Top Tennessee Republicans part ways with Trump over Russian meddling in 2016 election

Michael Collins | Nashville Tennessean

WASHINGTON – Three high-profile Tennessee Republicans took issue with President Donald Trump on Monday after he accepted Russian President Vladimir Putin’s denials that the Russians interfered in the 2016 U.S. presidential election.

Sen. Bob Corker, a Chattanooga Republican who chairs the influential Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said Trump's unwillingness to confront the Russian leader during a joint appearance in Helsinki made the United States look like a “pushover.”

"Everyone who’s dealt with Putin understands fully that the best way to deal with him is through strength, and I just felt like the president’s comments made us look as a nation more like a pushover," Corker told reporters in Washington.

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)

Corker, who's retiring from the Senate at the end of the year, said there's no question Putin and the Russians interfered in the presidential election and that Trump should have been more forceful with Putin when discussing that and other "grievances."

“I did not think this was a good moment for our country," Corker said of Trump's appearance with Putin.

"I think this was a very good day for President Putin," he added later.

Rep. Marsha Blackburn, a Brentwood Republican and strong Trump supporter who seldom parts ways with the president, issued a statement condemning Russia's actions.

“Russia is an adversary, and our intelligence agencies concluded that they meddled in the 2016 election,” said Blackburn, who is running to succeed Corker in the Senate.

“From their annexation of Crimea to their involvement in Syria, Russian aggression has been escalating for several years,” Blackburn said. “Our foreign policy must be shaped around these facts, which are incontrovertible. Russia is a bad actor, and we must treat them as such. They have been focused on our demise for decades.”

Former Gov. Phil Bredesen, the top Democratic candidate running against Blackburn for Corker's Senate seat, released a brief statement Monday evening indicating he supported the findings of U.S. investigators.

“As an American, I have to say I believe our own defense and intelligence agencies much more than the President of Russia," Bredesen said.

Sen. Lamar Alexander, a Maryville Republican, said there is “no doubt” that Russia interfered in the 2016 election. He noted that the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence released a bipartisan report on July 3 that agreed with the conclusions of U.S. intelligence agencies that Russia interfered in the election.

That report, and last week’s indictment of 12 Russians accused of disrupting the election, “makes it even more important" that the bipartisan Senate intelligence investigation and Special Counsel Robert Mueller's probe into election meddling "continue until they are complete,” Alexander said.

“Congress can then decide what to do about both," he said.

Putin denies Russian interference in US election Speaking at a joint news conference with US President Donald Trump, Russian President Vladimir Putin said: "I had to repeat that the Russian state never interfered, and does not plan to interfere in internal American electoral process." (July 16)

Speaking at press conference with Putin in Helsinki, Trump appeared to accept the Russian president’s denial of interfering in the 2016 U.S. presidential election.

“President Putin was extremely strong and powerful in his denial today,” Trump said as he stood next to Putin at a joint news conference between the two leaders following their talks in Helsinki.

“He just said it’s not Russia,” Trump said. “Let me say this, I don’t see any reason why it would be."

Trump suggested both the United States and Russia were to blame for troubled relations between the two countries. And, as he has done before, he attacked the investigation led by Mueller into Russian election interference.

Trump's willingness to accept Putin's denials puts him at odds not only with his U.S. intelligence agencies and lawmakers from both parties, but also his own national security adviser, John Bolton, who said Sunday that after seeing the indictments, he found it "hard to believe" that Putin was unaware of election interference.

Analysis: For Trump, show outweighs substance A former US Ambassador to Russia says President Donald Trump has "no guts" when it comes to confronting Vladimir Putin on election meddling. But Thomas Pickering says for Trump, the substance of the summit is less important than the show. (July 16)

On Friday, the Justice Department laid out details of what it said was a far-reaching hacking scheme in an indictment of 12 Russian agents whom it accused of trying to disrupt the U.S. election.

In his remarks to reporters, Corker said he found it "saddening and disappointing" that Trump did not back up U.S. intelligence agencies.

"These intelligence agencies work for the president of the United States, and for him not to defend their activities, to me, was a very sad point," he said.

Corker offered his own theory about why Trump may have been reluctant to criticize the Russian leader.

“I get the feeling, I’ve seen it first-hand actually, sometimes the president cares more about how a leader treats him personally than forcefully getting out there and pushing against things that we know have harmed our nation,” Corker said.

Asked what Putin gained from the meeting with Trump, Corker said he thought the Russian leader "gained a tremendous amount."

“It was almost an approval, if you will, a public approval by the greatest nation on Earth towards him," he said. "He knows he gained a lot. I would guess he’s having caviar right now.”

A spokeswoman for Rep. Diane Black, a Gallatin Republican and Trump supporter who is seeking the GOP nomination for governor, did not respond to multiple requests for comment on Trump's remarks in Helsinki.

More: Trump says doesn't 'see any reason why' Russia would have meddled in 2016 U.S. election

More: Trump urged to press Putin on Russian election interference

More: Bob Corker: President Trump firing Robert Mueller would cause 'total upheaval' in Senate

Rep. Jim Cooper, D-Nashville, labeled Trump’s performance in Helsinki “another disgraceful embarrassment.”

“On the world stage, President Trump said he believes Vladimir Putin over our own intelligence agencies,” Cooper wrote on Twitter. “Another disgraceful embarrassment that all Republicans should denounce, but likely won’t. Why?”

On the world stage, President Trump said he believes Vladimir Putin over our own intelligence agencies. Another disgraceful embarrassment that all Republicans should denounce, but likely won’t. Why? — Jim Cooper (@repjimcooper) July 16, 2018

Rep. Steve Cohen, D-Memphis, called Trump’s comments “reprehensible” and said he failed to “put America first.”

“Trump’s submissive posturing to Putin is an insult to every American and especially the men and women of the Armed Services and the FBI whose job is to preserve our American values,” Cohen said. “It is unprecedented. It is appalling. It is incomprehensible.”