The message the president's national security advisors delivered from the White House Thursday was clear: Russia continues to attack the United States – aggressively spreading propaganda, targeting elections, and aiming to undermine democracy – and we must be prepared to respond.
The message the president of the United States delivered at a rally Thursday evening was entirely different: "We're being hindered by the Russian hoax. It's a hoax."
CNN:
Earlier on Thursday, key members of Trump's national security team had appeared in the White House briefing room to warn that Russia was continuing its efforts to interfere in the US political system, saying Trump had directed them to make countering election interference a top priority.
(...)
Trump said the "Russian hoax" is holding up his approach to Russia, and he lashed out at the media, which he said unfairly maligned last month's meeting. At that meeting, Trump declined to accept the US intelligence community's conclusion that Russia had attempted to influence the 2016 election in his favor and pointed to Putin's denial. Trump followed up that comment after much criticism, saying he had meant to say he saw no reason why it "wouldn't" be Russia behind the effort but had instead said "would."
He also claimed on Thursday that Russia was "very unhappy" he had won the election, although at his joint news conference with Putin, the Russian leader said he had wanted Trump to win.
The ongoing disconnect is not going unnoticed.
From The Washington Post's conservative opinion writer Jennifer Rubin:
No matter how hard Coats, Wray, Bolton and others sidestep or try to put words in Trump’s mouth, Trump never fails to embarrass them and communicate his true feelings. He has never accepted that he got elected with Russian help, and he is not about to make a personal, all-out-push to stop it in 2018.
Matt Miller, former Justice Department spokesman: "It's pretty clear this press conference happened because the staff realized Trump did deep damage to his presidency in Helsinki and raised real doubts in people's minds about where his loyalties lie, and they convinced him they needed to signal to the American people that he is not actually in bed with the Russians."
... "You can't admit to Russian interference at the same time you are claiming the investigation that is holding Russians accountable is a witch hunt. ... So you will continue to see this dissonance."
Trump’s anti-Putin advisers are hung out to dry, again (WaPo)
Trump slams 'Russian hoax' hours after administration says Russia is meddling in midterms (CNN)