Fox News’s Kilmeade urges Trump to accept Russia interfered in election

“Fox & Friends” host Brian Kilmeade early Tuesday lamented President Trump’s performance during a press conference with Russian President Vladimir Putin, adding that it is “easily correctable.”

Kilmeade seemed to appeal directly to Trump at one point, referring to the president in the second person and assuring him that acknowledging Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election does nothing to undermine his accomplishments. 

{mosads}“The president’s under the impression — and I don’t know why still — that if he says the Russians hacked, it makes his election look illegitimate,” Kilmeade said.

“I’ve got news for you. [Senate Minority Leader Charles] Schumer and Hillary Clinton will never get over the fact that you won the election,” he continued. “Neither will 16 Republicans get over the fact that you won the primary. Did the Russians help you with that? No.”

Kilmeade said Trump “shocked the world” and asserted it “wasn’t because of Russia.” 

“But Russia’s goal was to upend our electoral process,” he said. “They hate democracy.”

Kilmeade noted that even some of Trump’s staunchest supporters have criticized the president for refusing to say that Russia interfered in the election during Monday’s joint press conference. 

Instead, Trump asserted that he did not collude with Russia in the election, recounted his victory over Clinton and called the special counsel investigation “ridiculous” and a source of tension between the two countries.

Kilmeade said Tuesday that the issue is “easily correctible” and suggested the president send out another tweet Tuesday morning clarifying his position.

“But that moment is the one that’s going to stand out unless he comes out and corrects it,” he said.

it’s extremely rare to see Steve Doocy even hinting at criticizing Trump. After Abby Huntsman criticizes Trump’s presser, Brian Kilmeade looks into the camera and tells Trump in the second person to accept that Russians interfered. pic.twitter.com/DFWP3T33iq

— John Whitehouse (@existentialfish) July 17, 2018

Trump’s performance at the press conference with Putin remarks were widely criticized by media personalities on Fox News, CNN and NBC, as well as lawmakers on both sides of the aisle. They overwhelmingly condemned the president for failing to hold Putin accountable, with some calling his performance “embarrassing” and “disgraceful.”