U.S. President Donald Trump is having a difficult time clarifying his statements. He is in a balancing act. He’s trying to improve relations with Russia. He’s also trying to respond to the Justice Department’s allegations.
“Walk-Backs”?
Democrats and Republicans are accusing the president of numerous “walk-backs.”
Trump met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Helsinki on Monday. At their joint press conference Monday, Trump commented on the DOJ’s allegations. He told reporters that he saw no reason why the interference in the 2016 election would have been from Russia.
This statement cast doubt on the American intelligence agencies. The DOJ claimed that Russian operatives did hack into Hillary Clinton’s email account. On Tuesday, Trump walk backed his statement at the press conference. He said that he meant to say he saw no reason why the interference wouldn’t have been from Russia.
The second walk-back came during a cabinet meeting on Wednesday, when Trump seemed to say that Russia was no longer targeting U.S. elections. This was contrary to American intelligence reports.
