Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs A. Wess Mitchell shot down Democratic Senator Ben Cardin’s (MD) assertion on Tuesday that President Donald Trump has been weak on Russia by reminding him that the president has been behind all the actions the U.S. has taken against Russia since taking office.
Cardin complained that Trump, as the head of the executive branch, can exercise sole discretion of potential actions or sanctions against Russia.
“And we saw that the president might very well, we know that there’s been discussions about Magnitsky sanctions and with Mr. Putin, etc.,” Cardin said. “Have you been briefed as to what happened in Helsinki in regards to discussions on sanctions?”
“I have been briefed on the appropriate information that I need to carry out my job with relation to Russia,” Mitchell replied. “But the president has often been clear, as recently as an interview yesterday which I would direct you to that the question that you were asking, when he was asked in the interview, he was very clear about this. And beyond that, I would say—”
“He was very clear, not in Helsinki,” Cardin complained.
“He was very clear in regard to raising with Vladimir Putin the unacceptability of interference in our elections,” Mitchell responded. “He has been very clear in his statements that he has not at any pointed raised the possibility of lifting sanctions.”
“He did that when he returned to Washington, he did not do that in Helsinki,” Cardin continued.
Mitchell responded by noting that the Obama administration was much friendlier to the Russians than the Trump administration.
“I disagree with your overall characterization that the president hasn’t followed his policies, these are the president’s policies,” Mitchell countered. “There is no distinction between the administration and the president. The president directed a Russia strategy, a strategy for countering Russian influence, the previous administration did not.”
WATCH: