| | | | | President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin ahead of their meeting in Helsinki on Monday. Credit: Brendan Smialowski/AFP/Getty Images | | | The President of the United States Was Given The Chance To Condemn Russia For Its Attack on Our Democracy and He Did Not: The Trump-Putin meeting
Tiffany Hung Out With Kim K's BFF: The first daughter posted footage with one of the reality star's friends
Michelle Obama Saw Beyoncé in Paris: Front row with Tina Lawson | | | What Washington is Talking About:
President Trump's private meeting today with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Reactions are just now rolling in over their joint press conference. Former CIA director John Brennan said it "rises to & exceeds the threshold of 'high crimes & misdemeanors.'" Sen. Jeff Flake called it "shameful." Sen. Chris Murphy said it was "one giant middle finger" to America. Rep. Adam Kinzinger called it a "disservice" to those who serve the country. And US Ambassador to Russia Jon Huntsman's former chief strategist Jon Weaver called on Huntsman to resign while Huntsman's daughter, Fox News host Abby, characterized Trump's performance as "throwing your own people and country under the bus."
What America is Talking About:
The Trump-Putin meeting.
Poll of the Day:
Most Americans don't think Russia is our friend, according to a Gallup poll out Friday. The percentage of Dems who call Russia an "ally" or "friendly, but not an ally" has fallen to 25%, the lowest figure since 2000, while Repubs are up to 40%. | | Credit: Gallup
Trump Euro Tour 2018 -- The Putin Summit:
The President of the United States was given the chance today to condemn Russia for its attack on our democracy and he did not.
Trump's meeting with Putin was scheduled to be 90 minutes, but extended to more than two hours. A US official told CNN Trump wanted the meeting to be private so he could have time to develop a relationship with Putin and because he's worried about leaks and wants to keep their discussion secret.
At a press conference after their meeting, Putin denied interfering in the US elections, but admitted he wanted Trump to win. Trump sided with Putin over his own intelligence community and said Putin had an "interesting idea" about who was responsible for interference.
"I have real confidence in my intelligence people, but I must tell you that President Putin was extremely strong and powerful in his denial," Trump said.
Trump also called special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation a "disaster for our country." Mueller has so far charged 32 people in his investigation, and 26 of them were Russians accused of a coordinated hacking effort against Hillary Clinton's campaign and the Democratic Party, of breaking into state voting systems, and of spreading misinformation and fake news on social media. | | Credit: Brendan Smialowski/AFP/Getty Images
Trump, who has lavished praise on Russia for hosting the World Cup, was gifted a soccer ball from Putin, who said (through a translator) the "ball is in your court." Trump said he'd give the ball to his son and threw it to Melania, who was sitting front row, so I guess it's technically in her court now. | | Credit: Yuri Kadobnov/AFP/Getty Images
British Investigators Believe Nerve Agent Attack Linked to Russian Intel Agency:
Investigators believe the March nerve agent attack on UK soil against a former spy and his daughter was carried out by Russia's intelligence agency GRU, according to the New York Times. The 12 Russian nationals indicted Friday by Robert Mueller's team were also GRU agents. 👀
Trump Calls EU America's Top "Foe":
Trump sat for an interview with CBS News that aired Sunday in which he was asked who was the "biggest foe globally right now" for the US. Trump said the US has many foes, but started off by naming the European Union for "what they do to us in trade." He also mentioned Russia ("in certain respects") and China ("Economically, certainly they are a foe. But that doesn't mean they're bad. It doesn't mean anything. It means that they are competitive.")
British Prime Minister Theresa May told the BBC Trump suggested she sue the EU. "Not go into negotiations, sue them," she said. May called that course of action "too brutal."
Trump's Re-election War Chest is Loaded:
It's 840 days until the 2020 election, and Trump, who announced his re-election campaign the day he took office, has $33 million in the bank for it. So far, he's raised $53 million for 2020.
Tiffany Hung Out with Kim K's BFF:
Tiffany Trump posted video Saturday of dinner with @foodgod, aka Kim Kardashian's friend Jonathan Cheban. I didn't see this coming. | | Credit: @TiffanyTrump/Instagram story
Michelle Obama Saw Beyoncé in Paris:
The former FLOTUS was spotted front row, dancing with Beyoncé's mom, Tina Lawson, at Sunday's post-World Cup OTRII Tour in Paris. Amazing.
"American Idiot" Didn't Hit No. 1 in the UK:
The campaign to take the 2004 Green Day song to the top of the chart in UK to protest Trump's visit didn't meet its goal. "American Idiot" landed at No. 25 in last week's chart, (the soccer anthem "Three Lions" went No. 1, despite England's World Cup semifinals loss), even though it was the second most-downloaded song of the week there, behind "Three Lions," per Official Charts. | | Credit: Official Charts
The Obama Africa Event's Graphic Designer.:
Former President Barack Obama will be in Johannesburg, South Africa, this week for the "The Leaders: Africa" event. Graphics for the event are by Osmond Tshuma, a Zimbabwean-born graphic designer in Johannesburg. Tshuma wrote on Instagram his work was made "for Africans by Africans through Africa." He said:
"People need to appreciate and acknowledge that Africa has its own aesthetic and can stand its own ground. My design, whether it be graphic design or typography, is creating social commentary about post-colonial Southern Africa."
Here's what he did with the event's slogan: | | Credit: @ObamaFoundation/Instagram
Street Art Sighting:
Projection artist Robin Bell partnered with HRC to project text onto the facade of the Presidential Palace in Helsinki, Finland, calling attention to crimes against LGBT people in Chechnya, including "The Whole World Is Watching," "#EyesOnChechnya" and "Silence Is Deadly." | | Credit: Maren Hennemuth/picture alliance via Getty Images
If you spot political street art, tweet me @hunterschwarz, tag me on Instagram @hunterschwarz, or email me at coverlinehunter@cnn.com with your sighting so I can feature it in COVER/LINE. | | | | | | |
