Trump: I ‘strongly pressed’ Putin on election meddling

President Trump early Sunday said he “strongly pressed” Russian President Vladimir Putin during the G-20 summit on Russian meddling in the U.S. presidential election.

“I strongly pressed President Putin twice about Russian meddling in our election. He vehemently denied it. I’ve already given my opinion…..” the president tweeted.

“…We negotiated a ceasefire in parts of Syria which will save lives. Now it is time to move forward in working constructively with Russia!” he added.

I strongly pressed President Putin twice about Russian meddling in our election. He vehemently denied it. I’ve already given my opinion…..

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 9, 2017

…We negotiated a ceasefire in parts of Syria which will save lives. Now it is time to move forward in working constructively with Russia!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 9, 2017

{mosads}Trump did not say whether he accepted Putin’s denial, however.

Top administration officials on Saturday did not refute Putin’s claims that Trump seemed satisfied with the Russian leader’s denial that the Kremlin did not interfere in the 2016 presidential election.

“We are not going to make comments about what other people say. President Trump will be happy to make statements himself about that,” Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin told reporters returning from Germany onboard Air Force One. “It was very clear he made his position felt and after very substantive dialogue on this, they agreed to move on to other discussions.”

Putin earlier in the day said at a press conference that he believes Trump is convinced by his denial that his state interfered.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov also said at a press conference that Trump accepted the denial.

President Trump in Poland last week said that he thinks Russia and “people in other countries” likely attempted to meddle in the 2016 presidential race, but “nobody really knows.”

“I think it was Russia and I think it could have been other people in other countries,” Trump said during a joint press conference with Polish President Andrzej Duda. “It could have been a lot of people interfered.”

Trump on Sunday also said that he and Putin “discussed forming an impenetrable Cyber Security unit” so that election hacking and “many other negative things” will be guarded and safe.

Putin & I discussed forming an impenetrable Cyber Security unit so that election hacking, & many other negative things, will be guarded..

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 9, 2017

…and safe. Questions were asked about why the CIA & FBI had to ask the DNC 13 times for their SERVER, and were rejected, still don’t….

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 9, 2017

…have it. Fake News said 17 intel agencies when actually 4 (had to apologize). Why did Obama do NOTHING when he had info before election?

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 9, 2017

–This report was updated at 8:07 a.m.