Politics
CNN
CNN anchor Erin Burnett.
- CNN anchor Erin Burnett slammed President Donald Trump's explanation that he misspoke during a joint press conference with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
- During his press conference with Putin on Monday, Trump initially said he did not "see any reason why" Russia would be responsible for meddling in the 2016 US Presidential election.
- Trump later clarified his comments on Tuesday, telling reporters that he accepted "our intelligence community's conclusion that Russia's meddling in the 2016 election took place."
- Burnett did not appear convinced and noted that Trump and his aides failed to "correct the record," even as Republican lawmakers demanded clarification for "28 hours."
In a scathing opening monologue on Tuesday, CNN anchor Erin Burnett slammed President Donald Trump's explanation that he misspoke during a joint press conference with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
"Damage control, the president claims he misspoke once in his disastrous summit with Putin," Burnett said on CNN. "Did the dog eat his homework too?"
During his press conference with Putin in Helsinki, Finland, Trump initially said he did not "see any reason why" Russia would be responsible for meddling in the 2016 US Presidential election. When asked if he would condemn Russia for its election interference, Trump refused to back the US intelligence community's assessment, and instead, railed against the FBI and his political opponents.
"My people came to me … They said they think it's Russia," Trump said at the summit on Monday. "I have President Putin. He just said it's not Russia."
"I will say this," Trump added. "I don't see any reason why it would be."
After a wave of critics from both parties criticized his remarks, Trump backtracked his comments and said in a tweet that he had "GREAT confidence" in the US intelligence community.
"How stupid does Trump think we Americans are?," Burnett said in her monologue. "The president's excuse for his embarrassing press conference where he sided with Vladimir Putin over his own intelligence chiefs does not add up."
Trump clarified his comments again on Tuesday, telling reporters that he accepted "our intelligence community's conclusion that Russia's meddling in the 2016 election took place." He added that the interference could have stemmed from "other people also."
But Burnett did not appear convinced and noted that Trump and his aides failed to "correct the record," even as Republican lawmakers demanded clarification: "It does not clarify anything," she said. "It doesn't even pass the smell test."
"The president's explanation does not add up," Burnett added. "And neither does his assertion today that he accepts America's intelligence agencies conclusion that Russia attacked the American 2016 election."