Senate Republicans are defending President Trump
Donald John TrumpUtah Lieutenant Gov. Cox leads Huntsman in close governor's race Trump tweets 'we all miss' Ailes after swiping at Fox Former NFL player Burgess Owens wins Utah GOP primary MORE’s handling of intelligence claiming that Russia’s military intelligence units offered bounties to Taliban militants to kill U.S. troops, arguing the evidence of bounties has not received sufficient verification.
Trump has come under sharp criticism since Saturday for not issuing a forceful response to the allegations or vowing to get to the bottom of the claims. Instead, the president has waved off media reports as “fake news” and suggested the story is meant to make Republicans “look bad.”
Trump claimed in a tweet Sunday night that “Intel just reported to me that they did not find this info credible, and therefore did not report it to me or @VP. Possibly another fabricated Russia Hoax, maybe by the Fake News @nytimesbooks.”
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One Republican lawmaker, Sen. Ben Sasse
Benjamin (Ben) Eric SasseFCC formally designates Huawei and ZTE as national security threats Clinton swipes at Trump on Russian bounty news: I 'would have read my damn briefs' GOP senator: Russia should be labeled state sponsor of terrorism if intelligence is accurate MORE (R-Neb.), said Monday that the White House needed to get more “serious” in its response after he was flooded by calls from Nebraskan constituents alarmed about media reports of the bounties.
By Tuesday, however, Republican senators started to rally around Trump, defending his handling of intelligence after receiving a briefing at the White House from Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe
John Lee RatcliffeOvernight Defense: Democrats blast Trump handling of Russian bounty intel | Pentagon leaders set for House hearing July 9 | Trump moves forward with plan for Germany drawdown GOP senator calls reporting on Russia bounties 'absolutely inaccurate' after White House briefing Democrats hit Trump for handling of Russian bounty allegations after White House briefing MORE and national security adviser Robert O’Brien.
Republican lawmakers who attended the White House briefing said media reports about the intelligence were “inaccurate” or based on “unverified” intelligence.
GOP senators argued that Democrats on the Senate Intelligence Committee had access to the same intelligence the president did and didn’t sound an alarm, implying the recent controversy has a political motive with the election four months away.
Sen. Todd Young
Todd Christopher YoungStronger patent rights would help promote US technological leadership In the next COVID-19 bill, target innovation and entrepreneurship GOP lawmakers stick to Trump amid new criticism MORE (R-Ind.) who attended the briefing with Ratcliffe and O’Brien Tuesday morning, said “major national newspapers” reported “on unverified and inconclusive intelligence as though it had been conclusively determined that Russia paid bounties on U.S. troops.”
“Every single member, Republican and Democrat alike, of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence is aware, should have been aware of the intelligence that I was briefed on. It’s long been available,” he added.
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Democrats have ripped Trump over the issue, and Senate Democratic Leader Charles Schumer
Chuck SchumerOver 1700 veterans ask Senate to pass statehood bill White House says Trump has now been briefed on Russian bounty intel New legislation required to secure US semiconductor leadership MORE (N.Y.) on Tuesday morning criticized the president for not taking immediate action.
“If in fact Putin and his cronies have been sponsoring the murder of American and coalition forces in Afghanistan, there is no question that there should be swift and severe consequences,” Schumer said on the Senate floor.
“But unlike every previous administration I’ve ever worked with, the Trump administration has been shockingly weak-kneed when it comes to authoritarian leaders like Putin.”
Schumer on Tuesday said Democrats would push for amendments to the annual defense policy bill, which is pending on the floor this week, to penalize Russia.
“The bottom line is we need tough action and tough action against Putin and in the NDAA bill, we will seek to get it,” he said, referring to the National Defense Authorization Act.
Democrats will offer an amendment sponsored by acting Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Marco Rubio
Marco Antonio RubioSenate passes extension of application deadline for PPP small-business loans Senate GOP starting to draft next coronavirus proposal GOP senator calls reporting on Russia bounties 'absolutely inaccurate' after White House briefing MORE (R-Fla.) and Sen. Chris Van Hollen
Christopher (Chris) Van Hollen1,700 troops will support Trump 'Salute to America' celebrations July 4: Pentagon Senate passes sanctions bill targeting China over Hong Kong law Trump's 4th of July celebration double the cost from previous years: study MORE (D-Md.) to place new sanctions on Russia if it interferes in the 2020 election.
But Congress’s response to allegations that Russia offered bounties on U.S. troops is rapidly breaking down along party lines, raising doubts whether lawmakers will be able to send anything to Trump’s desk to force a reckoning with Russian President Vladimir Putin
Vladimir Vladimirovich PutinPompeo tells Taliban 'not to attack Americans' McConnell: Russia should not be admitted to G-7 Intercepted financial data raised suspicions about Russian bounties: report MORE.
Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Jim Inhofe
James (Jim) Mountain InhofeSenators push to limit transfer of military-grade equipment to police Trump faces bipartisan calls for answers on Russian-offered bounties Trump nominee denounces past Islamophobic tweets MORE (R-Okla.), who is managing the defense bill, said earlier Tuesday that he is opposed to adding language to address the allegation of bounties.
Sens. Joni Ernst
Joni Kay ErnstOvernight Defense: Democrats blast Trump handling of Russian bounty intel | Pentagon leaders set for House hearing July 9 | Trump moves forward with plan for Germany drawdown GOP senator calls reporting on Russia bounties 'absolutely inaccurate' after White House briefing Where things stand in 13 battleground states MORE (Iowa) and Ron Johnson
Ronald (Ron) Harold JohnsonPostal Service boosted by increased use during pandemic: report Lawmakers introduce legislation to establish national cybersecurity director Trump, GOP clash over new round of checks MORE (Wis.), two other Republican senators who participated in the White House briefing, both disputed media reports that Russia paid bounties for the targeting of U.S. troops.
“The main point is the intelligence was not verified,” Johnson said. “It wasn’t at the level of actionable intelligence. It wasn’t at the level that they notified the president. And quite honestly it wasn’t at the level that — congressional leaders had access to the exact same intelligence, that alarmed them either.”
The New York Times in another bombshell revelation Tuesday reported that American officials intercepted electronic data showing large financial transfers from a bank account controlled by Russia’s military intelligence agency to a Taliban-linked account, citing three officials familiar with the intelligence.
Johnson said that information didn’t come up at the White House briefing.
GOP leaders say they do not have any immediate plans to schedule a vote on sanctions legislation, as some Democrats are demanding.
“We’ll see. Our relevant committees will continue to look at it. I don’t think there’s any lack of appetite to put sanctions on Russia for all their malign activities. But whether that’s something that gets floor time this year is an open question,” said Senate Republican Whip John Thune
John Randolph ThuneGOP skeptical of polling on Trump Democrats optimistic about chances of winning Senate Karl Rove says Trump is 'behind' in presidential race MORE (R-S.D.).
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell
Addison (Mitch) Mitchell McConnellDemocratic lawmakers call for expanding, enshrining LGBTQ rights Manchin draws line against repealing legislative filibuster Hillicon Valley: Facebook takes down 'boogaloo' network after pressure | Election security measure pulled from Senate bill | FCC officially designating Huawei, ZTE as threats MORE (R-Ky.) on Tuesday afternoon declined to say whether he would support additional sanctions on Russia but said the president and other U.S. policymakers shouldn’t have any illusions about Putin’s hostility to the United States.
“It’s no secret the Russians are up to no good. They have been throughout Putin’s tenure. Various administrations have tried to warm up to Putin. It’s clear that he’s not somebody you can warm up to,” he said.
McConnell said he couldn’t verify whether Russia offered bounties on U.S. troops but wouldn’t be surprised if they did.
“Would I be surprised if the Russians were doing something like this? Absolutely not. They’re trying to create a problem for us everywhere,” he said.
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The GOP leader said it’s “appropriate” for the White House to brief senators on the allegation of bounties.
“I don’t have an observation about what may have happened in the past but listening to the people who have been briefed, it appears as if this is not a conclusion that’s been reached to such a level that it might have even made it to the top,” he said.
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Senate Republicans defend Trump's response on Russian bounties | TheHill - The Hill
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