Russia ‘fighting very hard’ to help Democrats in midterm elections

Nicholas Kamm | AFP | Getty Images

US President Donald Trump speaks during a cabinet meeting on July 18, 2018, at the White House in Washington, DC. 

President Donald Trump said Tuesday that he was “very concerned that Russia will be fighting very hard to have an impact on the upcoming Election.” But rather than benefit his own party, as Russia sought to do in 2016, Trump claimed without evidence that Russia “will be pushing very hard for the Democrats” because, Trump said, “no President has been tougher on Russia than me.”

TRUMP TWEET

The tweet represented a new type of rhetorical gymnastics for the president, one where America’s greatest geo-political adversary was not, in fact, helping Trump, as it had in 2016, but was instead helping his opponents. The tweet came amid heightened scrutiny of Trump’s relationship with the Kremlin and with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Trump received harsh criticism from across the political spectrum after a summit between the two leaders in Helsinki that was capped off by a stunning joint press conference, during which Trump repeatedly sought to deny and minimize the Kremlin’s attacks on the U.S. 2016 election.

At that same press conference, Putin admitted that Russia had wanted Trump to win the election, although he denies the election interference that American intelligence officials have concluded Russia engaged in.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.