The negative backlash over President Trump’s remarks following his meeting with Russian President Putin continues to come from all sides; Democrats, Republicans, Independents, even the Fox News Network.
Locally, 9th District Congressman Bill Keating released a statement saying
“...the President of the United States stood next to the person who directed an attack on our country and instead of standing tall for America, he blamed us and our past leadership for Russia’s aggression. It was impossible to distinguish his words from Russian propaganda.”
Keating went on to say Trump discarded evidence from our national security experts, dismissed our rule of law, and utterly failed in his responsibilities as our Commander in Chief. He has done more than just embarrass our country by not holding Putin accountable and refusing to denounce Russia for its interference in our elections. President Trump’s actions are an immediate threat to our national security.
Every Member of Congress – Democrat, Republican, or Independent – who stands by silently after today is complicit."
Senator Elizabeth Warren, on her Facebook page, said Putin must be held accountable – not rewarded.
She added
“Once again, President Trump has taken to the international stage to embarrass America, undermine our institutions, weaken our alliances, and embrace a dictator. Russia interfered in our elections and attacked our democracy. Americans in both parties were ashamed by President Trump’s performance today. It was disgraceful – and carefully worded statements won’t repair the damage. It’s time for Republicans to join Democratic efforts to defend our elections, enforce US sanctions on Russia, and protect Special Counsel Mueller's investigation."
Massachusetts Senator Ed Markey was also highly critical of President Trump’s comments following his meeting with Vladimir Putin.
On his Facebook page, Markey said, “Donald Trump wasted this opportunity, undermined his own intelligence community, and disgraced the office of the Presidency. Vladimir Putin got everything he could have wanted from this meeting, while the U.S. got nothing. The #Helsinki Humiliation is a national embarrassment.”