Donald Trump’s followers have a high tolerance level for his bad behavior, so perhaps it won’t bother them that Russia’s aspiring dictator Vladimir Putin made our president look like an obedient puppy during their summit Monday in Helsinki. But any other American whose heart beats with patriotic pride had to be embarrassed by Trump’s pathetic performance.

Trump loyally defended Putin against charges by U.S. intelligence agencies that the Russian government orchestrated efforts to interfere with the 2016 presidential election. “They said they think it’s Russia; I have President Putin, he just said it’s not Russia,” Trump said in a news conference after he and Putin met.

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The president’s comments were particularly appalling given the indictment just days ago of 12 Russian intelligence officers accused of hacking the Democratic National Committee and state-level election agencies. The indictments were part of special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into possible collusion between the Russians and Trump’s 2016 campaign. And in the latest development, the Department of Justice arrested politically connected Russian national Maria Butina on charges of spying.

Trump has taken advantage of every opportunity to try to discredit the Mueller probe, often expressing what has become a personal mantra — “no collusion.” But to go so far as to suggest that Putin should be trusted above Mueller and other investigators whose sworn allegiance is to the U.S. government is unconscionable.

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Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., who in the past has criticized and been criticized by Trump, spoke for many Americans when he called the president’s news conference in Finland “one of the most disgraceful performances by an American president in memory.” But words of concern from Republican politicians will prove hollow until they actually use their power to check and balance Trump’s agenda of trashing our allies, rewarding our enemies and blaming America first.

It’s not that Trump’s seemingly fervent desire to have a better relationship with Russia is misguided. No one with common sense wants to go back to the Cold War days when “mutually assured destruction” was the only thing preventing Russian and American intercontinental missiles from crossing paths in the air. But that doesn’t mean we want our president to play Putin’s patsy.

It certainly doesn’t mean Trump should ignore clear evidence that, despite Putin’s coy denials, the Russians did their level best to interfere with our democratic process — and are likely fine-tuning plans to interfere with future elections.

Trump honed his TV reputation as the boss who is quick to fire people. But Monday in Helsinki, he acted like someone the American people ought to give a pink slip.