Ever since the news came out, Democrats and some Republicans have been demanding details of the administration. Early Monday morning, congressional aides indicated that a briefing had not been established for the House’s intelligence, armed services or foreign affairs committee. It is unclear whether the Gang of Eight, House and Senate leaders, as well as the intelligence committee, will be informed, but as of Monday morning, there was no meeting scheduled, according to a congressional source.
Democrats have long accused Trump of being soft on Russia and its President Vladimir Putin, despite the country’s well-documented attempts to interfere in the US election, its aggression in Ukraine and the annexation of Crimea, and its support for Bashar al-Assad in the brutal Syrian civilian. war. Those allegations were rekindled earlier this month with the publication of a memoir by former Trump national security adviser John Bolton, who accused the president of snuggling autocrats, including Putin, for political gain.
The new charges: that the New York Times And the Washington Post reported that it may have led to the death of US soldiers in Afghanistan, once again putting Trump’s relationship with Russia under scrutiny.
Democrats in the House of Representatives were furious at the reports, which first appeared on Saturday. Pelosi told ABC ‘This week ”on Sunday:” This is as bad as it gets. “
“If the reports are true that Russia offered a reward for US troops in Afghanistan and Trump was not informed, that is a problem,” House of Representatives Committee on Intelligence Committee Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) Tweeted. ). “What will it take for Trump to abandon the fiction that Putin is our friend?”
Some Republicans have also promised to investigate the reports. Senator Lindsey Graham (RS.C.), a close Trump confidante who spent part of the weekend playing golf with the President, called it “imperative” that Congress know the details.
“I hope that the Trump Administration will take these allegations seriously and report to Congress immediately on the reliability of these news reports,” Graham tweeted.
Trump retweeted Graham’s comment Sunday night to downplay the new reports.
“Intel just informed me that they did not find this information credible and therefore did not report it to me or @VP,” Trump said. “Possibly another Russian hoax fabricated, perhaps by Fake News @nytimesbooks, that wants to make Republicans look bad!”
Democrats, however, beat the president for the rewards.
“It is disgusting that American soldiers have died as a result of the Russian rewards on their heads, and the Commander-in-Chief did nothing to stop him,” said Max Rose (DN.Y.), a combat veteran who served in Afghanistan.
Heather Caygle and Sarah Ferris contributed to this story.
