(1) Did President Trump backtrack today on his #HelsinkiMeeting comments about Russian interference in the 2016 election?
Remember last night when I said this:
Remember last night when I said this:
(2) The simple answer is of course "no," POTUS did NOT backtrack between Mon & Tues re this issue. On Monday night I was perfectly satisfied that his comments were appropriate, & indeed better than I expected. Since people are idiots, I need to give more than the simple answer. 
(3) I've read both transcripts & watched both videos. The question came near the end at Helsinki. I've cued the video: It comes just after the soccer ball gift.
Video:
Transcript: whitehouse.gov/briefings-stat…
Answer:
Video:
Transcript: whitehouse.gov/briefings-stat…
Answer:
(4) Today, POTUS said the problem was due to the use of the word "would" instead of "wouldn't." I suggest reading the transcript (it's short) & watching the video (esp. for the lights going out, which was funny.)
T: whitehouse.gov/briefings-stat…
V:
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T: whitehouse.gov/briefings-stat…
V:
💡
(5) I realize the anti-Trump hive mind will never accept his side of the story, which is fine because he's president, and they're not. They aren't my intended audience, you are. This routine has become familiar, which is why I've spent the last 24hrs ignoring or laughing at them.
(6) I have learned to stick to reality & facts, rather than get carried away with emotional reactions & speculation, wherever they come from. The Democrat/Never Trump routine has been going on a long time. Here's the NYT in '84 and Rolling Stone in '86:
(7) I was born in 1970 & vividly remember the constant childhood fear that I'd look up one day & see a mushroom cloud on the horizon from a nuclear attack. Trump is quietly working to get the global nuclear threat dialed back, picking up where Reagan left off.
(8) "Nuclear non-proliferation" has become so over-used that I think many people forget how important it is, and how much hard work is involved. IMO we need to keep our nukes as a deterrent, while stopping rogue players from developing them. It's been policy since the 1940s.
(9) Nuclear non-proliferation was the most important agenda item in Helsinki. There were many others, which you can read about in the two transcripts. You can also read about the many ways Trump has been & continues to be tough on Russia here:
whitehouse.gov/briefings-stat…
whitehouse.gov/briefings-stat…
(10) It also pays to read this section of the Helsinki transcript closely. Putin talked about the claims of foreign interference in the 2016 election in terms of what democratic countries claim should happen, & mentioned $400 million in foreign funds donated to Hillary Clinton.
(11) In all the fever-pitched reactions to one part of an answer on one issue, of low importance relative to other issues at stake, the anti-Trump hive mind hoped no one would notice Putin mentioning the $400 million worth of foreign interference facilitated on Obama's watch.
(12) And there's a bunch of other pieces of critical information in the transcripts, that I can add onto this thread later if warranted. The moral of the story is: Next time, don't make it so the Trumps have to go all the way to Finland in order to get the point across.
(13) It's not like I mind all the photos of beautiful Melania and a smiling President and others mind you. It's just that it's not necessary.
END
END
(16) Day 3 of #HelsinkiGate & believe it or not, I think things are settling down. Interesting by-line below, Twitter pulling back a bit.
Trump has always said this, & his #actions against Russia since Jan '17 support that he is tougher on Russia than 42, 43 & 44 were. #fact
Trump has always said this, & his #actions against Russia since Jan '17 support that he is tougher on Russia than 42, 43 & 44 were. #fact
