Rep. Justin Amash
Justin AmashKamala Harris and our shameless politics Amash warns of turning lawmakers like Cheney into 'heroes' Cheney set to be face of anti-Trump GOP MORE (R-Mich.) issued a harsh rebuke of President Trump
Donald TrumpFive takeaways from the Ohio special primaries Missouri Rep. Billy Long enters Senate GOP primary Trump-backed Mike Carey wins GOP primary in Ohio special election MORE’s press conference with Russian President Vladimir Putin, saying that he thinks “something is not right” with the situation.
Amash, a frequent critic of Trump, said in a series of tweets that while he was a strong supporter of Trump and Putin meeting, he thinks the summit “did just the opposite” of bringing the two nations closer.
“The impression it left on me, a strong supporter of the meeting, is that ‘something is not right here,’” Amash tweeted. “The president went out of his way to appear subordinate. He spoke more like the head of a vassal state.”
The impression it left on me, a strong supporter of the meeting, is that “something is not right here.” The president went out of his way to appear subordinate. He spoke more like the head of a vassal state.
— Justin Amash (@justinamash) July 19, 2018
"Perhaps it was just the president showing insecurity, once again, over the legitimacy of his election," he added. "Perhaps it was a sign of a more troubling entanglement with Putin. Whatever the case, the press conference was counterproductive to the goal of improving relations."
Trump is facing major backlash over Monday’s summit, in particular his comment during the joint press conference that he didn’t see any reason why Russia would have been behind interference in the U.S. election. Trump later clarified that he misspoke and meant he didn't see any reason why Russia "wouldn't" be behind the meddling.
Amash also hit Trump for attempting to walk back his remarks.
“Oddly, it took him more than a day to do so,” Amash said. “One wonders why the White House didn’t act more quickly if it were simply a misstatement.”
Amash's comments follow critics who have suggested that Trump’s performance indicated that Putin has compromising information on the US president. The theory has been floated throughout Trump's presidency.
In his Twitter thread, Amash also called on his fellow libertarians to refrain from “pushing demagoguery and tribalism” by saying that critics of the Trump-Putin conference are against diplomacy.
“To suggest that anyone critical of the president’s conduct opposes diplomacy is to employ a strawman argument,” the lawmaker wrote. “It’s virtue signaling, not libertarianism.”
We libertarians need to be smarter and more effective in our approach. Acting like partisans—pushing demagoguery and tribalism—is a self-defeating proposition. Stand strong on your principles; you’ll find most Americans standing with you.
— Justin Amash (@justinamash) July 19, 2018
