that they agree that this election interference occurred in 2016 but they re determined to make sure it is not repeated in 2018. the one guy who was missing was president trump. and then he contradicted them essentially a few hours later. never mentioning this important priority of his government and once again calling the russia investigation a hoax. so, susan, the president talked about the helsinki summit. he spoke of it as a boxing match tonight. and you actually use that analogy in one of your articles? . well, i have to say i was wondering where president trump got this. he said a couple times including tonight after helsinki, well, you know, those people in washington. they just wanted me to have a boxing match with vladimir putin but hey, i m giving diplomacy a chance. it was a great meeting. actually, it was a long-time state department diplomat who told me in the runup to helsinki, he was worried trump was so unprepared for the meeting that he would be like an
witch hunt and democrats made it up to make up why they lost. come on. the witch hunt is trying to get him into whatever the hell the russians did. then he should draw the distinction. yes he did. he did it. we ll go back and forth. because i ve never been more right. he said after helsinki i accept it. after he adopted putin selection. come on, i was in held sin ki, o helsinki, one of the most embarrassing things. our intelligence community, they say what they say. you have your perspective. i have mine. the reality is the president said that he accepted the fact that it was russian interference. i don t exactly know how long ago, at least six months, eight months, maybe a year ago. and you don t think since that time he s said russian interference is a hoax. i ll send you a list of stuff that will crash your phone. what he is saying is that the
saying problems with russia and the u.s. i can t believe putin is showing up here late. he should have gotten here two days early if not for the world cup. this is like a birthday party. he is able to take a one-hour short trip from moscow to helsinki. he is so not late. he is reveling in the glory of the world cup. he was out there yesterday with the president of france who also has sanctions on him as part of the eu. very strong against russia. hugging and kissing. having a great time. putin was part of the international community yesterday. he will come back here today and be a bigger part because he will get the biggest prize which is meeting with the united states. the leader of the free world. in helsinki. a place filled with history. the list you just read is the nightmare of the eu and nato alliance. they have said, look, of course, people should have talks.
he was isolated. he has wanted this meeting for the last 18 months. he is now getting it, and that will begin his partial rehabilitation. he will sit down one-on-one with the most powerful man in the world, donald trump, and he will be treated as an equal. so much like the summit with kim jong-un, you know, there is an argument to be had that it s already 1-0, if you like, to vladimir putin. as we re watching these pictures of air force one, if we had a split screen we would see a few minutes ago vladimir putin finishing off an incredibly successful soccer world cup, which he hosted for the last month, which has been a global success story, and he will go from moscow, where the final was held today, to helsinki. so he will go off the back of that. it will be a summit, if you like, as much about symbol, as about substance.
you. any preparations whatsoever going to be changed over the weekend given this announcement by rosenstein? not that we ve been told. our reporting indicates the president will do some preparing this weekend while in scotland at the golf course. katy, i know you know well. he also plans to have time to relax. we certainly expect him on the links, some of his family is there. they have flown in. the first lady, of course is there. and he departs sunday night as planned to helsinki. from what will be the longest meeting he has had with vladimir putin. he will be, as you have indicated, one on one with him for a while, with the translator. later on there will be a few aides in the room. he goes with no set agenda. he wants to trauk a little about cry me why, arms drol. as he said he ll talk about the meddling. we ll see how he does that. and that makes a lot of people nervous. this is a summit that s happening without a real purpose, but rather almost a summit that s happening just to