Why did Donald Trump ‘side with Russia’ on election meddling?
US president openly questions findings of his own intelligence agencies

Donald Trump has offered an “extraordinary show of trust”, after siding with Russian president Vladimir Putin’s assertion that Moscow did not interfere in the 2016 US presidential election.
At a press conference following a summit between the two leaders in Helsinki, Trump “handed Russian President Vladimir Putin an unalloyed diplomatic triumph”, by refusing to support the collective conclusion of the US intelligence agencies on the issue, the Washington Post says.
“They said they think it’s Russia. I have President Putin; he just said it’s not Russia,” Trump said. “President Putin was extremely strong and powerful in his denial today.”
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Trump’s statements “amounted to an unprecedented refusal by a US president to believe his own intelligence agencies over the word of a foreign adversary”, CNN says.
The New York Times says Trump’s comments drew “howls of protests from Democrats and some Republicans”, and prompted John O. Brennan, who served as CIA director under Barack Obama, “to suggest that the remarks warranted Mr. Trump’s impeachment”.
“Donald Trump’s press conference performance in Helsinki rises to & exceeds the threshold of ‘high crimes & misdemeanours’. Not only were Trump’s comments imbecilic, he is wholly in the pocket of Putin,” Brennan wrote on Twitter.
Similarly, Republican House Leader Paul Ryan was publicly at odds with Trump’s statements during the Helsinki press conference.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
“There is no question that Russia interfered in our election and continues attempts to undermine democracy,” Ryan said in a statement.
The New York Times also reports that “Trump’s mood grew foul as the breadth of the critical reactions became clear” during the Air Force One flight back to Washington, with aides steering clear of the front of the plane “to avoid being tapped for a venting session” with Trump.
Why did Trump take Putin’s side?
In the wake of Trump’s Helsinki appearance, New York Senator Chuck Schumer, the Democratic leader of the Senate, said: “A single, ominous question now hangs over the White House: What could possibly cause President Trump to put the interests of Russia over those of the United States? Millions of Americans will continue to wonder.”
According to Schumer there is only one possible explanation: “the possibility that President Putin holds damaging information over President Trump.”
-
Questions abound over the FAA’s management of Boeing
Talking Points Some have called the agency’s actions underwhelming
-
Lou Berney’s 6 favorite books with powerful storytelling
Feature The award-winning author recommends works by Dorothy B. Hughes, James McBride, and more
-
Robert Redford: the Hollywood icon who founded the Sundance Film Festival
Feature Redford’s most lasting influence may have been as the man who ‘invigorated American independent cinema’ through Sundance
-
YouTube to pay Trump $22M over Jan. 6 expulsion
Speed Read The president accused the company of censorship following the suspension of accounts post-Capitol riot
-
‘Used correctly, the drug is safe’
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Shutdown: Democrats stand firm, at a cost
Feature With Trump refusing to negotiate, Democrats’ fight over health care could push the government toward a shutdown
-
TikTok: A little help from Trump’s friends
Feature Trump’s new TikTok deal would hand the app over to 'his billionaire allies,' ignoring national security concerns
-
Trump promotes an unproven Tylenol-autism link
Feature Trump gave baseless advice to pregnant women, claiming Tylenol causes autism in children
-
Trump: Demanding the prosecution of his political foes
Feature Trump orders Pam Bondi to ‘act fast’ and prosecute James Comey, Letitia James, and Adam Schiff
-
Why do farmers hate Trump’s Argentina bailout?
Today's Big Question Trump’s support for Argentina has ‘heightened tensions’ among farmers already frustrated by the impact of tariffs
-
Oregon sues to stop Trump military deployment
Speed Read The president wants to send the National Guard into Portland