McCain Rips Trump For ‘Disgraceful’ Putin Summit: ‘A Tragic Mistake’

Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., delivers remarks at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md., Monday, Oct. 30, 2017. McCain, who graduated from the Academy in 1958, returned to his alma mater to address the Brigade of Midshipmen on leadership and service to the nation. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)
Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., delivers remarks at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md., Monday, Oct. 30, 2017. McCain, who graduated from the Academy in 1958, returned to his alma mater to address the Brigade of Mid... Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., delivers remarks at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md., Monday, Oct. 30, 2017. McCain, who graduated from the Academy in 1958, returned to his alma mater to address the Brigade of Midshipmen on leadership and service to the nation. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky) MORE LESS
Start your day with TPM.
Sign up for the Morning Memo newsletter

Sen. John McCain (R) issued a blistering statement condemning President Trump’s Monday summit and subsequent press conference with Russian President Vladimir Putin, which the Arizona senator said was “one of the most disgraceful performances by an American president in memory.”

“The damage inflicted by President Trump’s naiveté, egotism, false equivalence, and sympathy for autocrats is difficult to calculate. But it is clear that the summit in Helsinki was a tragic mistake,” McCain said. He said that Trump was speaking from the “the same script” as Putin when he “made a conscious choice to defend a tyrant against the fair questions of a free press, and to grant Putin an uncontested platform to spew propaganda and lies to the world.”

McCain, who for months has been undergoing cancer treatments in Arizona, brought up Trump’s “bombastic and erratic conduct towards our closest friends and allies in Brussels and Britain,” while calling Monday’s press conference “a recent low point in the history of the American Presidency. ”

“No prior president has ever abased himself more abjectly before a tyrant,” McCain said.

Read the full statement below:

“Today’s press conference in Helsinki was one of the most disgraceful performances by an American president in memory. The damage inflicted by President Trump’s naiveté, egotism, false equivalence, and sympathy for autocrats is difficult to calculate. But it is clear that the summit in Helsinki was a tragic mistake.

“President Trump proved not only unable, but unwilling to stand up to Putin. He and Putin seemed to be speaking from the same script as the president made a conscious choice to defend a tyrant against the fair questions of a free press, and to grant Putin an uncontested platform to spew propaganda and lies to the world.

“It is tempting to describe the press conference as a pathetic rout – as an illustration of the perils of under-preparation and inexperience. But these were not the errant tweets of a novice politician. These were the deliberate choices of a president who seems determined to realize his delusions of a warm relationship with Putin’s regime without any regard for the true nature of his rule, his violent disregard for the sovereignty of his neighbors, his complicity in the slaughter of the Syrian people, his violation of international treaties, and his assault on democratic institutions throughout the world.

“Coming close on the heels of President Trump’s bombastic and erratic conduct towards our closest friends and allies in Brussels and Britain, today’s press conference marks a recent low point in the history of the American Presidency. That the president was attended in Helsinki by a team of competent and patriotic advisors makes his blunders and capitulations all the more painful and inexplicable.

“No prior president has ever abased himself more abjectly before a tyrant. Not only did President Trump fail to speak the truth about an adversary; but speaking for America to the world, our president failed to defend all that makes us who we are—a republic of free people dedicated to the cause of liberty at home and abroad. American presidents must be the champions of that cause if it is to succeed. Americans are waiting and hoping for President Trump to embrace that sacred responsibility. One can only hope they are not waiting totally in vain.”

Notable Replies

  1. Why not rip his fellow Republicans? Everybody knows who Trump is.
    The disgrace is that the Republicans support him nearly 100% on all issues. He should call out Flake, Sasse, Lindsay, et al. THAT would be useful.

  2. You know “Hate the sin, love the sinner” this is the reverse “Hate Trump, love the Trumping”

  3. Earth to McCain: That word “mistake” does not mean what you want to think it means.

  4. Come on. Sure McCain is not a progressive but he is a decent, honest patriot who always puts his country first. His statement could not possibly have been more scathing and appropriate. Sometimes as progressives, we need to take yes for an answer.

  5. Sorry, I disagree on most of your points.
    Most critically, it’s not enough for Republicans to criticize Trump. We’ve seen all too much of that, and there is little effect. What is needed is firm opposition; for example, creating a bloc who will stop all judicial appointments.

Continue the discussion at forums.talkingpointsmemo.com

97 more replies

Participants

Avatar for ghost Avatar for littlegirlblue Avatar for imkmu3 Avatar for clemmers Avatar for navamske Avatar for trnc Avatar for george_spiggott Avatar for jimtoday Avatar for sandyh Avatar for yskov Avatar for alyoshakaramazov1 Avatar for left_in_washington_state Avatar for theghostofeustacetilley Avatar for leftcoaster Avatar for benthere Avatar for junebug Avatar for jimbobuddy Avatar for brian512 Avatar for not_so_fluffy Avatar for prometheus_bic Avatar for centralasiaexpat Avatar for aiddon Avatar for dominic Avatar for jersey

Continue Discussion
Masthead Masthead
Founder & Editor-in-Chief:
Executive Editor:
Managing Editor:
Deputy Editor:
Editor at Large:
General Counsel:
Publisher:
Head of Product:
Director of Technology:
Associate Publisher:
Front End Developer:
Senior Designer: