The White House sent talking points to Republican surrogates and members of Congress on Monday as aides dealt with the fallout of the summit between President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, according to a GOP source.
„Even at the height of the Cold War, dialogue between the US and Russia was maintained,“ one point stated.
„President Trump approaches talks with Russia grounded in realism, but our desire for friendship, cooperation, and peace remain,“ read another.
After his summit with Putin, Trump told reporters at a joint news conference that the Russian leader was „extremely strong“ in his denial of election interference.
„I have great confidence in my intelligence people, but I will tell you that President Putin was extremely strong and powerful in his denial today,“ Trump said.
The US intelligence community has concluded that Russia interfered in the last US presidential election. Special counsel Robert Mueller is investigating any potential collusion between Trump campaign associates and the Kremlin. Trump has repeatedly denied any collusion.
Putin stated his public denial on Monday, but he also admitted for the first time that he did want Trump to win the election.
