Why does Russian meddling matter?

President Donald Trump chats with Russia's President Vladimir Putin
U.S. President Donald Trump (L) chats with Russia's President Vladimir Putin as they attend the APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting on November 11, 2017.
Mikhail Klimentyev | Getty

U.S. Intelligence agencies decisively concluded that Russia meddled in the 2016 election.

President Trump's statements on Russia's involvement haven't been so clear.

On Saturday when members of the White House press corps asked Trump about this issue he responded by saying, "Every time (Putin) sees me, he says, 'I didn't do that.' And I believe, I really believe, that when he tells me that, he means it."

He was asked to clarify that statement on Sunday and whether he believed Russia or U.S. Intelligence. President Trump said, "I believe that he feels that he and Russia did not meddle in the election. As to whether I believe it or not, I'm with our agencies, especially as currently constitute with their leadership."

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John Brennan, the former CIA director, responded on CNN's "State of the Union" saying, "By not confronting the issue directly and not acknowledging to Putin that we know you're responsible for this, I think he's giving Putin a pass."

When will all the haters and fools out there realize that having a good relationship with Russia is a good thing, not a bad thing. There always playing politics - bad for our country. I want to solve North Korea, Syria, Ukraine, terrorism, and Russia can greatly help!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 12, 2017

Today on MPR News with Kerri Miller, a conversation about why this latest kerfuffle is bigger than partisanship — and what it means for America's future. Miller was joined by:

Molly McKew, a writer and foreign policy consultant for Fianna Strategies

Nicholas Weaver, a lecturer at UC Berkeley and a researcher at the International Computer Science Institute

Use the audio player above to hear the full conversation