Progressive Briefing for Tuesday, July 17, 2018

Americans explode after Trump's summit with Putin, Justice Department arrests Russia national with ties to Trump and the NRA, all the people convicted of treason in the U.S., and more.

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U.S. lawmakers condemn Trump over Helsinki summit with Putin

A wave of condemnation by U.S. lawmakers from both Republican and Democratic parties followed President Donald Trump’s failure at a Helsinki summit to warn Russian President Vladimir Putin about meddling in the 2016 U.S. election.

The following are some of the comments by U.S. Senators and Representatives:

Republican Senator John McCain statement:

“Today’s press conference in Helsinki was one of the most disgraceful performances by an American president in memory. The damage inflicted by President Trump’s naiveté, egotism, false equivalence, and sympathy for autocrats is difficult to calculate … The summit in Helsinki was a tragic mistake.”

“No prior president has ever abased himself more abjectly before a tyrant.”

Republican Senator Lindsey Graham on Twitter:

“Missed opportunity by President Trump to firmly hold Russia accountable for 2016 meddling and deliver a strong warning … This answer by President Trump will be seen by Russia as a sign of weakness and create far more problems than it solves.”

House of Representatives Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi statement:

“President Trump’s weakness in front of Putin was embarrassing, and proves that the Russians have something on the President, personally, financially or politically.”

Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell speaking to reporters:

“The Russians are not our friends and I entirely believe the assessment of our intelligence community.”

Click here to read more comments from lawmakers.

Justice department arrests Russian national with ties to Trump and the NRA for allegedly acting as a covert agent

Russian citizen Maria Butina has been arrested and is being held by the U.S. government, the Department of Justice announced Monday, for allegedly working as an unauthorized agent of the Russian Federation in the United States.

The arrest and criminal complaint are particularly notable because Butina has reportedly had a connection to President Donald Trump’s campaign, the National Rifle Association, and Republican operative Paul Erickson.

The United States has a national-security problem – and it’s not what you think

The concept of national security that, for most of us, automatically conjures up in our head images of terrorist groups, cyber warriors, or “rogue states.” To hear the hawks tell it, the United States has never been less secure. So much for bang for the buck.

For millions of Americans, however, the greatest threat to their day-to-day security isn’t terrorism or North Korea, Iran, Russia, or China. It’s internal—and economic.

Protesters swarm the White House calling for Trump’s impeachment as soon as he arrives back in the U.S.

Protesters rallied outside the White House in Washington Monday evening upon President Trump’s return from his disastrous trip to Helsinki, Finland where he sided with President Putin against the U.S., carrying signs calling Trump a Traitor-in-Chief and calling for his immediate impeachment.

Here are all the people who’ve been convicted of treason in the U.S. – and the ones who were punished by execution

In 2001, when a young man named John Walker became a “freedom fighter” for the Taliban and speculation about potential treason charges were floated, the San Francisco Gate noted in a report that throughout United States history “treason charges have been brought fewer than 30 times,” and treason charges haven’t been formally brought against any American since the end of World War II.

Here are the people that have been convicted of treason in the US.

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