*By Alisha Haridasani*
President Trump on Monday refused to state whether he believed his own intelligence agencies about Russia’s attempt to meddle in the 2016 election, widening the rift between the White House and American security agencies.
“I don’t see any reason why Russia would interfere with U.S. elections," Trump said during a joint press conference with Russian President Vladimir Putin by his side in Helsinki, Finland. “I have great confidence in my intelligence people, but I will tell you that President Putin was extremely strong and powerful in his denial.”
“I think that the probe is a disaster for our country,” Trump added, taking the unusual step to undermine his own Justice Department on foreign soil.
The joint press conference took place days after special counsel Robert Mueller [indicted 12 Russian military officials](https://cheddar.com/videos/justice-department-indicts-12-russian-military-intelligence-officer-for-election-interference) for orchestrating a sophisticated campaign to steal information from the Democratic campaign and distribute the documents to influence the election.
Putin, on Monday, denied those allegations. “The Russian state has never interfered, and is not going to interfere, in internal American affairs, including the election process,” he said at the presser.
Putin then went on to suggest that the two countries should work together on the investigation, proposing that the U.S. should send in requests for Russian law enforcement to question the 12 people indicted.
Trump called Putin’s offer “incredible.”
The press conference came after an hours-long private meeting between Trump and Putin and caps Trump’s week-long trip across Europe, where he spent much of his time [censuring NATO allies](https://cheddar.com/videos/trump-wastes-no-time-attacking-allies-at-nato-summit-in-brussels) and [criticizing British Prime Minister Theresa May.](https://cheddar.com/videos/trump-calls-recorded-interview-in-the-uk-fake-news)
Immediately after the conference, Republican and Democratic lawmakers voiced their concerns about Trump’s performance on the international stage -- even those loyal to the stage. House Speaker Paul Ryan, one of Trump's staunchest allies in Congress, said there is "no question that Russia interfered in our election."
"The President must appreciate that Russia is not our ally," Ryan said in a [statement.](https://www.speaker.gov/press-release/statement-russia)
“I never thought I would see the day when our American president would stand on the stage with the Russian president and place blame on the United States for Russian aggression,” said Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.). “This is shameful.”
Former CIA director John Brennan said Trump was “nothing short of treasonous” at the press conference and the president is “wholly in the pocket of Putin.”
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) tweeted his discontent, saying the meeting was a “missed opportunity by President Trump to firmly hold Russia accountable."
But despite the outcry among politicians, the press conference won't shift the Republican party's support of the President, said Nahal Toosi, Politico's foreign affairs correspondent.
"They're not going to be standing up to this president. They feel like he, in terms of policy, is way too important to them."
The Republican party has several domestic issues in the pipeline, chief among them the midterm elections in November and the confirmation of a replacement for Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy, said Toosi.
Many U.S. consumers say they’ve noticed higher than usual prices for holiday gifts in recent months, according to a a December poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. A contributing factor is the unusually high import taxes the Trump administration put on foreign goods. While the worst-case consumer impact that many economists foresaw from the administration’s trade policies hasn’t materialized, some popular gift items have been affected more than others. Most toys and electronics sold in the U.S. come from China. So do most holiday decorations. Jewelry prices have risen due to the cost of gold.
Serbia’s prosecutor for organized crime has charged a government minister and three others with abuse of position and falsifying of documents related to a luxury real estate project linked to U.S. President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner. The charges came on Monday. The investigation centers on a controversy over a a bombed-out military complex in central Belgrade that was a protected cultural heritage zone but that is facing redevelopment as a luxury compound by a company linked to Kushner. The $500 million proposal to build a high-rise hotel, offices and shops at the site has met fierce opposition from experts at home and abroad. Selakovic and others allegedly illegally lifted the protection status for the site by falsifying documentation.
President Donald Trump has signed an executive order to block states from regulating artificial intelligence. He argues that heavy regulations could stifle the industry, especially given competition from China. Trump says the U.S. needs a unified approach to AI regulation to avoid complications from state-by-state rules. The order directs the administration to draw up a list of problematic regulations for the Attorney General to challenge. States with laws could lose access to broadband funding, according to the text of the order. Some states have already passed AI laws focusing on transparency and limiting data collection.
The New York Times and President Donald Trump are fighting again. The news outlet said Wednesday it won't be deterred by Trump's “false and inflammatory language” from writing about the 79-year-old president's health. The Times has done a handful of stories on that topic recently, including an opinion column that said Trump is “starting to give President Joe Biden vibes.” In a Truth Social post, Trump said it might be treasonous for outlets like the Times to do “FAKE” reports about his health and "we should do something about it.” The Republican president already has a pending lawsuit against the newspaper for its past reports on his finances.
President Donald Trump says he will allow Nvidia to sell its H200 computer chip used in the development of artificial intelligence to “approved customers” in China. Trump said Monday on his social media site that he had informed China’s leader Xi Jinping and “President Xi responded positively!” There had been concerns about allowing advanced computer chips into China as it could help them to compete against the U.S. in building out AI capabilities. But there has also been a desire to develop the AI ecosystem with American companies such as chipmaker Nvidia.
House Republicans in key battleground districts are working to contain the political fallout expected when thousands of their constituents face higher bills for health insurance coverage obtained through the Affordable Care Act. For a critical sliver of the GOP majority, the impending expiration of the enhanced premium tax credits after Dec. 31 could be a major political liability as they potentially face midterm headwinds in a 2026 election critical to President Donald Trump’s agenda. For Democrats, the party’s strategy for capturing the House majority revolves around pinning higher bills for groceries, health insurance and utilities on Republicans.
