Rep. Chris Stewart, R-Utah, on Tuesday defended President Donald Trump against charges of being Vladimir Putin’s lap dog, insisting the commander in chief is not a "Russian stooge."
Commenting on Trump’s private, two-hour powwow with the Russian president in Helsinki, Finland, this week, Stewart, a member of the House Intelligence Committee, told CNN’s Jake Tapper:
"I think kind of the premise of the question once again was, ‘Well, we know he’s a Russian stooge and we know they’re secretly collaborating against America. I just frankly think that’s silliness. I don’t think that’s true at all."
But on Twitter, Stewart blasted Trump for initially dismissing the conclusion of U.S. intelligence that Russia meddled in the 2016 presidential race to help him win – a statement he later walked back on, chalking it up to a misstatement.
"President Trump is wrong. Russia meddled in the 2016 elections. Russia is led by a former KGB thug who only understands lies and manipulation," Stewart tweeted.
On CNN, Stewart said of Trump’s clarifying comments, "If it was an attempt to clean up, he needed a pretty big broom."
But, he added, "I love this president."
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