:05 PM PDT by reaganaut1
WASHINGTON — President Trump said on Tuesday that he had misspoken a day earlier in Helsinki, Finland, when he appeared to take the word of President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia over the conclusion of his own intelligence agencies on Russian election meddling in 2016. On Tuesday, Mr. Trump said he “accepts” those findings.
Mr. Trump said the misunderstanding arose from his use of a “double negative.”
“The sentence should have been ‘I don’t see any reason why it wouldn’t be Russia,’ sort of a double negative,” he said. “So you can put that in and I think that probably clarifies things pretty good by itself. I have on numerous occasions noted our intelligence findings that Russians attempted to interfere in our elections.”
Mr. Trump had been criticized even by many in his own party for rejecting the assessments of American intelligence and law enforcement. In walking back those remarks on Tuesday, Mr. Trump said he reviewed the transcript from the joint news conference on Monday and he “realized that there is a need for clarification.”
Mr. Trump emerged from talks with Mr. Putin on Monday and publicly challenged the conclusion of his own intelligence agencies about Russia’s interference in the 2016 presidential election and said the Russian president was “extremely strong and powerful in his denial.” Mr. Trump also said that he saw no reason why Russia would have been behind the election hacking.
“My people came to me, Dan Coats came to me and some others, they said they think it’s Russia,” Mr. Trump said, referring to the director of national intelligence, Dan Coats. “I have President Putin; he just said it’s not Russia. I will say this: I don’t see any reason why it would be.”
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
It is REAL good that he got that out of the way.
I would humbly suggest a refrain from back-sliding.
What kind of “Republicans” ran out to embarrass him before he could correct himself? I despise those low dogs.
“I would humbly suggest a refrain from back-sliding.”
Well, at least maybe the rats will appreciate him more now... You know, the way they do.
You do agree with our national security agency reports on Russian meddling? Seriously?
What do you base that on?
The only thing they have come up with is those 12 guys that reportedly compromised the DNC Server.
Can you tell me how they could figure that out without inspecting the DNC Server?
Where’s the CIA’s evidence?
Where’s the NSA’s evidence?
So far all we have is the FBI’s evidence, and it’s vaporware.
I’m not. He should have left it go.
I am too. He had to do or say something NOW, to staunch the bleeding. Even for The Donald, that press conference was just too much. I get that he was in the process of negotiating with the Russians. Still, the optics were damming.
If this was a lesson in diplomacy and focus that he needed to learn live behind the mike, better that it happens now, in middle of the summer, vs in late October, close to the mid term elections. This won’t be so fresh in everyone’s minds by autumn.
So he admits that he colluded with Russia!!! Finally!!!
I kid, of course, but there are TWO separate and distinct issues here.
1) Did the Russian try to interfere and cause mayhem with our democracy? Damn right they did as they have ALWAYS DONE!!!
2) Did Donald Trump conspire with the Russians and guide their interference to his advantage thus making his election illegitimate? NO, NO and NO. The evidence makes it clear that it was Hillary who did this.
Anyway, herein lies the rub and it is conflation. The media has made it impossible for Trump to lend credence to the first issue without a tacit admission that the second is true as well. Russian interference=collusion.
I for one am damn sick of this entire thing. Our betters in the Deep State, Media, Democrat Party, GOPe and on the bench are getting increasingly tiresome and loathsome. I see these snarky POS “reporters” on the TV and it makes me want to seek the males out and bash their snarky, snobby arrogant faces in. And I am not a violent person.
There is a lot of conflation in the press between some Russians doing something related to the election all the way to Trump conspired with the Russian government to steal the election. Thus if the press claims that “it” has been confirmed by numerous agencies, they want one to assume the latter, but when pressed to back up their claim, only provide evidence for the former. Classic equivocation fallacy.
He “accepts” their conclusions, he just doesn’t believe them (nor should he).
True and I don’t think for one minute Mueller thought the Russians he indicted would agree to be interviewed; I don’t think he wants to provide their attorneys with Disclosure- especially when it comes to how he go the information he has.
PDJT got the true intel download from the Russians. And now he knows how deep the rot is at CIA and FBI. Safe to say he was shocked.
I’d say there are now going to be some real heavy security clearance hearings now in the FBI and CIA.
It don’t matter if he corrected himself or not!! I don’t give a flying leap! What matters is the market is doing fabulous there’s extra money in people’s pockets and the Russia, Russia, Russia chit falls below the radar with the American folks when it comes to what matters the most to them! WINNING!!!
Still waiting to see all their best evidence of Russian interference. “Brennan said so in some report” is not evidence. Neither is an indictment. Release all the facts. Now. Only then can we take them to Putin and start a fight over them.
The Dems need to be careful what they demand. Clean up and higher security of voting booths, voting machines, voter rolls, and corrupt state and county election commissions may/will bring cries of ‘voter suppression’ - and the blame will fall to the Republicans.....again.
Evidently some business showed up in court when Mueller was there, and demanded access to evidence. They were being slandered and they wanted recourse.
He didn’t want to provide it.
I don’t have all the details, but Rush was talking about it.
He should have used the “it was a joke” excuse instead of the “I misspoke” excuse. It gives you an opportunity to chuckle a bit onstage when you throw it out there.
Or, he could have said something like:
“Hell yeah that’s what I said. The intelligence community was completely weaponized under Obama to be a ruthless, deadly tool of the international left. He was basically creating an American version of the secret police and it would have happened by now if I hadn’t beaten Crooked Hillary. I’m trying to straighten it out but everything they’ve done in the past 8 years or so must be considered either disinformation or else attempted treason. I don’t believe a thing they tell me”.
I agree.
This makes me think he’s definitely up to something and he doesn’t want anyone to find out.
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