Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) on Tuesday said President Trump “insulted every Russian citizen” when he congratulated Russian President Vladimir Putin on his re-election to another six-year term. “An American president does not lead the Free World by congratulating dictators on winning sham elections,” said McCain, the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee. “And by doing so with Vladimir Putin, President Trump insulted every Russian citizen who was denied the right to vote in a free and fair election to determine their country's future, including the countless Russian patriots who have risked so much to protest and resist Putin's regime.” The two leaders spoke by phone earlier Tuesday, the White House said, and Trump “congratulated” Putin for winning re-election. The legitimacy of Sunday’s election was widely condemned by international election-observers, and Putin’s top opponent was barred from running. Trump told reporters that he and Putin would meet “in the not too distant future.” When asked at Tuesday’s press briefing whether Russia’s elections were free and fair, White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said: “Look, we don’t get to dictate how other countries operate.” —Andrew Desiderio
