Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton took a jab at President Donald Trump ahead of his Monday meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, using Twitter to question the president's loyalty to the United States in the hours before he attends a closed-door meeting with Putin in Helsinki, Finland.
In a Sunday evening tweet, Clinton asked Trump: "do you know which team you play for?"
Great World Cup. Question for President Trump as he meets Putin: Do you know which team you play for?— Hillary Clinton (@Hillary Clinton) 1531700137.0
As if proving Clinton's point, Trump took to Twitter hours later and blamed the United States for rising tensions between the U.S. and Russia.
Our relationship with Russia has NEVER been worse thanks to many years of U.S. foolishness and stupidity and now, the Rigged Witch Hunt!— Donald J. Trump (@Donald J. Trump) 1531721129.0
Twitter users agreed with Clinton's point.
"Trump is on team Russia," one user wrote.
@HillaryClinton Trump is on team Russia. Absolutely no doubt.— B. Janine Morison (@B. Janine Morison) 1531709325.0
"He does," wrote one user. "And it isn't team USA."
@HillaryClinton He does, and it isn't Team USA.— Greta (@Greta) 1531747448.0
And another asked Clinton if she'd be watching the "treason summit."
@davidwebbshow @HillaryClinton @realDonaldTrump Will you be watching the #treasonsummit tomorrow?— marlaine selip (@marlaine selip) 1531720378.0
One follower pointed out that five Trump associates have been either indicted or have pleaded guilty to crimes uncovered by Mueller's investigation.
Clinton "got more votes...without Vladimir Putin."
Never forget, @realDonaldTrump : Hillary Clinton got more votes, and she did it without Vladimir Putin.— Dr. DaShanne Stokes (@Dr. DaShanne Stokes) 1531747113.0
@HillaryClinton Excellent. Our TRUE United States of America President Hillary Clinton💙🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸— Susan Dominguez (@Susan Dominguez) 1531746384.0
@HillaryClinton 😂🤣 #ImWithHer— Alice Donlan (@Alice Donlan) 1531745250.0
And getting more votes didn't require "Russian propaganda."
Hillary Clinton left State in 2013 with 69% approval. She left 11 hours of Benghazi testimony unscathed. She left… https://t.co/DyA1vmmaMg— HWU (@HWU) 1531748176.0
Others said Trump would cancel the summit if he cared about American interests.
If Putin hacked the election to help @HillaryClinton and she was having this meeting, the @GOP would be attacking h… https://t.co/n1q18Zj4DR— rolandsmartin (@rolandsmartin) 1531741068.0
Clinton's charge that Russia wanted a "puppet" for president wasn't forgotten
@realDonaldTrump Not only is #TrumpBaby SCARED, #TraitorTrump is mad that a woman, ESPECIALLY Hillary Clinton, PROV… https://t.co/dcAvJoPsnx— 🌊❄🌊Trisha Mott-Boone🌊❄🌊 (@🌊❄🌊Trisha Mott-Boone🌊❄🌊) 1531747770.0
The anti-Trump memes poured in as well.
@bjaninemorison @HillaryClinton #TreasonSummit https://t.co/F6n7sOZrPw— Donz0 (@Donz0) 1531711082.0
@HillaryClinton https://t.co/T9UfiiFaTt— TinyFingeredFührer #GlovesOff (@TinyFingeredFührer #GlovesOff) 1531748115.0
@HillaryClinton #treasonsummit https://t.co/NE1RS8QYNz— Jane Lux Gear (@Jane Lux Gear) 1531745460.0
@deejay90192 @ProudResister @HillaryClinton We should all remember who started this saying and when https://t.co/oatBO0Zy9c— 🆘️🌊V.J. Malone Savage!🌊 (@🆘️🌊V.J. Malone Savage!🌊) 1531732031.0
Calls for the president to cancel the summit resounded after news of the indictments broke.
Law professor Jennifer Taub offered an explanation as to why Trump kept his meeting with Putin, despite the Justice Department's Friday announcement that Special Counsel Robert Mueller had indicted 12 Russian nationals for their roles in interfering with the 2016 presidential election.
"We need to think about this in the context of an ongoing white collar criminal investigation," Taub said.
🇷🇺 Here’s my two rubles on the summit. We shouldn’t mainly view this meeting through an international diplomacy len… https://t.co/1mReVziY4j— Jennifer Taub (@Jennifer Taub) 1531746044.0
Friday's indictments leave little to room to doubt that Russia "illegally interfered in our election to help Donald Trump and hurt Hillary Clinton."
Thanks to the Robert Mueller special counsel investigation, we already know that the Russian government likely ille… https://t.co/C8u68x8Tmr— Jennifer Taub (@Jennifer Taub) 1531746089.0
Taub thinks Trump's meeting with Putin, in which only translators for each leader will be present, could be when the president "plans to deliver to Putin whatever it was he may have promised in exchange for this Russian assistance."
So. A prosecutor would consider a related criminal purpose of the summit. Did Donald Trump want to meet for 90 minu… https://t.co/atICONbKcP— Jennifer Taub (@Jennifer Taub) 1531746141.0
Taub's point? There may be an "ongoing conspiracy."
And, of course, the question as to whether there has been and is continuing to be an ongoing conspiracy would come to mind. 4/4— Jennifer Taub (@Jennifer Taub) 1531747442.0