President Donald Trump’s meeting with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, is being overshadowed by his suggestion of partnering up with that nation on cybersecurity issues.
I strongly pressed President Putin twice about Russian meddling in our election. He vehemently denied it. I've already given my opinion…..
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 9, 2017
…We negotiated a ceasefire in parts of Syria which will save lives. Now it is time to move forward in working constructively with Russia!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 9, 2017
Putin & I discussed forming an impenetrable Cyber Security unit so that election hacking, & many other negative things, will be guarded..
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 9, 2017
…and safe. Questions were asked about why the CIA & FBI had to ask the DNC 13 times for their SERVER, and were rejected, still don't….
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 9, 2017
…have it. Fake News said 17 intel agencies when actually 4 (had to apologize). Why did Obama do NOTHING when he had info before election?
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 9, 2017
Later, Trump qualified his cybersecurity claim by adding:
The fact that President Putin and I discussed a Cyber Security unit doesn't mean I think it can happen. It can't-but a ceasefire can,& did!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 10, 2017
It turns out that national security experts looked quite askance at the notion of Trump partnering America up with Russia.
The former director for cybersecurity legislation and policy in Barack Obama’s White House, Chris Finan, has said that the concept is “strategic idiocy,” according to a report by Politico. Similarly, Obama administration official R. D. Edelman — who handled cyber issues involving Moscow from both the State Department and the White House — told the site: “On the heels of their election hacking, giving a country with that record access to sensitive information about our cybersecurity capabilities — and perhaps inadvertently, our citizens — is a mistake.”
If it’s even possible, there was a prominent Trump administration critic who was even harsher on the president – Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina.
“The more he talks about this in terms of not being sure, the more he throws our intelligence communities under the bus, the more he’s willing to forgive and forget Putin, the more suspicion. And I think it’s going to dog his presidency until he breaks this cycle,” Graham explained on “Meet the Press.”
Republican Sen. John McCain of Arizona showed similar contempt for Trump’s attitude toward Russia on CBS’s “Face the Nation,” stating, “I am sure that Vladimir Putin could be of enormous assistance in that effort, since he’s doing the hacking.”
Senior administration officials have told The New York Times that Russia’s alleged election meddling consumed roughly 40 minutes of the 135 minute meeting between Trump and Putin.
