National

Trump's remarks disputing Russian meddling reverberates along Senate campaign trails nationwide

WASHINGTON – The fallout from President Donald Trump's comments disputing the conclusion of U.S. intelligence agencies that Russia meddled in the 2016 election is ricocheting across the country among some of the most competitive U.S. Senate races that could decide which party will control the chamber next year.

With Democrats pouncing on the remarks as ammunition to gin-up anti-Trump fervor among their base, Republicans are once again trying to navigate controversial comments by a president who operates outside traditional political boundaries.

"To put it mildly, Trump's statements about Putin are not helpful for Republican candidates across the board. They have the potential to really hurt," said Aubrey Jewett, a political science professor at the University of Central Florida in Orlando. "We've got a long way to go (before the election) but this certainly helps Democrats."

With Russian President Vladimir Putin standing just a feet away during Monday's summit at the presidential palace in Helsinki, Trump essentially dismissed the findings of U.S. intelligence community under two administrations and the Republican-controlled Senate Intelligence Committee that Moscow sought to skew the election toward Trump.

"I have great confidence in my intelligence people, but I will tell you that President Putin was extremely strong and powerful in his denial today," Trump said. "Putin ... just said it's not Russia. I will say this: I don't see any reason why it would be."

The remarks reverberated all along the Senate campaign trail, from coast to coast.

Even before Monday, Florida Republican Gov. Rick Scott, who is running to unseat three-term Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson in an expected close race, had already been distancing himself from his friend and political ally.

Pressed by reporters for reaction, Scott late Monday night seemed to move further away from the president though he refused to directly criticize Trump. The governor was a little more forceful Tuesday, telling reporters during a campaign stop in Orlando that he "completely" disagrees with the president.

“I think Putin (is) not to be trusted. I’m very skeptical of him. I don’t think he’s a friend; he’s a foe," Scott said. "I think that there is clear evidence that he tried to meddle in our election."

Scott stopped short of criticizing Trump by name, mindful of the president's high standing among Republicans in Florida. Scott will need those GOP voters in November as he tries to unseat Nelson in a race most polls and analysts rate as a toss-up.

Trump barely beat Hillary Clinton in Florida, winning the state by only 1.2 percentage points.

But Jewett said the episode has allowed Nelson "to regain his footing" after Scott had seemed to gain momentum from a strengthening economy and a TV advertising blitz.

For his part, Nelson took to the Senate floor within a few hours Monday to denounce the president, calling Trump's comments "alarming ... embarrassing and ... unacceptable.”

Bashing Trump comes with its own risks, too. Polls show the president's approval ratings among Sunshine State voters growing in recent months. A CBS News/YouGov poll last month found 52 percent of Florida voters gave Trump a thumbs up.

In Tennessee, GOP Rep. Marsha Blackburn, a strong Trump supporter who seldom parts ways with the president, issued a statement condemning Russia's actions – but steered clear of any direct critique of the president.

“Russia is an adversary, and our intelligence agencies concluded that they meddled in the 2016 election,” said Blackburn, who is running to succeed GOP Sen. Bob Corker, a frequent Trump critic who is retiring. "Russia is a bad actor, and we must treat them as such. They have been focused on our demise for decades.”

The latest polls show Blackburn trailing Democrat Phil Bredesen, Tennessee's former governor, by nearly 5 points, according to an Emerson College poll released Monday.

Bredesen, the top Democratic candidate running against Blackburn for Corker's Senate seat, released a brief statement Monday night indicating he supported the findings of U.S. investigators but did not mention the president.

“As an American, I have to say I believe our own defense and intelligence agencies much more than the President of Russia," Bredesen said.

Trump annihilated Clinton in 2016 by 26 points.

In Indiana, Republican Mike Braun who is challenging Democratic incumbent Joe Donnelly, praised Trump - even as he contradicted the president in saying "Russia is not our friend." And he blamed the media for blowing Trump’s comments out of proportion.

"While the media continues to focus on re-litigating the 2016 election, I believe the commander in chief is rightly focused on the future ahead and engaging with all nations, friend or foe, to secure a better future for our country," he said.

Braun's statement avoided any challenge to the U.S. intelligence community conclusion that Russia interfered in the election.

Trump won Indiana by 19 percentage points in 2016, but his popularity has dipped. Trump's net approval rating was plus 5 percentage points in June, according to Morning Consult.

Donnelly, who has been careful not to be too critical of the president as he faces re-election in a red state, called the Trump/Putin meeting "a setback for American national security."

"When given the chance to stand up for our country and its security interests, President Trump instead emboldened President Putin and disregarded the consensus conclusion of the hard-working and patriotic Americans in the intelligence community, including Director of National Intelligence and fellow Hoosier Dan Coats," Donnelly said.

And in Missouri, a campaign spokeswoman for Josh Hawley, Missouri's attorney general who is vying to unseat Democratic incumbent Claire McCaskill, brought up Trump's 2016 victory over Clinton in expressing no concern over the president's summit talk impacting the Senate race.

"President Trump won. Hillary lost," spokeswoman Kelli Ford said. "It's time for Democrats and the media to move on, and the President should keep on being forceful with Russia."

Clinton got clobbered by Trump in 2016 by nearly 19 points. The latest polls in Missouri show a tight contest between McCaskill and Hawley.

Contributing: Michael Collins, Will Schmitt, USA TODAY NETWORK