At the Republican National Committee’s summer meeting in Austin, the controversy enshrouding the President was largely shrugged off or rejected — with party officials instead applauding Trump’s foreign policy work, including his public show of deference this week toward Putin and Russia.
“I am in full support of the President,” said Demetra DeMonte, a national committeewoman from Illinois, when asked about Trump’s stance on Russia. “He has been an incredible President, and I look forward to another two years and a second term.”
Instead, some RNC members agreed with the President’s suggestion that the intelligence community has sought to undermine him and his presidency, including special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation.
“To have agencies going after an American President, to create an illusion of collusion that doesn’t exist, it looks like they’re trying to undermine the President of the United States,” said Lori Klein Corbin, a national committeewoman from Arizona. “Not the Russians, but our own people. That is troubling to the American people, and Trump just happens to be brutally honest and he tells it the way he sees it.”
“He’s not in Putin’s pocket,” she added.
In remarks to RNC members, Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel cheered the President’s “historic summit” last month with North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un as “an unprecedented step toward peace in the region.” She also touted Trump’s efforts to extract greater defense spending from NATO countries, but she made no mention of his meeting with Putin.
Appearing on Fox News earlier in the week, McDaniel had offered her support for the President’s appearance with Putin and his policy toward Russia generally. “The President doesn’t underestimate Russia in any way, shape or form,” McDaniel said then. “He knows exactly what type of foe they are, but he will continue to work with them on the issues where we do have national security interests combined.”
Nevertheless, some Republican lawmakers expressed concern and alarm in light of the President’s remarks. Rep. Will Hurd, a Texas Republican who’s a former CIA officer and sits on the House Intelligence Committee, told CNN’s Jake Tapper, “I’ve seen Russian intelligence manipulate many people in my career, and I never thought the US President would be one of them.”
The timing of the visit would coincide with the lead-up to Election Day, with the balance of power in Washington at stake. But Republican Party officials in Austin said they trusted the President’s judgment in extending the invite.
“I’m sure that the White House and (Trump’s) advisers will make sure that America comes first,” said Terry Lathan, chairwoman of the Alabama Republican Party. “If they feel like that’s the best timing for us, that’s fine.”
Source : CNN