People aren't buying Trump's excuse about defending Russia at Helsinki press conference - Independent

People aren't buying Trump's excuse about defending Russia at Helsinki press conference
Posted on July 18, 2018 by Lowenna Waters in news 
UPVOTE 
              
On Tuesday, president Trump said that he meant to say 'wouldn't' rather than 'would' regarding a controversial remark he made at a press conference with president Putin of Russia.

During the press conference, which was held in Helsinki, Trump had been asked by a journalist whether he accepted president Putin's denial that the Kremlin had interfered with the 2016 presidential election.

At the press conference, president Trump had said:

President Putin just said it’s not Russia. I don’t see any reason why it would be.

After making the claims, Trump faced wide-spread backlash and criticism from both Democrats and Republicans for dismissing the US intelligence community's assessment that Russia had indeed meddled in the 2016 presidential election.

After the criticism, Trump backpedalled, and issued another statement:

I would like to clarify, in a key sentence in my remarks, I said the word ‘would’ instead of ‘wouldn’t'.

The sentence should have been: ‘I don’t see any reason why it wouldn’t be Russia.’

Right...
That may be Trump's excuse, but not many people are buying it. Needless to say, Twitter wasn't really convinced.

Politicians have smelt a rat.

José E. Serrano
✔
@RepJoseSerrano
 Even though English was the second language I learned, I know the difference between 'would' and 'wouldn't'.

5:24 AM - Jul 18, 2018

Mark Warner
✔
@MarkWarner
 I just don’t buy the President’s comments today. If he wanted to take a stand on Russian election interference, he should have had the strength to do it in front of Vladimir Putin.

5:53 AM - Jul 18, 2018

Many journalists are equally unconvinced.

Alexandra Petri
✔
@petridishes
 i obviously meant to shout "I DON'T OBJECT" sorry that i ruined your wedding

5:23 AM - Jul 18, 2018


Jeet Heer
✔
@HeerJeet
 I wouldn't not say the Russians are not without responsibility for no form of election meddling. Clear?

8:32 AM - Jul 18, 2018

Benjy Sarlin
✔
@BenjySarlin
 "If it's what you say, I [don't] love it!"

5:41 AM - Jul 18, 2018

Max Boot
✔
@MaxBoot
 Trump is deathly afraid of being laughed at. News flash, Mr President: The world is laughing at you. This is the silliest spin ever!

NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt
✔
@NBCNightlyNews
BREAKING: President Trump claims he misspoke while discussing election meddling during news conference with Putin: "In a key sentence in my remarks, I said the word 'would' instead of 'wouldn't.' ... The sentence should've been: 'I don’t see any reason why it wouldn’t be Russia'"


5:15 AM - Jul 18, 2018

And of course, it quickly became a meme.

ElElegante101
@skolanach
 DON’T MAKE AMERICA NOT GREAT AGAIN

5:17 AM - Jul 18, 2018

Michelle Wolf
✔
@michelleisawolf
 Oh sure but women are the ones who get “but when you said no did you really mean it? In that tank top?” #wouldnt

11:27 AM - Jul 18, 2018


MJ Lee
✔
@mj_lee
 Trump was very upset about coverage of his Putin presser. He is not going to be happy with coverage of "would vs. wouldn’t."

5:10 AM - Jul 18, 2018
6,142
1,096 people are talking about this
Twitter Ads info and privacy

Titus Anjawnicus, but Croatian
@jimadair3
 Trump yesterday: "I'm gonna go fondle my sweaters."

Trump today: "Ah, uh - no I didn't. I said... fondue the cheddar... I was thinking about making fondue with cheddar cheese for dinner tonight."

AP Politics
✔
@AP_Politics
BREAKING:  Trump claims he misspoke on election meddling, now says he sees no reason why it wouldn't be Russia that was responsible.

5:01 AM - Jul 18, 2018
1,723
335 people are talking about this
Twitter Ads info and privacy

Some focused on his supposed use of a double negative.

Ben Shapiro
✔
@benshapiro
 “I can’t see any reason it wouldn’t be Russia. You know, like I can’t believe it’s not butter. A double negative.”

5:40 AM - Jul 18, 2018
3,424
782 people are talking about this
Twitter Ads info and privacy

Dave Itzkoff
✔
@ditzkoff
 i can't not believe this is happening

5:01 AM - Jul 18, 2018

Ian Millhiser
✔
@imillhiser
 Double

8:33 AM - Jul 18, 2018
1,315
182 people are talking about this
Twitter Ads info and privacy

And others were simply baffled.

Richard Jeter
✔
@MilesToGo13
 "But you WOULD expect me to say that they #Wouldnt have interfered with our election, so clearly I cannot choose the word in front of YOU!"

7:38 AM - Jul 18, 2018

Rich Schoenstein
@richschoenstein
 Who among us hasn't not used accidentally on purpose what wasn't not surely unlikely to be perhaps certainly correctly misconstrued language that didn't sound incorrect until we misread the transcript?  #doublenegative

5:26 AM - Jul 18, 2018

Clear as mud.

Kristi Powell
@mychiarinotion
Replying to @richschoenstein @DStewart541
Reading this gave me a stroke.

5:47 AM - Jul 18, 2018


Nice try, Trump. Better luck next time.