The joint press conference has begun. Putin, against all evidence: "The Russian state has never interfered and is not going to interfere in internal American affairs, including election processes."
Putin: "In general, we are glad with the outcome of our first full-scale meeting."
"Thank you very much," Trump whispers after Putin speaks, then offers a handshake.
Trump: "I'm here today to continue the proud tradition of bold American diplomacy." He says "diplomacy and engagement is preferable to conflict and hostility" - they discussed their disagreements, he says, but have to co-operate.
Trump: Russia-U.S. relationships have "never been worse," but "that changed as of about four hours ago - I really believe that."
Trump says nothing would be easier politically for him than to shun Russia, but "I would rather take a political risk in pursuit of peace than to risk peace in pursuit of politics."
Trump says he raised Russia's election interference, they spent a lot of time talking about it. He adds that Putin may want to talk about this today, because: "He feels very strongly about it, and he has an interesting idea."
Trump says his "expectations" for Russia-U.S. relations "are grounded in realism" but his "hopes" are grounded in what he says is Americans' desire for friendship.
Journalist asks about Trump calling Putin a "rival." Trump says no, "I called him a competitor," and that's a "compliment."
Asked if he holds Russia accountable "for anything in particular," Trump says yes, they're both to blame - "I think the United States has been foolish."
Trump beside Putin: "I think that the probe is a disaster for our country...it's kept us separated...there was no collusion at all, everybody knows it."
Trump makes three false claims in a row:
- Democrats invented the collusion allegation as an election excuse
- The Electoral College is easier for Democrats to win
- Hillary Clinton got 223 electoral votes (it was 232)
- Democrats invented the collusion allegation as an election excuse
- The Electoral College is easier for Democrats to win
- Hillary Clinton got 223 electoral votes (it was 232)
If I'm getting this straight, this seems to be the Putin idea Trump called "interesting": Putin will question his own officers to see if they should be extradited, and also Trump will question U.S. officials who have intefered with Russian affairs, with Russian officials present.
Trump said in his prepared statement that he raised the issue of Russian election interference in the private meeting. But he hasn't criticized Russia at all in this press conference, over the election or anything else.
Putin gives Trump a soccer ball, saying "now the ball is in your court" (over the 2026 World Cup but also metaphorically). He says. "That will go to my son Barron. In fact, Melania, here you go." He tosses it off the stage.
Asked if he believes U.S. intelligence or Putin about 2016 election interference, Trump doesn't answer directly. Instead, he attacks the FBI and the Democrats. "Where is the server?"
! Trump: My director of national intelligence says it was Russia that interfered; Putin told me it wasn't; "I don't see any reason why it would be."
Trump is repeating the Imran Awan server conspiracy theories that his own Justice Department officially says are false.
Trump: Putin was "extremely strong and powerful in his denial today." He adds, of Putin's trolling proposal, "And what he did was an incredible offer."
Extraordinary even by Trump's standards. He just announced, beside Putin, that he's inclined to believe Putin on election interference over his own director of national intelligence Dan Coats.
Asked if he has compromising material on Trump, Putin laughs. "I did hear these rumours that we allegedly collected compromising material on Mr. Trump when he visited Moscow...I didn't even know that he was in Moscow...he was a private individual, nobody informed me."
Putin: Do you really think that we tried collect compromising material on every big American businessman who visited Moscow?
Trump concludes by attacking Peter Strzok's testimony: "A disgrace to the FBI, a disgrace to our country...a total witch hunt. Thank you very much everybody."
For some reason Trump chose this press conference to skip the cheerleading squad and give questions to real US journalists, @jeffmason1 and @JonLemire, and they delivered.
