U.S. Rep. Donald S. Beyer Jr., who represents the 8th District of Virginia that includes the City of Falls Church, issued the following statement this morning following the summit and press conference of presidents Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin:

“Donald Trump’s performance at his summit with Putin today was the most astonishing display of weakness and submission that I have ever seen from an American President. Trump’s refusal to side with U.S. intelligence and law enforcement instead of a man who ordered attacks on our elections and is an enemy of human rights around the globe should have been shocking. Yet, tragically, this was more of the same self-serving fecklessness that we’ve seen time and again from President Trump.

“The President’s public debasement of our country to Russia followed a series insults to U.S. allies, including Germany, the United Kingdom, NATO, and the E.U. This has been one of the most disastrous presidential trips abroad in history, and our country will suffer from the damage Trump has just done to America’s reputation for years to come.”