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A2 UP FRONT
Friday 20 July 2018

Round 2 for Trump-Putin: A fall invite amid summit mop-up

By ZEKE MILLER, KEN THOM- peo said in an interview
AS and LISA MASCARO with The Christian Broad-
Associated Press casting Network.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Un- Senate Republicans joined
bowed by swirling criticism Democrats in swiftly pass-
of his summit encounter ing a resolution, 98-0, that
with Vladimir Putin, Presi- put the Senate on record
dent Donald Trump swiftly against the questioning of
invited the Russian leader American officials by a for-
to the White House this fall eign government.
for a second get-together. Republican Senate leader
Cleanup from the first con- Mitch McConnell hast-
tinued with no letup Thurs- ily arranged the vote as
day, as Trump belatedly lawmakers unleashed an
decided Putin’s “incredible avalanche of resolutions
offer” of shared U.S.-Russia and other proposed ac-
investigations was no good tions expressing alarm over
after all. Trump’s meeting with Putin
A White House meeting and the White House’s shift-
would be a dramatic ex- ing response.
tension of legitimacy to the Coats said Thursday he
Russian leader, who has wished the president
long been isolated by the hadn’t undermined the
West for activities in Ukraine, conclusions of American
Syria and beyond and is intelligence agencies while
believed to have interfered In this July 16, 20198, photo, U.S. President Donald Trump, left, and Russian President Vladimir Putin standing next to Putin and
in the 2016 presidential arrive for a news conference at the Presidential Palace in Helsinki, Finland. felt it was his duty to correct
election that sent Trump to Associated Press the record. He restated the
the presidency. No Russian “Say that again,” National from the summit and its af- from hacking and other cy- U.S. intelligence assessment
leader has visited the White Intelligence Director Dan termath. berattacks. about Russian meddling
House in nearly a decade. Coats responded, when Asked about the Putin in- Democratic lawmakers and Moscow’s “ongoing,
Trump asked National Se- informed of the invitation vitation, Alaska Republi- erupted into chants of pervasive efforts to under-
curity Adviser John Bolton during an appearance at can Sen. Dan Sullivan said “USA! USA!” during the de- mine our democracy.”
to invite Putin, and “those the Aspen Security Forum in “I wouldn’t do it, that’s for bate, While they had met pri-
discussions are already un- Colorado. damn sure.” As for Putin’s offer on in- vately on three occasions
derway,” Press Secretary “OK,” he continued, paus- “If the Russians want a bet- vestigations, Sanders it was in 2017, Trump opened the
Sarah Huckabee Sand- ing for a deep breath. ter relationship, trips to the “made in sincerity” and the door to a potential White
ers said Thursday. Trump “That’s going to be spe- White House aren’t going U.S. hopes he will have the House meeting with Putin
earlier had tweeted that cial.” to help,” he added. “They indicted Russians “come to earlier this year. The Krem-
he looked forward to “our Then on Thursday, the should stop invading their the United States to prove lin had said in April that the
second meeting” as he de- White House said Trump neighbors. They should stop their innocence or guilt.” president had invited the
fended his performance at “disagrees” with Putin’s of- meddling in our elections.” Just a day earlier, the White Russian leader to the White
Monday’s summit, in which fer to allow U.S. questioning Mixed messages from House had said the offer House when they spoke
the two leaders conferred of 12 Russians who have Trump have increased wor- was under consideration, by telephone in March. At
on a range of issues includ- been indicted for election ries in Congress that the even though the State De- the time, White House of-
ing terrorism, Israeli security, interference in exchange White House is not taking partment called Russia’s al- ficials worked to convince
nuclear proliferation and for Russian interviews with seriously the threat that se- legations against the Amer- a skeptical president that
North Korea. the former U.S. ambas- nior officials say Russia now icans, including former U.S. the Nordic capital would
“There are many answers, sador to Russia and other poses to the upcoming Ambassador to Russia Mi- serve as a more effective
some easy and some hard, Americans the Kremlin 2018 midterm elections. chael McFaul, “absurd.” backdrop — and warned
to these problems ... but accuses of unspecified Democrats in the House Secretary of State Mike of a firestorm should a West
they can ALL be solved!” crimes. Trump initially had sought Thursday to extend Pompeo said Thursday of Wing meeting go through.
Trump tweeted. described the idea as an a state grant program for the proposed Russian ques- Still, Trump has expressed
There was no immediate “incredible offer.” election security but were tioning, “That’s not going to a preference for the White
reaction from the Kremlin The White House backtrack blocked by Republicans. happen.” House setting for major
to the invitation. came just before the Sen- There is $380 million ap- “The administration is not meetings, including floating
News of the invite ap- ate voted overwhelmingly proved in the current bud- going to send, force Ameri- an invitation to Washington
peared to catch even the against the proposal. It get for the program, which cans to travel to Russia to for North Korea’s Kim Jong
president’s top intelligence was Congress’ first formal is intended to help states be interrogated by Vladimir Un after their meeting in
official by surprise. rebuke of Trump’s actions strengthen election systems Putin and his team,” Pom- Singapore last month.q