Advertisement

Donald Trump backtracks on comments made during summit with Vladimir Putin

Click to play video: '‘I said would instead of wouldn’t’: Trump says he misspoke during summit with Putin'
‘I said would instead of wouldn’t’: Trump says he misspoke during summit with Putin
WATCH: Donald Trump discusses controversial meeting with Vladimir Putin – Jul 17, 2018

U.S. President Donald Trump has backtracked on comments in which he said he believed Russian President Vladimir Putin’s pledge that Russia didn’t meddle in the 2016 presidential election.

Trump made the comments before a meeting at the White House with top GOP members on Tuesday afternoon.

He received harsh backlash for his comments made after a summit with Putin on Monday, in which he said he doesn’t see “any reason why” Russia would interfere.

Click to play video: 'Democrats, Republicans slam Trump over ‘appalling’ press conference with Putin'
Democrats, Republicans slam Trump over ‘appalling’ press conference with Putin

On Tuesday he clarified, saying he meant to say that he saw no reason why it would not be Russia that interfered in the elections, and that he had full faith in U.S. intelligence.

Story continues below advertisement

“In a key sentence in my remarks I said the word ‘would’ instead of ‘wouldn’t.’ The sentence should have been I don’t see any reason why I wouldn’t or why it wouldn’t be Russia. So just to repeat it, I said the word would instead of wouldn’t,” Trump told reporters.

“The sentence should’ve been I don’t see any reason why it wouldn’t be Russia, sort of a double negative.”

Trump also said he believes that Russian meddling took place in the 2016 presidential election, but that it did not change the election’s outcome.

“The full faith and support for America’s intelligence agencies – I have a full faith in our intelligence agencies,” Trump said.

“I just wanted to clear up, I have the strongest respect for our intelligence agencies headed by my people.”

Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day.

Get daily National news

Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day.
By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy.

WATCH: ‘Could be other people also’: Trump on 2016 Russian election meddling

Click to play video: '‘Could be other people also’: Trump on 2016 Russian election meddling'
‘Could be other people also’: Trump on 2016 Russian election meddling

He also suggested there were other agents that could have infiltrated the election.

Story continues below advertisement

“Could be other people also; there’s a lot of people out there,” he said.

Security experts and politicians on both sides had condemned Trump’s Monday comments, with some saying they were “treasonous,” before he backtracked.

After his walk-back on Tuesday, Trump said his administration will “move aggressively” to repel efforts to interfere in American elections.

“We are doing everything in our power to prevent Russian interference in 2018,” he said. “And we have a lot of power.”

WATCH: ‘Better not happen again in 2018’: Mitch McConnell 

Click to play video: '‘Better not happen again in 2018’: Mitch McConnell on Russian election meddling'
‘Better not happen again in 2018’: Mitch McConnell on Russian election meddling
U.S. President Donald Trump’s prepared remarks show his own handwritten note “There was no collusion” at the top as he speaks about his summit meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the start of a meeting with members of the U.S. Congress at the White House in Washington, July 17, 2018. REUTERS/Leah Millis. REUTERS/Leah Millis
WATCH: Senators Schumer, Rubio and Warner react to Trump’s backtracking on Russia comments
Click to play video: 'Senators Schumer, Rubio and Warner react to Trump’s backtracking on Russia comments'
Senators Schumer, Rubio and Warner react to Trump’s backtracking on Russia comments

Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said Trump was trying to “squirm away” from his comments alongside Putin. “It’s 24 hours too late and in the wrong place,” he said.

Story continues below advertisement

Among other things discussed at the one-on-one meeting were the topics of North Korea, Syria, and Iran’s nuclear ambitions, Trump said.

WATCH: ‘Wholesale betrayal of values and interests of this country’: Adam Schiff 
Click to play video: '‘Wholesale betrayal of values and interests of this country’: Democrats react to Trump-Putin Summit'
‘Wholesale betrayal of values and interests of this country’: Democrats react to Trump-Putin Summit

Earlier in the day, Trump seemingly defended the Monday meeting, saying on Twitter that the meeting between the two world leaders went “better than even expected.”

Story continues below advertisement

WATCH: Full coverage of Trump and Putin’s summit in Helsinki 

*with files from the Associated Press

Sponsored content

AdChoices