Rep. Will Hurd (R-Texas), a former CIA officer, on Tuesday said that Russian President Vladimir Putin was conveying “classic disinformation” during his press conference with President Trump.
“Vladimir Putin spouted many of his usual lines that were just completely wrong and he did it standing next to the leader of the free world and there was no rebuttal,” Hurd said on CNN’s “New Day.” “That’s classic disinformation.”
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The lawmaker added that Trump siding with Putin over the U.S. intelligence community’s conclusion that Russia interfered in the 2016 election is “just unacceptable.”
“All of our intelligence agencies have said that, all of the congressional oversight has confirmed that Russians have tried to manipulate our elections, and this is something that we need to be preparing ourselves for the next election,” Hurd said.
Trump sided with Putin’s denials over Russian meddling in the 2016 election during a shocking press conference Monday, setting off a firestorm over the president’s comments.
U.S. intelligence agencies have found that Russia interfered in the election.
“I have great confidence in my intelligence people, but I will tell you that President Putin was extremely strong and powerful in his denial today,” Trump said during a joint press conference with Putin in Helsinki.