U.S. Senator John McCain on Monday said he views Russia and its president, Vladimir Putin, as the “greatest challenge we have,” even more so than that posed by the Islamic State group.
Speaking during a visit to Australia, McCain told the Australian Broadcasting Company Russia has tried to “destroy the very fundamental of democracy” with efforts to influence the U.S. presidential election and others elsewhere in the world.
The comments come as U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration faces investigations into whether it had links to Russia, including reports that Jared Kushner, his son-in-law and a senior White House adviser, attempted to establish a back-channel communications link to Russian officials in the weeks before Trump’s inauguration.
“I know that some administration officials are saying, ‘Well, that’s standard procedure,'” McCain said Monday. “I don’t think it is standard procedure prior to the inauguration of a president of the United States by someone who is not in an appointed position.”
The New York Times quoted White House spokeswoman Hope Hicks as saying Kushner “was acting in his capacity as a transition official,” and that he has agreed to discuss the meetings with congressional investigators.
Trump has rejected any allegations that his campaign colluded with Russia.
“Jared is doing a great job for the country,” Trump told Times late Sunday. “I have total confidence in him. He is respected by virtually everyone and is working on programs that will save our country billions of dollars. In addition to that, and perhaps more importantly, he is a very good person.”
The 36-year-old Kushner, a New York real estate executive before joining Trump’s White House staff, is married to Trump’s oldest daughter Ivanka, who also is a White House adviser.
Kushner, according to several news accounts, sought to create the secret communications link with Moscow as he met with the Kremlin’s ambassador to the U.S., Sergey Kislyak, early last December. Some foreign affairs experts said the move, while former president Barack Obama had weeks left in his term, worried them that it could undermine U.S. security and some opposition Democrats have suggested that Kushner’s security clearance should be revoked.
Kushner’s lawyer has said that he is willing to cooperate with congressional probes of Trump campaign links to Russian officials. One key lawmaker, Senator Bob Corker, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said Sunday, “He seems to be a very open person. I’d let him speak for himself when the time is right.”
