2016 ELECTION/INTELLIGENCE/RUSSIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Asked whether he believes his own intelligence agencies, which say that Russia interfered in the 2016 United States election, or Mr. Putin, who denies it, Mr. Trump refused to say, but he expressed doubt about whether Russia was to blame. Mr. Trump raised the matter of Russian electoral meddling, the two leaders said at the news conference, and Mr. Putin reiterated his denial of Russian involvement. Dan Coats, the director of national intelligence, and other American intelligence officials ‘said they think it’s Russia,’ Mr. Trump said. ‘I have President Putin, he just said it’s not Russia. I don’t see any reason why it would be.’ But when asked directly whom he believes, Mr. Trump changed the subject to what he said was misconduct by Democrats during the campaign. The president’s ambivalence, after the indictments of 12 Russian intelligence agents over the election hacking, and after the findings of congressional committees, represents a remarkable divergence between Mr. Trump and the American national security apparatus.”
-The New York Times, “Trump, Putin and the ‘Incredible Offer’: Live Updates,” The New York Times online, July 16, 2018 12:13 pm