Asked on @CBSEveningNews what he said to Putin in Helsinki, Trump quickly pivots to bashing Obama and forgets Dmitry Medvedev's (he calls him "ahhh, Putin's very close friend")
CBS: Putin denies interfering in the election, so if you believe your intelligence agencies, isn't he lying to you?
TRUMP: I don't want to get into whether or not he's lying.
Trump, extremely awkwardly and reluctantly, says he "accepts" Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats' finding that Russian interference is ongoing
CBS: Do you think any intel agencies are out to get out?
TRUMP: Well certainly in the past...I have no confidence in a guy like Brennan, I think he's a total lowlife. Clapper... all of the sudden, they got to him & probably got to say him to say things he doesn't even mean (?)
CBS: Lindsey Graham said you showed weakness during the Putin summit.
TRUMP: I totally disagree. I think I did great at the news conference. I think it was a strong news conference.
TRUMP dismisses Lindsey Graham's criticism of Putin summit by attacking the press: "I think the press largely makes up a lot of the fuss about a lot of things... the level of dishonesty in your profession is extremely high."
TRUMP is *extremely* vague about his secret meeting w/Putin: "The important thing, frankly, was the meeting that lasted for 2.5 hours... things emerged out that were very important. Nuclear proliferation. Protection of Israel. North Korea. [Putin] thinks I'm doing a great job."
CBS: How do you think Putin can help *specifically* on North Korea?
TRUMP: On the border.
CBS: Will you sit for an interview with Mueller?
TRUMP: There is no collusion. I didn't deal with Russia. I had nothing to do w/Russia with respect to my race... 2020 is going to be even better.
CBS: ...Mueller?
TRUMP: My lawyers are working on that. There's been no collusion.
Trump's performance on @CBSEveningNews was oddly defensive. He bizarrely refuses to say a critical word about Putin. It remains unclear what the 2 of them actually discussed during their 2.5 hour secret meeting - nothing Trump can announce publicly, apparently.
Very suspicious.
Trump hasn't yet shared with the American people any details about what he specifically discussed with Putin, including any deals that are in the works
For second straight day, Trump attacks the media for not positively covering a secret meeting he didn't allow them to attend
Trump wants Putin's help to solve problem of Putin's attacks on US democracy. #WhatCouldPossiblyGoWrong
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