In response to President Trump’s comments this morning downplaying Russia’s hack of our election and the Kremlin’s following statementdirecting reporters to “note the nuances” of  Trump’s language, DNC deputy communications director Adrienne Watson issued the following statement:

“It took less than 24 hours for Trump to give his first gift to the Kremlin, and he and Putin haven't even met yet.  Russia and Trump are on the same page about Russia’s hack of our election. Trump is currently in charge of protecting our country, but his dismissal of Russia’s attack is nothing less than a failure to stand up for American democracy and an invitation for the Kremlin to come back in 2018.”

“It is also extremely worrisome to watch Trump bash freedoms afforded by our First Amendment and slam our former President, all while standing on foreign soil.  Instead of criticizing the freedoms that make our country great, our commander-in-chief should serve as a leader for the free world and a champion of America.”