[The Hill] Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) blasted President Trump on Tuesday over news that Trump phoned Russian President Vladimir Putin to congratulate him on his recent electoral win.Putin won reelection in a landslide on Sunday ‐ but both election observers and Putin's political opponents have charged that the vote was tainted by widespread fraud.
In a statement, McCain called Trump's phone call to Putin an insult to "every Russian citizen who was denied the right to vote in a free and fair election to determine their country's future."
"An American president does not lead the Free World by congratulating dictators on winning sham elections," McCain said.
"And by doing so with Vladimir Putin, President Trump insulted every Russian citizen who was denied the right to vote in a free and fair election to determine their country's future, including the countless Russian patriots who have risked so much to protest and resist Putin's regime."
Trump called Putin on Tuesday to offer his congratulations on the Russian president’s victory, saying the two world leaders could meet again soon.