OnPolitics Today: Russian Roulette

What a doozy of a Monday today has been, OP fam. Keep up with the latest, subscribe here and let's get to it.

I know that I must pass this test

Well, it's finally happened. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin officially met in Helsinki on Monday. The much-anticipated closed-door meeting was followed by a news conference at the Presidential Palace.

There, the two stood side by side as Putin – amid a presentation of a soccer ball and congratulations offered over hosting the World Cup – denied that his country had interfered in the 2016 presidential election.

And there, Trump appeared to show that he believed Putin, despite the U.S. intelligence community telling him otherwise.

“I have great confidence in my intelligence people but I have to tell you, President Putin was incredibly strong and powerful in his denial today,” he said.

The backlash to the president's denial was strong and swift. Among those countering him: His own director of national intelligence, Dan Coats, who defended the intelligence community and described Russia's "ongoing, pervasive efforts to undermine our democracy."

USA TODAY's Susan Page explains:

"What made the news conference between Trump and Putin particularly jaw-dropping was this: Not only did Trump decline to denounce Russian meddling in the 2016 election. He also sounded more inclined to believe Putin’s denial that Moscow had interfered than the unanimous conclusion by U.S. intelligence agencies that it did."

As my life flashes before my eyes

Meanwhile, back in the United States, revelations dropped that a 29-year-old Russian national has been accused of trying to infiltrate American political organizations, including the National Rifle Association.

Federal officials charged that Mariia Butina had been operating as a covert Russian agent since arriving in the U.S. in August 2016.

The kicker? She met with Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker during his bid for the presidency back in 2015.

Elsewhere in politics

• Trump tops Google Image search results for 'idiot,' and the British are partly to blame
• Sen. Rand Paul 'very worried' about Trump Supreme Court pick Brett Kavanaugh
• Public heckling a legitimate part of McConnell protests, activists say
• 'Baby Trump' blimp to join Bedminster, N.J., protest thanks to GoFundMe campaign

WPXI