Former National Security Adviser Susan Rice on Sunday accused President Trump of doing “our arch-enemy’s bidding” by inviting Russian President Vladimir Putin to the Group of Seven summit amid a debate over intelligence that alleges Moscow offered bounties to Taliban fighters willing to target U.S. soldiers.
Ms. Rice, who served as President Obama’s national security adviser from 2013 to 2017, also said the president is surrounded by “sycophants and weaklings” who are too afraid to give him the full picture on Russia.
“We still, I want to remind you, have credible intelligence that the Russians are trying to kill U.S. servicemen and women in Afghanistan,” she told NBC’s “Meet the Press.” “This is not the time to be handing Putin an olive branch. This is the time to be working up options to punish him. And yet, that’s not what happened.”
Capitol Hill leaders are receiving classified intelligence hearings on the alleged bounty payments to Taliban fighters, which were first reported in the New York Times.
Some reports say the administration was aware of the intelligence and put it in a presidential briefing earlier this year. But the White House says the president was never informed about the issue because intelligence officials hadn’t reached a consensus on the information.
Mr. Trump went a step further on Twitter, calling the story a “hoax” designed to hurt him and the GOP in an election year.
The president’s critics say he should be weighing forms of retaliation while the information is vetted, instead of moving to invite Mr. Putin to a G7 summit the U.S. is set to host later this year. Russia was ousted from the club of nations after annexing Crimea from Ukraine in 2014.
Ms. Rice slammed the president’s decision-making amid rumors former Vice President Joseph R. Biden is vetting her as a potential running mate this November.
She is reportedly being considered alongside Democratic Sens. Elizabeth Warren, Kamala Harris, and Tammy Duckworth, as well as Rep. Val Demmings, among other women.
Last month, Ms. Rice said in an interview that she would “certainly say yes” if asked to be Mr. Biden’s running mate.
Speaking to NBC, she said she just wants to help Democrats.
“I am going to do everything I can to help get Joe Biden elected and help him succeed as president,” Ms. Rice told NBC’s Meet the Press.” “Whether I’m his running mate or a door-knocker, I don’t mind. I just want to get Joe Biden elected and see the Democrats control the Senate and retain the House.”
• Lauren Meier contributed to this report.
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