WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump insisted on Wednesday his meeting with Vladimir Putin was a success, despite condemnation from lawmakers of both parties who expressed dismay over his failure to confront the Russian president about Moscow's meddling in the 2016 election.
"Some people HATE the fact that I got along well with President Putin of Russia," Trump said during a morning tweet storm. "They would rather go to war than see this. It’s called Trump Derangement Syndrome!"
In other tweets, Trump said that "Russia has agreed to help with North Korea," and that the two leaders "discussed many important subjects" at their summit, though he did not provide details.
"We got along well which truly bothered many haters who wanted to see a boxing match," Trump said at one point. "Big results will come!"
Donald J. Trump
@realDonaldTrump
Some people HATE the fact that I got along well with President Putin of Russia. They would rather go to war than see this. It’s called Trump Derangement Syndrome!
Donald J. Trump
@realDonaldTrump
So many people at the higher ends of intelligence loved my press conference performance in Helsinki. Putin and I discussed many important subjects at our earlier meeting. We got along well which truly bothered many haters who wanted to see a boxing match. Big results will come!
The president's tweets did not address the reason the meeting triggered such a furor: Trump's suggestion that he believed Putin's denials of Russian election interference over the conclusions of U.S. intelligence officials who have pursued criminal charges against Russian nationals.
Trump tried to walk back his comments Tuesday, telling reporters at the White House, "I accept our intelligence community's conclusion that Russia's meddling in the 2016 election took place."
He added, however, there " could be other people also ... A lot of people out there."
Trump also said he misspoke during the Putin news conference, saying he used the word "would" rather that "wouldn't" at one point in discussing Russian meddling. The president said he meant to say, "I don't see any reason why it wouldn't be Russia.'"
The attempted clarification did not persuade critics who said Trump is more supportive of adversaries like Putin than of allies like German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Some critics questioned whether Putin has compromising material on Trump.
The president "handed global leadership and stature, free of charge, to Vladimir Putin, a man who has spent his entire life working against the interests of the United States and who brutally suppresses and murders his own citizens,” said Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H.
Republican lawmakers also criticized Trump's comments in Helsinki, and made clear they stand with U.S. intelligence agencies and European allies who are suspicious of Russian efforts to destabilize the West.
In seeking to change the subject with Wednesday's tweets, Trump said he and Putin can work together on many issues. At one point, he compared the Putin meeting to the NATO summit he attended last week.
While claiming he got NATO members to pay more for defense — NATO members said they were increasing their defense budgets anyway — Trump said, "The meeting with Russia may prove to be, in the long run, an even greater success. Many positive things will come out of that meeting."