NJ-11 Candidates Call On Trump To Take Stronger Stance On Russia

Congressional candidates in New Jersey's 11th District reacted to President Trump's controversial remarks at a Monday news conference, saying he "missed the mark" when he sided with Vladimir Putin and denied the Russians were responsible for meddling in the 2016 election, despite that conclusion from U.S. intelligence agencies.

"I have great confidence in my intelligence people," Trump said during the news conference in Helsinki. "But I will tell you that President Putin was extremely strong and powerful in his denial today."

Both Jay Webber (R) and Mikie Sherrill (D) issued statements calling on the president to take a stronger stance against Russia

"America’s foreign policy should recognize that Russia under Vladimir Putin is a rival in Europe and the Middle East that needs to be confronted and opposed when it interferes with our elections or threatens the peace and security of our allies. As a Member of Congress, I will always stand up for America’s interests when it comes to facing Russian aggression, in whatever form. I urge the President to do the same at every opportunity," Webber said.

"As a Navy veteran, I have relied numerous times on our intelligence agencies and the intelligence they provided – many times at the risk of their own lives. I am married to a former Navy intelligence officer and I know first hand the dedication and integrity he brought to his work. I have also worked as a Russian policy officer and I watched the Russian government attempt to undermine our NATO alliance at every turn – in the past, always unsuccessfully. I join the many voices on both sides of the aisle calling on the President, our Commander in Chief, to support our own intelligence agencies," Sherrill said in a statement.

Trump's comments on the election meddling and his willingness to publicly excuse Putin on a national stage drew widespread outrage, including from lawmakers in the Republican party.

Republican Sen. John McCain of Arizona — a longtime Trump critic — responded to the president's comments by calling them disgraceful.

"Today's press conference in Helsinki was one of the most disgraceful performances by an American president in memory," McCain said Monday. "The damage inflicted by President Trump's naiveté, egotism, false equivalence, and sympathy for autocrats is difficult to calculate. But it is clear that the summit in Helsinki was a tragic mistake."

The White House was in damage-control mode this week, with Trump was scheduled to meet with members of Congress on Tuesday.

Intelligence director Dan Coats, who issued a strongly worded statement that Russia did interfere in the election, reaffirmed his commitment to "provide unvarnished and objective intelligence in support of our national security."

"The role of the Intelligence Community is to provide the best information and fact-based assessments possible for the President and policymakers. We have been clear in our assessments of Russian meddling in the 2016 election and their ongoing, pervasive efforts to undermine our democracy, and we will continue to provide unvarnished and objective intelligence in support of our national security," Coats said in the statement.

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