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65</span> <div class="addthis_inline_share_toolbox_ru82"></div> <div class="share-additional"> <div class="share-linkedin"> <script> ;(function(){ var linkedinScriptEl = document.querySelector('script[src="//web.archive.org/web/20180720052326/http://platform.linkedin.com/in.js"]'); if (linkedinScriptEl == null) { var shareLinkedinEl = document.querySelector('.share-linkedin'); var scriptEl = document.createElement('script'); scriptEl.src = "//web.archive.org/web/20180720052326/http://platform.linkedin.com/in.js"; scriptEl.async = true; scriptEl.innerHTML = " lang: en_US"; shareLinkedinEl.appendChild(scriptEl); } })(); </script> <script type="IN/Share"></script> </div> <div class="share-stumbleupon"> <su:badge layout="6"></su:badge> <script type="text/javascript"> (function() { var li = document.createElement('script'); li.type = 'text/javascript'; li.async = true; li.src = ('https:' == document.location.protocol ? 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French President Emmanuel Macron, for example, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20180720052326/http://thehill.com/policy/international/384809-macron-rips-fear-and-anger-in-speech-to-congress" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">delivered</a> an address before Congress during his trip to D.C. in April.</p><p></p><div id="dfp-ad-mosad_1-wrapper" class="dfp-tag-wrapper wrapper"><div id="dfp-ad-mosad_1" class="dfp-tag-wrapper"><span>ADVERTISEMENT</span><script type="text/javascript"> <![CDATA[// ><!]]> </script></div></div><p>McConnell's office weighed in on a possible Putin visit after the White House said Thursday that <span class="rollover-people" data-behavior="rolloverpeople"><a class="rollover-people-link" data-nid="261287" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20180720052326/http://thehill.com/people/donald-trump">President Trump</a><span class="rollover-people-block" id="rollover-people-261287"><span class="rollover-block"><span><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="/web/20180720052326im_/http://thehill.com/sites/default/files/styles/thumb_100/public/trumpdonald_070117getty.jpg?itok=JZMvGO3d" width="100" height="100" alt=""/><a class="name" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20180720052326/http://thehill.com/people/donald-trump">Donald John Trump</a><a class="people-articles" href="/web/20180720052326/http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/397790-iran-claims-it-rejected-trump-meeting-requests-8-times">Iran claims it rejected Trump meeting requests 8 times</a> <a class="people-articles" href="/web/20180720052326/http://thehill.com/blogs/in-the-know/in-the-know/397791-espy-host-jokes-putin-was-as-happy-after-trump-summit-as">ESPY host jokes Putin was as happy after Trump summit as Ovechkin winning Stanley Cup</a> <a class="people-articles" href="/web/20180720052326/http://thehill.com/business-a-lobbying/397788-russian-ambassador-trump-made-verbal-agreements-with-putin">Russian ambassador: Trump made ‘verbal agreements’ with Putin</a> <a class="more" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20180720052326/http://thehill.com/people/donald-trump">MORE<span></span></a></span></span></span></span> had asked national security adviser John Bolton <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20180720052326/http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/397940-sarah-sanders-discussions-underway-for-putin-to-come-to-washington" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">to invite Putin to Washington</a> for a second meeting this fall after the two leaders met in Helsinki on Monday.</p><p>Senate Republicans are <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20180720052326/http://thehill.com/homenews/senate/397976-senate-gop-attempts-to-wave-trump-off-second-putin-summit" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">generally opposed</a> to the prospect of another Trump-Putin meeting so soon after the pair's one-on-one meeting in the Finnish capital this week, which sparked controversy after Trump appeared to side with Putin's denials over the U.S. intelligence community's assessment that Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential election.</p><p>The two presidents met privately for nearly two hours before holding a joint news conference. It's unclear what the pair discussed, and lawmakers have pressed the Trump administration for answers on any potential agreements from the meeting.</p><p>Several GOP senators criticized Trump’s comments during the press conference with Putin, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20180720052326/http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/397734-trump-says-he-holds-putin-personally-responsible-for-election" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">followed by days of scrutiny</a> over Trump's views regarding Russia's election meddling.</p><p>Trump sought to walk back his comments on Tuesday, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20180720052326/http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/397481-trump-says-he-accepts-us-intel-on-russia-then-adds-it-could-be-other" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">saying</a> that he believes in the U.S. intelligence community’s conclusion that Russia interfered in the election, adding “could be other people also. A lot of people out there.”</p></div></div></div> <div class="article-tags"> <span>Tags</span> <a href="/web/20180720052326/http://thehill.com/person/mitch-mcconnell" title="Mitch McConnell">Mitch McConnell</a> <a href="/web/20180720052326/http://thehill.com/person/donald-trump" title="Donald Trump">Donald Trump</a> <a href="/web/20180720052326/http://thehill.com/social-tags/mitch-mcconnell-vladimir-putin-donald-trump" title="Mitch McConnell; Vladimir Putin; Donald Trump">Mitch McConnell; Vladimir Putin; Donald Trump</a> </div> <div id="bottom-story-socials" class="blogs-social-wrp"> <div class="addthis_inline_share_toolbox_ru82"></div> <div class="share-additional"> <div class="share-linkedin"> <script> ;(function(){ var linkedinScriptEl = document.querySelector('script[src="//web.archive.org/web/20180720052326/http://platform.linkedin.com/in.js"]'); if (linkedinScriptEl == null) { var shareLinkedinEl = document.querySelector('.share-linkedin'); var scriptEl = document.createElement('script'); scriptEl.src = "//web.archive.org/web/20180720052326/http://platform.linkedin.com/in.js"; scriptEl.async = true; scriptEl.innerHTML = " lang: en_US"; shareLinkedinEl.appendChild(scriptEl); } })(); </script> <script type="IN/Share"></script> </div> <div class="share-stumbleupon"> <su:badge layout="6"></su:badge> <script type="text/javascript"> (function() { var li = document.createElement('script'); li.type = 'text/javascript'; li.async = true; li.src = ('https:' == document.location.protocol ? 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