President Donald Trump should have chosen another time to criticize the U.S. intelligence community instead of during so on a foreign visit, according to Rep. Scott Taylor, R-Va.
In an appearance in Poland ahead of his first meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Trump said, "Nobody really knows for sure" about Russian interference. That runs counter to the findings of the U.S. intelligence officials, who have said Putin ordered interference.
"On the world stage, perhaps there could've been a better place to say that," Taylor told CNN's "New Day" on Thursday.
Taylor added Trump must work together with intelligence officials regarding Russian interference in the 2016 elections, as well as on other issues, and move past using intelligence as a "political weapon."
"I said this months ago, that both the president and the higher-ups in the intelligence community need to get on the same page, for the protection of the American people," Taylor told "New Day."
Trump's unpredictable style could be a positive in the meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Taylor added in the CNN interview.
"President Putin is very cunning; he's very calculating" Taylor said. "But it's hard to calculate someone like President Donald Trump, so that may be a good thing in the meeting."
At another point during the interview, Taylor praised the president's speech in Poland.
"He showed that we will stand with them," Taylor said.
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