Graham offers, withdraws amendment urging Trump address election meddling with Putin

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) on Thursday offered and withdrew an amendment to the Pentagon spending bill aimed at President Trump’s apparent continued acceptance of Russia’s denials of election meddling.

“I read a tweet today. Guess from who,” Graham said during a Senate Appropriations Committee markup. “I’m all willing for him to meet with Russia, see if we can find common interests, but one thing I want to make crystal clear. … When Putin says Russia did not interfere in our election, he is lying. When he says they won’t do it in the future, he is lying.”

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Earlier Thursday, Trump tweeted that Russia continues to deny it interfered in the 2016 presidential election and repeated his criticisms of former FBI director James Comey and Trump’s onetime Democratic opponent, Hillary Clinton.

“Russia continues to say they had nothing to do with Meddling in our Election!” Trump wrote. “Where is the DNC Server, and why didn’t Shady James Comey and the now disgraced FBI agents take and closely examine it? Why isn’t Hillary/Russia being looked at? So many questions, so much corruption!”

Trump’s tweet came about an hour after the White House and Kremlin officially announced a summit between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. The meeting is scheduled for July 16 in Helsinki, Finland.

The tweet cast doubt on reassurances from national security adviser John Bolton and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who both said they were confident Trump would raise the issue of election meddling with Putin

Reading from his amendment Thursday, Graham cited the U.S. intelligence community’s unanimous conclusion that Russia meddled in the 2016 election and will attempt to interfere in the 2018 midterm and future elections.

“And the resolve clause urges President Trump to bring this matter up with Putin and to tell him that if he continues to do what he’s doing, he will do so at his own peril, and to challenge his denial,” Graham said.

Graham said he withdrew the amendment because it has jurisdiction in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, but pledged to bring it back up on the Senate floor if that committee does not act on it.