The Finland Betrayal: With Russian President Vladimir Putin at his side, President Trump yesterday refused to affirm the conclusions of US intelligence and the special counsel’s office that Russia attacked and attempted to steer the 2016 election toward Trump.

In effect, in the presence and in favor of a foreign adversary, Trump attacked and undermined vital American institutions.

Trump made his remarks shortly after the end of a one-on-one meeting with Putin in which only translators were present — no note-takers. One statement hit like a lightning bolt that shocked the Western world. Trump said of his intelligence agencies, “They said they think it’s Russia; I have President Putin. He just said it’s not Russia. I will say this. I don’t see any reason why it would be.”

Trump added. “I have great confidence in my intelligence people, but I will tell you that President Putin was extremely strong and powerful in his denial today.”

Trump said he was even pleased with an offer by Putin to help US investigators find out who hacked the election. “And what he did is an incredible offer,” Trump said. “He offered to have the people working on the case come and work with their investigators, with respect to the 12 people. I think that’s an incredible offer.”

Not since OJ Simpson swore he would find the murderer of his ex-wife has there been such an incredible offer.

When the Putin/Trump press conference was over, CNN’s Anderson Cooper said, “You have been watching perhaps one of the most disgraceful performances by an American president at a summit in front of a Russian leader certainly that I’ve ever seen.”

Jake Tapper said, “The United States was attacked, and today, President Trump sided with the enemy.”

Republican leaders issued tepid condemnations, but Arizona Sen. John McCain said, “No prior president has ever abased himself more abjectly before a tyrant.”

The NY Times ’ Thomas Friedman wrote, “There is overwhelming evidence that our president, for the first time in our history, is deliberately or through gross negligence or because of his own twisted personality engaged in treasonous behavior — behavior that violates his oath of office to ‘preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.’”

Former CIA Director John Brennan tweeted, “Donald Trump’s press conference performance in Helsinki rises to & exceeds the threshold of ‘high crimes & misdemeanors.’ It was nothing short of treasonous. Not only were Trump’s comments imbecilic, he is wholly in the pocket of Putin. Republican Patriots: Where are you???”

The Fixation: Asked by reporters about Russian interference with the election, Trump veered off into diatribes about campaign collusion … which no one asked about … Hillary Clinton’s missing emails, and the computer server of the Democratic National Committee

Trump is clearly worried that his election is not seen as legitimate. He said, again with Putin at his side,  “That was a clean campaign. I beat Hillary Clinton easily and, frankly, we beat her. And I’m not even saying from the standpoint — we won that race. It’s a shame there could be a cloud over it.”

The Russia Target: Amid questions about connections between the National Rifle Association and Russia, a federal grand jury has charged Russian national Maria Butina, a lifetime member of the NRA, with being an unregistered agent of the Russian government and a spy for Moscow while she studied in the United States. According to the indictment, Butina’s mission was to “exploit personal connections with U.S. persons having influence in American politics in an effort to advance the interests of the Russian Federation.”

The Wrap: The federal judge who ordered immigrant children in federal custody to be reunited with their parents has ordered a halt to the deportation of reunited families. — Twenty-three people were injured yesterday when a basketball-sized lava bomb from Hawaii’s Mt. Kilauea plunged through the canopy of a tour boat. One woman had a fractured femur and other passengers suffered burns and scrapes. — MGM resorts International, the owner of the Mandalay Bay Hotel from which the Las Vegas shooter conducted his massacre last October, has sued 1,000 victims claiming the company has no legal responsibility for what happened. The gunman, Stephen Paddock, 64, stockpiled his room with guns and ammunition over several days before opening fire on a musical festival below. — A 14 square-mile wildfire is burning on the western edge of Yosemite national Park in California. Much of the park is covered in a blanket of smoke at the height of tourist season.

End Note: President Trump is back in the White House tweeting self-congratulations for his performance in Finland.

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