The world's attention turned to Finland Sunday as President Trump arrived for his greatly anticipated meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The president seemed relaxed going into the summit, taking in a round of golf Saturday at his resort in Turnberry, Scotland, before departing for Helsinki.
It has been an eventful few days for Mr. Trump. On Friday, he met with British Prime Minister Theresa May in Buckinghamshire, after he met with members of NATO.
Regardless of the work abroad, the president told C__BS News his mind was on the United States, specifically the House Oversight Hearing with FBI agent Peter Strzok.
“I watch some of the testimony, even though I'm in Europe, of Strzok. And I thought it was a disgrace to our country. I thought it was an absolute disgrace, “said the President.
The president sees Special Counsel Robert Mueller's Russia investigation, which Trump calls a “witch hunt,” as a potential hurdle between the United States and Russia.
“I don't expect anything. I go in with very low expectations. I think getting along with Russia is a good thing but it's possible we won't. I think we're greatly hampered by this whole witch hunt that's going on in the United States,” he said.
However, Congressional leaders say the president needs more than ‘low expectations’ when it comes to Putin.
“Just by meeting with Vladimir Putin President Trump is potentially advancing Putin goals, ending some of his isolation after his illegal annexation of Crimea,” Senator Chris Coons, D-DE, told Fox News Sunday.
“I think he needs to make it clear that they interfered in our 2016 election and stop calling this a rigged witch hunt,” Coons continued.
President Trump must be willing to confront #Putin from a position of strength & demonstrate there will be a price to pay for his ongoing aggression. If President Trump is not prepared to hold Putin accountable, the #HelsinkiSummit should not move forward. https://t.co/HRfmgKTk0e
— John McCain (@SenJohnMcCain) July 13, 2018
The meeting between the two world leaders comes on the heels of the FBI’s indictment of 12 Russian nationals over meddling in the 2016 presidential election. President Trump took to Twitter to point out the criminal activity actually took place under his predecessor.
The stories you heard about the 12 Russians yesterday took place during the Obama Administration, not the Trump Administration. Why didn’t they do something about it, especially when it was reported that President Obama was informed by the FBI in September, before the Election?
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 14, 2018
Regardless, Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats says the attack was and _is_ a viable threat. “Russia has been the most aggressive foreign actor no question and they continue their efforts to undermine our democracy,” said Coats in a speech to the Hudson Institute Friday. “As the Department of Homeland Security notes we are not yet seeing the kind of electoral interference in specific states and in voter databases that we experienced in 2016. However, we fully realize that we are just one click of the keyboard away from a similar situation,” Coats warned.
the United States ambassador to Russia, Jon Huntsman Jr., says it’s time to move forward from the election tampering. But make no mistake, he made clear, the United States is watching.
"If there is meddling in the election this November like we saw in 2016, we're not going to have much of a relationship left,” Huntsman Jr. told Fox News Sunday.
Beyond election meddling, Huntsman Jr. says there are other issues on the president’s plate when it comes to the two nations. “Probably the most important issue we have here is non-proliferation. The two countries are 90% of the world's nuclear weapons,” he said. The president is set to meet with Putin Monday morning. The two will then deliver a joint address.