Trump throws US under the Putin bus, and this is how Arizona Senate candidates react? Opinion: Trump sides with a thug over America's intelligence community, and the reaction of Arizona's Republican candidates for the Senate is stunning.

Laurie Roberts | The Republic | azcentral.com

Show Caption Hide Caption Trump sees 'no reason' why Russia would meddle President Donald Trump says he sees no reason why Russia would interfere in the 2016 election. His comments came during joint press conference with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Helsinki. (July 16)

Remember when then-President Barack Obama bowed to a foreign head of state and Republicans went berserk?

On Monday, President Donald Trump went a bit lower in his joint press conference with Vladimir Putin. Lower and while facing the Russian president’s back side.

Trump not only refused to call out Putin for interfering in the 2016 presidential election, but he sided with the thug and against the U.S. intelligence community.

"I have great confidence in my intelligence people, but I will tell you that President Putin was extremely strong and powerful in his denial today," Trump said during a joint news conference.

Trump blames Mueller, lets Putin slide

Let me repeat that. The president of the United States believes the word of one of America’s enemies over the combined word of the CIA, the NSA, the FBI and the Office of Director of National Intelligence, all of which reported "high confidence" that Russia interfered in the 2016 election in order to get Trump into the Oval Office.

Trump also assured the world that the U.S. and Russia are equally responsible for a breakdown in relations and that the real thing that has “kept us apart” is not the Russians’ interference in our elections but special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into their activities.

I suppose that's better than what he tweeted before his meeting with Putin, wherein he assigned us all the blame.

Our relationship with Russia has NEVER been worse thanks to many years of U.S. foolishness and stupidity and now, the Rigged Witch Hunt! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 16, 2018

Even before the nation could finish exhaling from Trump's sucker punch, the blowback from Trump's own party began.

Lots of Republicans lambasted him

House Speaker Paul Ryan noted, “There no question that Russia interfered in our election and continues attempts to undermine democracy here and around the world.”

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said Trump's performance "will be seen by Russia as a sign of weakness and create far more problems than it solves."

Mitt Romney, who is running for the Senate in Utah, called Trump's comments "disgraceful and detrimental to our U.S. principles."

Arizona's Sen. John McCain gave a scathing review.

“No prior president has ever abased himself more abjectly before a tyrant,” he said. “Not only did President Trump fail to speak the truth about an adversary; but speaking for America to the world, our president failed to defend all that makes us who we are—a republic of free people dedicated to the cause of liberty at home and abroad.”

So did Arizona Sen. Jeff Flake: “I never thought I would see the day when our American President would stand on the stage with the Russian President and place blame on the United States for Russian aggression. This is shameful.”

But not the MAGA triplets running for Senate

Apparently, not all that shameful – at least from the perspective of the MAGA triplets vying for the Republican nomination to Arizona's open seat in the Senate. Given that they want to represent us, I figure their reaction to President Pushover's capitulation is important for Arizona voters to hear.

Here is Martha McSally’s response: (crickets)

Kelli Ward, who constantly tweets about #AmericaFirst, had this to say: (more crickets)

And from Joe Arpaio: (ribbit)

Actually, I can excuse Arpaio’s silence. He’s still trying to figure out what a tariff is.

But shouldn’t the candidates who are asking us to send them to the U.S. Senate explain how Trump’s kissing Putin’s hind parts makes America great again?

UPDATE: It took until nearly midnight Monday, but Ward finally issued a full-throated attaboy to Trump for some are calling the "surrender summit". It seems Trump wasn't an embarrassment, after all, a true leader. Props to Ward for being consistent and standing by her man, even when the rest of the world thinks he turned in a historically horrible performance.

During the 2016 election, @realDonaldTrump promised the American people he would mend Washington’s icy relationship with Moscow & keep the U.S. out of foreign wars. Ignore the #TrumpDerangementSyndrome crowd - he’s keeping his promise & more importantly he’s keeping us safe. — Dr. Kelli Ward (@kelliwardaz) July 17, 2018

McSally also weighed in Monday evening, managing to straddle that well-worn fence:

"President Trump has worked with Congress to impose stiff sanctions, expelled Russian diplomats, and led an effort with our NATO partners to strengthen our defenses against Russian aggression. We need to continue to deal with Russia from a position of strength. However, I do wish the president's words on Putin today were as strong as his actions."

Democrat Kyrsten Sinema, meanwhile, said she stands with U.S. intelligence agencies and was "highly disturbed by Trump's statements supporting Putin's baseless, false claims of innocence."

Reach Roberts at laurie.roberts@arizonarepublic.com.

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