| The Big Picture: Trump Sides With Putin. But Why? At this stage in the game, President Trump's outlook on international questions and Russian interference in the U.S. election in 2016 is almost predictable. Even so, many found his comments at his summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Helsinki on Monday jaw-dropping.
Trump was asked directly who he believes: the U.S. intelligence agencies who say that Russia attacked the 2016 election or Putin's denials. And Trump, in so many words, said his answer was Putin. Putin denies it, Trump said. I ran a brilliant campaign, Trump said – there was no one to collude with. Besides, Putin offered Monday to work jointly with the U.S. through a working group on cybersecurity. And he offered to let U.S. investigators travel to Russia and conduct interviews there with regard to the 12 Russians that were just indicted Friday. “I think that’s an incredible offer,” Trump said.
Many in Congress and the intelligence community did not concur. After a brief period in which leaders in Washington had to pick their jaws off the floor, the contempt poured forth like a summer thunderstorm. The director of national intelligence, the speaker of the House, the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee – all Republicans -- were just some of the voices that loudly called out to break with Trump on the issue of Russian election interference in 2016, an issue long settled in U.S. intelligence circles. Others lamented what they called the lost opportunity to warn Putin, in person and on the highest global stage, to stop his efforts to interfere with the United States and the West.
What no one can answer except Trump at this point is: Why? What, as NPR’s Ron Elving asks, is behind the Trump strategy of rattling allies and smoothing over adversaries – especially the Russians?
— Philip Ewing, NPR's national security editor
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