A new item: Trump apparently told Putin “ok” to the suggestion that Russia should be able to question Americans Putin wants to “prosecute” i.e. push out of a high window.

WH press sec Sanders acknowledged that Putin talked to Trump about his interest in prosecuting financier Bill Browder and former US ambassador Michael McFaul. she declined to rule out US cooperation in that effort, saying Trump would consult his national security team

— John Harwood (@JohnJHarwood) July 18, 2018

from WH briefing
Q: Russian authorities named Americans they want to question in Bill Browder’s “crimes” incl former ambassador McFaul. Does President Trump support that idea?
SANDERS: There was conversation about it. no commitment made. we'll let you know
cc: @DanielBShapiro

Oh but that’s not what he meant, he meant the opposite, he didn’t hear the question, he was answering a different question, he had a pain in his bum right at that second, he didn’t mean “no” the way you’re interpreting it, he said yes but you just didn’t listen, he left out some of the letters, he meant to say wouldn’t, he forgot his homework, the dog ate his shoes, the sun will come out tomorrow, is that a zebra?

President Trump appeared to say on Wednesday that Russia was no longer targeting the United States, contradicting his own intelligence chief just a day after promising that his administration was working to prevent Kremlin interference in the upcoming

The Daily News:

… Read the rest

More reactions.

Our President today not only chose a tyrant over his own Intel community, he chose Russia’s interests over the country he is sworn to protect. All Americans should raise their voices. Let the world know what we stand for.

— Sally Yates (@SallyQYates) July 16, 2018

This was the day an American president stood on foreign soil next to a murderous lying thug and refused to back his own country. Patriots need to stand up and reject the behavior of this president.

— James Comey (@Comey) July 16, 2018

Mariia Butina, a Russian national, has been charged with acting as a surreptitious Russian agent and establishing a secret back channel with the GOP through the NRA.

More likely

The Times was live updating.

Mr. Trump refused to say that he believed American intelligence agencies’ findings that Russia interfered in the 2016 United States election, as a news conference where international affairs were expected to dominate turned again and again to the president’s domestic political troubles. The timing was exceptionally awkward, just days after the Justice Department indicted 12 Russian intelligence agents on charges of hacking the Democratic National Committee and Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign, in an attempt to aid Mr. Trump.

For “exceptionally awkward” read “treasonous.”

Asked whether he believes his own intelligence agencies, which say that Russia interfered in the 2016 United States election, or Mr. Putin, who denies it, Mr. Trump refused to say, but

Reactions to the Trump-Putin press conference:

Everyone is numb and in shock. We can’t believe what we just witnessed, but for me it’s this simple: The President of the United States openly colluded with Putin to undermine our democracy.

— Ryan Lizza (@RyanLizza) July 16, 2018

This is the darkest day in American history. A halfwit traitor stood in front of the world and applauded an evil, authoritarian enemy while disparaging the good people of his own country. Fuck everything Trump, the GOP and the people who voted for him stand for.

— Rogue WH Snr Advisor (@RogueSNRadvisor) July 16, 2018

The only way this analogy holds is if you imagine Chamberlain at Munich denouncing the Royal Air Force and

Greg Sargent at the Post points out that Trump is colluding with Putin right now, as we watch.

In Helsinki today, Trump and Putin spoke to reportersbefore entering their private meeting. Trump predicted that “I think we will end up having an extraordinary relationship,” adding that “getting along with Russia is a good thing, not a bad thing.” But as The Post’s write-up puts it: “Trump did not mention Russia’s interference in the 2016 presidential campaign as one of the topics to be discussed.”

On Friday, special counsel Robert S. Mueller III indicted a dozen Russian military intelligence officials in an extraordinary and wide-ranging set of cyberattacks on Hillary Clinton’s campaign and Democratic National Committee officials, alleging