In the News

By Bill Glauber and Mary Spicuzza

House Speaker Paul Ryan issued a stinging rebuke Monday after Russian President Vladimir Putin declared that his country did not interfere in the 2016 U.S. elections.

Ryan also criticized President Donald Trump and said the president "must appreciate that Russia is not our ally."

The stunning statement was issued by the speaker's office after Putin met with Trump in Helsinki followed by the two leaders' joint news conference.

Republican U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson also dismissed Russia's denial.

"There is no question that Russia interfered in our election and continues attempts to undermine democracy here and around the world," Ryan said in a statement.

"That is not just the finding of the American intelligence community but also the House Committee on Intelligence," Ryan said. "The president must appreciate that Russia is not our ally. There is no moral equivalence between the United States and Russia, which remains hostile to our most basic values and ideals.

"The United States must be focused on holding Russia accountable and putting an end to its vile attacks on democracy," Ryan said.

Asked about Putin's denial of election interference, Johnson said: "He's completely wrong. We have documented evidence. It's serious; it's unacceptable."

During an appearance in Milwaukee, Johnson said, "We have a bad relationship with Russia because of Russian and Putin's behavior. Make no mistake about that. The invasion of Georgia, the annexation of Crimea, the downing of Malaysia Flight 17, his alliance with (Syria) and Bashir Assad."

"This is all driven by Russia's bad behavior," Johnson added. "And we need to approach Russia from a position of real strength and resolve."

In a later statement, Johnson said a better relationship with Russian "can only happen as the result of improved Russian behavior."

"U.S. foreign policy should be uniformly directed to achieve that objective," he said. "I urge President Trump to forcefully and repeatedly demand that the Putin regime dramatically improve its behavior.”

Democratic U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin tweeted that Putin "directed an attack on our American democracy" and "Russia interfered with our elections."

She said Trump "needs to stop treating Putin like a friend and start holding him accountable."

"Instead of standing with Putin, the president should stand up for America and our democracy," Baldwin said.

Republican U.S. Senate hopeful Kevin Nicholson said he supports Trump's dialogue with Russia and, unlike Ryan, did not take the president to task for his comments.

Nicholson cautioned that since the time of the czars, "Russia’s leaders have largely proven themselves to be ruthless, uncooperative and untrustworthy — much to the detriment of the millions of Russians and Europeans who have suffered and too often died under their rule."

"Yet, American presidents have sometimes had to deal with them in order to achieve larger American policy objectives," Nicholson said in a statement. "The president clearly believes an ongoing and direct dialogue serves our national security objectives and I support him."

State Sen. Leah Vukmir of Brookfield, also running for the GOP Senate nomination, said the media "would like nothing more than to continue re-litigating the 2016 election in any way possible."

"It's clear that Russia is no friend to the U.S., but President Trump is a great negotiator and I trust him to engage with whomever is necessary to secure a safe and prosperous future for our country," Vukmir said in a statement. "I have no doubt he did that today."

U.S. Rep. Gwen Moore (D-Milwaukee) said the "display in Helsinki was nothing less than a complete capitulation to a dictator who directed a cyber war on the United States’ sovereignty and self-determination. Any president fit to serve would have honored his oath of office to protect the homeland by confronting Putin for his crimes and identifying his continued attacks on global democracy."

Moore said Trump "betrayed his presidential duty and subverted American leadership. The repercussions of his antics are sure to be felt for years to come.”

U.S. Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-Green Bay) tweeted: "As I've said all along, Putin is not our friend," adding that "Russia, not the U.S., is responsible for current tensions and we must push back."

Bryan Steil, a Republican running to succeed Ryan in the 1st Congressional District, said: "Russia is not an ally of the United States. Russia has a history of causing global instability from Syria to Georgia to Crimea. Until Russia changes their behavior and no longer undermines democracy, they must be met with strength and held accountable for their actions."

Cathy Myers, a Janesville School Board member running to gain the Democratic nomination in the 1st District, said Ryan and House Republicans "have proven they care more about protecting Trump than holding Russia accountable for its attempt to undermine our democracy."

Randy Bryce, a Democrat also running in 1st District, called on Ryan and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky to protect special counsel Robert Mueller, who is investigating Russian meddling in the 2016 election.

"There is no doubt that Putin hacked the 2016 elections and that Russia remains an enemy of the United States," Bryce said in a statement. "By refusing to acknowledge these truths, Trump has undermined our nation's intelligence community and emboldened a hostile foreign government headed by a brutal dictator."

At an appearance in Sussex, Gov. Scott Walker deflected a question about Trump, according to WITI-TV (Channel 6) news.

Asked about Trump's comments on whether Russia meddled in the election, Walker said: "I’ll leave that up to federal folks. That’s not in my jurisdiction. I think our members of Congress certainly need to look into the details of that, but that’s not something I have any privileged information about."

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