Trump tries and fails to clean up his Putin mess, but Republicans in Congress make it clear that they won’t be doing anything about it. Then Crooked Contributor Tim Miller joins Jon and Dan to talk about the state of the Republican Party, and why it’s become a Trump cult.

Show Notes:

Walking back the Russia comment:

• New York Times: A Besieged Trump Says He Misspoke on Russian Election Meddling
• Washington Post: Trump says he accepts U.S. intelligence on Russian interference in 2016 election but denies collusion
• BBC: Double negative trends after Trump remarks on Russian meddling
• New York Magazine: Trump on Hannity: We Know There’s No Russia Collusion, Because Putin Said So

NATO and Fox News:

• New York Times:  Trump Questions the Core of NATO: Mutual Defense, Including Montenegro
• Vox: Trump somehow still doesn’t understand NATO
• Vanity Fair: Trump And Tucker Knife NATO: “Why Should My Son Go To Montenegro”?
• The Atlantic: Trump Has Learned Nothing
• Politico: Hannity wins as Trump’s lone defender
• Washington Post: The irreconcilable Fox News
• Washington Post: Tucker Carlson lets President Trump hold a rally on his show
• CNN: Trump finds few defenders as news media covers his ‘betrayal’
• Washington Post: Even Fox News hosts were aghast after Trump’s summit with Putin

Was this a walk back? Did it work?:

• Vanity Fair: “This Was The Nightmare Scenario”: The West Wing Revolts After Trump Embraces Putin
• New York Magazine: GOP Senators: Trump’s Obvious Russia Lie Is Good Enough for Us
• Politico: Trump’s Russia spin falls flat with GOP
• New York Times: How Republican Lawmakers Responded to Trump’s Russian Meddling Denial
• New York Times: After Putin Meeting, Trump Voters Mostly Dig In. But Cracks Are Showing
• Vanity Fair: Trump’s Pathetic Performance Masks A Deeper Betrayal
• Axios: GOP Senate candidates stick with Trump after Helsinki
• Politico Playbook: “GOP To The World: What Do You Want Us To Do?
• Vox: Senators are slamming Trump’s Putin meeting, but they aren’t going to do anything about it

How should Dems respond?:

• Slate: Accusing Trump of Treason Will Only Help Him
• Washington Post: Trump ‘treason’ in Helsinki? It doesn’t hold up.
• New Yorker: The Unwinding of Trump
• The Hill  – Hoyer: Trump committed ‘treason’ in Helsinki
• Huffington Post: ‘Treason’ Is Top Searched Word After Trump-Putin Press Conference

Trump says Russia isn’t targeting us anymore:

• New York Times: Trump Appears to Say Russia Is No Longer Targeting U.S. White House Says He Was Answering a Different Question
• Politico: White House: Trump will consider letting Russia question investor, former ambassador
• Daily Beast: U.S. Officials ‘at a Fucking Loss’ Over Latest Russia Sell Out
• Bloomberg: Putin Asked Trump to Let Russia Question McFaul, White House Says
• Time: I’m Bill Browder. Here’s the Biggest Mistake Putin Made When Trying to Get Access to Me Through Trump
• Washington Post: Putin’s modest proposal on interrogating U.S. officials, explained
• CBS News: Trump says he believes U.S. intelligence on Russian meddling, but declines to say Putin lied

Mariia Butina:

• New York Times: Maria Butina, Suspected Secret Agent, Used Sex in Covert Plan, Prosecutors Say
• NBC News: Accused Russian agent Mariia Butina tried to trade sex for influence, say prosecutors
• CNN: Prosecutors: Butina a flight risk, has ties to Russian intelligence
• Washington Post: Alleged Russian agent Maria Butina ordered to remain in custody after prosecutors argue she has ties to Russian intelligence agency
• Washington Post: ‘She was like a novelty’: How alleged Russian agent Maria Butina gained access to elite conservative circles
• New York Times: Woman Who Sought Secret Meeting for Trump and Putin Is Charged as Russian Agen
• Washington Post: Maria Butina, Russian gun rights advocate, charged in U.S. with acting as Russian Federation agent
• Lawfare: Justice Department Charges Russian National for Conspiracy to Act as a Foreign Agent

Why is this significant?:

• New York Times: I.R.S. Will No Longer Force Kochs and Other Groups to Disclose Donors
• Vox: The government is making it easier for “dark money” donors to go unnamed
• Reuters: U.S. move to protect ‘dark money’ donors raises Russia concerns
• New York Magazine: The Light on Dark Political Money Dims
• Roll Call: IRS Ruling on Political Donation Reporting Sets Off Campaign Finance Fight