Former CIA Acting Director Says Putin Is 'Outsmarting' Trump
- 6 years ago
Former CIA acting director John McLaughlin says that Russian President Vladimir Putin is outsmarting President Donald Trump.
Former CIA acting director John McLaughlin says that Russian President Vladimir Putin is "outsmarting" President Donald Trump.
"When the Art of the Deal meets the KGB, the KGB will always win," McLaughlin notes in a recent piece published by Politico. "That's the main thing I took away from this past weekend's strange episode of President Donald Trump seeming to believe that Russian President Vladimir Putin actually believes Russia did not meddle in our 2016 election."
That "strange episode" began to unfold on Saturday, with President Trump saying he spoke with Putin while at a summit in Vietnam and, "[Putin] said he didn't meddle." "I asked him again. You can only ask so many times…And I believe, I really believe, that when he tells me that, he means it," Trump further commented.
In making that statement, Trump undercut the U.S. intelligence community, which has said that Russia did, indeed, attempt to interfere.
"The president later sought to clarify that he continued to accept the assessment of U.S. intelligence agencies…that Russia had interfered but thinks Putin actually believes Russia did not," McLaughlin notes.
The former CIA head doubts that backtracked statement will last for long and goes on to suggest that Trump's disregard for the facts may play right into Russia's longer-term plans.
"The more the president continues to muddy the issue of Russian meddling, the less likely it is that we will take the steps urgently needed to defend ourselves from further attack on our election system and other aspects of our political life," McLaughlin writes.
Meanwhile, Trump continues to slam those who oppose his current stance towards Russia.
"When will all the haters and fools out there realize that having a good relationship with Russia is a good thing, not a bad thing. There always playing politics - bad for our country," he tweeted last week. "I want to solve North Korea, Syria, Ukraine, terrorism, and Russia can greatly help!"
Former CIA acting director John McLaughlin says that Russian President Vladimir Putin is "outsmarting" President Donald Trump.
"When the Art of the Deal meets the KGB, the KGB will always win," McLaughlin notes in a recent piece published by Politico. "That's the main thing I took away from this past weekend's strange episode of President Donald Trump seeming to believe that Russian President Vladimir Putin actually believes Russia did not meddle in our 2016 election."
That "strange episode" began to unfold on Saturday, with President Trump saying he spoke with Putin while at a summit in Vietnam and, "[Putin] said he didn't meddle." "I asked him again. You can only ask so many times…And I believe, I really believe, that when he tells me that, he means it," Trump further commented.
In making that statement, Trump undercut the U.S. intelligence community, which has said that Russia did, indeed, attempt to interfere.
"The president later sought to clarify that he continued to accept the assessment of U.S. intelligence agencies…that Russia had interfered but thinks Putin actually believes Russia did not," McLaughlin notes.
The former CIA head doubts that backtracked statement will last for long and goes on to suggest that Trump's disregard for the facts may play right into Russia's longer-term plans.
"The more the president continues to muddy the issue of Russian meddling, the less likely it is that we will take the steps urgently needed to defend ourselves from further attack on our election system and other aspects of our political life," McLaughlin writes.
Meanwhile, Trump continues to slam those who oppose his current stance towards Russia.
"When will all the haters and fools out there realize that having a good relationship with Russia is a good thing, not a bad thing. There always playing politics - bad for our country," he tweeted last week. "I want to solve North Korea, Syria, Ukraine, terrorism, and Russia can greatly help!"