Trump stumps for Russia ahead of G-7 meeting

No Images? Click here         Trump Wants Russia Back In The G-7 President Donald Trump said Friday he thinks Russia should be reinstated into the Group of Seven, the industrialized countries whose leaders are meeting in Canada this weekend.  Trump, acknowledging his view “may not be politically correct,” told reporters before leaving for the summit: “We have a world to run and the G-7, which used to be the G-8 ― they threw Russia out. Russia should be in this meeting. They should let Russia come back in, because we should have Russia at the negotiating table.”  Russia was expelled from what had been the G-8 in 2014 following its annexation of Crimea. Trump’s comment was in line with his unusually friendly stance toward Russia, despite evidence that it interfered in the 2016 election to help his campaign.  The prospects of Russia being readmitted to the G-7 are dim. Just two months ago, G-7 foreign ministers pledged to set up a working group to “call out” Russian “maligned behavior.” Even before his Russia comment, Trump was at odds with fellow G-7 leaders on trade and other issues. He imposed a series of steel and aluminum tariffs on several G-7 countries to redress what he said in a tweet Friday was a “long time unfair trade practiced against the United States.”  READ MORE     WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING? Special counsel Robert Mueller’s team has secured an indictment against a Russian-Ukrainian political consultant who worked with Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort. Konstantin Kilimnik was named in a superseding indictment on Friday along with Manafort. READ MORE Trump supports relaxing federal pot laws, in a blow to Jeff Sessions. If the legislation is signed into law, it would resolve a decadeslong conflict between state and federal marijuana laws. READ MORE Barack Obama remembered Anthony Bourdain with a touching photo from Vietnam. Bourdain featured Obama in an episode about Hanoi, filmed in May 2016. READ MORE         ICYMI We looked behind the scenes of the bruising bank fight that divided Senate Democrats. It may be a preview of the run-up to the 2020 presidential election.   Trump's family separation policy aims to deter immigration. That may make it illegal.   Trump finally has an LGBTQ judicial nominee. Mary Rowland is a lesbian nominee to a U.S. district court. It’s quite a contrast to all the anti-LGBTQ judges he’s pushing.       Want more?  Scott Pruitt Is Up To His Neck In Bizarre Scandals. Most Americans Have Hardly Noticed.   Democrats Say They Have Proof Health Care Can Turn Trump Voters Against Republicans   James Corden Mocks Donald Trump’s Preparation For North Korea Summit   HuffPost is now a part of Oath and a part of Verizon. On May 25, 2018 we introduced a new Oath Privacy Policy which will explain how your data is used and shared. Learn More. How will Trump’s administration impact you? Sign up for our email and find out. Did a friend send you this? Subscribe here. Like what you see? Share it. Want more? Here are two other newsletters you'll love: The Morning Email and Must Reads. ©2017 HuffPost | 770 Broadway, New York, NY 10003 You are receiving this email because you signed up for updates from HuffPost Feedback | Privacy Policy | Unsubscribe   - - Preferences  |  Unsubscribe