Trump: Putin 'probably' involved in assassinations
President Trump on Sunday admitted Russian President Vladimir Putin was "probably" involved in assassinations and poisonings, but those crimes were "not in our country." Lesley Stahl on CBS's "60 Minutes" pressed Trump over his unusually warm relationship with Putin, whom he often declines to criticize publicly.
"Do you agree that Vladimir Putin is involved in assassinations? In poisonings?" Stahl asked Trump.
"Probably he is, yeah," he said. "But ... it’s not in our country."
"They shouldn't do it," Stahl replied. "This is a terrible thing."
Trump agreed "of course" the Russian government should not order assassinations and poisonings.
When Stahl segued into a question about the Russian meddling in the 2016 U.S. presidential election,
Trump said he believes Russia meddled but "China meddled too."
Stahl pressed him for evidence to back up the accusation against China, which he was not able to provide.
"You are diverting the whole Russia thing," Stahl said.
"I'm not doing anything," the president said.
Trump was slammed by critics and allies alike over his performance at the joint press conference with Putin in Helsinki over the summer, during which Trump appeared to cast doubt on Russia's involvement in hacking the 2016 elections.
https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/411366-trump-putin-probably-involved-in-assassinations
