Former White House communications director Anthony Scarramucci advised President Trump to “reverse course” on his recent comments during a press conference with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Helsinki.
When asked why the president would say he holds both the United States and Russia accountable for “election meddling,” Scaramucci said Tuesday morning that he understands why Trump is using this strategy, but that its not working.
Former White House communications director Anthony Scaramucci says President Trump “has to reverse course immediately” on his comments from his press conference with Russian President Vladimir Putin https://t.co/cJICAP8il6 pic.twitter.com/Df5QvsWBMI
— CNN (@CNN) July 17, 2018
“If you’re loyal to the president, which I happen to be very loyal to the president, loyalty right now requires you to tell the truth and sit with him and explain to him the optics of the situation, why the optics are bad, the strategy in terms of trying to get along with Vladimir Putin and deploying a strategy of going against the intelligence agency is very bad,” Scaramucci said on CNN.
“I think he’s looking at the situation as a contrarian, as an entrepreneur and he wants to have a very good relationship with Vladimir Putin and he wants to suppress the anxiety and the antagonism between the two nations that have been present for the last five or six —” Scaramucci concluded before being cut off.
Alongside Scaramucci, critics on both sides of the isle have said Trump’s refusal to believe his own intelligence agencies, while accepting the word of a foreign adversary, deserves strict condemnation.
“There is no question that Russia interfered in our election and continues attempts to undermine democracy here and around the world,” House Speaker Paul Ryan said in a statement. “That is not just the finding of the American intelligence community but also the House Committee on Intelligence. The president must appreciate that Russia is not our ally,” he continued.
Several other Republicans including Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich also made statements criticizing Trump’s comments.
Meanwhile, the president quickly took to Twitter on his way back to Washington from Helsinki to say, “As I said today and many times before, “I have GREAT confidence in MY intelligence people.” However, I also recognize that in order to build a brighter future, we cannot exclusively focus on the past – as the world’s two largest nuclear powers, we must get along! #HELSINKI2018.”
As I said today and many times before, “I have GREAT confidence in MY intelligence people.” However, I also recognize that in order to build a brighter future, we cannot exclusively focus on the past – as the world’s two largest nuclear powers, we must get along! #HELSINKI2018
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 16, 2018
