Transcript for Trump prepares to meet Putin
Now to the historic face-off between presidents trump and Putin. The drama and controy heighten by the fa that intelligence officials for Hacke 2016 election. The president is saying he has low expectations for the Monday meeting and as a warm-up he is getting in golf at his club in Scotland. What’s on the agenda? Ll he confront put election meddling? ABC’s Terry Moran is right there Helsinki. Terry, goomorning. Reporter: Good morning, guys. In many ways this is the main event of the trump presidency on foreign policy. And that’s because, as Y pointou the unique circutance surrounding Russia D this predency. On the agdaor president Putin will be Syria. He wants get some done on that ore. But fresident trump, listening to him, it sounds like this is an opportunity for him to size Vladimir Putin ud see what kind of business he can do with M. President trump hitting the links in scotlag morning, golfing his favorite stime and heeted, my primary form of exercise, adding a T plug for his N trump turnberry resort. This place is incredible. Next stop, hnkinnish capital on the baltic sea with a long history of east/westmmitry. He tells news he is keeping his expectations in check. I gin with lo expectations. I’m not going in with high expectations I don’t real- I can’t ll you what’s going to happen, but I can tell you what I’ll be asking for, and we’ll see if somethg mes of it. Reporter: The indictment of 12usan militarintelligence agents for hacking the democratic national committee and the Clinton campaign in 2016 raises the stakes here and puts pressure on president trump to defend amen democratic institutions. But as he showed again last we at nato, prentims there’s not much he can do to deter puti He may det. I mean, it’s one of those things I say, did ynd dot it again but he may deny. I mean, ‘ll — U’ll be the first to know. Reporter: And today with CBS news, he blames president Obama the ING and evla mocrats these F hacked. Ga was during the Obama administration. Theye doing whever it wa durihe Obama ainistratio and heard that they were trying or people were tryio hack Ith the Republican national committee.,. The Republican nnal the Republican national committee. But we had muctt, I ve been to that by a nu of peoples, I have been told that by a nu O we Huch betterefenses so they couldn’t. I think the DNC should be asd of themsves for almselves to be hacked. Reporteemocrats wary of a scheduled one-on-one trump/putin meeting no aides involved are call this summit to B canceled altogether. I and his tm are not willing to make the subject of this indictment of Russian inrference a top priority in lsinki mee, then the meeting should bnceled. Reporter: And there’s no ance of that happening. Presidentrump going to go ahead with this summit and with that oneone meeting. He sees this whole Russia hacking in 2016 story as a change to his legitim but ere are a lot of Americans and, frankly, a lot of inteence profeionals who wao see him e-on-one W putistand up and defend the Aman. Guys. All rightterry, THA you very much for your reporting om helsink for more ois we want bring in ABC’s chief white house correspondent Jon Karl who is hong “Thisk” a little bit later this morning in Jon, goomog to you. So, I’ve got to ask you, U spoke justents ago wh the idonal security adviser, John Bolton. You asked ec if he was blindsided, if the prent was by those 12 indictments earlier this week. Let’s take a listen. He was perfecpr have it come before the meg with put uld say, in fact, it stngens his hand. Shows thathe justice system, the department of justice E aware ofse run efforts action meddling and I think the idputhis on th tablany this is a serious matter. We need to talk about it. Jon, Bolton is saying that this strengthens the ident’s hand. What do you make of that? Well, fir of all, this was a fascinating interview and in that clip right the you he H both say that it strengthens his hand but also saying tt the presidcan put this on the table and say this is a serious matter, this just after the president himself when he was asked alreknowing Abt the ctments ancaed Mueller’s inveion a rigged witchu that hurts our ip with ru I ink this I absolu fascinati. Thestion is, does the national security adviser reflthof the prent who he add on this question will president trump really put this in a serious way to Vladimir Putin. Adviseth he will. I thinthere are reasons to doubt that, but thisl fascinatg in how itees up this summit her Sometimes there is daylight eeident and aides, no question about it on this I. The Mueller probe is looming over this entire affair. This morning “The Washington post” quoting people familiar wiestigationsaying special counsel is pushing to wrap up a significanttion of his invtitive work by the end of the summer. What do now about at? Ell, first ol, it’s extremely difficult to discern what’s going on with rober and the speccounsel investigation.had been H similarly for a long time but “The post” in eir reporting has significanveats, this could delay it. One thing that could delay it, the president pparently T going to aeeo a sit-down interview so I believe thes title doubt that Mueller would like to see this thing wra up by summer but big questions about whether or not it actually which . One of the questions is will he issue a subpoena here? Jon karlthkou. Want to re everybodyon has a ow this morning. U can watch that of what he describes as a fascinating interview with the white Nati security Viser John Bolton. Plus, the powerhouse roundtable debates week in polics including the fallout over the latest Mueller indictments in Russian interference in the 201 election. That’s all coming up on ABC. While we have you, you want to tune in Monday when ABC news wi have complete live coverage of the trump/putin Su starting 6:00 A.M. We want to switch gears and
This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.
