"It’s pretty silly for the president to demand something that he can’t get legally. And this is a very serious matter," national security adviser John Bolton said.
"It shows that the justice system, the Department of Justice, are aware of these Russian efforts in election meddling, and I think the president can put this on the table and say, this is a serious matter that we need to talk about," national security adviser John Bolton said.
Democratic Sen. Mark Warner (Va.) on Sunday voiced concerns for an upcoming summit between President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, saying other Americans need to be in the room.
Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas), the second-ranking Republican in the Senate, told CBS’s “Face the Nation” that it would be “counterproductive” for Trump to ignore the possibility of sitting down with Putin.
“On the other hand, I think the president should be clear-eyed about who he’s dealing with,” he added.
"There’s a menu of things to be concerned about – that he might withdraw American troops from Syria, that he might cancel military exercises with our regional allies, that he might recognize Russia’s annexation of Crimea," Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.) said in an interview on "Fox News Sunday."
U.S. Ambassador to Russia Jon Huntsman said on Sunday that it is "highly unlikely" that President Trump recognizes Russia's annexation of Crimea when he meets with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday.
“He’s sitting down with a man who just ordered intervention in our election, and rewarding him for doing so, there’s no way that brings about a successful result.”
Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) on Sunday said he believes it’s a “waste of time” to try to hold Russian President Vladimir Putin accountable for meddling in U.S. elections, arguing that the U.S. and other countries have engaged in similar behavior.
"We have an election coming up in November and if there is meddling in the election this November like we saw in 2016, we’re not going to have much of a relationship left," U.S. Ambassador to Russia Jon Huntsman said.
Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) on Sunday defended President Trump's actions at the NATO summit in Brussels last week, saying that the gatherings have always been prone to "drama."
Rep. Joseph Crowley (D-N.Y.) on Sunday argued there were a number of factors at play in his stunning primary defeat last month to Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, but ultimately took ownership for the result.
President Trump on Monday will hold his highly anticipated summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin, a meeting he has pursued despite warnings from advisers and allies — and the specter of the investigations into Moscow's election interference in 2016.
Trump has long wanted a closer relationship with Putin, something he believes can mend frayed ties between their two countries. But beyond his apparent affinity for Putin, many in Washington have questioned why the president is sitting down with his Russian counterpart and what he seeks to accomplish.
House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) and Majority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.) are jockeying for the affection of conservatives and adding to their war chests ahead of a potential race to succeed retiring Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.).
