GOP lambasts Trump over performance in Helsinki

President TrumpDonald John TrumpViolence erupts between counter-protestors, Trump supporters following DC rally Biden considering King for director of national intelligence: report Here are the 17 GOP women newly elected to the House this year MORE’s refusal to denounce Russia’s meddling in the 2016 election sparked a backlash Monday from Republican lawmakers, including prominent voices on national security and foreign policy.

The sharpest criticism came from Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman John McCainJohn Sidney McCainMark Kelly reflects on using McCain's old desk: 'He was a hero of mine' Cindy McCain says late husband would have wanted country to 'move on' from election McSally concedes Arizona Senate race MORE (R-Ariz.), who blasted Trump’s joint press conference with Russian President Vladimir Putin as “one of the most disgraceful performances by an American president in memory.”

The 81-year-old senator, a frequent critic of Trump but one who has often expressed confidence in the president’s national security team, said he found it “painful and inexplicable” how his advisers could allow such “blunders and capitulations.”

“No prior president has ever abased himself more abjectly before a tyrant,” he fumed in a statement.

Other GOP lawmakers — even some of Trump’s staunchest allies on Capitol Hill, like Sens. Thom TillisThomas (Thom) Roland TillisRick Scott to quarantine after contact with person who tested positive for COVID-19 Tillis wins North Carolina Senate race Sullivan wins reelection in Alaska, giving Republicans 50 seats in Senate MORE (N.C.) and Orrin HatchOrrin Grant HatchMellman: What happened after Ginsburg? Bottom line Bottom line MORE (Utah) — were critical of the outcome of the Helsinki summit, where Putin denied that Russia meddled in the U.S. election.

Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Richard BurrRichard Mauze BurrRick Scott running to chair Senate GOP campaign arm As Trump downplayed the virus publicly, memo based on private briefings sparked stock sell-offs: NYT Hillicon Valley: Subpoenas for Facebook, Google and Twitter on the cards | Wray rebuffs mail-in voting conspiracies | Reps. raise mass surveillance concerns MORE (R-N.C.) pushed back on Trump giving credence to those denials.

Burr said his panel “found no reason to doubt” U.S. intelligence findings that “Putin ordered an influence campaign aimed at the 2016 U.S. elections with the goal of undermining faith in our democratic process.”

He said Russia had conducted a “coordinated cyberattack” on state election systems and “hacked critical infrastructure.”

Putin “is not our friend,” Burr said, and he urged Trump not to “tolerate hostile Russian activities against us or our allies.”

Republicans on Capitol Hill have generally been leery to criticize Trump publicly or to risk getting into personal spats with him. But even GOP leaders scrambled to distance themselves from the president’s remarks in Helsinki.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnellAddison (Mitch) Mitchell McConnellRepublicans seek to batter Warnock ahead of Georgia runoff Haspel not in attendance at latest Trump intelligence briefing: reports Overnight Defense: Another Defense official resigns | Pentagon chief says military 'remains strong' despite purge | Top contender for Biden DOD secretary would be historic pick MORE (R-Ky.), who has at times pushed back on Trump drawing moral equivalence between U.S. and Russian policy, warned that Russia should not be trusted.

“I have said a number of times, I’ll say it again: The Russians are not our friends,” McConnell told reporters. “And I entirely believe the assessment of our intelligence community.”

Speaker Paul RyanPaul Davis RyanMcCarthy faces pushback from anxious Republicans over interview comments Pelosi and Trump go a full year without speaking Jordan vows to back McCarthy as leader even if House loses more GOP seats MORE (R-Wis.) warned that Russia “remains hostile to our most basic values and ideals.”

“There is no question that Russia interfered in our election and continues attempts to undermine democracy here and around the world,” he said. “The United States must be focused on holding Russia accountable and putting an end to its vile attacks on democracy.”

The comments by GOP leaders echoed broad criticism from analysts and pundits at news outlets ranging from CNN and NBC to Fox News.

Bret Baier of Fox News called the press conference “surreal,” while his network colleague Brit Hume called Trump’s reference to the probe into Hillary ClintonHillary Diane Rodham ClintonHere are the 17 GOP women newly elected to the House this year Why the polls were wrong Obama hits Trump for refusing to concede, says there's 'no legal basis' for challenges MORE’s private email server to deflect questions about Russian interference a “lame response, to say the least.”

U.S. Senate candidate and 2012 GOP presidential nominee Mitt RomneyWillard (Mitt) Mitt RomneyWe need a (common) 'sense of the Senate' resolution on transition planning The Hill's Morning Report - Biden wins Arizona, confers with Dem leaders; Trump tweets Biden has spoken with some GOP senators, chief of staff says MORE also weighed in with his own criticism.

“President Trump’s decision to side with Putin over American intelligence agencies is disgraceful and detrimental to our democratic principles,” Romney said in a tweet. “Russia remains our number one geopolitical adversary; claiming a moral equivalence between the United States and Russia not only defies reason and history, it undermines our national integrity and impairs our global credibility.”

GOP lawmakers had publicly urged Trump ahead of the meeting to warn Putin not to interfere again in American elections. Instead, the president declined to criticize Russia even when asked pointedly to do so during a 45-minute joint press conference.

Trump even sided with Russia over his own intelligence agencies’ conclusion about Russia’s meddling in the election.

“I have great confidence in my intelligence people, but I will tell you that President Putin was extremely strong and powerful in his denial today,” Trump told reporters in Helsinki.

Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob CorkerRobert (Bob) Phillips CorkerCornyn: Relationships with Trump like 'women who get married and think they're going to change their spouse' Trump excoriates Sasse over leaked audio Has Congress captured Russia policy? MORE (R-Tenn.) pronounced himself “disappointed” and “saddened” by what he saw as Trump’s soft response to Russian interference in the U.S. election and its aggressive tactics in Ukraine and the Middle East.

“The president should have been more forceful in talking about those grievances,” said Corker, who’s not seeking reelection this year. “Putin only understands strength and I did not think this was a good moment for our country.”

GOP lawmakers mostly kept under wraps any misgivings they felt about Trump giving equal footing to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un during a summit in Singapore last month, which gave Kim significant concessions.

But they made their unhappiness with Trump’s Russia dealings plain on Monday.

Sen. Ben SasseBen SasseWe need a (common) 'sense of the Senate' resolution on transition planning Microsoft warns Russian, North Korean hackers targeting groups researching COVID-19 vaccines Obama 'troubled' by GOP attempts to cast doubt on election results: 'That's a dangerous path' MORE (R-Neb.) panned Trump’s attempt to spread the blame for poor U.S.-Russian relations as “bizarre and flat-out wrong.”

“America wants a good relationship with the Russian people but Vladimir Putin and his thugs are responsible for Soviet-style aggression,” he warned. “When the president plays these moral equivalence games, he gives Putin a propaganda win he desperately needs.”

Corker said that while he shares Trump’s desire to have good relations with Russia, he felt the president’s remarks after meeting with Putin “made us look as a nation more like a pushover and I was disappointed in that.”

Former Republican Sen. Chuck HagelCharles (Chuck) Timothy HagelRepublicans who could serve in a Biden government How a tied Senate could lead a divided America Army taps University of Wisconsin to lead research into hybrid vehicles, aircraft MORE (Neb.), who served as secretary of Defense under President Obama, said Trump “failed America, our interests today, in every way.”

Republicans have long held an advantage over Democrats on the issue of national security, but Trump’s conciliatory stance toward Putin could erode the president’s credibility on the issue.

Democratic leaders pounced on Monday in hopes of tying the GOP broadly to Trump as soft on Russia.

“What, if anything, will Congress do in response to this awful trip?” Senate Democratic Leader Charles SchumerChuck SchumerBiden could lose Georgia Senate races all by himself Puerto Rico's statehood piques Congress's interest post-election Feds charge Staten Island man over threat to Schumer, FBI MORE (N.Y.) told reporters at a press conference. “Where are our Republican colleagues ... who know in their heart that the president is giving away the store to Vladimir Putin?”

Trump’s chummy appearance with Putin also drew criticism from House Republicans like Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed RoyceEdward (Ed) Randall RoyceHere are the 17 GOP women newly elected to the House this year Young Kim takes down Democrat in California House rematch Advising Capitol Hill on insurance MORE (R-Calif.).

“There is simply no comparing the actions of the United States and Vladimir Putin,” he said in a statement, citing Putin’s annexation of Crimea from Ukraine and support for Syrian President Bashar Assad.

Royce argued those aggressive actions by Moscow were to blame for what he called a “low point” in U.S.-Russian relations, not what Trump in a tweet earlier Monday called “many years of U.S. foolishness and stupidity.”

Rep. Elise StefanikElise Marie StefanikThe year of the Republican woman Republican women break barriers in House on election night Women gain uneven footholds in Congress, state legislatures MORE (N.Y.), a Republican on the House Armed Services and Intelligence panels, said she also disagreed with the president and called Russia an “adversary.”

“We must continue to work with our allies to counter Russia’s influence around the world,” she urged.

Jordain Carney contributed.