[indiscernible] back in the united states, senators from both parties spoke out against president trump's meeting with president putin. we will start out with check schumer who reacted during a press conference on capitol hill. rep. schumer ok, thank you everybody. sorry i am late. in the entire history of our americans have never seen a president of the united states support an adversary the way president trump has supported president putin. for the president of the united

to side with president putin against american law fort smith, american intelligence agencies, is thoughtless, is dangerous, is weak. the president is putting himself over our country. starting with the president's trip to nato, ending with his shameful performance at today's press conference, president trump has strengthened our adversaries while weakening our defenses and those of our allies with a single on this question now hanging over the white house. what could possibly cause president trump to put the oferest of russia over that the united states? millions of americans will continue to wonder. the only possible explanation for his dangerous behavior is the possibility that president putin holds damaging information ever president trump.

like any patriotic american, i was absolutely appalled by what cap. the president's trip to europe this morning. i did not think it could get worse than his performance at the nato summit, but it sure did. in the last week alone, the president attacked our closest he meddled in, the domestic affairs of an ally by undermining the prime minister of the united kingdom -- and that was all before he a downright shameful press conference with the man who directed the interference in our 2016 elections into continues to try and do so today. at every step along the way, the knee-capping our allies and offering a helping

hand to our adversaries. when it comes to the interference in our 2016 elections, the president has managed to point his finger at just about everybody except the culprit. it is inexplicable. maybe it is not. president trump has blamed secretary clinton. he has blamed the dnc. he has blamed the fbi. countries areboth responsible for the state of relations between the united states and russia." blamed person he has not is the person he stood shoulder this morning,th vladimir putin. andriday, rob mueller rosenstein handed trump the information he asked for. the 29-page indictment is a document of unparalleled work and is exactly what the president needs to stand up to mr. putin. he showed up march 10, put the

indictment on the table, and demanded justice. take the opportunity to confront putin and demand clinton hand over the named russian intelligence agents indicted last week, the president sided with vladimir putin's denial over the unanimous conclusion of the united states intelligence community. kgb overhe word of the the men and women of the cia. placing blame for what happened in 2016 on russia where it belonged, the president had the gall to play both countries for a troubled relationship. the president put what is best for him over what is best for the security and well-being of the united states. looms, what, if

anything, will congress do in response to this awful trip? our republican colleagues? where are the republicans who roared approval when reagan told gorbachev to tear down the wall? where are the republicans who whended a strong response putin annexed crimea? where are the republicans who know in their heart the president is giving away the store to vladimir putin. for ourhe time republican colleagues to join us stand up.san and if we wait much longer, our global alliances will fracture, the institution that america created in the wake of world war ii will crumble, our allies will consider abandoning us possibly for china and others. putin's russia will emerge

stronger for it. that is what he wants in that is what president trump inexplicably is helping him do. our republican colleagues can take steps right now to push back against this slippery slope the president has put us on. speaker ryan said nice things but talk is not enough. we need actions. action.isan, strong we need our republican colleagues to stand up for the good of this country. i am asking our republican colleagues to do four things. first, they can start by andsing to water down instead decide to ratchet up sanctions against russia. in the house, there is right now an effort to ratchet these sanctions down. given what mr. putin said today, given the indictments, given --t mr. trump said today that cannot happen.

sanctions should be ratcheted up. and, as you know, the house republicans have been pushing i can sense bill that would create a loophole in sanctions targeted at putin's defense and intelligence sectors. they should drop that immediately. second, our republican colleagues to demand, as we are, that the president's national security team that accompanied him to the wintun team immediately come and testify before congress. what kind of briefings to give them before hand? what did he say to them afterwards? we need them to come before congress and the american people immediately because there are some new troubling questions out there. and, if you think the press conference was that, imagine what happened inside when the president and mr. putin were alone. we need answers. now.ed them

third, our republican colleagues need to end once and for all their attacks on the department of justice, the fbi, and special counsel mueller. special counsel needs to finish his work. the president needs to sit for an interview with the special counsel. now more than ever. enough delay. enough interference. it is time to sit down for an interview. four, our republican colleagues must demand loudly and clearly that the president and cyst the 12 russians named in the indictment last night be sent to the united states .mmediately i'm asking leader mcconnell and speaker ryan, both friends, to make sure these four things are done. sake of ourr the country i am pleading with them to join us in making sure these four things are done.

senator mccain spoke out strongly. he's always been the conscience of the republican party when it comes to actually taking action on issues like these. a few of our republican colleagues have spoken out and talked the talk. but it is time for the republican party to walk away given the dire notice of this situation. mr. president, you are doing great harm to these united to thewhile kowtowing number one enemy we probably have on the globe, vladimir putin. he will continue to do so if he is not checked. the best people to check him are not democrats, but his fellow republicans. what the president has done is an insult to all of us. democrats, republicans, independents.

we'll have to stand up together and push back. i'm ready for your questions. think your view that the only explanation to the president's behavior is that the russians have something on him? >>'s behavior so inexplicable, so against advice, all americans will tell you if that is not the explanation, what is it? what the heck could it be? you said republicans are the best check. but what check on democrats? you whisper on the edges about impeachment. if it is really that for a long, why not take it -- >> we do not have the gavel. the best thing we can do is first speak truth to power. is not acceptable.

the second thing we can do is try and every way we can to get the congress to act, which requires our republican alex to act with us. the ciaree with director john brennan that the president's words were treason? sen. schumer: i will let people choose their words. the fact is, the president is attacking the united states daily and belittling and knee capping our allies. it is appalling. it demands some kind of explanation other than it is self-serving of the president. of what --your sense >> when you look at the press conference, president putin got almost everything he wanted.

i do not know a single thing united states would get that we want. ok? thank you everybody. announcer: on the senate floor, senator ben sasse criticized the president for the summit. your is a look. : let's not mince words , today was a terrible day for the american brand, for the american people, and for all of our allies. we did not negotiate from a position