Both of Alaska’s Republican U.S. senators take issue with President Trump’s remarks in Helsinki Monday.
Trump, standing beside Russian President Vladimir Putin, wouldn’t say whether he believes the U.S. intelligence agencies’ assessment that Russia meddled in the 2016 election.
“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,” Trump said.
Sen. Lisa Murkowski, in a written statement, said she was “stunned” Trump didn’t take the opportunity at the press conference to confront Putin. She called it a “sad diminishment of our great nation.”
My statement on the joint press conference between President Trump and Russian President Putin today in Helsinki. pic.twitter.com/fKDVYbhODA
— Sen. Lisa Murkowski (@lisamurkowski) July 16, 2018
In his own written statement, Sen. Dan Sullivan said he disagrees with President Trump.
I disagree w/ President’s remarks following Helsinki Summit. Specifically, do I believe the professional and patriotic men and women of our intelligence community, including the Director of National Intelligence, or a mafia regime leader like Putin? It’s not even a close call.
— SenDanSullivan (@SenDanSullivan) July 16, 2018
Sullivan, though, said it’s up to Russia to improve the relationship.
“Don’t invade your neighbors, and move out of the countries that you’ve invaded,” Sullivan said Sunday on NBC’s Meet the Press. “Don’t align yourself with the world’s biggest sponsor of state terrorism like Iran. Don’t back regimes like Bashar Al-Assad and certainly don’t meddle in democracies like the United States and our allies.”
Liz Ruskin is the Washington, D.C., correspondent at Alaska Public Media. Reach her at lruskin@alaskapublic.org. Read more about Liz here.
