Trump defends Putin against intelligence chiefs; then has to backtrack.

President Trump modified his original Asia trip plans to include a Southeast Asia summit meeting that Vladimir Putin was going to be attending so they could meet.  Staff claimed that they merely shook hands in a greeting.  But it was obviously more than that.

Trump told the media:  "Every time he [Putin] sees me, he says, 'I didn't do that.'   And I believe -- I really believe that, when he tells me that, he means it."

Which put Trump-appointed CIA Director Mike Pojpao in an awkward spot, because he does accept the collective conclusion of the former intelligence chiefs that Russians did it.  What do you do when your boss, the president, says publicly what you know to be false?   Even more, the president says he believes Vladimir Putin over the CIA . . . and you're now head of the CIA, and you know he's wrong? 

When the Russian hacking occurred, Pompao was a Congressman from Kansas, but he has a background in intelligence.  He put out a low-key statement but definitely accepts the conclusion that Russia interfered in our election.

Confronted with this discrepancy with his statement about Putin, Trump backtracked a bit and told the press that he "stands with" our intelligence services, "especially under the current leadership."

This prompted a report from The Guardian newspaper that said, "Two former US intelligence chiefs have said Donald Trump poses "a peril" to the US because he is vulnerable to being "played" by Russia."  These former chiefs are James Clapper (former Director of National Intelligence) and John Brennan (former CIA Director) who Trump had called "political hacks" for their support of the intelligence consensus about Russia's meddling.

Brennan told CNN's "State of the Union:"
"He [Trump] was trying to delegitimize the intelligence assessment that was done. , , ,  By not confronting the issue directly , , , he's giving Putin a pass.  And I think it demonstrates to Mr. Putin that Donald Trump can be played by foreign leaders who are going to appeal to his ego and try to play upon his insecurities, which is very, very worrisome from a national security standpoint."

Clapper commented on Trump's having to revise his praise for Putin, and this coming in the context of the royal treatment Trump has been enjoying on his Asia trip.   Clapper said:
"I think he seems very susceptible to rolling out the red carpet, honor guards and all the trappings and pomp and circumstance that came with the office.  I think that appeals to him and it plays to his insecurities.  Yes, I do think that both the Chinese and the Russians can play him."

One simple fact evident in just this reporting proves the point.   Trump says he asked Putin, again, and Putin says he didn't do it.  "How many times can you ask him?" a stymied Trump wondered.    It's either unbelievable naivete or willful dumbness to think that you can just ask Vladimir, former head of the KGB, whether he committed a crime -- and that he will tell you the truth.   And Trump just accepts that?   Come on.

Trump's Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin defended his boss:  "President Trump is not getting played by anybody.  [He] was focused on some very important issues in North Korea and Syria and those are areas in which we need to work with Russia and get them on board with our strategy."

That may be true, but it's irrelevant to the issue of Russia's hacking our election and will do it again -- and to the issue of what power Putin may have over Trump.  Special prosecutor Robert Mueller may be getting closer to answers to those questions.

Ralph