Chuck Schumer rips Trump over Putin call: Gossiped about Fox News conspiracy theories?
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) called out President Donald Trump on Friday for not pressing Russian President Vladimir Putin on Russia’s interference in U.S. elections during their hour-long telephone call.
Trump told reporters in the Oval Office after his conversation with his Russian counterpart that “we didn’t discuss that, really we didn’t discuss it.”
Schumer asked on Twitter if Trump and Putin had just spent their time gossiping “about Fox News conspiracy theories?”
Trump is an avid viewer of the widely watched conservative cable news network, whose primetime hosts routinely stump for the president.
“Trump’s priorities are appalling and undermine democracy,” Schumer added.
President @realDonaldTrump spent an hour on the phone with Putin.
Instead of pressing Putin on the #MuellerReport's extensive evidence that Russia hacked our elections,
They gossiped about Fox News conspiracy theories?
Trump’s priorities are appalling and undermine democracy. pic.twitter.com/GkvorjEDMU— Chuck Schumer (@SenSchumer) May 3, 2019
Trump had earlier called NBC News’ White House correspondent Kristen Welker “very rude” after she asked the president if he had told Putin “not to meddle in the next election.”
Check out the clip here:
NBC's Kristen Welker: "Mr. President, did you tell [Putin] not to meddle in the next election?"
Trump: "Excuse me, I'm talking. I'm answering his question. You are very rude."
Trump, pressed again, says he didn't discuss it with Putin.
Via Fox pic.twitter.com/QOVJ7TeK5h— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) May 3, 2019
Trump and Putin did talk about North Korean denuclearization, the political situation and unrest in Venezuela and the chance of a new nuclear accord between America, Russia and China, according to the White House.
Trump tweeted that they’d talked about what he described as the “Russian Hoax.” White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said it was in the context that special counsel Robert Mueller’s probe into Russia interference in the 2016 election and possible Trump campaign collusion had concluded.
Had a long and very good conversation with President Putin of Russia. As I have always said, long before the Witch Hunt started, getting along with Russia, China, and everyone is a good thing, not a bad thing....
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 3, 2019
....We discussed Trade, Venezuela, Ukraine, North Korea, Nuclear Arms Control and even the “Russian Hoax.” Very productive talk!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 3, 2019
Trump faced similar backlash in July 2018 when he refused to condemn Putin over Russia’s election meddling during their summit in Helsinki, Finland.
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This article originally appeared on HuffPost.
