Jewish Dems Condemn Trump’s Embrace of Putin, Demand Trump and Republicans Hold Russia Responsible for Its Crimes

Halie Soifer, Executive Director of the Jewish Democratic Council of America, released the following statement in response to the meeting in Helsinki, Finland, between Presidents Trump and Putin:

“It is the duty of the President of the United States to uphold the oath of office to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution, and to defend the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic. President Trump abdicated these responsibilities with his reckless embrace of Russia, an adversary that has actively undermined America’s democratic institutions and sought to sow discord in the United States.

“As opposed to reaffirming the unanimous assessment of the U.S. intelligence community regarding Russia’s intervention in the 2016 election, Trump reiterated the Russian narrative about its own crimes. As opposed to defending the U.S. government and its citizens from a known adversary, Trump inexplicably undermined his own law enforcement and intelligence agencies with Putin by his side. As opposed to upholding his constitutional role as Commander in Chief, Trump kowtowed to a leader who poses an ongoing threat to America’s national security and our interests abroad.

“President Trump’s actions in Helsinki were a betrayal of American values and interests, and an international disgrace. Since entering office, the president has isolated America from our allies and weakened our standing in the world. Jewish Democrats are outraged about this increasingly dangerous situation and demand that President Trump and Republicans in Congress fully acknowledge Russia’s interference in the 2016 election, hold Russia responsible for its crimes, and take concrete action to defend our democracy against this ongoing threat.”