Trump Meets Putin- President Trump met with Russian president Vladimir Putin in Helsinki, Finland on Monday. Trump and Putin both said the meeting was a great success, and they pledged to continue discussions on a variety of issues.
Trump Corrects Comments- During a press conference with Putin, Trump was asked whether he believed Russia meddled in U.S. elections. He responded by saying that he didn’t see any reason “why it would be Russia” that attacked the elections. After receiving fierce backlash from prominent intelligence officials and politicians, including many Republicans, Trump said he misspoke and actually meant to say he didn’t see any reason “why it wouldn’t be Russia” that meddled.
On Wednesday, a reporter asked Trump whether Russia is currently targeting the United States, to which Trump responded “no”. That response would appear to contradict U.S. intelligence chief Dan Coats who compared the current actions by Russia to be similar to the events leading up to 9/11, and saying “the lights are blinking red” in regards to current Russian cyber attacks. White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders came out several hours later to say that Trump was saying ‘no’ to answering questions at all, not ‘no’ as a response to the reporters question in particular.
Trump Invites Putin To White House- On Thursday, President Trump directed National Security Advisor John Bolton to invite Vladimir Putin to the White House this fall. U.S. intel chief Dan Coats seemed caught off-guard by the news, which broke as he was on stage at a national security conference.
Russian Spy Arrested- Maria Butina, a 29-year-old Russian national in the U.S. on a student visa, was arrested for attempting to infiltrate U.S. organizations under the direction of the Kremlin. She reportedly managed to gain access to many organizations and officials, including the National Rifle Association and Republican operatives and politicians. The arrest is reportedly not connected to Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russian collusion in the 2016 elections.
North Korea Agrees To Search For U.S. Remains- Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said discussions between the U.S. and North Korea has brought about an agreement in which North Korea will assist U.S. personnel in searching for the remains of U.S. servicemen killed in the Korean War. Trump has repeatedly touted that U.S. remains will be returned as a result of his negotiations with the Kim regime.
Trump Threatens More Tariffs- In an interview with CNBC, President Trump said he is considering placing tariffs on all Chinese goods coming to the United States, a move which would seriously intensify the U.S.-China trade dispute. China exports roughly $505 billion worth of goods to the United States each year.