A Republican congressman from Maryland sang a tune that sounded like one from President Donald Trump this week when he bashed the mainstream media for negatively reporting about the Helsinki summit.
Rep. Andy Harris, R-Md., commented on Trump's meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin by calling it "a successful summit," according to The Baltimore Sun.
Harris then delivered a direct shot to reporters.
"I disregard and discount anything that involves the mainstream media press," he said.
"Given the unfriendliness of the press toward the president, why should we focus on a press conference? We should concentrate on the summit. The summit, in fact, had the two world superpowers sit down and discuss in a civilized way for two hours privately, and then two hours with staff, the wide gamut of issues that are important to this world. I call that a success."
During a press conference with members of the House Freedom Caucus, Harris said members of the media wasted their breath by asking questions about Russia's election meddling.
"They ask about election collusion, or election meddling. That's the problem," Harris said. "This wasn't a press conference. A press conference is where you discuss real issues. You have the opportunity with two of the world's superpowers, and instead the question is, gee, do you have anything on the president?
"That's not the way the press ought to conduct itself, to be honest with you. If I were the president, I wouldn't hold those press conferences anymore until the press decides to get serious about the world issues, as this president is."
Trump was criticized for not standing up to Putin during Monday's media event in Helsinki, Finland, with regard to the U.S. intelligence community's finding Russia meddled in the 2016 U.S. election. Trump also seemed to delegitimize the ongoing Russia probe and said he doubted Russia could have tried to influence the election.
Trump issued a correction Tuesday, however, and said he misspoke, noting he does respect the assessment Russia stuck its nose in U.S. affairs two years ago.
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