Essential Washington: Putin says Russia is willing to hand over its records of Trump’s talks. Who has — and hasn’t — come to Trump’s defense

Russian President Vladimir Putin offered Wednesday to turn over to Congress records of President Trump’s discussions with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and the Russian ambassador to the U.S., Sergei Kislyak.

Trump came under fire earlier this week after it was revealed that he shared sensitive intelligence with Lavrov and Kislyak. That information had been supplied to the U.S. by Israel under an intelligence-sharing agreement.

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Putin’s offer, made during a news conference in Russia, came as the White House played down the importance and secrecy of the information Trump gave to the Russians.

Trump himself said he had “an absolute right” as president to share “facts pertaining to terrorism” and airline safety with Russia. Yet U.S. allies and some members of Congress expressed concern bordering on alarm.

Speaking at a joint news conference with the visiting Italian prime minister, Putin said that he would be willing to turn over notes of Trump’s meeting with the Russian diplomats if the White House agreed.

Putin joked that that he would reprimand Lavrov because “he hasn’t shared those secrets with us.”

-- President Trump faces big test of his presidency with Republicans, who so far are failing to come to his defense

6:26 a.m.

President Trump faced another threshold day in his presidency Wednesday as Republican allies edged away from him and the Wall Street Journal issued one of its toughest editorials to date

Reactions from Republican members of Congress will play a large role in how deeply Trump’s spate of controversies wound his presidency as he prepares for his first trip abroad later in the week.

The Journal, owned by the nation’s most powerful conservative media figure Rupert Murdoch, titled its editorial “Loose Lips Sink Presidencies” and warned Trump that his dual storms over his interactions with fired FBI Director James Comey and the security secrets he shared with Russian diplomats could prompt allies in Congress to “drift away if he looks like a liability.”

“Mr. Trump needs to appreciate how close he is to losing the Republicans he needs to pass the agenda that will determine if he is successful,” the Journal wrote.

Trump was notably silent on Twitter, at least through the evening and morning, when he tends to send his most incendiary comments to fire up his core supporters and drive the news of the day.

Likewise, top Republicans stayed away from the morning shows.

Charlie Rose said on “CBS This Morning” that 20 Republicans had declined invitations Wednesday.

Some Democrats and commentators were beginning to talk impeachment. Sen. Angus King of Maine, an independent who caucuses with Democrats, warned them to take a deep breath.

Those Republicans who did appear in public on Wednesday kept their distance from Trump. Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) responded incredulously to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s offer to share information that Trump discussed with his diplomats.

“The idea that we would accept any evidence from President Putin is absurd,” she told CNN.

Trump’s only scheduled public comments will come during a commencement speech at the Coast Guard Academy in Connecticut. Because the president is traveling, his embattled press secretary, Sean Spicer, will hold an off-camera briefing with a handful of pool reporters on Air Force One rather than his customary televised briefing from the White House.

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Speaker Ryan urges caution over Trump allegations; rank-and-file GOP stick with president

8:23 a.m.

House Speaker Paul D. Ryan declined to weigh in on allegations that President Trump attempted to pressure former FBI Director James B. Comey in the bureau’s investigation of links between Russia and Trump’s campaign.

Dismissing some of the reports as “innuendo,” Ryan brushed aside calls for a special investigation or prosecutor.

The Times and other media outlets have reported that Trump asked Comey to back off the FBI’s probe of fired national security advisor Michael Flynn. The White House has denied the account, which was first reported by the New York Times.

“We need the facts,” Ryan said after a morning meeting of House Republicans at GOP headquarters.

He cited the current investigations by congressional intelligence committees and House Oversight Committee Chairman Rep. Jason Chaffetz’s request for transcripts and tapes of Trump’s conversations.

“There are a lot of unanswered questions,” Ryan said.

“The last thing I want to do is pre-judge anything. ... We’re going to keep doing our jobs.”

Several lawmakers said they would like to review any available tapes and transcripts of Trump’s conversations with Comey, and with Russian diplomats during an Oval Office visit last week. During that meeting, Trump shared intelligence about Islamic State terrorists with the Russians.

But many Republicans dismissed the issues swirling around the White House as media hype that isn’t resonating with voters back home.

‪”I don’t get all wee-wee’d up about this,” Rep. Rod Blum (R-Iowa) said. “People in Iowa care about jobs.‬”

House Republicans said they didn’t spend much time, if any, discussing the events at the White House.

Instead, the meeting largely focused on upcoming special elections for vacant GOP seats that are facing stiff challenges from Democrats.

Freshman Rep. James Comer (R-Ky.) said Trump is sometimes a “victim” of his off-the-cuff style.

“He jokes a lot,” said Comer, who has spent time with the president. “This is a guy that doesn’t measure everything he says like most politicians, and this is the kind of leader Americans voted for, and I think he deserves a chance.”

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Newt Gingrich tells GOP Congress to fight for Trump, or else Democrats will take power

8:45 a.m.

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, a close ally of President Trump, said it’s time for Republicans in Congress to either “surrender or fight” for the president. But surrender, he said, would bring House Democrats and their leader, Nancy Pelosi, to power.

“Republicans in general — not just Trump — are in a crossroads,” Gingrich said in an interview. “And if they don’t get their act together, Pelosi is going to become speaker and she’s going to impeach Trump. That’s how big the stakes are.”

“You think the hard left would do anything less?” added the man who as Speaker in the 1990s led House Republicans’ impeachment of Bill Clinton.

Gingrich’s rally ‘round advice is in stark contrast to that of some on the right who say this is a moment for Republicans to challenge the president, especially after the latest leaks opened Trump to questions of obstruction of justice. Gingrich has been one of Trump’s most stalwart supporters. His wife, Callista, is expected to be nominated as ambassador to the Vatican soon.

Other Republicans have been reticent to speak up in Trump’s defense. But Gingrich was fired up and in a chatty mood, speaking by phone during a layover in Frankfurt after several days of speaking engagements in Kiev. He was infuriated with the media, particularly CNN, which he said is giving the rest of the world the impression that “America is terrifying” right now.

He said questions from his foreign audiences included “How close are we to a dictatorship?”

Gingrich had advice for Trump and his advisors: Get tougher on the media. He said the White House should cancel briefings — an idea Trump himself has floated — and refuse to respond to damaging stories, which he labeled “garbage.”

“The reason they’re having a tough time in the White House is that they keep kidding themselves about the environment they’re working in,” Gingrich said. “If you’re surrounded by lions and hyenas, feeding them just increases their hunger.”

Yet Gingrich worried that his Republican allies in Congress are growing wobbly.

“They’re totally rattled,” he said, citing local town hall meetings disrupted by the “hard left,” other forms of intimidation and even death threats.

“You either decide you’re going to cave and let the left own America,” Gingrich said, “or you’re going to fight.”

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