Democratic National Security Task Force Responds to President Trump’s European Trip

Washington, D.C. –The co-chairs of the Democratic Caucus’ National Security Task Force—Reps. Seth Moulton of Massachusetts, Stephanie Murphy of Florida, and Jimmy Panetta of California—issued the following statement in response to the President’s trip to Europe for the 2018 NATO summit and a series of meetings with foreign heads of state:

“During President Trump’s trip to Europe, he should focus his attention on strengthening our relationships with our most important European partners and holding Russia accountable for its destabilizing actions. Instead, the President continues his pattern of alienating our allies and embracing our adversaries.

“We support tough and direct diplomacy, but President Trump’s decision to grant President Putin a one-on-one summit – without NATO allies or senior foreign policy advisors present—reflects a failure to acknowledge the full extent of Russia’s reprehensible actions worldwide.

“By isolating our allies, President Trump empowers Putin, who is determined to weaken our democracy and our security. President Trump should not cozy up to Russia and its dictatorial leader; he must stand up for the American people and our closest allies.”

The Democratic Caucus National Security Task Force was established in June 2017 by the House Democratic Caucus to support the creation, execution, and public messaging of national security policies that are strong, smart, and strategic.