Trump says he didn’t raise election meddling in phone call with Putin

President Trump said Thursday he did not raise the issue of election meddling with Russian President Vladimir Putin during a recent phone conversation. 

“We didn’t talk about that,” Trump said when asked by reporters at the White House whether he confronted Putin on the topic.

{mosads}Trump and Putin spoke Wednesday to discuss wildfires in Siberia, with the president offering U.S. assistance to the Russian government to help put out the fires.

“I think he appreciated it. We would be able to help them,” Trump said.

Former special counsel Robert Mueller testified to Congress last week that Moscow is still interfering in U.S. elections, telling lawmakers “they’re doing it as we sit here.” 

“You don’t really believe this. Do you believe this?” the president asked the reporter who cited Mueller’s testimony about election-meddling. 

Trump has repeatedly attacked Mueller’s investigation into Russia’s interference in the 2016 presidential election and potential obstruction of justice as a “hoax.”

The president also said he did not discuss the expiring Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty between the U.S. and Russia that is set to lapse on Friday. 

Trump announced last fall that the U.S. would pull out of the Cold War-era arms control pact, citing alleged Russian violations.