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Sen. Coons seeks more information on Trump-Putin summit

Delaware Public Media

Sen. Chris Coons and other senators sought more information this week about President Donald Trump’s private meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin earlier this month.

Coons questioned Secretary of State Mike Pompeo Wednesday as the White House walked back an invitation for a second meeting between Trump and Putin this fall.

Pompeo declined to detail what the two leaders discussed in Helsinki. But he argued the president supports the intelligence community’s findings that there was Russian interference in the 2016 election.

In a press conference after two leaders met privately in Helsinki, Trump appeared to side with Putin against his own intelligence agencies. He then clarified his remarks the next day. Since then, he has called the investigation into Russian interference a hoax and a rigged witch hunt.

Coons said Trump undermines the investigation into Russian cyberattacks when he calls it a witch hunt and a hoax.

“Our president has never made a clear and comprehensive speech outlining the threat posed by Russia, our strategy to respond to it and criticizing directly President Putin for directing the attack on our election in 2016,” he said.

Coons adds Putin should not be invited to the White House until Trump stands up to the Russian president on election meddling.

“Our president’s statements have confused our allies, encouraged our adversaries and have failed to be comparably clear,” he said.

Trump had invited Putin to Washington for another meeting in September. But the White House now says it will wait until next year - after what it called the Russian "witch hunt" is over.

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