Trump's Russia Summit Puts Local Republicans In a Tough Position

Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, looks over towards U.S. President Donald Trump, left, as Trump speaks during their joint news conference at the Presidential Palace in Helsinki, Finland.

President Trump decision to side with Russia rather than U.S. intelligence agencies' conclusions on Russian meddling in the 2016 election has put local Republican members of Congress in a tough position as they seek re-election

But most members tread carefully in their criticism of the President..

Congressman Dan Donovan, running against a well-funded Democrat on Staten Island, said he trusts U.S. intelligence when they say Russia interfered in the 2016 U.S. elections. But he doesn’t think Congress has a responsibility to act as a check on the president.

"I don’t know exactly what checks you’re talking about," Donovan said.

He said special-counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation hasn't proved collusion between Trump’s campaign and Russia and that it's time to wrap it up.

As for last week’s indictments of a dozen Russian intelligence officers, Donavan, a former Staten Island district attorney, said the U.S. will never get to prosecute them because they live overseas.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer wants the GOP to go further than tempered criticism.

The New York Democrat said he wants more sanctions, hearings to question Trump’s staff and election security legislation.

“The bottom line — we need to act,” Schumer said on the Senate floor. “A few statements will not change President Trump’s behavior, will not stop President Putin from continuing to make a mess of our alliances around the world.”

In a conference call with reporters, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said Republicans' response to the President's comments were unacceptable.

“Are they going to pursue the President for possibly committing treason or not?” Cuomo asked. “And they'll be accountable to the people in November on that decision.”

But New Jersey Republican Tom MacArthur says statements are enough — because the president listens.

“I don’t think it’s fair to say that we’re not acting as a check and a redirect at times,” MacArthur said. “We are.”

Republican criticism helped convinced Trump to change a policy separating immigrant children from their parents, MacArthur said. And MacArthur said Republicans have also talked Trump out of cutting the Office of National Drug Control Policy's budget while a national opioid epidemic continues.

MacArthur, also facing a vigorous challenge, said he agrees with a lot of what Trump is trying to do, and that measured criticism is the best way to maintain a working relationship with the White House.