Trump backs off siding with Russia over US intelligence amid bipartisan anger

Donald Trump has backed away from his public undermining of American intelligence agencies after he was blistered by bipartisan condemnation in the US. The president said he simply misspoke when he said he saw no reason to believe Russia had interfered in the 2016 election that put him in the White House.

Agencies to watch for interference in midterm elections

The head of the nation's largest electronic spy agency and the military's cyberwarfare arm has directed the two organizations to coordinate actions to counter potential Russian interference in the 2018 midterm elections. The move, announced to staff at the National Security Agency last week by NSA Director Paul Nakasone, is an attempt to maximize the efforts of the two groups and comes as President Donald Trump in Helsinki on Monday said Russian President Vladimir Putin was "extremely strong and powerful" in denying Russian involvement in the presidential election two years ago.

Georgia Gov. Runoff a Classic Showdown for GOP’s ‘Outsider’ and ‘Establishment’ Wings

With barely a week to go before the brass-knuckled Republican run-off for governor of Georgia comes to a halt, there are growing signs that the contest is coming to a showdown between the "outsider" wing of the party more closely aligned with Donald Trump and the "insider" or "establishment" faction. Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle, considered the favorite of the GOP establishment, leads Secretary of State Brian Kemp, widely considered the Trump-style "outsider," by a razor-thin margin of 44 to 43 percent among likely voters in the July 24 runoff, according to a poll from independent firm Cygnal.

Onetime Trump critic Roby wins GOP House runoff in Alabama

U.S. Rep. Martha Roby won Alabama's Republican runoff on Tuesday, fighting through lingering fallout from her years-old criticism of then-candidate Donald Trump in a midterm contest that hinged on loyalty to the GOP president. The four-term incumbent will now represent the GOP on the November ballot having defeated Bobby Bright, a former Democrat who tried to cast himself as the more authentic Trump ally in the low-turnout Republican contest.

Alabama Republican Who Refused to Back Trump Survives Brutal Primary

After an unusually fractious debate among Republicans about Rep. Martha Roby's fealty to President Donald Trump-which resulted in a bitter runoff for the GOP nomination Alabama's 2nd Congressional District-Roby has defeated former Rep. Bobby Bright to officially clinch a spot on the November ballot. Roby, the four-term incumbent, failed to win a majority of the Republican vote last month, setting the stage for Tuesday's runoff.

Exclusive – Trump’s defence chief open to first talks with Russian counterpart – sources

WASHINGTON: U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis is open to the possibility of the first talks since 2015 between the defence chiefs of the United States and Russia, a move that would deepen communication between Washington and Moscow, U.S. officials said. The possibility of talks surfaced after Monday's controversial summit in Helsinki between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, in which they sought an end to years of strained relations.

Conn. lawmakers skeptical of Trump softening of Putin comments

U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin shake hands after a joint press conference at the Presidential Palace in Helsinki, Finland, Monday, July 16, 2018. U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin shake hands after a joint press conference at the Presidential Palace in Helsinki, Finland, Monday, July 16, 2018.

Trump unfazed by GOP criticism, says Putin meeting was great

Unbowed by the broad condemnation of his extraordinary embrace of a longtime U.S. enemy, President Donald Trump declared Tuesday that his summit in Helsinki with Russian President Vladimir Putin went "even better" than his meeting with NATO allies last week in Brussels. The tweeted defense came a day after Trump openly questioned his own intelligence agencies' findings that Russia meddled in the 2016 U.S. election to his benefit, and he seemed to accept Putin's insistence that Moscow's hands were clean.

The Latest: Russia pledges cooperation on Syria, few details

Russia's Defense Ministry says it's ready to boost cooperation with the U.S. military in Syria, following talks between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. The ministry said in a statement Tuesday that it's ready for "practical implementation" of agreements reached by Trump and Putin.

Donald Trump still thinks his meeting with Vladimir Putin was a glittering success

Taking to Twitter hours after he was blasted by senior Republicans and Democrats, the president wrote: 'While I had a great meeting with NATO, raising vast amounts of money, I had an even better meeting with Vladimir Putin of Russia.

Russian establishment chalks up Trump summit as a win for Putin

Russia's political and media establishment heralded talks between the Russian and U.S. leaders in Helsinki as a victory for Vladimir Putin in breaking down Western resolve to treat Russia as a pariah. FILE PHOTO: U.S. President Trump receives a football from Russian President Putin as they hold a joint news conference.

Republicans unleashed their outrage at Trump’s ‘disgraceful’…

President Donald Trump ignited a firestorm on Capitol Hill following his first summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday. While that's not rare, this time the political salvos came from both sides of the aisle after Trump stopped far short of condemning Russia's meddling in the 2016 US presidential election and appeared to take Putin's denial at face value.

Once a Trump critic, Ala. rep faces runoff with his support

Roby, now in her fourth term in Congress, had faced major backlash from conservative voters after saying in 2016 she wouldn't vote for Trump when the then-Republican presidential nominee was heard bragging about groping and kissing women without consent in a leaked "Access Hollywood" tape. Her disavowal of Trump has since continued to dog her, forcing her into a runoff on Tuesday against former Rep. Bobby Bright, the Democrat-turned-Republican whom Roby unseated in 2010, after she failed to win a majority of the June primary vote in Alabama's heavily agrarian 2nd District.

Trump labelled – weak’ after questioning US intelligence on election meddling

US president Donald Trump openly questioned his own intelligence agencies' finding that Russia meddled in the 2016 US election, seeming to accept Vladimir Putin's insistence that Moscow's hands were clean. "Shameful," "disgraceful," and "weak" were a few of the comments, while senator Bob Corker said it makes the US "look like a pushover".