Yesterday, Trump said he believes ex-KGB colonel and Russian President Vladimir Putin over US intelligence agencies on the topic of Russian meddling in the 2016 election. Trump went so far as calling US intelligence a bunch "political hacks". Republican Senator John McCain, an increasingly vocal critic of Trump, blasted Trump, questioning Trump's patriotism and calling him "naive".
McCain posted the following statement on his Senate website:
President Trump today stated that he believed Vladimir Putin is being sincere when he denies Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election and reiterated that he hopes to cooperate with Russia in Syria.
There's nothing ‘America First’ about taking the word of a KGB colonel over that of the American intelligence community. There's no ‘principled realism’ in cooperating with Russia to prop up the murderous Assad regime, which remains the greatest obstacle to a political solution that would bring an end to the bloodshed in Syria. Vladimir Putin does not have America's interests at heart. To believe otherwise is not only naive but also places our national security at risk.
He echoed this message on Twitter:
I commend John McCain for speaking out against Trump's desire to make the US a puppet state of Russia, but where are the rest of the Republicans? Trump is being duped by Vladimir Putin, and the rest of the GOP seems happy to keep quiet in hopes of being able to cut taxes for the rich. When will the rest of these sycophants stand up with McCain, Corker, and Flake and do what is right for the country? How far does Trump have to go before they will act?
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