Former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice on Wednesday called it "beyond outrageous" the Trump administration would consider letting Russian officials interrogate Americans.
At a press briefing Wednesday, White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said President Donald Trump will "meet with his team" about Russia's proposal to interview former U.S. Ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul, a harsh critic of Vladimir Putin, U.S.-born financier Bill Browder — who lobbied Congress to pass the Magnitsky Act that resulted in harsh sanctions on Russia and against whom the Kremlin retaliated by trying him in absentia for tax fraud— as well as other Americans in exchange for access to 12 Russian military intelligence officials indicted by special counsel Robert Mueller.
The offer was "an idea they threw out," Sanders said. "The president is gonna meet with his team, and we’ll let you know when we have an announcement on that."
Rice accused the White House of "serving a hostile foreign power."
Conservatives were also outraged.
Conservative John Podhoretz, editor of Commentary, tweeted:
Conservative and Trump critic Tom Nichols tweeted:
Jeb Bush also blasted the access exchange request from Putin — tweeting "not dismissing this absurd request out of hand is an extraordinary sign of weakness by an American president."
Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., warned the Senate might take the issue out of the president's hands.
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