Column: Trump cannot “fake news” way out of Helsinki blunder

by Paul Lambert

Growing up, I always believed that the president was an honorable figure in the world of politics, someone who cared about everybody in America.

Now, as an incoming college freshman, I believe that less now than ever before.

President Donald Trump has often blamed “fake news” for twisting his words into something else.

But Monday’s joint press conference with Russian President Vladimir Putin cannot be blamed on media, nor can it be blown off as a simple misstatement by Trump.

Trump’s performance in Helsinki can only be explained by Trump’s decision to place Russia’s interests above America’s.

Despite the mass of evidence pointing to Russian cyberattacks prior to the 2016 presidential election, Putin claimed that “the Russian state has never interfered and is not going to interfere into internal American affairs including election process.”

It was a golden opportunity for Trump to call Putin out for the meddling that the US intelligence committee and GOP-led panels in both houses of Congress have accused Russia of.

Rather than denounce Putin’s statement, Trump chose to side with the Russian leader.

“President Putin says it’s not Russia,” Trump said. “I don’t see any reason why it would be.”

Trump would walk back that statement the next day in front of reporters, saying he had misspoken. “In a key sentence in my remarks I said the word ‘would’ instead of ‘wouldn’t,’” the president told reporters Tuesday. “The sentence should have been: ‘I don’t see any reason why it wouldn’t be Russia.’”

While Trump said he did “accept” the finding that Russia did indeed interfere in the election, he also chose to add, “It could be other people also. A lot of people out there.”

A cabinet meeting on Wednesday saw Trump say “no” when asked whether he felt Russia was still targeting the US, again putting him at odds with the intelligence committee.

The criticism from both sides of the aisle simply cannot be ignored by the president. Otherwise, whatever honor the presidency holds will continue to be eaten away.