McMaster: Trump Was Explaining He Felt ‘Hamstrung’ by Media in Meeting With Russians
Sunday on ABC’s “The Week, ” National Security Adviser Lt. Gen. H. R. McMaster discussed the report that President Donald Trump called former FBI Director James Comey a “nut job” and his firing took pressure off during a meeting with the Russian foreign minister.
McMaster told host George Stephanopoulos Trump felt “hamstrung” by the media.
McMaster said, “Well, I don’ t remember exactly what the president said. And the notes that there apparently have I do not think are a direct transcript. But the gist of the conversation was that the president feels as if he is hamstrung in his ability to work with Russia to find areas of cooperation because this has been obviously so much in the news. That was the intention of that portion of the conversation. ”
He continued, “The firing had been in the news. I didn’ t know in advance that the president was going raise it. But as I mentioned, he raised it in the context of explaining that he has been he feels as if he’s been unable to find areas of cooperation with Russia, even as he confronts them in key areas where they’ re being disruptive, like Syria for example. The subversive activities across Europe, their supports for not only the Assad regime but for Iran at its activities across the Mideast.”
He added, “That was the intent of that conversation was to say what I’ d like to do is move beyond all of the Russia news so that we can find areas of cooperation.”
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