Senator Collins’ Statement on President Trump’s Remarks at Helsinki Summit

Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Susan Collins (R-ME), a member of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, released this statement following the joint news conference today by U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Helsinki summit:

“The Russians were relentless in their efforts to meddle in the 2016 elections, and their efforts are ongoing.  The President’s statements today in Helsinki demonstrate his continued refusal to accept the unanimous conclusions of U.S. intelligence leaders and the bipartisan findings of the Senate Intelligence Committee.  This position is untenable and at odds with the forceful response this moment demands.  Given that we are in an election year, the need to act now to prevent malicious attempts to influence our democracy is urgent.”