President Donald Trump said Russia's Vladimir Putin once again vehemently denied interfering in the 2016 U.S. elections during their discussions on the sidelines of an economic summit Saturday. Trump declined to say whether he believed Putin, but made clear he's not interested in dwelling on the issue,'' Chicago Tribune reports.
"He said he absolutely did not meddle in our election. He did not do what they are saying he did," Trump said of Putin, speaking with reporters aboard Air Force One as he traveled to Hanoi, the second-last stop of his Asia trip.
"Every time he sees me, he said: 'I didn't do that.' And I believe, I really believe that when he tells me that he means it," Trump said, noting that Putin is "very insulted" by the accusation. Trump called the accusation an "artificial barrier" erected by Democrats — once again casting doubt on the U.S. intelligence community's conclusion that Russia did try to interfere in the election to help Trump win.
