#1 CNN’s Anderson Cooper: “You have been watching perhaps one of the most disgraceful performances by an American president at a summit in front of a Russian leader certainly that I’ve ever seen.”

#2 U.S. Representative Steve Cohen: “Where are our military folks? The Commander in Chief is in the hands of our enemy!”

#3 Former CIA Director John Brennan: “Donald Trump’s press conference performance in Helsinki rises to & exceeds the threshold of ‘high crimes & misdemeanors.’ It was nothing short of treasonous. Not only were Trump’s comments imbecilic, he is wholly in the pocket of Putin. Republican Patriots: Where are you???”

#4 Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer: “Millions of Americans will continue to wonder if the only possible explanation for this dangerous behavior is the possibility that President Putin holds damaging information over President Trump.”

#5 Senator Jeff Flake: “I never thought I would see the day when our American President would stand on the stage with the Russian President and place blame on the United States for Russian aggression. This is shameful.”

#6 Fox News Host Abby Huntsman: “No negotiation is worth throwing your own people and country under the bus.”

#7 Fox Business Anchor Trish Regan: “Horrible performance from our President today. pretty ugly when u give a pass to a nation that is undermining our democracy.”

#8 Senator Bob Corker: “I just feel like the president’s comments made us look like a nation, more like a pushover.”

#9 U.S. Representative Liz Cheney: “As a member of the House Armed Services Committee, I am deeply troubled by President Trump’s defense of Putin against the intelligence agencies of the U.S. & his suggestion of moral equivalence between the U.S. and Russia. Russia poses a grave threat to our national security.”

#10 Senator John McCain: “Today’s press conference in Helsinki was one of the most disgraceful performances by an American president in memory. The damage inflicted by President Trump’s naiveté, egotism, false equivalence, and sympathy for autocrats is difficult to calculate. But it is clear that the summit in Helsinki was a tragic mistake.”

The Beltway Swamp’s flagship bulletin board Washington Post accused Trump of “kowtowing” to Putin by merely agreeing to meet with him. Trump’s one-on-one with the “autocrat” Putin will be a “meeting of kindred spirits,” warned the conceited New York Times. Putin has “devoured” Trump grumbled über-Russophobe Ralph Peters on CNN. Trump wants to “Finlandize” the US moaned Max Boot. Officials in the United Kingdom, a key culprit in ginning up “Russiagate” in the first place, are particularly scared that – horror! – there could be a “peace deal” between Trump and Putin.

For some Democratic partisans and Never-Trump neo-conservative Republicans, horror at improved US-Russia relations competes with the loathing of Trump personally. But for other Americans, both supporters of the President and people who find him objectionable, the summit should not be seen as a litmus test about their attitudes toward the current occupant of the White House. Rather, the issue is what the summit can mean for Americans’ safety and security – and perhaps our very survival.

"If we are going to solve many of the problems facing our world, we will have to find ways to cooperate," Trump told a joint news conference in the Finnish capital Helsinki.

"We made the first steps towards a brighter future, grounded on cooperation and peace," he said. "Refusing to engage will not accomplish anything."

He said he had discussed a wide range of critical issues for both countries, including the war in Syria, Iran, global terrorism and nuclear arms control. He also addressed the issue of alleged Russian interference in U.S. elections, he said.

Putin said negotiations with Trump took place in an open and constructive atmosphere. "I find them rather successful and useful," he said.