and cooperation with russia when it comes to north korea, syria. we hope we can cooperate on the international front in stopping north korea from acquiring nuclear weapons and also in the middle east seeking peace there. but the president has resisted the objective reality that russia meddled in the 2016 elections. in fact, he's firmly -- to any suggestion that russia attacked our democracy which plainly did all the intelligence agencies have reached anonymity in that conclusion. and it impairs our ability to resist and set up this kind of meddling and interference in the future. it is a real national security. russia will repeat it unless they are made to pay the price. >> senator, there is something even stranger i think about russia is. the "washington post" is